Many people who suffer from hair loss ask the question “What can I do to get my hair to grow healthy and strong again?”. For this problem, water is a natural, low-cost solution that is often overlooked. Water is of vital importance to our bodies.
In fact, according to a study(1), up to 60% of the human adult body is water, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, the muscles, and kidneys are 79% and the skin contains 64% water. Our hydration thus has a large impact on all of our bodily functions and drinking water can even help with hair growth.
In this article, we will reveal the eight greatest benefits drinking water can bring to our hair and also provide some tips on how to best use this everyday, yet essential, resource to maximize hair growth.
Does Drinking Water Help Your Hair Grow?
Yes. Water is critical to the health of human hair. Hair has two parts: The root, which is located inside the scalp, and the shaft which is the outside portion of the hair. The entire strand gets its water from inside.
Our hair requires proper nourishment to survive and water is the main source of energy for hair cells, including the cells that generate new hair growth. By regulating our circulatory system and lubricating our hair follicles, water aids in the absorption of minerals and vitamins that hair desperately needs. One can even compare our hair to a plant that requires regular watering.
On the other hand, if we don’t drink enough water, the body will try to supply more water to vital parts of the body, such as the brain and heart, leading to insufficient water levels for our hair follicles. Our hair will become dry and fragile, it can stop growing and may even die of thirst, resulting in excessive hair loss.
8 Impressive Benefits of Water for Hair
Water is as vital to our hair as it is to us and being well-hydrated is one of the best things we can do for our hair. Below are eight amazing benefits of drinking water for hair:
Promote Hair Growth
Of course, as we’ve discussed, drinking water is instrumental in promoting hair growth. Water provides our hair with minerals and vitamins as necessary nutrients by regulating the circulatory system. But that’s not all, by stimulating the nerve endings on our scalp, water also makes our roots more active, further increasing hair growth.
Make Your Hair Strong
Hydration makes hair stronger and healthier. Hair, like our muscles, requires water to be strong, which means that if the amount of water is insufficient, your hair becomes limp and fragile. If you are properly hydrated, your hair will be strong and you will be less likely to experience hair thinning and breakage.
Keep Your Hair Lustrous
Dehydrated hair typically appears tangled, dry, and frazzled, with split ends. Keeping yourself hydrated at all times will improve the condition of your hair and give it a shiny appearance. Water adds natural gloss and softness to hair while also keeping it healthy from root to tip as if you were actually using a hair care product.
Keep Your Hair Healthy
Water makes up one-quarter of a healthy strand of hair, so dehydration can have terrible consequences. There are layers to a strand of hair. If your hair is healthy, the inner layers are protected by the oil of the outer layers. The oil reflects light, giving your hair a shiny appearance.
When you are dehydrated, the outer layer can no longer function as a shield, making the hair dry and straw-like. This is when your hair is most prone to breakage and split ends. Drinking water is the best way to prevent these problems.
Keep Your Scalp Healthy
Along with your hair, your scalp also needs enough moisture to keep healthy. If you are dehydrated, your skin will dry out. This is usually the cause of conditions like dandruff, which cause itching and irritation but more importantly can actively damage your skin.
Keeping the scalp hydrated, on the other hand, aids in the even distribution of oil and the maintenance of healthy and nourished hair shafts. A healthy scalp greatly reduces your chances of developing hair problems.
Flush Out Toxins
Our scalp becomes clogged with oils, sweat, and mineral buildup as a result of prolonged sun exposure, combined with the use of hair products. The presence of these toxins stifles hair growth and can result in a variety of biological complications.
Drinking plenty of water will flush out the accumulated impurities from your scalp, restoring it to good health. This not only allows the human body to function properly, but it also promotes hair growth and health.
Prevent Hair Damage
Drinking water isn't the only way fluid gets into your hair. When washed, the strands absorb and swell with water, then shrink back down as they dry. This repetitive process causes damage, which is why it's recommended to only wash hair when absolutely necessary.
To help hair retain moisture and nutrients, wash it with oil and water on a regular basis. In addition, adequate nutrition and hydration are required to prevent hair damage.
A good way to achieve that is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with high water content. Coconut water and fruit juices not only provide the necessary fluids but also several important minerals and vitamins.
Reduce Hair Loss and Hair Thinning
Another way that water benefits our hair is by reducing thinning and breakage. Hair loss and thinning are frequently caused by a lack of essential minerals and vitamins, which causes the follicles and strands of hair to weaken over time.
Our scalp requires enough water to produce viable and strong cells, which result in healthy hair strands. Inadequate water intake results in frazzled and dry hair. This is due to the fact that dehydrated roots inhibit healthy hair growth and cause hair thinning. Keeping hydrated therefore keeps your hair follicles healthy and viable, preventing hair breakage and thinning.
How to Drink Water for Hair Growth
Water truly provides a myriad of benefits for hair, ranging from promoting hair growth to preventing hair damage. Therefore, we must do our best to maximize the good of drinking water for ourselves and our hair. Below are some helpful tips that just might help you do so.
Calculate Your Water Intake
After understanding the importance of water, your first question should be: “So how much should I drink?”.
Studies(2) show that an adult male body typically requires 3.7 liters per day. On the other hand, a female body requires 2.7 liters per day. Ideally, 20% of the water should come from food and the rest should come from actual water consumption. The exact amount of water you require is determined by your body composition, age, and whether you are pregnant or nursing.
These guidelines are a good place to start, but you should keep an eye on your body for signs of dehydration. You may be dehydrated if you are thirsty or have a dry mouth. When you're hydrated, your urine will be very light yellow or clear.
If you're dehydrated, it'll be dark yellow or brown. Though it is rare, it is possible to drink too much water and become overhydrated. By paying attention, you should come to understand the amount of water your body needs.
Create A Schedule
Whatever the amount, you must drink enough water on a daily basis. When it comes to drinking water, it is critical to establish a routine. Water consumption should be evenly distributed throughout the day. You should not go for long periods of time without drinking a glass of water. Creating a schedule of water drinking like this is very effective at promoting hair growth, but it could also be hard to follow, which leads us to…
Set Alarms
If you already have a busy schedule, it might be hard to remember you always need to keep hydrated, and you might end up not drinking enough water daily. Setting alarms on your phone is a simple way to stay hydrated at all times. Set reminders to drink water every 30 or 40 minutes to encourage yourself to always grab a glass and stay hydrated.
Water Bottle
Get yourself your own water bottle and keep it always by your side. Carrying your water bottle around is an excellent way to encourage you to drink water throughout the day. It also brings water to you wherever you are.
If you have a reusable water bottle, you can take a gulp while shopping, listening to a lecture, or attending a meeting. If you can, using a marked water bottle would be even better, since it will show you how much water you’ve gone through all day.
Develop A Habit
Developing the habit of taking a glass of water after each meal is a simple way to keep yourself hydrated and help hair growth. It's also very easy to remember to drink water when you're at your meal table. You can also try to develop the habit of taking a glass of water after every bathroom break.
Flavorful Water And Alternatives
Many people dislike the natural bland taste of water, but that shouldn’t at all be an obstacle to your hydration. You can always infuse water with lemon, cucumber, mint, or fruit like raspberries to add some flavor, or you can swap normal water with green tea or coffee.
Drinking is also not the only way for your body(and hair) to get hydrated. Simply increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, as they're a good source of fluid for the body. Fruits such as watermelon and grapefruit, or vegetables like zucchini all have high water content and are all delicious.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, drinking water not only helps with hair growth, but it is also a requisite for hair to grow at all. It is because water makes up most of our body and is the most important element necessary for us to survive. Keep hydrated, there truly is no better, natural way of ensuring your hair is always healthy, strong, and beautiful.
References
1. Mitchell, H.H., Hamilton, T.S., Steggerda, F.R. and Bean, H.W. (1945). THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ADULT HUMAN BODY AND ITS BEARING ON THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF GROWTH. Journal of Biological Chemistry, {online} 158(3), pp.625–637. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9258(19)51339-4.
2. Armstrong, L. and Johnson, E. (2018). Water Intake, Water Balance, and the Elusive Daily Water Requirement. Nutrients, {online} 10(12), p.1928. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121928.
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