Natural beauty is the best foundation for any look or fashion. If you're not living your best and healthiest life, you may suffer from lackluster locks and brittle, unattractive fingernails.

By addressing some of your lifestyle habits and making a few changes, you could enjoy strong hair and nails and a boost of well-deserved confidence. Some special vitamins and supplements may help you enjoy stronger hair and nails.

1. Protein Intake

Protein is essential to any healthy diet. Without enough of it, our bodies cannot function. Proteins help to keep our organs functioning, our blood flowing, and helps to ensure muscle repair occurs, allowing muscles to grow stronger over time.

If you're enjoying a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may not be consuming enough plant proteins. Enjoying more soy products (tempeh, tofu, edamame), lentils, and chickpeas could help boost your protein levels.

Consuming healthy sources of protein could help keep your hair and nails in excellent condition. Of course, if you're dehydrated, your body will have to work a lot harder to keep itself healthy.

2. Consistent Hydration

Though you may be tired of hearing about how essential hydration is for good health, it's an undeniable truth. If you're starting your day with coffee, enjoying soda or tea throughout, and ending it with alcohol or juice, you may be dehydrated.

It's vital to incorporate plenty of plain, clean water into your daily routine. If you enjoy coffee in the mornings, try supplementing it with a cool glass of water.

Not only will this ensure that your teeth resist some natural staining and sugar exposure, but it will also provide plenty of moisture that nourishes your skin and nails. Skin is a living organ that requires vitamins, minerals, and tons of hydration.

If you're not drinking lots of water throughout the day, you may suffer from excessively dry skin, kidney infections, and other unpleasant symptoms. Naturally, this will cause your physical appearance to suffer.

Your fingernails are made of a particular kind of protein called keratin. You could eat a protein-rich diet that allows for plenty of keratin production. But it might take ages for the proteins to travel to your fingertips if you're dehydrated.

Blood is primarily made of water, so your circulation could suffer if your body isn't hydrated. Consequently, taking care of your heart and your circulatory system could be one of the best ways to enjoy strong nails and healthy hair.

3. Plenty of Exercise

One of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to get plenty of exercise. Investing thirty minutes each day could be enough to boost your circulation and help you enjoy stronger locks and shinier fingernails. 

4. Incorporating Biotin

Biotin goes by quite a few names, including vitamin H. However, it's also closely related to B vitamins. Still, biotin could be the perfect addition to your diet, especially if you're attempting to lose excess weight.

This vitamin is crucial to maintaining a healthy metabolism and keeping hair, skin, and fingernails in excellent health. It's often found in meat, eggs, fish, and other animal products. However, sweet potatoes are a tasty vegan source worth noting.

5. Healthy Fats

In addition to healthy proteins, you'll need to consume some healthy fats. Though fat is something that many dieters avoid at all costs, it is a crucial macronutrient that keeps our bodies fit and strong. 

Adding a small number of healthy fats to your meals could also help you enjoy stronger hair and healthier nails. That's because these fats help to lubricate our skin and keep it protected while also contributing to improved blood flow.

6. Upping the Antioxidants

Antioxidants are an essential part of any diet. Enjoying a variety of antioxidant-rich foods throughout the day may help you avoid several types of cancer and a variety of diseases. Blueberries, broccoli, and pumpkin are all prime examples.

Maintaining excellent body-wide health is a wise way to work toward healthier hair and nails. By eating foods that contain tons of antioxidants, you're doing your best to keep it healthy and strong. Over time, your hair and nails will reflect this.

7. Supplemental Vitamins

If you can't seem to stuff enough vitamins and minerals into your three square meals, you may want to invest in helpful skin and nail supplements. Fortunately, these are no longer hard-to-digest gel capsules or powder-filled pills.

Those with sensitive digestive systems can enjoy the best chewable hair vitamins with a glass of water before bed and fall asleep feeling keen and calm.

8. Treat Yourself

Treating yourself to a safe and responsible manicure and pedicure session every other week or every month is a brilliant way to keep your nails in tip-top shape. These appointments are usually affordable, convenient, and they can be a ton of fun.

9. Brush Responsibly

Overbrushing your hair could lead to hair loss, brittle hair, and a damaged scalp. Be sure to invest in the right hairbrush for your hair type and to brush moderately.

In the past, it was believed that the more you brushed your hair, the shinier and the more beautiful it became. And brushing your hair at least once per day can help spread the natural oils in your hair, resulting in more lustrous locks.

But overbrushing can be detrimental. If you find that you cannot stop overbrushing your hair, it may help speak to a licensed counselor or therapist.

Such obsessive behavior is often associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder and may require external assistance and care. Of course, if overbrushing isn't an issue for you, you may want to consult a medical professional about nutritional deficiencies. 

10. Vitamin A and Vitamin C

Vitamin C has gained popularity over the last several decades as a common cold relief aid and illness preventative. However, this vitamin is also essential to skin health and a youthful, bright appearance.

Collagen, the stretchy stuff that helps keep skin looking young, relies on vitamin C. Without vitamin C, the body struggles to produce enough collagen to keep skin healthy and strong. But vitamin A is just as crucial.

Vitamin A helps the skin heal more quickly, and it may also help prevent acne. However, consumers must limit their vitamin A and vitamin C consumption to recommended doses. Both vitamins can prove harmful when taken excessively.

11. Retreat From the Heat

Occasional heat therapy can do wonders for muscles and could help you relax. But spending hours out in the hot sun without protection could be disastrous.

Not only does excess sun exposure put you at risk of developing skin cancer, but it could be permanently damaging to your hair and nails. And if you're using a hot hair dryer after your morning showers, you may want to switch to a cooler option.

12. Just Say No

Saying no to drugs and alcohol is a fantastic way to care for your body and mind. Tobacco and nicotine can stain fingers, fingernails, skin, and teeth. It can also contribute to lanky, brittle hair. Excessive alcohol consumption is also dangerous.

If you're looking to enjoy beautiful, strong hair and nails, you'll need to do more than eat right, exercise, and drink plenty of water. You could do all of those things and still suffer from blotchy skin, brittle nails, and dry hair if you're drinking or doing drugs.

13. Avoiding Harsh Chemicals

Some shampoos (especially those with parabens, sulfates, or formaldehyde) contain chemicals and substances that can produce allergic reactions, cause hair loss, and damaged hair.

Check your shampoo labels before making a purchase and ensure that you're using only the most natural ingredients in your bathing products. Shampoos and scrubs that contain Castille oil and a small amount of essential oil tend to be safe and effective. 

14. Alternating Shampoo Days

You don't need to shampoo your hair every day! This is especially true of those of you using cleansing formulas that strip away natural oils. While an abundance of sweat or oil could result in stinky hair, a small amount is harmless.

Instead of shampooing twice daily or once each day, try shampooing your hair every other day. You may begin to notice just how much stronger, healthier, and shinier your locks become.

15. Variety Is Crucial

Though there are several specific vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients responsible for hair and nail maintenance, you shouldn't only eat those components. A truly healthy diet consists of a wide variety of healthy foods. 

Overconsumption of some vitamins and minerals could be harmful to your health. When changing your diet to become naturally more beautiful and healthy, moderation and variety are key.

Enjoy Strong Hair and Nails Today

As you can see, there are plenty of ways you could enjoy strong hair and nails without spending a fortune on beauty products. You also don't need to spend hours each day on hair care or nail care.

In many ways, adopting healthy lifestyle habits is the soundest way to improve your hair and nails' look and condition. Avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, and eating a nutrient-rich diet are excellent options.

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