8 Tips for Restoring Hair Health & Vitality

May 31

Elisa Henry Morton, CEO of Eat Heal Move, wearing mauve athletic set and smiling off into distance

Did you know that hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, diet, and stress all play a major role in the health and vitality of your hair?

One of the most commonly discussed forms of hair loss is postpartum alopecia, with more than 50 percent of women experiencing hair loss to varying degrees in the first two to six months after having a baby.

The reason? During pregnancy, the body will experience soaring estrogen and progesterone levels keeping the hair in its “growth” phase resulting in long luscious locks, unfortunately, post-childbirth these hormones drop significantly causing the hair to shed, usually peaking at about three months postpartum.

What I didn’t know was that miscarriage, fertility drugs, stress, and anxiety can also be a culprit for hair loss as was the case for me when I first started noticing a change in my hair health shortly after our first miscarriage.

My doctor assured me that it was normal to experience some hair loss after a miscarriage due to the sudden drop in pregnancy hormones. Not surprising given my body had spent three months growing and nurturing an embryo from a single cell to a fetus. However, with each subsequent pregnancy and miscarriage, my hair loss became more significant and noticeable.

From breakage to shedding, to a complete change in texture and shine. The ‘thing’ that had once been my self-proclaimed best (and most manageable) asset was now the source of much distress. It’s also worthwhile noting that during this time, and throughout our four-year fertility journey, my thyroid also took a massive hit, swinging from hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism, another contributing factor to my severe hair loss.

Each time I looked at my hair in the mirror I was reminded of the loss I had suffered months, sometimes years earlier. A simple routine like having a shower and washing my hair would end in tears, and styling my hair became a traumatic experience! Thank goodness for the arrival of headbands. This of-the-moment fashion accessory soon became my signature style as a way to conceal my hair loss.

Fortunately for me, my hair loss wasn’t permanent and now eighteen months on from my last miscarriage I am finally beginning to see a return to my hair’s former health and vitality.

Elisa Henry Morton, owner of Eat Heal Move, holding purple phone and iPad while walking

These are the hair-repair tips, tools, and techniques that helped me to restore my hair’s health and vitality:

1. Invest in a Towel Wrap: This has been a game-changer for me! Not only does it cut drying time in half, but it also helps to prevent damage when the hair is at its wettest and most vulnerable to breakage. Made from soft microfibre, this lightweight towel wrap doesn’t weigh the hair down like a heavy cotton towel does, helping to reduce the amount of stress being placed on the wet hair. It’s also helpful in reducing frizziness and keeping your locks manageable and tangle-free.

2. Supplement: There are so many supplements on the market promising to do extraordinary things! I’ve tried about half a dozen and these are the two brands that I love and recommend.

I used Moon Juice SuperHair supplements consistently for three months at the peak of my shedding and noticed a dramatic difference in my hair health, especially new hair growth where I was thinning. I like that the formula includes adaptogens (specifically ashwagandha and ginseng) to help balance stress hormones and reduce the effects of oxidative stress, which can contribute to hair loss. They also include a range of multivitamins including A, five different B’s, C, D, E, and K to address the nutritional deficiencies that inhibit the growth of healthy hair, along with botanicals, and key micronutrients; biotin, to support healthy keratin infrastructure, horsetail for hair strength and thickness, and kelp, rich in iodine and essential for endocrine and thyroid hormone balance. Follicle protectors; saw palmetto & pumpkin seed also help by inhibiting the hair-destructive hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), to support healthy hair follicles and promote thickness. High levels of androgens, including DHT, can shrink the hair follicles, causing hair to grow out thinner and more brittle, and fall out faster.

Similar to SuperHair by Moon Juice, Nutrafol Women is a natural hair-growth supplement that targets the root cause of hair loss including stress, environmental and nutritional deficiencies. This formula includes medical-grade botanicals and a range of plant-based ingredients to support hair growth from the inside out. Including collagen, Ashwagandha, curcumin, horsetail, tocotrienol complex (vitamin E), resveratrol, and kelp this formula works to promote scalp elasticity and moisture, balance stress hormones to support a healthy hair growth cycle, reduce DHT, counter the inflammatory response triggered by aging, stress, hormones, and the environment all of which can damage the hair follicle and lower the cellular metabolism needed for new growth hair. Vitamin E improves hair growth and thickness as well as protecting the hair follicles from oxidative damage caused by environmental stressors. Horsetail helps to improve hair strength with silica, an essential mineral needed for hair growth by supporting connective tissue strength. Resveratrol, a potent antioxidant helps to promote scalp health by targeting environmental stressors and support healthy blood flow, helping nutrients travel to the hair follicle. Additionally, kelp, a whole-food source of iodine helps to help support healthy thyroid function needed for hair growth, thickness, and texture.

3. Include zinc and iron-rich foods in your diet: Eating a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is crucial for promoting healthy hair, especially if you believe that your hair loss is a result of your diet. For me, my diet has always been comprised predominately of whole foods, however, I knew that I was lacking zinc and iron-rich foods, a recent anemia diagnosis also confirmed this suspicion. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells, making it an important mineral for many primary functions, including hair growth. Anemia, caused by an iron deficiency can also be a major contributor to hair loss, especially in women. Foods high in iron include clams, oysters, eggs, red meat, spinach, and lentils. Just like iron, zinc is also a major player when it comes to promoting hair growth and repair, and a deficiency (in zinc) can contribute to hair loss. Foods high in zinc include oysters, beef, spinach, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.

4. Invest in a good quality shampoo and conditioner: This is another category that I’ve tried and tested over the years to varying degrees of success. And while there have been many brands that I’ve noticed improvements with, I particularly love Prose for their made-to-order formula that is uniquely customized for each individual. This custom-blend is created based on customer demographics including, age, hair type, hair goals, and geographical location (to help combat oxidative stress such as water pollutants!!). All blends are individually created and bottled in their Brooklyn facility based on the results collected from their complimentary online consultation - which takes about 5 minutes to complete, or 10 if you’re indecisive like me. All of their ingredients are sustainably sourced and ethically harvested from all corners of the globe in collaboration with their local partners and include dreamy combinations like oat oil, acacia collagen, silk proteins, argan oil, honey, biotin, and licorice extract to name a few. And for those interested in clean beauty you can rest easy knowing that their formula is created free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oils, GMOs, and is always cruelty-free (bonus!!). They can even make your formula vegan, gluten-free, silicone-free, dye-free, or fragrance-free based on your individual preferences - perfect if you’re currently pregnant, trying to conceive, or have an allergy. I especially love that their website offers full transparency regarding where each of their ingredients is sourced from together with the corresponding EWG score. Honorable mentions go out to Act+Acre, Oway, and Saya.

5. Take Blackstrap Molasses: Part urban myth, part old wives' tale, when my hair loss was at its worse I was willing to try anything, and I mean anything, including having a tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses daily. Blackstrap molasses contains several key nutrients including; iron, calcium, manganese, copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, selenium, and potassium, all of which, have been proven beneficial for hair growth. About 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses contains approximately 20 percent of the daily recommended intake for iron, perfect if you have been diagnosed with anemia caused by a lack of iron in the diet, or are suffering from low energy levels. If ingesting a tablespoon of this thick syrup is a bridge too far, consider adding it to your baking in place of honey, maple syrup, or sweetener of choice - it works especially well when making energy bites.

6. Add collagen to your daily routine: Collagen is an essential building block of strong, healthy hair. It provides the proteins and amino acids needed to make keratin, which is the protein that hair is constructed of. As well as being super beneficial for hair, skin and nail health, it is also helpful in supporting the repair and rebuild of the intestinal wall and good for supporting digestion and preventing leaky gut. Additionally, it promotes scalp elasticity and moisture. As we age, our bodies become less efficient at producing collagen, which is why I recommend introducing an ingestible collagen supplement into your diet as a preventative measure. Just one serving contains 20grams of collagen peptides, and 18grams of protein making it the perfect addition to smoothies, juices, matcha, or coffee.

7. Drink Bone Broth: What I affectionately refer to as ‘botox in a mug’ bone broth is full of incredible benefits for overall health - including hair health. Collagen-rich bone broth is beneficial for hair, skin, and nail health as well as protection against cell damage, and inflammation thanks to two vital amino acids found in bone broth; glycine and glutamine. Just one mug a day of this nourishing drink is enough to provide you with several essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, protein, and collagen. Bone broth is also incredibly healing for the gut and can be helpful with some digestive conditions including IBS, constipation, diarrhea, and intestinal damage. If you’re not up to drinking this solo, it makes a great addition/base to soups and stews or can be used for cooking up grains and vegetables - not only boosting the flavor profile of your dish but adding so much goodness to your meal, and overall health!

8. Find a hairstylist that you trust: For me, that person is Gregorio Ruggeri. During my regular visits to his bijou salon in the heart of Chelsea, it’s not uncommon for Greg and me to chat about how diet, stress, and even fertility drugs can contribute to hair health, something that I was unaware of before embarking on IVF. Together we developed a strategy to help restore my hair health - this included no coloring for over two years, limited heat-styling, and products tailored to restoring hair strength and vitality.

In my experience, there’s no one magic fix-all, instead, it’s the combination of several complementary tools (as mentioned above) to help target the root cause of hair loss. For me, this included changing my styling habits, evaluating my diet, and doing things to manage my fertility-related stress.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful!!

Note: If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or breastfeeding, or are taking medications please consult with your physician before beginning any new dietary or supplement regimen.