8 Things You Can Do Everyday to Support Hair Growth

Your scalp is one of the most biologically active parts of your skin, full of blood vessels, nerves, and cells that rely on good nutrition and good topical care. When the inside is nourished and the outside is supported, your follicles stay stronger, your hair growth cycle stays steadier, and your hair looks fuller and healthier over time.

What To Do	Why It Helps Your Hair
Eat healthy fats (omega-3s)	Healthy fats help calm scalp irritation so follicles can grow stronger hair.
Support your gut health	A healthy gut and scalp balance reduces inflammation that can affect hair growth.
Get enough protein	Your hair is made of protein, so your body needs enough to build strong strands.
Eat antioxidant-rich foods	This helps protect your scalp from damage caused by stress, pollution, and sun exposure.
Manage stress	Lowering your stress levels helps keep your hair in its growth phase and reduce shedding.
Protect your scalp from the sun	Prevent sun damage that can weaken follicles and dry out hair by using sunscreen.
Keep your scalp clean (but not stripped)	A clean, balanced scalp creates the right environment for healthy hair growth.
Supplement your scalp with OMI	Supports follicles from the inside by helping strengthen hair structure and maintain a healthy growth cycle.

If you want a simple starting point, focus on foods for hair growth that supply protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants.

1. Nourish Your Scalp With Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s have been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the body.1 If your scalp is irritated or inflamed, this can interfere with healthy hair growth;2 making sure you have a good supply of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet can help keep your scalp healthy and support hair follicles. 

What to Eat

Foods rich in omega-3s are classic foods for hair growth because they support the scalp environment and help follicles stay resilient.

• Fish: Tuna, salmon and other fatty fish such as sardines and herring.

• Nuts and seeds: Flaxseed, walnuts and chia seeds.

• Plant oils: Flaxseed and soybean oil. 

2. Support Your Gut and Scalp Microbiome

You probably know about your gut microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms (good and bad bacteria) in your digestive tract. Keeping your gut microbiome healthy can help reduce inflammation that can impact your hair follicles and the hair growth cycle, and your scalp has its own microbiome too! It’s important to keep your scalp’s balance of microbes level so your hair can grow strong.3

What to Eat

Foods that keep your gut microbiome in good shape also benefit your scalp.

• Fermented foods that contain probiotics (“good” bacteria) like kefir, yogurt with live cultures, and sauerkraut.

• Fruits, vegetables and whole grains that have prebiotics which feed the probiotics: bananas, apples, berries, garlic, onions, asparagus, artichokes, oats, beans, lentils, chickpeas.

The right supplementation can change your hair for the best in just 30 days, take a look at these results from OMI Hair Growth Peptides.

 

3. Get Enough Protein to Fuel Hair Growth

Protein is crucial for hair growth. Why? Your hair is primarily made up of keratin, which requires amino acids from your diet as building blocks. The protein you get from your diet is broken down by your body into amino acids which are essential to synthesizing keratin and other proteins that keep hair healthy.4 If your intake of protein is low, it could lead to hair shedding. That’s why protein is one of the most important categories of foods for hair growth, it gives your body the raw materials to build strong strands. The daily recommendation for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or .36 grams per pound.5 

What to Eat

A variety of foods are high in protein, including:

• Meat & poultry: Look for lean cuts of beef and pork; chicken and turkey.

• Eggs & Dairy: Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese

• Beans and lentils: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils

• Nuts and seeds: Particularly pistachios, almonds and quinoa

4. Boost Antioxidants to Lower Scalp Inflammation

Oxidative stress can build up, whether it’s from UV exposure, stress or inflammation inside your body, and this can trigger inflammation in your scalp, which is the environment in which your hair grows. Over time, if your scalp is chronically exposed to oxidative stress, it may damage hair follicles by disrupting the hair growth cycle, weakening follicles and leading to premature shedding.6
Making sure you’re including foods rich in antioxidants can help combat oxidative stress and calm inflammation before it impacts your scalp and hair.

What to Eat

A mostly plant-based diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is rich in antioxidants. A few key foods:

• Berries: Blueberries, raspberries

• Leafy greens: Spinach, kale

• Fruits rich in vitamin C: Oranges, kiwi, pineapple

• Brightly colored vegetables: Carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes

• Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds

5. Manage Stress to Protect Hair Follicles 

Stress can cause levels of the hormone cortisol to be chronically elevated, and this can interfere with the hair growth cycle at the cellular level by keeping hair follicles in a non-growing state.7 It can also trigger inflammation in your body and your scalp. Major or prolonged stress can shift your hair from the growth phase (anagen) into the resting/shedding phase (telogen), leading to a condition called telogen effluvium hair loss.8 This can overlap with postpartum hair loss, which is also driven by major hormonal and physiological shifts.

What to Do

There’s a lot you can do to mitigate the negative impact of stress on your scalp and hair. These steps can be especially helpful if your shedding pattern lines up with telogen effluvium hair loss (diffuse shedding rather than a single patch).

• Exercise regularly: Find an activity you enjoy, walking, dancing, biking, swimming, and do it daily. Physical exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins and can help lower cortisol levels.

• Try yoga or meditation: This calms your nervous system and can also help reduce cortisol levels.

• Get your zzz’s. Lack of sleep can cause increased cortisol levels. Sleep also directly impacts your hair: During deep sleep your body produces hormones that are essential for cellular repair and stimulating follicle activity. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the natural rhythm of hair growth and lead to thinning.9 Aim for seven to nine hours, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

6. Use Sun Protection (Even in the Winter Months)

Your skin isn’t the only thing to protect when you’re outdoors: Your scalp and hair can be damaged by the sun’s rays, too: Your scalp can get sunburned (and that’s inflammation). And chronic UV exposure can degrade collagen around the hair follicles, lead to structural and cellular changes in the hair follicles, and increase oxidative stress; all of which can negatively impact your hair. UVB rays can lead to protein loss in your hair and UVA rays can cause color changes.10, 11

What to Do

Think of your scalp and hair like your skin, keep it protected from the sun:

• Wear a hat when you’re outside, especially if it’s midday and you’re going to be out for an extended period of time. The sun’s rays reach you on overcast or cloudy days, too!

• Consider using an SPF spray, powder or mineral sunscreen along your part. There are also shampoos and conditioners formulated with sun protection.

• Reapply SPF every two hours if you’re outdoors for the afternoon and/or swimming.

7. Keep Your Scalp Clean

Your scalp is the garden your hair grows in; if the environment is clogged, irritated, dry or out of balance, hair can’t thrive. Your hair habits matter: Keeping your scalp and hair clean, but not dry, is essential for supporting strong follicles and healthy hair growth. Throughout the day, oil, sweat, dead skin cells and residue from hair products can build up on your scalp and clog follicles (making it harder for new hair to grow) and trigger inflammation. A few strategic moves can help, for example, scalp massage.

What to do

Choose cleansers that clean and refresh your scalp without stripping it of its natural oils and causing dryness:

• Try gentle, sulfate-free shampoos. Sulfates aren’t bad for your hair, they help create lather but they can also remove too much of your natural oils, leaving your scalp irritated and/or dry.

• Wash and condition gently. If you have fine or oily hair you may need to wash more often, but generally two to four washes a week are good for keeping your scalp healthy without drying out your hair.

• Tea tree or gentle botanical cleansers can help if you’re experiencing mild flaking or itchiness.

8. Supplement with OMI Hair Growth Peptides

OMI is more than just a basic supplement. Its unique ingredient, IFP Hair Factor™, has been clinically studied to support stronger, thicker, shinier hair and help reduce shedding. OMI Hair Growth Peptides send important amino acids to the hair follicle and support collagen IV at the follicle's anchoring point, making the growth environment stronger and healthier.

What to Do

Add supplements to your daily routine for consistent support:

• Take OMI every day as directed to help feed your hair follicles from the inside out.

• Stay constant, Hair growth happens in cycles, and changes that can be seen usually happen slowly over the course of a few weeks to a few months.

• For the best results, take supplements along with a diet rich in nutrients, stress management, and good scalp care.

Take a look at some results from OMI Hair Growth Peptides in just 30 days:

“OMI Hair Growth Peptides have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA to treat any disease. This article is for educational purposes only.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my diet really affect my scalp and hair growth?

Absolutely. Your scalp and hair require nutrients to stay healthy. Protein provides the amino acids needed for keratin production. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation that can interfere with the functioning of hair follicles and the hair growth cycle. Antioxidants counter oxidative stress that can weaken follicles. And, finally, fiber and fermented foods support your gut microbiome which influences inflammation and hair growth.

How does stress impact my hair and scalp?

Stress can raise levels of cortisol, a hormone that can interrupt the hair growing cycle and push hairs into the shedding phase; this is a condition called telogen effluvium. Stress can also increase inflammation, both systemically and locally on your scalp. Over time, chronic stress can lead to increased shedding, slower growth and overall thinning. Getting enough exercise and sleep can counteract the effects of stress.

Do I really need sun protection for my scalp and hair?

Yes. Your scalp is skin and the UV rays from the sun can cause damage that can lead to inflammation (sunburn), the breakdown of collagen around the hair follicle and oxidative stress that weakens the hair. Wearing a hat, applying SPF (sprays or powders) and UV-protective hair products can help protect your scalp and hair, maintaining healthy growth.

Are sulfates bad for your hair?

Sulfates aren't harmful on their own, but they can be too harsh for some hair types because they make a lot of foam and strip away natural oils. This can make hair feel dry, rough, or more likely to break, especially if it is curly, color-treated, chemically processed, or already dry.