Hair fall and eventually hair loss is a painful experience, because no happy consequences can come out of it. People losing thousands of hair strands every day go through the entire gamut of emotions that make them feel vulnerable, under-confident, low in self-esteem, depressed, and also anxious. So, this issue can't be trivialized anymore. The fact that so many people are losing their hair every day can be a threat to healthy living and lifestyle. This has been accepted globally. There have been experiments in the field of hair health to find a solution, and antioxidants are a part of that solution. In this blog, we will explore this part of hair treatment.
Antioxidants and Free Radicals- Understanding Them
To understand the role played by antioxidants in repairing hair damage, you must understand what free radicals are. Free radicals are unstable molecules with unpaired electrons capable of damaging cells in the body, including hair follicles. They might cause premature aging, hair loss, and other health issues. Free radicals cause oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralize those radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive and are produced during metabolism. These can also be created through environmental factors like pollution, smoke, and UV radiation. Their instability makes them reactive, thus damaging nearby molecules like proteins, lipids, and DNA.
Free radicals cause damage to the hair follicles in the following ways:
Oxidative Stress—Oxidative stress occurs when the body cannot neutralize free radicals through established mechanisms. This leads to the excess production of free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can result in hair thinning, premature aging, and loss.
DNA Damage- Damaging the DNA inside the cells of hair follicles disrupts the normal cell cycle. It leads to hair thinning.
Protein Damage- Free radicals can cause protein damage inside cells, leading to dullness, and prone to breakage.
Lipid Peroxidation- Free radicals can cause damage to the cell membranes of hair follicles, thus resulting in further cell dysfunction.
Inflammation- Oxidative stress can trigger inflammation in the scalp and hair follicles, causing further distress to the cells.
Ageing- Free radicals can expedite the aging process, leading to premature graying, reduced hair growth, and augmented hair loss.
Antioxidants are vital in protecting cells and tissues from damage by free radicals. Now we know that free radicals are unstable molecules that can start a chain reaction of cell damage. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals by donating electrons, breaking the chain reaction. This prevents further damage to the hair follicles. Imbalance established between free radicals and antioxidants can contribute to different kinds of health problems besides damaging hair cells. 2 examples of antioxidants are enzymatic antioxidants like superoxide dismutase or SOD, glutathione peroxide, and catalase produced by the body itself. The other category is the non-enzymatic antioxidants like Vitamins C & E, flavonoids, and carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables, not produced by the body. Thus, antioxidants can:
- Neutralize free radicals
- Protects against oxidative stress
- Breaks the chain reaction of free radicals by donating an electron or a hydrogen atom
- They can also function as metal chelators that prevent metal ions from catalyzing free radical production.
- Antioxidants can also constrain the production of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Why Antioxidants Are Important for Hair Health?
Antioxidants protect the hair cells by neutralizing free radicals, causing oxidative stress. Here is how antioxidants promote hair health:
Improve Hair Growth- They neutralize free radicals by breaking the chain reaction, reduce inflammation to the scalp, and protect the blood vessels carrying oxygen to the scalp, thus helping in hair growth. It facilitates vasodilation, in which the blood vessels widen to promote blood flow to the scalp.
Strengthening Hair Follicles- Antioxidants strengthen hair follicles by fighting free radicals, boosting blood flow, offering protection against oxidative stress, improving collagen production, and reducing inflammation.
Improving Scalp health- Scalp health can be improved with the help of antioxidants because they protect against free radicals, reducing inflammation and irritation of the scalp, boosting blood supply to the hair follicles, and encouraging hair growth.
Preventing Premature Graying- Antioxidants protect melanocytes from oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals in the melanogenesis process. They enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes and boost the expression of protective genes, leading to a reduction in the damaging effects of oxidative stress.
White Nettle: A Natural Antioxidant Powerhouse
White Nettle, also famous as white dead nettle, whose scientific name is Lamium Album, is an herb used for ages in various cultures due to its benefits. Primarily, White Nettle bears astringent and sedative qualities, due to which it found many uses in the past. It eases menstrual irregularities, vaginal discharges, and also as an anti-inflammatory herb. It would be used to reduce heavy bleeding in menstruating females and regulate the cycle. It has also functioned as a remedy to leukorrhea which is a vaginal discharge and found its use to cure inflammation and swelling related to the skin, throat, and lungs. Its astringent properties were
effective for skin problems and diarrhea. Sometimes, the healing of wounds would also require white nettle.
The key antioxidant properties of White Nettle include:
Flavonoids- Isorhemnetin, kaempferol, and Quercetin are some flavonoids found in white nettle, famous for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Phenolic Acids- Chlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid, gallic acids, and their derivatives are phenolic acids in white nettle. These come loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Carotenoids- Beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene are carotenoids with antioxidant potential contributing to overall health benefits.
Vitamins- Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, and vitamin E, also known as tocopherols are vitamins with effective antioxidant properties.
With these properties present in white nettle, it becomes a rich source of nutrients for hair. Fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals present in white nettle provide scalp nourishment and encourage the growth of strong hair. It also creates a healthy scalp environment by reducing inflammation and stimulating follicles to grow new hair. According to NCBI investigations, nettle leaf functions as a natural DHT blocker, preventing the negative impact of hormones on thinning hair. It has been used widely for ages as an herbal remedy for hair growth. Anecdotal evidences point out that nettle can increase hair density and promote fuller hair. In short, the benefits of nettle leaves include:
- Managing hair loss issues
- helps in the regrowth of hair
- Combats dandruff
- Improving hair texture
- Strengthening hair strands
Biotin Xtreme Haircare: Antioxidants and Beyond
It can be used for hair problem solutions like making masks, tea, and oil. White nettle leaf extracts are used in the shampoos, hair loss serums, and conditioners of BXT haircare products. Biotin Xtreme Haircare products use all-natural ingredients and plant extracts to manufacture shampoos, conditioners, and hair serums, which provide relief from hair fall ,thinning and slow hair growth problems. Biotin is their primary ingredient, they use others like white nettle, honeysuckle, keratin, and jojoba well-known for providing superior hair care products. The white nettle extracts used in shampoos and conditioners promote the regrowth of hair and smooth the hair shafts to make the tresses shinier and stronger. Biotin and white nettle extracts are the perfect ones to improve hair health and regrow hair.
Xtreme Hair Care products include ingredients like Biotin, Saw Palmetto, Jojoba, Panax, Ginseng, White Nettle, Rosemary, Black Cohosh, and Sage, which are all herbal and work together to provide solutions to hair fall and loss problems. Their entire product line if used as a package, will work for delivering essential nutrients to the scalp, provide antioxidant protection, and promote scalp health, which will develop into healthy hair. The antioxidants in their products break the chain of damage caused by free radicals to hair cells by providing an electron to pair up with radicals, which mitigates the damage.
Incorporating Antioxidants in Your Daily Routine
There are many ways to incorporate antioxidants into your daily routine. The first is through dietary choices. Include berries, leafy greens, nuts, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, carrots, seeds, eggs, green tea, and dark chocolate with antioxidants that can help in hair health. Next is the topical application of hair care products like oils, shampoos, conditioners, and serums to build your hair once again and stop hair fall. BXT has an amazing product line that helps maintain healthy hair and stop hair loss.
Finally, change a sedentary lifestyle and quit social media to lead a healthy life. Get rid of addictions, binge eating, anxiety, and stress by practicing mindful eating. Exercise regularly and socialize instead of sitting with your mobile phone. Include a hobby in your daily routine that will keep you happy, thus controlling your stress. This is not magic; find out where you are going wrong, accept it, and move on to change those harmful habits and build a healthy life. And start using plant based Biotin Xtreme Hair Care products today.
