Water is undoubtedly our lifeline. But do any of us ever stop to consider how lack of hydration affects the human body? Now in this article we will discuss the various effects of hydration and dehydration on your body, along with all the proven benefits of drinking water for your hair and body.
To start things off, let us take a look at the various functions of water in our body:
- Water literally makes up for 60 percent of our entire body, and our blood is 90 percent water.
- The quality of water varies from country to country, as there is no universally agreed quality or quantity of water that must be consumed in a day.
- Water keeps our body moving. It helps to lubricate our joints, and the cartilage found in various joints of our body, including our spine, is made up of 80 percent water.
- Water makes up the majority of our saliva and mucus. Saliva is a bodily fluid that helps us in digesting our food.
- Lack of water can affect our thinking. There are many studies that suggest the negative impact of prolonged dehydration on the functioning and structure of our brain. Furthermore, water plays an essential role in the production and transmission of our hormones and neurotransmitters.
- As mentioned earlier, the majority of our body is made up of water. It is also present in the middle layers of our skin and helps in sweating, which regulates our body temperature.
- Our entire digestive system depends on water. From absorption of minerals to bowel movement, water is required in every part of our digestive tract.
- Water also helps in physical performance. Hydration is a key factor many athletes take care of when they are training or competing. Studies have proved that there is a strong relationship between water and athletic performance, with many suggesting that consuming more water might also enhance your track performance.
Can Dehydration Affect Your Hair?
Dehydration is one of the leading causes of hair fall, hair breakage and hair thinning. Insufficient water intake can also lead to dry and frizzy hair. Hair is one of the fastest growing organs in the body and has a lifespan of around 4-6 years.
Our hair has its own life cycle, and just like any other part of the human body, they are dependent on nutrients and minerals for growth. Without adequate nutrition, the hair starts to shed and break at an accelerated pace.
Dehydration is known to affect the length and thickness of our hair. The following are some of the major hair-related pointers that are directly linked with inadequate water consumption:
- Our hair strands are made up of nearly one-fourth water particles. Without water, they start drying out and can even begin to break or split at the ends.
- Our hair follicles can literally die of thirst. Dehydration can slow down their function, and in some cases, they can stop building new hair strands altogether.
Can Drinking Water Help Your Hair?
As mentioned above, water plays a big role when it comes to maintaining lustre in the hair. Hydration keeps the hair shiny, strong, and also helps it to grow. In fact, drinking water can aid in a person’s overall health.
From digestion to improving skin and hair, doctors around the world have documented great health benefits solely from an increase in water intake. However, this intake needs to be consistent for months to actually show any positive results. Following are some of the important benefits to hair, arising due to proper hydration:
- Aids in the delivery of nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles.
- Prevents hair from drying and splitting, and keeps it moisturized.
- Prevents infections or other conditions like dandruff.
- Prevents dry scalp or itching.
How Much Water Do You Really Need?
According to the Food Attitudes and Behaviours Survey by National Cancer Institute, most people do not consume adequate amounts of water on a day-to-day basis.
Water does a lot more for your body and hair than what your eyes can see. It regulates vital bodily functions and facilitates the transfer of nutrients within our body. Hence, it is important to drink at least 4-8 glasses of water a day.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, USA, has found that the optimal daily fluid intake varies for both men and women in that part of the world. Men need about 3.7 litres of fluid intake per day, whereas women require a little less - around 2.7 litres.
Your overall water intake will also vary according to other factors like the amount of physical activity you do, the climate you live in and the kind of diet you follow.
How Can You Get the Hair You Want?
Water plays a big role in making our hair beautiful. It affects the mental and physical functions of the human body. However, there are some problems that require medical intervention. Hair fall or Hair loss is one such problem.
However, hair loss doesn’t mean that you cannot start your hair growth journey and get your hair back.
With an advancement in medical sciences, hair loss treatments have also improved exponentially over the years. There are only two things you need to pay attention to when it comes to choosing a hair clinic - experience and the choice of treatment.
In terms of hair loss treatment, you have quite a lot of options to choose from. There are two main types of hair loss treatments - Surgical and Non-surgical. Hair transplantation, a surgical hair loss solution, is the preferred route for many.
But, hair replacement or non-surgical options have also steadily gained recognition for their ease of use and affordability. However, regardless of the choice of hair loss treatment, the ultimate course of action will vary according to the underlying cause of hair loss.
Our innovative hair loss solutions have treated thousands of people who were suffering from hair problems, such as hair fall and breakage.
Our time-tested hair treatments like Strand-By-Strand Ultimate and Flashpoints are well-known for their efficacy. For more details, visit the nearest Advanced Hair Studio and embark on a journey of hair restoration and hair regrowth. Lastly, don’t forget to remember the benefits of drinking water for maintaining your healthy hair.