3 Natural Methods to Increase Thickness and Volume of Your Hair I Hair Growth Tips

As a nutritionist and Ayurvedic wellness coach, and having gone through my own hair loss journey, I have spent so much of my time trying to understand the cause of hair loss. And I've researched and experimented myself to figure out what actually works to stop hair loss. So today I'm gonna share five of my most effective natural ways to grow stronger, healthier hair. So let's start off with the foundation, nutrition. One of the most common reasons behind hair thinning is micronutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies often show up in subtle but persistent ways. And your hair is usually one of the first places to reflect an imbalance. Whether it's increased shedding, thinning, brittle strands, slower growth, or dry, flaky scalp. But also, along with hair changes, with deficiencies you might also experience things like fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, brittle nails, dry skin, even more frequent colds and coughs. And these are just all your body's warning signals saying, hey, you are not getting enough nutrients that you need to function or grow healthy hair. When your internal nourishment is lacking, your body deprioritizes hair growth in favor of your vital organs, like your brain, your heart, and your lungs. Which is why addressing these deficiencies is key to reversing hair loss from the root. In Ayurveda, which is the most ancient health science to exist, the body is seen as such an intelligent system. It operates on the principle of conservation. So it's always directing its energy and nutrients towards the most vital organs and tissues first, which makes so much sense. The body builds tissue layers in a specific order. So when you eat your food and your body gets the nutrients from it, it starts off from your blood, to your muscle, to your fat, to your bone, your marrow and your nerves, and finally, your reproductive tissue. Your hair and nails are actually considered just byproducts of bone tissue, which means that they're only nourished after the rest of those tissues or the rest of those layers have received what they need. So when your digestion is weak or your body is under stress, inflamed, or lacking proper nutrition, it will prioritize survival over beauty. Your hair becomes a non-essential tissue. Which is why, in times of nutrient deficiencies, emotional stress, or a chronic imbalance, your hair and nails are often the first to suffer. So strengthening your digestion, reducing your stress levels, and deeply nourishing the tissues through your diet, herbs, and lifestyle is the long-term path to rebuilding not just your hair health, but your overall vitality too. I'm not saying that you need a drawer full of supplements, but I really do recommend getting blood work done and asking specifically to have certain nutrients tested because a usual blood test, especially a basic one that you get done with your doctor regularly, may not cover everything necessary to get an in-depth evaluation and good insight into what's actually happening in your body. I have a link in the caption that will take you to a free in-depth guide of what nutrients to check and ask for when you do get your test done. And to be honest, most of the time, I've ended up paying for an in-depth test because sometimes the doctors just won't test for those minute details. But let me tell you, the investment is so worth it. Next up, let's talk about protein and healthy fats. Your hair is made of keratin, which is a protein. So if your body does not get enough protein, it will again prioritize your vital organs and not your hair. So I recommend making protein the center of your meal and then just building around it, adding in your vegetables, your fiber, your healthy fats. My friend started losing her eyebrow hair recently. And when I told her to increase her protein, she noticed a direct relationship between her protein intake and her eyebrow hair falling out. You do not need to go crazy with it, but making sure that you have at least 20 grams of protein per meal is a good start if you're not used to having too much protein in your diet. Also, healthy fats like omega-3s from flax seeds, walnuts, or algae oil can help to support your scalp hydration and reduce inflammation that might be blocking the follicles. It can be as simple as adding a spoon of soaked chia seeds or tahini to your smoothie. Next up, let's talk about your gut. Your gut health and hair are deeply connected. Poor digestion can mean poor nutrient absorption. And from an Ayurvedic perspective, your agony or digestive fire needs to be strong for your tissues, including hair, to be nourished. You can be eating all the right things with the right balance of nutrients, but if your gut is not digesting it, your body will not be receiving it. Some basic foods that can support your gut are things like probiotics. I have some of my favorite brands that I can share with you in the caption, but there are some really great ones out there. Look for ones without any artificial fillers or additives and that are strain-specific. And what I mean by that is when you look at the label, it shouldn't just say lactobacillus or bifidobacterium. You don't need to know what they are. Essentially, it should not just have the first part of the name of the bacteria. It should have the second part, and that's when you know it is OG and legitimate. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, or Indian pickles, I usually add something to each of my meals just to help my gut stay stimulated throughout the day, and digestive spices for daily detox and digestive support. I have a full video on spices to heal your gut that you can dive into, and I share one blend on there called CCF and how to make it. It is like the holy grail of all spices in Ayurveda. And honestly, spices is something that I grew up eating, and I cannot tell you how much I use that as my first-line medicine or my armor for everything from my immunity to my digestion to my focus, my attention during the day. Spices have so many healing and medicinal properties, and so if you're gonna add one thing in out of everything that I've spoken about today, start thinking about places that you can add spices in throughout the day in your meals, whether it's cinnamon in your porridge, maybe some cumin at lunch, and then some paprika or cardamom into your evening meal. There are so many different spices you can experiment with. It is so fun. I have three drawers full of spices, and I still don't have them all, so definitely add some spices into your life. Avoid inflammatory foods like excess sugar, dairy, or fried foods, and avoiding raw foods. Now, I know this sounds a little bit counterintuitive. I'm telling you to eat healthy foods, and you would think of raw foods like cucumbers and lettuce and salads, but when your gut is weak, it's hard for your body to digest these raw foods because if you think about it, when food is cooked, your body doesn't have to work as hard to digest it. Now, sometimes it can be really hard to know whether it's your gut or something else causing your issues and what signs and symptoms to look out for because sometimes our normal is just what we have become used to rather than what it should be, and I remember when I would have my clinic as a dietitian, and people would come in, and one of the first questions we are trained to ask is about your bowel movements, and the word normal was used to describe many different things, going once every three days to going three times a day. The next thing you have to look out for is stress and high cortisol levels. This one is big and usually one that goes unnoticed. If all your results come back clear and your gut has actually been feeling pretty strong, then stress, whether it's emotional or physical, can literally push your hair into the shedding phase for far too long, which is known as telegum effluvium. I don't know whether you've seen it, but it's showing up all over my For You page on TikTok, the cycle of hair loss, and so the hair actually has its own cycle and it has three phases, growth phase, which lasts two to seven years, transition phase, which is about two to three weeks, and last one is the resting phase, which lasts about three months after which the hair falls out. Normally about 10% of the hair is in telegum phase, but in telegum effluvium, that number can jump to 30 to 50% when you notice the larger clumps of hair coming out and the constant shedding throughout the day. So when you think of stress, you might say, but I don't feel stressed out. I actually feel completely fine, which is exactly what I thought when someone told me that. But I realized that I had built up resilience in mental stress, so I didn't necessarily feel it in my mind, but my body, on the other hand, was really feeling it. And stress doesn't just mean the daily things that you worry about. Stress in the body can be triggered by so many other things, whether it's emotional trauma, illness or fever, postpartum hormone drop, going too hard at the gym, physical trauma to the body, like if you get into an accident or you have a fall, stopping and starting medications like birth control. And so I'm gonna share some simple ways that you can help to reduce your stress and know your cortisol levels. And there's some really simple tips to add into your day. The first one is breathwork. Now, I cannot emphasize how much breathwork has changed my life in more ways than I ever thought. Even just 10 minutes of breathwork can make such a difference in your day. Now, I try and incorporate breathwork throughout the day. So first thing, when I wake up in the morning, I take a few deep breaths. In the afternoon, when I'm noticing my body getting stressed or my work getting a bit too intense, I'll add breathwork in. And in the evening, as I'm trying to wind down, all it takes is a few simple breaths. Try and incorporate 10 minutes a day and you will see a world of a difference. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps your body to manage stress and move cortisol out of the bloodstream. There are lots of capsules out there, but recently I've actually been using a cream with ashwagandha and magnesium in it. And because it goes straight through your skin, it goes straight into your bloodstream. And if your gut isn't doing that great, then capsules may not be digested well. And so if you can find yourself a cream or an ointment that can go directly onto your skin, it can help with the absorption of both magnesium and ashwagandha, which are both used to reduce your stress levels. And then just think about any practices that would soothe your nervous system. What would you recommend to a friend to do if they were stressed out? Go walk in nature. Do some yoga and low-intensity workouts. Digital detoxing, of course, is a big one. Massages, journaling, spending time with a friend and having a chat, allowing your body to physically rest. If you add in even just one of these or try a week where you add all of these in, you will notice just how calm and at peace your body can actually feel. Next up, let's talk about some hair and scalp rituals. Weekly oiling is one of the most powerful tools and the most ancient tools that have been used over time. But you have to do it in the right way so that your hair follicles don't get clogged and make your hair heavy. Because actually what people don't realize is that over-oiling your hair can cause even more hair loss. So here are the things that they do not tell you about hair oiling. Number one, you have to slightly warm or heat your oil to improve the absorption. Apply the oil only to your scalp, not your entire hair. You have to massage it gently in circular motions for at least five to 10 minutes to increase the blood flow and helping the nutrients penetrate into your hair follicles. And this is the fact that people usually don't know. You have to keep it on for 30 minutes to two hours, not overnight, especially if you have fine hair or an oily scalp to begin with. If your hair is generally thicker or drier, you can keep it on overnight as long as you wash it out thoroughly to avoid blocking your hair follicles. You have to double wash your hair after oiling it so that there is no buildup. Leaving oil in for too long without cleansing it properly equals clogged follicles and scalp inflammation. So make sure you also use lighter oils like argan or sesame oil. Coconut oil and castor oil are really, really thick. And so even if you wash your hair out once or twice, it will still probably be living in your scalp, which makes it more prone to inflammation, irritation, and buildup. And lastly, make sure you exfoliate your scalp once a week with a gentle herbal scalp scrub. Now, I know there was so much information in this, and you can start off step-by-step trying out one or two tips that I have given you. And I know it can feel really scary when your hair is shedding and you don't know why. And it can really mess with your mood and anxiety too. So I hope that this helps you on your journey back to a healthy body and healthy hair. Quick fixes can help short-term, and I know that there are so many products out there that are telling you that it will fix all your problems, but real transformation comes from the slower, consistent approach and being open to keep learning and tuning into what our body is actually saying. Let me know if you try these out, and I would absolutely love to hear about your journey. And if you found this helpful, feel free to subscribe for more holistic wellness tips, recipes, and beauty hacks.