Caffeine is considered to be the most used drug in the world. However, caffeine is a socially acceptable drug that is a part of most people's lives. So, whether you prefer your coffee black, have a unique blend that is all your own, or simply enjoy an ice-cold soda sometimes, you likely consume some form of caffeine during the day.
When it comes to your diet, what you eat can have a direct impact on your hair. Eating the right foods can improve the health of your hair, while the wrong ones can cause your hair to stop growing or lead to hair loss. For example, while caffeine is often thought to be harmful, it has the potential to have a range of positive effects on your skin and hair.
How Caffeine Affects Your Skin and Hair
There's no doubt that caffeine is intertwined throughout our lives in one way or another. This history may be why the debate continues as to how the drug affects your skin and hair.
It's a well-known scientific fact that caffeine is a diuretic and can cause dehydration. But, while it may be true that too much caffeine can dehydrate you, caffeine is also packed full of antioxidants and minerals that can restore the health of skin cells and help maintain overall health.
While there's no need to drink ten cups of coffee a day or consume as much caffeine as possible, a cup a day may benefit your hair. For instance, caffeine can limit damage to your hair and restore the health of your hair follicles. In addition, caffeine improves how efficiently your body uses vitamins and minerals. This increased efficiency ensures that your hair follicles have the nutrition they need to perform at their best and grow healthy strands of hair.
Caffeine and Hormones
One of the reasons caffeine is so beneficial to hair growth is that it helps fight the hormone DHT. When present in abnormal amounts, DHT inhibits your hair follicles from accessing the nutrients they need to function and encourage healthy hair growth.
Caffeine helps to stop the effects of DHT by encouraging your cells to produce another hormone called ATP. ATP is a hormone that specifically promotes the absorption of nutrients, which in turn helps stimulate healthy hair growth. In addition, caffeine helps to increase circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the scalp.
Ingesting caffeine isn't the only way that the drug can be used to provide benefits to the skin and hair. Caffeine is increasingly used as an ingredient in cosmetics because of its high biological activity and ability to penetrate the skin barrier. Topical formulations of cosmetic products often contain as much as 3% caffeine, and caffeine's ability to prevent excessive fat accumulation in cells makes it a common ingredient in anti-cellulite products.
Caffeine stimulates the degradation of fats and has potent antioxidant properties. In addition, it protects cells against UV radiation and slows the process of skin aging. Moreover, caffeine in cosmetics increases the microcirculation of blood in the skin and stimulates hair growth.
Keeping Your Hair Healthy
The food and drinks we consume directly impact the health of our skin and hair. Like many other foods and beverages, caffeine holds many health benefits, but too much of it can create health issues. Maintaining a thick full head of hair can be challenging, but help is available. At New Image Hair Clinic, our hair experts can provide the guidance you need to ensure that your hair looks luscious and beautiful. We offer a variety of solutions available for both men and women. Contact us today and schedule your FREE initial consultation.