Egg yolks are a wonderfully nutritious food source, with several key nutrients that can nourish and enrich your hair. Normally we would be talking about adding more eggs to your diet to benefit from the nutrients, but instead we are talking bizarrely about spreading egg yolk onto your scalp to help treat hair loss. While we don’t expect anyone to jump on this and start adding egg yolk to their hair loss regime, there may be some science to back up this latest claim. The latest research has been conducted in Japan and is making a strong case for the benefit of egg yolks for hair loss. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Medicinal Food and they detail just how egg yolks can be used to stimulate the growth of new human hair cells.
For their research project human hair follicles were implanted onto the backs of mice and then egg yolk was topically applied on to the hair follicle. A particular compound found in egg yolk was shown to stimulate vascular endothelial growth factor. This growth factor is a protein that stimulates the formation of blood vessels, which plays a key role in making sure that the flow of oxygen around the body is optimal and healthy. What this research means in real terms for hair loss sufferers is still up for debate. The next step would be for research to be conducted with a human trial over a prolonged period of time. These results would give a great insight into the potential of egg yolk as a treatment for hair loss.
Egg yolks are rich in Vitamin A and E, as well as Biotin and Folate. These are all important nutrients and vitamins for regular, healthy hair growth. This makes eggs a great food to include in your diet to make sure that your hair growth is as healthy as it can be. However, this doesn’t mean that eggs in your diet will help to combat your hair loss as the above study is trying to prove. Another great nutrient that eggs are rich in, are proteins. Our hair is made up of over 90% protein, and many of us might not be getting enough protein in our diet. Vegetarians and vegans are most at risk of having a reduced protein intake. When we are deficit in a particular nutrient our body will use what it has to prioritise our bodies most important organs and functions. Our hair unfortunately falls under one of the least important organs in the body. This is why our hair (and nails) are the first tell-tale signs of a nutritional deficiency.
Looking for a new hair mask to condition your hair? Another good use for egg yolks is to mix them with olive oil and apply to the entire length of the hair. Let the mixture sit on the hair for an hour before rinsing out with cold water. Egg yolks have a moisturising property that softens the hair and helps the hair to retain moisture for longer.