Fish oil is one of the most popular daily supplements on the market. It is full of incredible benefits thanks to its high content of omega-3s and antioxidants. With properties that have been shown to help with a variety of different health issues, researchers have started to look at whether fish oil may have some benefits for hair health.
Despite the limited amount of research on the subject, there are still a few benefits that fish oil has for your hair. Whether you want to promote hair growth or just want the tv-commercial glow, we’re here to share some reasons you may want to add fish oil to your hair care routine.
Keep reading to find out more about:
- What fish oil is
- What causes hair loss and how fish oil can help
- What fish oil can do for your hair
What is fish oil?
There are many ways to get fish oil into your diet.
Fish oil comes from fish that are high in fat content, such as herring, tuna, mackerel, and salmon. There are many ways that you can incorporate fish oil into your diet, whether by taking a daily supplement or by incorporating fish into your meals regularly.
Fish oil has been used to help with treatment for a variety of health conditions and has consistently been one of the most popular daily supplements since it first hit the market in the 1980s.
While fish oil is a great supplement with lots of benefits, there are a few–usually mild–side effects you may want to be aware of before including it into your daily routine. Common side effects of fish oil include:
- Bad breath
- Strong body odor
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
What causes hair loss?
Hair loss and hair thinning can be caused by many things, including aging.
Hair loss is one of the main things that pushes people to look for dietary supplements or diet changes that improve hair health. There are many different types of hair loss such as the gradual thinning of hair that occurs with age, patches of badness that can also be due to age, a sudden “loosening” of hair that can happen with intense emotional shock, or complete hair loss related to medical treatments such as chemotherapy.
Hair loss is relatively normal and can be cause by a variety of factors including:
- A family history of balding
- Age
- Certain medical conditions like lupus or diabetes
- Stress
- Malnutrition
While most types of hair loss, such as a general thinning of your hair that comes with age, are not much to be concerned about, supplements like fish oil may be helpful for restoring your hair to full health. If you feel that your hair loss may be due to something more serious, such as an underlying health condition, it is important to contact your doctor to discuss treatment.
What can fish oil do for your hair?
While research is limited, studies suggest fish oil can be beneficial for hair health.
Fish oil has been shown to provide many health benefits that can improve the symptoms of a variety of diseases and medical conditions, but when it comes to improving the health of your hair, there is little known about fish oil’s abilities.
Fish oil may aid in hair growth and thickness
In recent years many people have begun taking fish oil supplements to aid in hair growth and while the quantitative research is limited on whether or not fish oil is actually playing a role in hair growth, a few studies have suggested that this is the case.
A study in 2015 found that women who took a daily fish oil supplement saw significant hair growth and a reduction in hair loss. Another study done in the same year indicated that women who took an antioxidant supplement that contained omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids had similar results of increased hair growth and a reduction in hair loss.
The result of both studies found that omega-3 supplements such as fish oil increased the amount of time that hair spent in the anagen phase (also known as the growth phase) of the hair growth cycle. Not only that, but omega-3 supplements also appeared to reduce the amount of time that the hair spent in the rest phase of the cycle, meaning that hair was growing more than it would have without supplements.
Advocates of fish oil supplements for hair health have also suggested that using fish oil topically can help to give hair a healthy glow. While this may be an effective method in making your hair healthy there is a high probability that you will smell like fish and I don’t recommend this method if you plan on interacting with other people at any point after application.
Whether you are looking for a solution to hair loss or just want your hair to look healthier, fish oil can provide an extra boost of omega-3s that your hair, and the rest of your body, needs. That said, it is important to let your doctor know if you are planning on starting fish oil supplements as the supplement may interact with other medications.
If you wish to use a fish oil supplement, it is important to be knowledgeable about the brand you are deciding to purchase, as dietary supplements are not monitored by the FDA. Ask your doctor about trustworthy brands and look for third-party verification if you can.
It is also important to store fish oil supplements properly and follow dosage recommendations as recommended by a pharmacist or doctor. Fish oil supplements should be stored in a cold dark environment and may be frozen for best storage.
