A number of people till now have complained about post-COVID hair loss. Basically, hair fall is a common after-effect of any viral infection. However, doctors and experts additionally say that it is because of the side effects of the medicines taken during the treatment of the infection, as well as because of the weakness and other problems one’s body suffered during that time. All this led to decreased levels of nutrients in the body. While infected, our body was exhausted fighting with the virus and all the anxiety a person faced, resulted in this.
So, how can we recover the nutritional requirements of our hair and body and ensure better hair growth and lesser hair fall? A lot can be done with proper nutritional intake and in the same regard, the ETV Bharat Sukhibhava team spoke to an expert, Indore-based Dietitian and Nutritionist, Dr. Sangeeta Malu.
Degeneration Of Protein And Other Nutrients
Dr. Sangeeta explains that high fever during infection affects the body's metabolism and leads to the degeneration of various essential nutrients including proteins. In this stage, the desire to eat food in most people ends or becomes negligible. So, she says that if a person is experiencing abnormal hair loss, there is a lack of protein and zinc in his/her body. Therefore, it becomes very important to take a protein-rich diet.
Give Priority To Vegetarianism
Dr. Sangeeta advises people to opt for vegetarian food items in such a situation because the source of protein is not just restricted to one food item. It is believed that the benefits of proteins gained from mixed grains and pulses are more and they are easy to digest as compared to non-vegetarian foods.
She states that both the quality and quantity of protein are very high in a diet consisting of a combination of pulses, grains and vegetables. This combination, which can be found in khichdi, idli, uttapam, Puran Poli, etc. is counted in the biological high protein diet. Apart from this, milk and other dairy products should also be included in the diet regularly.
Green Leafy Vegetables, Dry Fruits Should Be Consumed For Zinc
Dr. Sangeeta says that not only protein, zinc is also very important for hair health. If a person during the COVID-19 recovery period, on the advice of a doctor, consumes more juice of green leafy vegetables, he/she is likely to obtain more nutrition and in good quantity than what is obtained from the vegetables themselves. Actually, when we cook or boil the vegetables, half of the nutrition is already lost.
In addition, mushrooms are one of the main sources of zinc. Therefore, it must be included in your diet boiled, in a salad, in the form of juice, etc. In addition to this, the consumption of lettuce, beetroot, beetroot, sprouts, fruit smoothies in a salad is also very beneficial. The most important thing is that the person must drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water daily. If he/she consumes a small amount of water, the toxins in the body may not be expelled.
Remedies For External Application
Dr. Sangeeta says that not only the intake of a protein and zinc-rich diet, but the external application of paste, hair masks, etc. can also be very helpful. Using curry leaves (sweet neem), bitter neem and onion juice or paste in the hair provides relief from the problem of hair loss.
Not only this, if a paste of green leafy vegetables is applied on hair, along with providing relief in hair breakage, it will nourish the scalp and help clean the follicles of the scalp. Also, you can give steam to your hair to deal with hair fall.
Do Not Take Supplements Without Medical Advice
Dr. Sangeet Malu states that without medical advice, do not take protein, vitamin D3, B12 or any other type of supplement. Especially after recovering from corona, if a person takes high doses of protein or vitamin D, without consulting the doctor, instead of benefitting, it can affect their health in a negative manner. Especially those who are suffering from any comorbid diseases like kidney problems. Only after a thorough examination, a doctor would advise you to take a particular supplement, according to your body's requirement.
For more information in this regard, you can contact our expert at dr.sangeetamalu@gmail.com
Also read: 6 Yoga Asanas To Curb Hair Fall
