Does Being Vegan Affect Your Hair?

Changing your diet can have a significant impact on your hair and beauty, whether for the best or for the worst. Abrupt, sudden changes in the way we eat and take care of our bodies will reflect the way we look and feel, hair included! We have previously found out how a gluten-free diet can be a game changer in your hair care (ps: you can read more about it here: How Is Your Gluten-Free Diet Affecting Your Hair?) and I have also shared some tasty recipes in the past to boost the health and beauty of your tresses. But more in detail, how does being vegan affect your hair’s health?

What Is A Vegan Diet?

A vegan diet is a nutritional plan based on fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables and products derived from plants. Vegans do not consume products that are of animal origin, including milk and eggs. In some cases, vegan people do not consume honey either.

Do Vegans Have Healthier Hair?

Whilst reducing or eliminating meat and other animal-derived products from your diet on its own isn’t really enough to improve your hair’s health, making up for these missing elements in your diet with healthy fruit and veggies packed with vitamins, zinc, and other precious nutrients will surely contribute to a shinier, happier mane and a healthier scalp.

To get the most of your hair’s growth, don’t forget to get regular trims and to maintain a loving, caring hair care routine.

One of the most important things is to shelter your tresses from heat: you can do this by using a heat protectant spray before blow-drying or styling your hair. If you haven’t already, get your hands on Cliphair’s Heat Protectant Spray – you’ll see the difference from the get go! If you’re wear ing remy hair extensions, you’ll be happy to read that this product is designed to protect both natural hair and Remy-quality tresses alike.

Can A Vegan Diet Cause Hair Loss?

A balanced vegan diet is perfectly safe and healthy to follow, but if you suddenly cut off meat, eggs and dairy from your nutritional plan and don’t make up for these elements with healthy nutrients, chances are you’ll end up with a type of deficiency, whether it’s in vitamins, proteins, or minerals such as calcium and zinc. This can lead to an unhealthy, impoverished scalp that can become dry, flaky, and prone to inflammations and/or irritation, or even an overproduction of sebum. Of course, all of these factors can have a huge impact on your hair follicles and tresses, eventually resulting in dull, lifeless and brittle strands that lack in shine and vitality, and sometimes the damage to your hair follicles can lead to hair loss.

Luckily, hair loss caused by a deficiency in zinc and iron, for example, is reversible in most of the cases. All you need to do is follow the right diet and keep your daily intake of nutrients fair and balanced (both lacking and overdoing things can be harmful)!

Why Do Vegans Have Nice Hair?

A well-informed vegan that knows their diet is usually aware of what they need to pay attention to when choosing their meals, being sensible in their food choices and keeping an eye on their daily dose of essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins. This type of vegan knows exactly how to deal with their food and won’t fall in the easy mishaps of iron deficiency and similar: this means that by knowing what you eat and increasing your intake of antioxidants, vitamin B, zinc and similar with a healthy, balanced vegan diet you will see a significant improvement in your hair’s health and beauty, making it thicker, shinier and lustrous. An increased consumption of soy also helps prevent a biotin deficiency, keeping your hair follicles nourished and active.

Are Vegan Products Better For Your Hair?

Whilst there is no one-size-fits-all product or recipe when it comes to hair care, vegan and cruelty-free formulas in hair products are usually considered gentle and kind to your tresses and scalp. Usually jam-packed with plant-based nutrients and infused with natural oils, vegan hair care products are a valid, effective alternative to products that may feature animal-derived elements. On top of that, many big names in the hair industry are implementing (or even switching to!) vegan, cruelty-free products in their range! Here’s a few examples that I love:

ColorWOW Money Masque

Used by celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, whom we’ve already praised in our blog: The Best Hair Stylists To Follow In 2023, this glorious hair mask keeps its word and delivers incredible shine, nourishment and moisture to your mane, for a glamorous, glossy and expensive-looking finish. On top of that, ColorWOW’s Money Masque is cruelty-free, and sulphate-free (making it safe to use on your nano ring hair extensions, or to revive your clip in hair extensions when it’s time for their washing session)! Its weightless formula leaves your hair feeling lightweight and revived, and it also has a heat-protectant element to it.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Hemp Multitasking Spray

Ready to meet the spray that does it all? Indulge in the natural notes of this product, characterised by a signature fragrance that will make you feel invigorated and relaxed. Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Hemp Multitasking Spray is enriched with natural hemp seed oil for the ultimate soothing experience, helping you to minimise frizz and enhance shine, softness and manageability in your tresses. Used as a leave-in conditioner, it will help you achieve the perfect clean slate you need to start styling your hair. Always make sure you use a detangling hair brush to glide through wet hair without damage!

Klorane Daily Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk

For those days in which you simply don’t have the time or energy to wash, dry and style your hair, here’s the miracle solution signed Klorane: a cruelty-free dry shampoo that will leave your tresses looking (and feeling) fresh and clean. The product is jam-packed with gentle absorbent powders that work wonders in removing impurities and keeping your hair feeling lightweight in between washing days. And let's not forget about the superstar ingredient that makes this product special: oat milk, specifically obtained by the cultivations of South Western France. This ingredient is known for its moisturising and softening properties, which will leave your hair feeling smooth and silky whilst freshening up oily roots.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, a vegan diet can be very beneficial for your hair (and not only), as it focuses on consuming healthy whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These products are known for being rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will make you look and feel better. Citrus fruits, berries, sweet potatoes, carrots, legumes and even tofu are great elements to include in your vegan diet to keep things balanced and promote hair growth and regulating the production of sebum in your scalp. A vegan diet, like any other diet, should be well-balanced and provide the right amount of all essential nutrients (even too much of a good thing can do damage!). Deficiencies in certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, can ultimately lead to hair loss and other health issues: if you’re thinking of changing your diet, make sure you speak to your GP or a qualified dietitian to ensure that you're meeting all of your nutritional needs on a vegan diet.