Discover how our hair reveals our overall health

Do you know that ourhair is much more than just fashion accessories? Oh, sure, they can help us express our personality and style, but they also have a lot to say about our overall health . Curious isn't it? Why would our hair be able to provide information about our health? In reality, our hair reflects many of our lifestyle habits, including our diet, as well as our nervous and hormonal state. Do you know what your hair can say about you today? Let's go together to discover what these unsuspected signals that our hair sends to us mean.

Hair structure: a reflection of our health

Have you ever thought about the appearance of your hair as a reflection of your overall health? Well, it is. In the same way that our eyes are the mirror of the soul, our hair can be the mirror of our body. They are formed by a protein called keratin and grow from a follicle, a living structure in the skin richly supplied with blood vessels. These vessels provide the nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth.

But what happens when this process is disrupted? Let's say your body is lacking certain vitamins or minerals, or is stressed. Wouldn’t it make sense that your hair would be affected? Indeed, our hair suffers the consequences of these disturbances and this reality is often perceptible to the touch and to the sight.

Healthy hair is generally thick, shiny, supple and strong. On the other hand, if your hair becomes dry, brittle, dull or thin , it may be a sign of an underlying health problem. For example, iron deficiency can lead to hair loss, while overproduction of hormones by the thyroid gland can cause hair to become thin and brittle.

It is also important to note that the health of our hair can reflect broader problems in our body. For example, sudden hair loss may be a sign of high stress or anxiety . Conversely, hair that is suddenly thicker can signal pregnancy, due to the hormonal changes that accompany it.

Let's not forget that the changes observed in our hair are often progressive and depend on the health conditions interacting with each other. Genetic factors, dietary habits, stress management and our hair care all influence the health of our hair .

Hair problems: symptoms of internal imbalances

Stress, for example, can cause a multitude of hair problems. From thinning to telogen effluvium (a condition that causes excessive hair loss), your strands react keenly to a state of anxiety provided by your nervous system. Even hormonal imbalances, such as those observed during pregnancy or menopause, can cause notable hair changes.

Likewise, a nutrient deficiency can also manifest as an alteration in the texture and health of your hair. Have you ever heard about the importance of iron for your hair? Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition that results in hair loss. The importance of a balanced diet for maintaining healthy hair is difficult to dispute.

Did you know that more serious conditions, like diabetes or thyroid disorders, can also be reflected in hair problems? If we pay attention, it is clear that our hair is the true sentinel of our health.

Hair growth: an indicator of our overall well-being

Variations in hair growth can be seen as a direct manifestation of our overall health . Is our body in balance? Is our internal system functioning to its full potential? The answers to these questions sometimes find an unexpected echo in the state of our hair.

Lack of growth, or alopecia , can be the result of various health problems. A nutritional deficiency, prolonged stress, an undiagnosed chronic illness: all factors potentially revealed by a slowdown or cessation of the hair growth cycle. Why that?

For what? Because each of these states leads our body to reroute its resources, thus abandoning certain less vital functions. Among these, hair growth is often put aside.

But then, how to interpret these signals? In a healthy individual, anagen (the growth phase in the hair cycle) generally lasts 2 to 7 years. A significant reduction in this duration, combined with shedding more than 100 hairs per day, can be a warning sign of a health problem.