If you’ve ever found yourself blindly navigating beauty aisles trying to make sense of all the products aimed at improving the condition of your hair, the chances are that you might have overlooked the most important thing you can do to keep your hair in its best condition – nutrition.

When the body has all the nutrients that it needs to thrive, everything benefits.  Healthy hair isn’t just something that makes you look beautiful – it’s also a sign that you’re well-nourished. But the problem for new mums is this:

Breastfeeding mums use a lot of extra energy and nutrients. Incorporating a hair-specific vitamin supplement into your regime means that you can be sure that your hair is getting everything it needs to look and feel its best.

Protein

A fibrous protein called keratin is the key structural material that makes up hair. Lack of protein in your diet can lead to limp, inelastic hair, and poor growth. Breastfeeding mums need twice as much protein in their diet as non-breastfeeding mums. It’s not directly linked to milk supply but it is very important for your body to function and thrive properly.

B Vitamins

Biotin is a key ingredient for normal, healthy hair. Normal healthy hair looks nourished and grows well. Vitamin B6 and Folic acid are both B vitamins which help to make red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to all cells of the body. Biotin is involved in assisting in the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and fats for efficient use by the body. 

Selenium

Selenium is a powerhouse nutrient that is a must when it comes to making sure that your hair is a at its healthy best. It’s also crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system and acts as antioxidant.

Zinc

An essential trace element, Zinc is crucial for health and wellbeing. Zinc also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells including hair cells, from stress from oxidation - oxidative stress is responsible for the degradation of cells including ageing.

Vitamin C

This essential nutrient does many things to help look after your healthy hair. It’s critical for iron absorption and it’s also used in the body to help support normal collagen formation, a structural fibre that hair follicles need for optimal growth. Vitamin c also protects against free radical damage which can be a causes of hair to age prematurely.

New mums often experience significant hair changes during and after pregnancy.  Postpartum hair concerns include hair loss, weak and brittle hair and poor regrowth which arise due to stress, sleep deficiency and new mums finding it difficult to feed themselves well with a newborn, plus hormone changes. Including vitamin and minerals from a food supplement in your diet that’s specifically blended to benefit new mums can give extra confidence that your body is getting what it needs to support your hair as you get back to yourself after having a baby.

Food supplements should not replace a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.