Having hair that stubbornly refuses to grow much more than a seemingly invisible fraction of a millimeter every month is beyond annoying. Trust me, I know because my hair didn’t grow for a long time! I really wanted to get it far past my shoulders, but I was stuck in a hair rut. No bueno. Buns were my everyday style. And to top it off- the parts that did grow were a frizzzy, steel wool-ish mess!
This was years ago, pre-Beauty Detox.
What I have since learned, is that the state of your hair is not only connected to what you eat- it is a reflection of the state of your digestion and circulation. My hair has grown almost all the way to my butt these days, and is super healthy, even though as you now know, it was not always that way. And so I want to share the healthy hair secrets with you!
You see, even if you are eating wonderful, nutrient-filled foods, and spending lots of moola on organic fair and superfoods of various kinds, if your digestion is poor you won’t adequately assimilate and be able to use the nutrients. I know… that is also annoying!
And if your circulation is poor, it means that oxygen and nutrient-filled blood is not going to adequately get to your body’s extremities, including your hair follicles. Your hair therefore can become weak and brittle, or fall out more frequently, or as I mentioned earlier, grow agonizingly slowly. Ahh, hair. Can’t you just behave the way we want you to?!
So yes, it’s not about just what we eat- but the quality of our digestion and circulation!! I’ve been harping on this for years, as you long-term Beauty Detoxers know, but it’s worth repeating the most important things over and over, and relating them to things that we might not directly relate them to…like our hair! So often, we hear about circulation as it relates to heart/cardiovascular health, but circulation is vital to beautiful skin and hair as well.
Deepak and I discuss circulation at length in Radical Beauty, and you can for sure learn more about digestion than you ever really wondered in The Beauty Detox Solution, but here are a few great tips to get you started:
Beauty Tip #1 – Eat more chia seeds.
They do so many things that I’m so excited as I write this I can hardly pick what order to list them in!! ☺ First off, they have lots of omega 3 fatty acids that help our bodies balance our EFA (essential fatty acid) ratio, which helps to enhance our circulation.
They also form a gel when soaked in liquid, such as almond milk in my Chia Seed Delight Recipe, which is made up of soluble and insoluble fiber that cleanses your system and helps your digestion along so you can absorb more beauty nutrients. Chia seeds also contain antioxidants, minerals, amino acids and so much more. So…get some chia seeds in your life!! And do it ASAP!
Beauty Tip #2 – Drink hemp milk.
This is still related to Tip #1, as in the great omega 3 fatty acids that hemp seeds and hemp milk also contain which is so beneficial to great circulation! It also contains all the essential amino acids and lots of minerals. Amazing little seeds! Furthermore (and why I made it it’s own whole separate bullet), hemp milk is also high in the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin and helps to promote sleep.
The better we sleep, the better we deal with stress, and have optimal energy for digestion and circulation and growing healthier hair. It’s like a board game where you have to take steps, one by one. And in this case the prize at the end is healthy hair. So try having some warm hemp milk in the evenings!
Beauty Tip #3 – Massage your scalp!
It really does help with circulation and hair growth. You can do it as part of your abyanga practice (if you have no idea what I am talking about please read this blog or the whole big part in Radical Beauty where we discuss it!). It just became part of my beauty ritual routine at the end of the night.
Plus, if I do it at the end of the day, I don’t leave the house looking like I was just electrocuted, with hair sticking out in every possible direction. I already have pretty obvious mom hair a lot of the time as it is! ☺
Beauty Tip #4 – Eat some almonds.
Dry skin is a real doozy for your hair, because dehydration can also exacerbate poor circulation and digestion, impeding both processes even more, which can lead to the aforementioned dreaded hair breakage and poor growth. So…almonds to the rescue! Almonds are great for dry skin, and are super high in vitamin E, the major antioxidant in human epidermal tissue, which creates smoothness and suppleness.
Be sure to throw them in a bowl of water overnight and rinse them well the next day if it at all possible to remember to do this!!! I know that life is so full that you might say to me, “Really Kimberly? You are asking me to do something else? I can hardly get to the market as it is!” But, you know I only have your best interests at heart! Soaking/sprouting helps with better digestion of the almonds’ key nutrients, as it helps remove inhibitor enzymes and acids from the outer coating of the almonds. And this really only take 5 seconds anyways (when you do remember), so it’s all worth it and doable in the end.
Beauty Tip #5 – Do a cleanse!
It’s great to do cleanses periodically- ideally seasonally- to let your digestion fully rest and clean out old toxins and mucus, which in turn helps exponentially to boost your circulation…and that as you all know well by now folks, that is going to really help you grow your hair!! ☺
Please check out the organic cleanses I’ve designed with digestion and circulation specifically in mind, from Glow Bio. They are unlike other cleanses out there, and incorporate the fibrous Glowing Green Smoothie® and probiotics and cold-pressed juices. The Set, Level 1 cleanse is my favorite cleanse that I personally do, and it’s 3 days. 3 measly days! And you will be doing something so amazing for your body.
I hope you are inspired to incorporate some of these ideas into your life! Awesome hair does require patience, but it is within your grasp. Take great care of yourself and I will see you back here soon!
Sending you lots of love and a big cyber hug. xo
Kimberly
If I can grow healthy hair from the state my hair used to be in, YOU can too!!! Love xo
Thank you for this helpful article. Would you consider putting together a 3 day seasonal cleanse along the lines of the Glow Bio cleanse, that those of us who live abroad could purchase? Something like your wonderful 30 Day Meal Plan (I love that so much) but as a smoothie/juice version…I really like the idea of taking the time to ‘reset’ myself at the turn of each season. It sounds like a very rebalancing thing to do.
Hi Kate, I am coming out with an awesome product in early March!:) Keep your eyes out for it!
I just made some chocolate chip and coconut chia pudding in an effort to have better hair. Thanks for the tips!
I’m sad because I actually do these things and my hair looks terrible (brittle, split ends, can’t grow past my shoulders) and my skin breaks out :'( I wanted to purchase your probiotics but unfortunately, you don’t send to France). I drink your glowing green smoothie every day (i love it, by the way ^^) and have your books… I just can’t seem to find out what in my diet is not agreeing with me. thanks for your beauty tips though :)
Hi Clemence! We actually now have international shipping! We are launching it on Tuesday!:)
oh really ?? Yayy !! then I will come back on Tuesday :) thanks for the update Kimberly