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Amino Acids for Hair: An Ultimate Guide on the Building Blocks
Amino acids for hair are a must for flaunting those luscious locks. Discover how these building blocks can benefit your hair's strength, shine, and growth.
Our hair, more often than not, can make or break our appearance. Most of us feel great on a good hair day, and amino acids for hair helps in achieving the desired outcome. Amino acids serve as the structural foundation of proteins that carry out the very processes that keep us alive and healthy. When it comes to hair health, they strengthen hair strands and provide increased growth and volume. Fortunately, they are available in a variety of foods, supplements, and hair care products. To find out more about amino acid benefits for hair, scroll down.
What Are Amino Acids?
Proteins are made up of substances called amino acids. These amino acids are like the building blocks for your hair. They're super important because they help your hair grow and stay healthy.
Hair is mostly made of a protein called keratin. This keratin is made up of more than 18 types of amino acids. If you want your hair and scalp to best shape, you need both essential and non-essential amino acids.
Types of Amino Acids - The 2 common categories of amino acids are. 
- Essential amino acids - This is one that your body needs but is unable to produce on its own. The 9 essential ones are - Leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, histidine, threonine, and valine.
- Nonessential amino acids - This on the other hand, your body can make even if you don't get them from your food. The 11 non-essential ones are - Cysteine, alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, serine, glycine, and tyrosine.
Your hair can break more easily if your diet is lacking essential amino acids. Although nowadays there are many amino acids in hair products, eating enough protein is essential to improving the quality of your hair.
Why Are Amino Acids Good for Hair?
Amino acids are responsible for keeping your hair strong, thick, and shiny. They are the main ingredient in creating a vital protein for your hair called keratin (1). This keratin makes up most of your hair, epidermis, and nails.
While providing protein, your body always prioritizes your muscles and heart over your hair. So, if your protein consumption is less than required, it doesn't send enough amino acids to your hair. It can lead to hair problems like breakage, slow growth, and even hair loss.
It's okay to have a short-term protein shortage now and then. But for long-lasting hair health, you need a balanced diet with vitamins and amino acids. Some vitamins, like B1, are like the helpers that turn the protein you eat into the amino acids your hair craves.
And nowadays, because our food doesn't have as many vitamins as it used to, supplements are your buddies for keeping your hair on point. Furthermore, hair products with amino acids also work great on all hair types and are pretty safe to use. The only buzzkill would be if you're allergic or sensitive to some ingredients, otherwise, amino acids are safe to use in haircare cosmetics.
Ways to Use Amino Acids for Hair
You can get your daily dose of amino acids in a few ways - through supplements, IV infusions, or simply by eating the right foods. Most people can do this right just by eating a balanced diet. The following are some food sources to get your daily dose of amino acids.
- Cysteine: Found in lentils, oatmeal, eggs, and chicken.
- Lysine: Present in codfish, soybeans, and tuna.
- Methionine: In kidney beans, nuts, and quinoa.
- Tyrosine: In sweet potatoes, tofu, and pumpkin seeds.
- Glutamine: Found in spinach, cabbage, and oily fish.
- Proline: Present in citrus fruits and mushrooms.
Supplements and Protein Drinks
If you're into workouts and chugging down protein shakes, you might be taking enough amino acid supplements without even realizing it. But remember that too much of anything isn't good. Thus keep your diet balanced with carbs, fats, and proteins.
Liquid Amino Acids
Vegans are often short on amino acids found in meat and dairy. Thus for vegans, liquid aminos are like a hidden gem. These are usually used as seasonings in food; mostly Asian foods. However, you can also use them for hair growth.
How to Use Liquid Amino Acids for Hair Growth:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid amino acids with 3 tablespoons of leave-in conditioner.
- Gently massage this mix onto your scalp and coat your hair strands.
- Pop on a shower cap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Rinse it all out with a quality sulfate-free shampoo.
- Do this once a week, not more than twice.
Amino Acid Hair Treatments
These treatments are like a spa day for your hair. They can make unruly hair behave, moisturize dry locks, and add some shine (2). These are of two kinds:
1. DIY at-home Treatments
These are simpler, with just a few steps like shampooing and applying treatment. Examples include Design Essentials Strengthening Therapy System and Pravana Perfection SmoothOut. But if you go DIY, you should know your hair treatments inside out.
2. In-Salon Treatments
You get these done by a pro at a salon. It takes a few hours, but results can last up to three months. You'll also get some expert tips on how to keep your hair looking fabulous. Some in-salon amino acid treatments include Chi Enviro American Smoothing Treatment and Agave Smoothing Treatment.
Keratin vs. Amino Acid Treatments
The two most popular conditioning treatments for frizz-free, smooth hair are amino acid and keratin treatments. Both treatments function by injecting proteins into the hair's cuticle to fill it out, smoothing the hair and reducing frizz. The two treatments, however, hardly differ from one another.
Amino acid treatment is a non-formaldehyde smoothing that can be used on all hair types. Whereas keratin is a formaldehyde-based treatment, that can be tougher on fine hair. But it offers greater control over frizz in humid conditions.
Benefits of Amino Acids for Hair
Amino acids are holy-grail ingredients in hair products, and you can choose the ones that suit your hair's needs. Here's a breakdown of the best amino acids for hair growth, so that you know what to look for in your hair care product.
- Cysteine: This amino acid delivers sulfur to your hair cells, making your hair stronger, bouncier, and just all-around better. It's like a shield against the sun's rays and other hair-harming stuff (3).
- Arginine: This amino acid boosts blood flow around your hair follicles, giving your hair a hand in growing.
- Lysine: It helps in producing collagen by absorbing calcium (4). This collagen is like the backbone of your hair, making it sturdy and encouraging growth.
- Tyrosine: Although non-essential, this amino acid is a natural stress-buster (5). It helps with hair pigmentation and keeps stress-related hair problems at bay.
- Methionine: This one helps in creating pre-collagen, which later becomes full-fledged collagen, making your hair even stronger.
Plus, sulfur amino acids like cysteine and methionine aren't just about growth; they're also good for managing dandruff by keeping those greasy as well as dry skin cells in check and fighting off microbes.
In general, amino acids offer these cool benefits for your hair.
- Protection: Amino acids can patch up damaged parts of your hair's outer layer, which acts like a protective shield.
- Moisture: Some amino acids are like hair moisturizers. They can pull in moisture and create a shield to keep it locked in.
- Volume: You'll often find amino acids in shampoos giving your hair more body and oomph.
- Strength: Certain amino acids, like cysteine and methionine, can beef up your hair strands, making them better at holding onto moisture.
- Shine: New ingredients like silk proteins can make your hair shine.
- Thickness: Amino acids are used in thickening sprays to temporarily puff up your hair.
Amino acids can be a game-changer for various hair types. If your hair is porous (like color-treated hair), curly, frizzy, or easily breaks, amino acids can work wonders. But remember, it's not just about the amino acids; it's about the whole formula. So, if you have coily hair that's dry and breakable, a product with amino acids can help, but you'll also need some oils like olive, castor, or coconut oil to give your hair that extra care. It's like a team effort between the amino acids and the other ingredients.
Conclusion
Amino acids for hair are crucial as they help strengthen your hair, increase collagen production, and protect it from sun damage. You can even smoothen your hair by using liquid aminos at home or by going for a convenient amino acid treatment at the salon with little to no side effects. Also, those who are unable to meet their daily amino intake through food can opt for the salon treatment. The only time you should reconsider taking this treatment is if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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