I can tell someone’s vegetarian by their hair – it tends to be dry & dull, a must-have ingredient you need for sheen

HAIR lacking the right nutrients for health and growth is easy to spot, according to a haircare specialist.

She shared several tips for those suffering from thinning and bald patches. 

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Gina Conway is a haircare specialist who has teamed up with the industry data platform Alt Index.

She has three luxury salons in London that offer locks and beauty treatments.

She said there are multiple reasons why after the age of 45 up to 20% of people lose “up to 50%” of their hair.

These include higher levels of stress, medication, genetics, an unbalanced diet, and poor scalp health.

Speaking to The U.S. Sun, she revealed how to address each issue.

STRESSED STRANDS

Conway said it’s common for trauma, work, and relationships to cause stress that triggers hair loss.

She said identifying the cause of the stress is key to dealing with the shedding.

“Stress is one of the most important things linked to hair loss from people outside the age at which hair loss naturally occurs,” she said.

“So if they are aged under 35, we look at the stress factors.”

HUNGRY HAIR

Conway said diet is the second most important factor in hair loss as tresses require the right proteins for health.

“I can tell if someone is a vegetarian just by looking at their hair," she said.

"It tends to be dry and dull with no shine. It’s got no sheen to it. 

“So, if you're a vegetarian, that's fine - but you can use supplements to get the Omega-3 in your system. 

“I always say for those who are eating meat and fish, it's all the oily fish that are going to do wonders for your hair.

"If you think it is dull and dry, you need to up your vitamin B12, B complexes, and Vitamin E's.”

LIFELESS LOCKS 

Conway said illnesses can have a similar impact on the body as stress.

She recommended taking a closer look at any medications when experiencing thinning.

“To heal itself, your hair, skin, and nails are the last things to get fed,” she said.

One of the best things to do for our scalp is a scalp massage.

Gina Conway

“That's often why we have hair loss because your body is not being fed those things. 

“The medication could be somehow blocking your hair growth.”

SCALP STAPLES

Conway said we’re “always shedding skin cells” but overlook scalp health while splurging on other skincare.

“Our scalp has more capillaries than anywhere else on your body,” she said.

“So everything you put on your scalp and your hair goes straight into your bloodstream.”

She said products containing plastic make hair feel great because they leave a coating but it’s healthier to use organic haircare.

Conway said daily massages can also improve scalp health.

“You need to know whether you are producing oil or underproducing oil, and we need to get that balance back,” she said.

“We naturally have an acid balance and if our acid balance is out of sync, we are potentially more susceptible to allergies or a bacterial infection on our scalp. 

“One of the best things to do for our scalp is a scalp massage.

"Even if it's five minutes a day, or when you're in the shower, do some slow deep movements, as well as some fast, vigorous movements. 

“The fast vigorous movements on the dry scalp are going to exfoliate your dead skin. 

“The slow movements are going to bring about blood circulation. 

“And in that blood, are all your beautiful vitamins and minerals and everything that feeds your skin cells.”

BALDING BEWARE

Conway said hair loss can also be due to genetics and it’s important to spot shedding early on to prevent it from worsening.

“There are things that we can do to keep it on track,” she said.

“If you can catch it before you've lost your hair for seven years, it will likely grow back, but if you don't catch it, those cells go dormant and eventually die. 

“A lot of people say, ‘Oh my hair is fine now, it won’t happen.’ But if you wait too long, it’s not coming back.”

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