Can nutrition fix hair loss?

April 21, 2020 Kieran Tudor

Can nutrition fix hair loss?

In this blog we talk about our founder Laura Tudor's experience with hair loss. We reveal the natural methods we used to improve it that ultimately led to the development and creation of CENTRED. It's our mission to help others avoid going through the traumatic experience of hair loss. A lot of the time, hair loss is preventable. In this blog we discuss why preventative health is one of our number one priorities, and the steps you can take if you are experiencing hair loss, scalp issues or poor hair health.

First of all, the answer to the question of 'can nutrition fix hair loss'? It depends what the trigger for the hair loss is but it certainly can help. The first and best step to recovering your hair is to find out the root cause so you can start to treat your hair correctly rather than just masking the symptoms.

Why are we not talking more about hair loss?

It’s time to open up about hair loss. In 2018 after a few particularly stressful months, Laura Tudor Founder of Honest Hair Wellness brand CENTRED, experienced first hand the physical effects of stress on her body, her hair began to dramatically fall out. "It was a wake up call for me that I wasn't taking care of myself correctly, both physically and mentally'. She is not alone. It is reported that 40% of women have visible hair loss by the time they reach 40.*

Even though she is married to an award-winning hairdresser, Laura struggled to find definitive advice around hair loss. Even harder to find was a high performing natural, vegan and cruelty free hair collection with high standards of sustainability. So the couple began their mission of creating a hair care range that had all those values at its core, with clear supportive help and guidance for those struggling with hair loss.

It is hard in modern life to find enough hours in the day to cook and consume healthy whole foods on a regular enough basis to ensure we get all of the right nutrients our body needs. This is why creating a vegan friendly food supplement, Tender Love and Hair, was so important for Laura. Working with a leading nutritionist she set out to formulate a food supplement that would provide all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids to promote healthy hair growth, glowing skin and strong nails. Our supplement is also designed to boost energy levels, enhance mood and support the immune system. Nourishing the body correctly is vital for healthy hair growth and what the brand are keen to share is the first and most important steps towards recovering hair are mindset and nutrition. For more information about the different types of hair loss check out our previous blog post 'Lets talk about stress, baby'!

What causes hair loss?

Our hair, skin and even our nails outwardly reflect what’s going on inside. The biochemistry in our body changes under stress and over time interferes with the normal functioning of our body. Hair growth is a process of cell rejuvenation that is disrupted when our bodies are under stress. This is emotional stress rather than physical and when we are exposed to it for long periods of time it begins to take its toll. Hair loss can be caused by many different factors.

Sometimes it can be more than one so it’s important to get to the bottom of the root cause in order to treat it. It's important to seek advice from a GP to check for and hopefully rule out any underlying health issues. A blood test can be helpful for checking levels of certain nutrients like Iron and Vitamin D as if theres a deficiency present then improvements could be made through diet changes and supplements.

With that being said, one of the other leading causes of hair loss is poor nutrition.

We tend to think of ourselves in the West as having a ‘good’ diet. However in order for the body to gain all the correct nutrients, minerals and vitamins necessary for normal bodily function, including hair growth, skin renewal and nail strength, a wide range of whole foods must be consumed. With a growing number of people turning to plant based diets, there has been an increase in younger people suffering from hair loss, there is a link. This is mainly due to certain key nutrients missing from people’s diets. This is where planning ahead, supplementing and creating balance to allow enough time in the day for nourishment is vitally important. One of the simplest and easiest ways to boost nutrition is to take a supplement, check out our Tender Love and Hair food supplement here.

The first and most important steps for improving hair health are Mindset, Nutrition and Care.

As simple as it seems, without addressing these things we really are only masking the symptoms of poor hair health rather than treating them correctly.

It's important to remember that there is no 'magic pill' or 'quick fix' when it comes to hair. It does take time, but by implementing positive change we can see results over time, our founder Laura Tudor is testament to that.

Over a four month period Laura lost about a third of her hair, meaning it was visible in areas and the scalp was showing much more than normal. Obviously, this was alarming and added to the stress she was already suffering which is hugely common. We get stressed, then our hair starts falling out and it makes us more stressed and the whole cycle carries on. This is why it's important to not worry and panic as much as we can.

Laura is very open about her journey (one she is still on) that helped her to recover her hair. "its funny that my hair falling out became the catalyst for a profound change in my life that I am so thankful for". "It made me look at how I was living my life and what I was prioritising. By doing so I quickly realised how out of balance everything was. I had no work boundaries meaning work was coming way before my own health and wellbeing, nor was I taking care of myself with my diet and exercise which after a while started to affect my mental health. Over the past few years, with coaching and therapy, I have been on a journey to learn how to love myself and learn how to look after the body I am so lucky to have!"

After seeking advice from her GP and finding that she was lacking Iron and Vitamin D Laura made some immediate dietary changes, Supplementing for the lacking nutrients as well as other hair boosting vitamins like Biotin. (Vitamin B complex, Biotin and Iron are all included in our 'Tender Love And Hair' Supplement)

The next huge step forward was embarking on a journey of coaching and therapy. "I would recommend therapy to anyone, it allowed me to have a huge change in perspective and to learn how to love appreciate myself, I was able to learn the tools to deal with anything that life throws at me."

"Ultimately the biggest factor for stress was coming from me prioritising work. Having now shifted to prioritising my health and wellbeing I am so much happier and fulfilled and doing something I am passionate about, believe in and is worthwhile to others too!"

"My hair is feeling much better now, It's been about 18 months since it was at its worst. The reality of the process In my case was firstly, I had to reduce stress in order for the hair to stop shedding. Then it was a case of making the positive life changes that included Mindset, Nutrition and Care in order to begin the process of growing new healthy hair and repairing the hair I had which had become very dry and brittle. The amazing thing is, that I started out by wanting to improve my hair health, and in going through the process I've literally improved my life enormously and now I want to help others!"