Calcium for hair: masks or pills?

Should you drink calcium for your hair? How to determine the lack of this macronutrient? It is found in bone tissue, blood, nails and hair, is involved in muscle contraction, in immune reactions, ensures blood clotting and vascular elasticity. Naturally, general disturbances in the body will lead to weakening and hair loss. But this can happen for other reasons as well. First of all, our body needs a balance of minerals and vitamins. Consider the causes of hair loss.

Why does hair fall out?

Hair loss can occur due to several factors.

Changes in hormonal levels during pregnancy and lactation, menopause.
Infectious diseases of the scalp.
Vitamins B2, E, biotin are essential for hair formation. Therefore, their lack will affect the health of the hair.
Endocrine problems - diseases of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, excess estrogen, inappropriate oral contraceptives.

The cause of hair loss can be a weakening of the immune system, a reaction to drugs, and insufficient blood supply to the scalp. Therefore, in case of serious problems, you should not engage in self-diagnosis, but it is better to contact a specialist trichologist.

Signs of calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency will be accompanied by various symptoms:

Hair falls out, they are brittle, dull.
Brittle nails.
Dental problems.
Increased excitability, irritability.
Fast fatiguability.
Muscle cramps - during sports activities, spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle often occurs.
Profuse menses.
Poor blood clotting.
Increased vascular permeability.
Hypertension, palpitations.

In severe cases, a violation of the growth of bone tissue, teeth, multiple sclerosis develops. With insufficient replacement, osteoporosis can develop, accompanied by a decrease in bone strength. This is why older people, especially women, are advised to take gluconate and the like.

Are calcium masks effective?

You can find recipes for calcium hair masks. Do they really help restore hair health? Calcium is a macronutrient, it is found in the body in fairly significant quantities. To take part in metabolic processes and enter the structure of the hair, it must be assimilated by the body and processed into the desired biological form. The same gluconate is well absorbed from the intestines, but does not penetrate into the body through the hair and skin.

Therefore, masks with calcium preparations are a waste of time, they will not make up for the lack of an element in the body. Masks will help, aimed at preserving the structure of the hair shaft, preventing its dehydration - mainly oils, vitamins and fatty acids.

You can replenish calcium reserves by regularly consuming milk and dairy products: kefir, sour cream, yogurt. A significant amount of the element is found in cheese and cottage cheese. To stimulate growth and prevent hair loss, it is useful to eat fish - salmon, sardines. This element is contained in green plants - lettuce, cabbage, celery, herbs. A lot of it is found in seeds (especially sesame) and nuts.

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To assimilate the element, the body needs vitamins, in particular - D3. It is produced in the skin by exposure to sunlight. Without it, only 10-15% of the calcium entering the body is used for its intended purpose, the rest is removed through the kidneys. A good source of vitamin D is fish oil, liver, egg yolk, butter, and nuts.

There are foods that interfere with the absorption of calcium from the intestines. Do not combine calcium-rich foods with fats, fiber, or chocolate.

It should also be borne in mind that when drinking carbonated water, especially like "Coca-Cola", the element will be "washed out" from the body through the kidneys. Do not drink soda with gluconate.

Eggshells are an ideal source of calcium. Calcium carbonate, which is part of it, is associated with protein structures and is most easily absorbed and processed by the body. Before using it, you need to wash it, remove the film, boil (if the shell is from raw eggs) and chop. Take 1 tsp with food. three times per day. Can be mixed with lemon juice before use. The course of admission is within 1-2 months.

Pharmacy preparations

With a significant deficiency, it is quite difficult to replenish calcium with the help of food alone. Not everyone can eat a kilogram of cottage cheese daily. Therefore, you need to drink drugs in tablets. It is necessary to take them only on the recommendation of a doctor, since an excess of a macronutrient is just as harmful to the body as its deficiency.

The daily requirement for calcium in an adult is 800 to 1200 mg. The upper limit is for pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and adolescents.

There are many drugs on sale. There are tablets, powders, chewable tablets, effervescent. They all have different digestibility and contain the element in the form of various compounds. When taking medications, they are guided by the doctor's prescription and instructions for a specific medication. Also, when choosing a drug, the following information is taken into account.

Effervescent forms are more easily absorbed by the body, and calcium gluconate in the form of a tablet must first be crushed.
The most "convenient" element for the body is in the form of lactate and citrate. Gluconate is slightly less absorbed. Calcium carbonate is absorbed more slowly, but it is also effective.
For prophylactic purposes, gluconate is taken 2-6 tablets per day.
It is advisable to take calcium in combination with vitamin D.
Vitamins and minerals in complex preparations are less effective than separately. Calcium in such tablets is usually contained in the form of phosphate, and it is poorly absorbed.

Popular drugs for replenishing calcium in the body are Calcium D3 Nycomed, Calcemin, Calcium Glycerophosphate.

Observe the following rules of admission.

Take the tablets in the morning with or immediately after meals. The daily dose is divided into two doses, since small amounts are better absorbed. You can drink it with water, milk, with low acidity - orange juice.
The assimilation of the element of coffee and alcohol, soda worsens.
If you regularly consume dairy products, then the daily dose should be halved.

It is impossible to combine calcium preparations with tetracycline antibiotics, salicylic acid compounds, carbonates, sulfates and some other drugs.
Any drugs should be taken in courses for several months, then take a break.

Why is excess calcium dangerous?

An overdose of calcium is hardly possible, but an excess of it can lead to undesirable consequences:

urolithiasis, renal failure;
sleep disturbance;
stomach pain, nausea, constipation;
muscle weakness;
drowsiness;
convulsions;
increased blood cholesterol levels.

Drink drugs with caution in the following cases:

with kidney disease;

with diarrhea;
with dehydration;
when taking cardiac glycosides;
with thrombosis, increased blood clotting;
with violations of the function of the parathyroid gland.

If you're sure your hair loss problem is due to a lack of calcium, then diversify your diet with dairy products, fish and nuts. To replenish the body's reserves with this element, they take drugs in tablets - gluconate, glycerophosphate and others. It is advisable to combine them with taking vitamin D. The course of treatment is 1-1.5 months, then take a break.