Having luscious, vibrant hair is something many folks desire and aspire to have. With numerous products on the market claiming to accelerate hair growth, it's essential to separate fact from fiction. While a healthy diet is crucial for overall hair health, let's take a deeper look into the world of vitamins and dietary supplements to uncover which ones might actually help stimulate hair growth.

1. Biotin: Biotin, the hair superpower (also known as vitamin B7), is one of the most popular supplements for promoting hair growth. This essential vitamin aids in the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, which are essential for maintaining healthy hair follicles. While biotin deficiency is rare, supplementation may help improve hair strength and minimize breakage. However, it's important to note that excessive biotin intake doesn't necessarily equate to faster hair growth.

2. Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays a vital role in our overall health, and emerging evidence suggests it may influence hair growth. Studies have shown a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and hair loss. Ensuring you have adequate levels of this vitamin may optimize hair follicle function and promote healthy hair growth. While more research is needed to establish a direct link, maintaining optimal vitamin D levels through supplementation or sunlight exposure is a wise choice.

3. Iron: Iron deficiency, known as anemia, can contribute to hair loss. Iron is essential for carrying oxygen to the hair follicles and promoting their growth. If you suspect an iron deficiency, consult a healthcare professional who may recommend iron supplementation or dietary adjustments. However, excessive iron intake can be harmful, so it's crucial to get tested and follow professional advice.

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fatty fish and flaxseeds, have numerous health benefits, including promoting hair growth. These essential fats help nourish hair follicles and enhance their overall health. While omega-3 supplementation may support hair growth indirectly, maintaining a balanced diet rich in these healthy fats should be the primary focus.

5. Collagen: Collagen is a structural protein that provides strength and elasticity to our skin, hair, and nails. Supplementing with collagen peptides may improve hair thickness, texture, and overall health. Collagen supports the production of keratin, the protein that makes up our hair, and aids in hair follicle regeneration. However, the effectiveness of collagen supplementation varies among individuals, and it's essential to choose high-quality products.

So while vitamins and dietary supplements can support overall hair health, there is no magic pill for instant hair growth. Maintaining a well-balanced diet, staying adequately hydrated, managing stress levels, and practicing good hair care habits are equally crucial. Before starting any new supplements, it's advisable to consult a healthcare professional to ensure they are suitable for your specific needs. Remember, healthy hair growth is a gradual process that requires patience and a holistic approach.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Okay, we've all been locked up at home a lot longer than we expected, and we're getting a bit shaggy. When I look at myself in the mirror I see a Sasquatch version of myself that hadn't shown itself since sophomore year in college, which is a sad because I liked that version of me. But times have changed (understatement!) and my unkempt appearance is not out of choice but rather out of circumstance. I could spend some time on YouTube watching home haircutting videos, but that would spoil this glorious opportunity to do something truly memorable and reinvent myself for a while. A chance like this won't come around again for a very long time, if ever. Sure, I could get out the kitchen scissors, cut cut of the tufts of hair above my ears, try and mimic what my regular barber does and use a comb and slice off a nice straight line from the top, but what is the fun in that? And because I believe that home haircuts are here to stay, I think experimentation and practice are the way to start. Soon we'll all be proficient in giving ourselves a passable haircut.

And so, this is my 'not your normal mans guide to cutting you own hair at home while the barber is closed' how to:

1. Don't let your Wife of Girlfriend do it

My wife, and I suspect many women, have been waiting for this moment for a long time. A fairly inconsequential chance to make over their man in their own image, in what version of him they want, at least hair-wise. This is why you can't allow it. They make most of the decisions already, and if they make this one, what is left? This isn't about you caring, because you probably don't care very much what you new hair looks like for your Zoom calls. Plus, you'll be able to go the barber soon anyway to fix whatever mess you make up top. But because home haircuts are here to stay, now is the time to practice, make mistakes, and learn from them.

2. Treat the First go as Practice

So why not get started by doing something really reckless and stupid? Nothing makes a statement like a Joe Strummer-style mohawk, so why not go for it? You can always fix it later. Nothing is forever, and as the saying goes, "The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is about 2 weeks."

3. Get Your Supplies Ready

Now that you brimming with consequence-free confidence, you will need some tools of the trade. You will need a comb, a trimmer (your dog shears will work too!), some decent scissors, a mirror and some potentially some booze. Oh, and those layer cutting scissors are also good to have. Home haircuts works much better when your inhibitions are lowered. It is also a good idea to attempt your first try when no one else is home, so your wife, girlfriend, daughter or really anyone can talk you out of it.

4. Go For it.

Start on one side, around your ear and clean-up the hair wings that grow over the course of a month. This is the part of your hairdo that drives the rest. Take off and inch or so, and then move up toward the top of your head. Now do the other side and shake off the hair new trimmed hair so you can see your work so far. Repeat this cycle until you've got an even looking cut. Now, cut the front hairline by your forehead to your desired length. Be a little conservative here in case you screw something up later and need to fix the front again. Finally thin it out with the thinning or layering scissors. It is hard to screw this part up, so don't be afraid to get aggressive here. Most of the time your hair is too thick anyway. Now it's time for the back. This is tricky since it is unlikely you'll be able to see the back of your head in a double-mirror set-up and keep both hands free. If possible, get someone else to do that back, but in the absence of a helper, try and angle the scissors perpendicular to your spine just cut across. Shake off the excess locks, dunk your head in the shower and admire your masterpiece. And don't worry, so one will see you (or care) and two weeks will go by quickly..

 

Photo by Matt Bero on Unsplash

There’s not too much you can do about a receding hairline, other than curse your gene pool. But facial hair is a different story. “The condition of your facial hair directly corresponds to the health of your body,” says Jim White, registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesman. Specifically, he continues, “The same nutrients that have a positive effect on our heart and other major organs also benefit our skin and hair.”

In other words, you can literally eat yourself to a shinier, smoother, more healthy-looking beard. We asked White to tell us which vitamins are an essential part of a healthy facial hair diet, what they do, and how to get them into our diet. Results of our conversation below.

VITAMIN A AND BETA CAROTENE
How they better your beard: “Vitamin A maintains and repairs skin tissue,” says White. “And keeping your skin healthy allows for better hair growth.” Beta carotene is a nutrient that your body converts to vitamin A. Since it’s found in foods that are lower in saturated fats than those that are rich in vitamin A, you’re better off eating foods that are high in beta carotene.

Where to find them: Vitamin A is present in milk, cheese, butter and egg yolks. Beta carotene is found in yellow and orange produce (e.g., carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and papayas) and leafy green veggies (e.g., spinach and kale).

VITAMINS C AND E

How they better your beard: Vitamins C and E promote the production of sebum, a natural oil that is produced by our bodies and lubricates and moisturizes hair, making it look thicker and more lush. Additionally, vitamin C assists in the growth of bodily tissues, including those that comprise our skin and hair follicles.

Where to find them: Citrus fruits, green peppers and broccoli are good sources of vitamin C. Wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower seeds, safflower oil, peanut butter, corn oil, spinach, broccoli, mangoes and spinach all contain high amounts of vitamin E.

PROTEIN

How it betters your beard: Our skin and hair are composed primarily of keratin, a structural protein made up of amino acids. We don’t produce amino acids on our own; instead, we need to eat protein, which the body then converts to amino acids.

Where to find it: Fill up on fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, rice, beans and milk.

VITAMINS B6, B12 AND BIOTIN
How they better your beard: B vitamins help your body synthesize the protein you eat so it can be used to build new skin cells and hair. Getting enough B vitamins, says White, also helps reduce stress and prevent hair loss.

Where to find them: Fish, poultry, leans meats, eggs, nuts, and whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal are chock-full of B vitamins. Foods that are rich in B12 include beef, milk, cheese and wheat germ.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
How they better your beard: Essential fatty acids are just that: essential to normal growth, including that of facial hair. They also protect cell membranes, helping to prevent your whiskers from getting dry and brittle.

Where to find them: Make sure flax seed oil, walnuts and fatty fish (e.g., salmon) find their way into your diet.

Want to make your beard even more beautiful? Of course you do! Supplementing the above foods with a multivitamin, or with any of the individual nutrients listed above, might do the trick. Just don’t overdo it: Your body will excrete any extra water-soluble vitamins (e.g., vitamin C or B12), but it’ll hold on to extra fat-soluble vitamins (e.g., vitamin A). Excessive doses of vitamin A could actually lead to hair loss. Ask your doctor to recommend a proper dosage, and you’ll soon be on your way to winning whiskers.

Some of the biggest names in the history of professional basketball have sported downright crazy mug manes to complement their cute little shorts. We pick our faves -- from today’s all-stars to the NBA’s Hall of Fame hairballs.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 1: Baron Davis
The Knicks’ point guard has a beard so full it gets to the basket about two steps ahead of him. It’s not that it’s not well-groomed -- it is -- but if he caught a pass in there, you’d have to call a time-out while a search posse went in after it.

Facial Hair Style All-star No. 2: Kurt Rambis
With his black-framed glasses, long blond hair and junior-high-lookin’ lip brush, the former Laker forward looked like the kid your mom wouldn’t let you hang out with in high school … who now owns a Fortune 500 company. “That kid’s going nowhere!”

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 3: Drew Gooden
The Milwaukee Buck power forward once rocked a beard that looked like a row of hairy (and scary) stalactites. This was the goatee from hell, serving up multiple downward pinnacles, each hanging at least 1/4 inch below Drew’s chin-do.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 4: James Harden
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has been making big noise with his backboard-thick Afro-beard beneath his chin. He bundles it with a matching Mohawk to complete his captivating “Invite a Road Warrior for Dinner” look.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 5: James Edwards
The former center for the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons had mutton chops that wrapped around an accompanying sneer like a couple of tire irons Velcro’d to his face. His yearbook shots were suitable for framing … for an “America’s Most Wanted” poster.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 6: DeShawn Stevenson
New Jersey Nets fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season (or virtually any other) except the majesty of DeShawn’s chinscape. It’s every bit as thick as Davis’s or Harden’s, but finely chiseled to a triangular point. The effect is akin to a Muslim cleric with a mean jump shot.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 7: Phil Jackson

The coach who has won the most NBA championships (11) couldn’t have done it (and didn’t) without his signature facial forest. A member of the Knicks’ legendary 1969-1970 World Championship team, “The Zen Master” sported a hippie-style full beard which seemed to take root and flower with each championship win.

Facial Hairstyle All-star No. 8: Scot Pollard
While never an all-star, the recently retired, 11-season journeyman Samurai Scot rocked more unique beards than an Amish wedding. His gallery included a relatively regular Grizzly Adams look; an upper-lip, brushless Abe Lincoln; and a Hall of Fame–worthy pair of pigtails beneath his chinny-chin-chin.

Want a new look? Check out our sponsor’s Library of Styles to find the perfect look for you

Photo: Getty Images

While the celebrities strut their stuff on various red carpets this month, we thought we’d hand out a few awards of our own. Welcome to the very first Best Facial Hair Awards. The envelope, please!

The Mountain Man Beard Award: Jake Gyllenhaal Jake Gyllenhaal’s mountain man beard might be long and bushy, but he keeps it combed, expertly trimmed and healthy-looking. When dealing with facial hair at this length, maintenance is key to avoiding an overgrown and unkempt nest full of woodland creatures.

Best Eyebrows on an Agent Award: Saif Ali Khan There’s nothing worse than a man with barely-there eyebrows. But most Bollywood stars suffer from the opposite problem – overly large or bushy eyebrows. Saif Ali Khan's Agent Vinod looks right - an Indian James Bond, impeccably dressed and styled.

Best Funny Man Mustache Award: Eddie Murphy While Tower Heist won’t win the Oscar for Best Picture, Murphy’s finely trimmed chevron mustache deserves an award for the way its angular shape balances out his oval face.

Best Hair Ball Award: Questlove If you’re going to sport a voluminous afro) lead and grow a full beard to help balance out the look and avoid looking like you’re wearing a hair helmet. His beard emphasizes his strong jawline, anchoring his incredible hairstyle and bringing the entire look together.

Best Eyebrows on a Solo Artist Award: Drake There’s nothing worse than a man with over-plucked, barely-there eyebrows. Drake’s thick but tidy brows properly frame his eyes, without looking overdone or overgrown. Gentlemen, don’t forget: There should be two.

Best Mustache on a Muppet Award: Swedish Chef You might not understand what the Swedish Chef has to say, but his mustache is perfectly clear. The Chef’s ’stache strikes a delicate balance between his bulbous nose, gaping mouth and wild eyebrows. If you have large features, dainty facial hair will only serve to make things look larger.

Best Breakup Beard: Russell Brand Breaking up is hard to do, but funnyman Russell Brand does it in style. His recent split from pop star Katy Perry has left him with a dastardly, pirate-worthy beard that gives him a brooding look -- an appropriate style for a recent divorcé, if you ask us.

Best Performance by a Goatee and Mustache Duo: Kanye West Kanye West keeps his mustache short, expertly trimmed and narrow to avoid adding weight between his nose and lip. Instead, he turns the focus to his goatee, which emphasizes his strong chin and jawline.

Best Rock ’n’ Roll Beard Award: Lenny Kravitz When you’re a rock ’n’ roll icon).

Best Smooth(ish) Stubble Award: John Legend When you’re a smooth soul singer, you need facial hair that will complement your gentlemanly style while upping your game. John Legend’s perfect short stubble adds a dash of roughness to his boyish face -- but not enough to scare off the ladies.

And our awards for most dubious facial hair styles go to …

The Trying-too-hard Stubble Award: Adam Levine Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine has perfected the art of the stubble -- and that’s the problem. It’s almost too perfect. Stubble is meant to look accidental, to sport an air of, “I woke up looking this good.” Levine’s stubble is so evenly trimmed and shaped that it appears overworked. He could use a lesson from Lenny Kravitz.

Most Awkward-looking Beard Award: Robert Pattinson When teenage girls proclaim their undying (undead?) love for you at every turn, sometimes you need to don a disguise just to get a little peace. Nothing can change your look quicker than a beard. Unfortunately, Edward’s -- I mean, Robert’s -- beard looks awkward on his boyish face and drains away his usual good looks. A perfect disguise, indeed!