If you're already eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, you shouldn't need pricey supplements. While supplements are necessary for some, they're not for everyone. However, if you're considering a supplement, opt for a multivitamin that provides 100% of essential vitamins and minerals.

One mistake is consuming too much of one vitamin or taking unnecessary supplements. Your body gets rid of excess vitamins and minerals, leading to money wasted on unneeded nutrients. Also, taking too much of one vitamin or mineral may deplete another.

Zinc and copper are prime examples. Research shows those taking extra zinc often leads to a loss of copper, a mineral important in bone health. Too much copper can deplete zinc.

Healthy fats lock moisture into your hair, skin and nails. And since your hair is primarily protein, eating the recommended amount of protein is needed for hair growth.

Lacking essential nutrients can not only prevent you from gaining radiant hair, skin and nails, but also can worsen their current condition. Those who consume low-calorie or low-carbohydrate diets sometimes experience thinning and brittle hair strands.

The calories from carbohydrates produce energy for vital organs and tissues. When carbs are drastically reduced, the body may not have enough energy to support hair growth. Also, people who greatly restrict their calories may not get enough of the essential nutrients, especially those healthy fats and proteins.

Here's a breakdown of where you should get calories every day:​

• 20% from protein
• 20%–30% from healthy fats
• 45%–60% from carbohydrates

Choose these foods for hair, skin and nail health​

Keep a balanced diet by eating a variety of foods to supply the healthy fats, carbs, protein, vitamins and minerals your body needs every day. Your hair, skin and nails will thank you.

Check out this quick guide to sources of nutrients that will help you gain flawless hair, skin and nails:​

Healthy fats

• Unsaturated fats, such as olive or canola oil
• Omega 3, which is found in nuts and seeds, such as almonds, chia and flax
• Plant-based fats from avocados

Protein

• Poultry, such as chicken and turkey
• Lean red meat, 85% lean or higher
• Seafood, such as shrimp
• Fish, such as salmon and tuna

Iron

• Lean red meat
• Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach
• Fortified cereals

Vitamin A

• Cooked yellow vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and winter squash
• Liver or liver oil
• Cooked leafy greens, such as kale, turnips and collards

Vitamin E

• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds and sunflower seeds
• Fish, such as salmon and rainbow trout

Vitamin D

• Eggs, specifically the yolk
• Fish, such as salmon, herring, sardines and canned tuna

Fingernails grow from the area at the base of the nail under the cuticle. Fingernails are made of layers of a protein called keratin. Healthy fingernails are smooth. They don't have pits or grooves. They're all one color and free of spots.




Sometimes fingernails get harmless ridges that run up and down, called vertical ridges, from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to show more with age. Fingernails also can develop white lines or spots due to injury. In time, these grow out with the nail.

Consult your primary healthcare professional or dermatologist if you notice:

• Changes in color, such as a color change to the whole nail or a dark streak under the nail.
• Changes in nail shape, such as curled nails.
• Nails that get thinner or thicker.
• Dents in the nails that look like small punctures, called pits, or grooves in the nails.
• The nail pulling away from the skin around it.
• Bleeding around the nails.
• Swelling or pain around the nails.
• Failure of nails to grow.

Fingernail care: Do's​

To keep your fingernails looking their best:

• Keep fingernails dry and clean. This keeps germs from growing under your fingernails. Repeated or long contact with water can split fingernails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when washing dishes, cleaning, or using harsh chemicals.
• Practice good nail hygiene. Use sharp manicure scissors or clippers to cut your nails. Trim them straight across. Then round the tips in a gentle curve.
• Use moisturizer. When you use hand lotion, rub the lotion into your fingernails and cuticles too.
• Apply a protective layer. Applying a nail hardener might help strengthen nails.
• Ask your healthcare professional about biotin. Some research suggests that the nutritional supplement biotin might help strengthen weak or brittle nails.

Fingernail care: Don'ts​

To prevent nail damage, don't:

• Bite your fingernails or pick at your cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut next to your fingernail can allow germs to enter and cause an infection.
• Pull off hangnails. You might rip live tissue along with the hangnail. Instead, gently clip hangnails off.
• Use harsh nail care products. Limit your use of nail polish remover. When using nail polish remover, choose one without acetone.
• Ignore problems. If you have a nail problem that doesn't seem to go away on its own or is linked to other symptoms, contact your primary healthcare professional or dermatologist.

A note about manicures and pedicures​

If you rely on manicures or pedicures for healthy-looking nails, keep a few things in mind. Go to salons that show a current state license. Work only with technicians also licensed by the state board.

Don't let your cuticles be removed. They seal the skin to the nail plate. So removal can lead to nail infection. Also, make sure the tools your nail technician uses are sterile to prevent the spread of infection. Make sure you're not allergic to any of the ingredients in the products the salon uses.

You also might ask how the foot baths are cleaned. Ideally, the salon uses a disinfectant between clients and cleans the filters often.

It's easy to neglect your nails. But taking some basic steps can keep your fingernails healthy and strong.

Omega-3 fats are among the most studied nutrients. They’re abundant in foods like walnuts, seafood, fatty fish, and certain seed and plant oils. They’re subdivided into three types: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 fats are renowned for their powerful health benefits, including their potential to fight depression, lower inflammation, and reduce markers of heart disease. Plus, one lesser-known perk is that they may benefit your skin and hair

Omega-3s may increase your skin’s resistance to sunburns, reduce the severity of skin redness after UV exposure, and alleviate the symptoms of certain photosensitivity disorders

A diet rich in omega-3s may help prevent or reduce the severity of acne. Omega-3s have been shown to reduce inflammation, and new evidence suggests that acne may be primarily caused by inflammation. Hence, omega-3s may indirectly fight acne

Omega-3s may moisturize the skin and fight red, dry, or itchy skin caused by skin disorders like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. That’s because omega-3s appear to improve skin barrier function, sealing in moisture and keeping out irritants

Omega-3s are healthy fats found in fish, seafood, and plant foods like walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds.

Hair porosity is typically divided into three broad categories:
Low porosity: Cuticles that are close together.
Medium porosity: Cuticles that are less tightly bound.
High porosity: Cuticles that are more widely spaced.

To understand the concept of hair porosity, it helps to know a bit about the structure of your hair, which consists of three layers. These layers include:

• The cuticle: This is the tough, protective outer layer of your hair that’s made up of smaller cuticles that overlap each other, similar to shingles on a roof.
• The cortex: This is the thickest layer of your hair. It contains fibrous proteins and the pigment that gives your hair its color.
• The medulla: This is the soft, central part of the hair shaft.

For your hair to stay healthy and hydrated, water, oils, and other moisturizing products need to be able to pass through the cuticle to get to the cortex.
But, if the cuticles are too close together, it’s not easy for water and oils to penetrate the hair. This can make it harder for your hair to get the moisture it needs.
Also, if the cuticles are too widely spaced, your hair will have a harder time retaining moisture and staying hydrated.

Usually, hair porosity is genetic BUT blow drying, bleaching, straightening, overwashing, and using harsh products can all damage your hair over time. This can cause your hair cuticles to become raised and open, which may make it harder for your hair to retain moisture.
In addition to hair treatments, too much sunlight can also increase the porosity of your hair. To protect your hair from the sun, wear a hat or some type of head covering when you’re outdoors.

One of the easiest ways to test your hair porosity is by using a glass of water. Here’s how to do it:

1. Shampoo and rinse your hair to remove any product buildup.
2. Fill a glass with water.
3. Once your hair is clean and dry, drop a single strand of your hair into the glass of water.
4. Watch the strand to see if it sinks to the bottom of the glass or floats at the top.

The results​

• Low porosity: If the strand floats at the top before sinking, you likely have low porosity hair.
• Normal porosity: If the strand floats somewhere in the middle of the glass, you probably have medium or normal porosity hair.
• High porosity: If the strand quickly sinks to the bottom of the glass, you likely have high porosity hair.

You can also test your porosity level by running a finger down a strand of your hair. Low porosity hair will feel smooth, whereas high porosity hair will feel rough and bumpy because the cuticles are open.

The characteristics of low porosity hair

With low porosity hair, the cuticles are tightly packed and very close together. This makes it harder for moisture to penetrate the hair shaft.

You may have low porosity hair if: hair products tend to sit on your hair and don’t absorb easily it’s hard for water to saturate your hair when washing it takes a long time for your hair to air dry

The characteristics of medium porosity hair

With medium or normal porosity hair, the cuticles aren’t too close together, but aren’t too open either. This allows moisture to penetrate easily, and it also makes it easier to retain moisture for a longer period of time.

You may have medium porosity hair if: your hair is easy to style and can hold styles for a good length of time your hair takes color well your hair tends to look healthy, shiny, or glossy it doesn’t take too long for your hair to air dry

Heat damage and other chemical processes can cause normal porosity hair to change over time.

The characteristics of higher porosity hair Whether due to genetics or hair damage, high porosity hair allows moisture to be absorbed into the hair shaft easily, yet it isn’t able to retain moisture for long.

This is because the cuticles tend to have gaps or spaces between them.

You may have high porosity hair if: water and other moisturizing products are quickly absorbed into your hair your hair tends to break easily your hair tends to be frizzy and dry it doesn’t take much time for your hair to air dry

Can you change your hair porosity?

If you have high or low hair porosity due to genetics, you may not be able to change it. However, there are things you can do to make your hair healthier, more manageable, and easier to style.

For low porosity hair:
Use protein-free conditioners. These tend to be more easily absorbed into your hair and may be less likely to cause product buildup. Apply conditioner to hair that’s already wet. Diluting the conditioner may make it easier to be absorbed into your hair. Look for ingredients like glycerin and honey in shampoos and conditioners. Avoid products with oils, as these tend to have a harder time penetrating the cuticle. Apply heat when you condition your hair. Use a steamer, heat cap, or hooded dryer. Or, if you don’t have those, put a shower cap over your hair once you’ve added a conditioner.

For high porosity hair: Look for ingredients like butters and oils in shampoos and conditioners. These ingredients will help moisturize your hair. Use leave-in conditioners and sealers. These products help your hair hold on to moisture. Use a heat protectant product on your hair. Apply this product before you blow dry or use other heat styling treatments. This can protect your hair from heat damage. Avoid hot water when shampooing and conditioning. Use lukewarm water instead.