What Your Hair Says About Your Health: The Nutritional Science Behind Scalp & Strand

Did you know your hair can reveal what your body’s missing — long before blood tests do?

As scientists at Dakmatter, we know that hair is more than just an aesthetic — it’s a diagnostic surface. Changes in your hair’s texture, thickness, or shedding patterns may be your body’s first visible sign of nutritional imbalance or chronic stress. Here’s what science — and your scalp — wants you to know.

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Hair Is the First to Suffer When the Body Is Under Stress

Your body is designed to protect vital organs like your heart, brain, and lungs first. Hair? It’s considered non-essential for survival.
When the body senses stress — whether from inflammation, illness, or nutrient deficiencies — it cuts off supply to the scalp. This often results in:

• Excessive shedding (telogen effluvium)
• Brittle, thinning hair
• Slower hair growth
• Changes in texture

Even brief periods of caloric restriction, inadequate nutrient intake, or crash dieting can dysregulate the hair growth cycle for several months.

Your Hair Is a Biological Archive

Each strand of hair grows approximately 1 cm per month—and it stores biological information in its shaft. From iron levels to hormonal changes, hair captures a record of what’s happening inside your body.That means what you ate — or didn’t eat — 60 to 90 days ago can still affect how your hair looks today. Hair analysis is sometimes used by trichologists and researchers to detect:

• Iron and protein deficiencies
• Chronic inflammation
• Hormonal imbalances
• Environmental exposures (like heavy metals)

Nutrients Your Scalp Can’t Thrive Without

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. And a healthy scalp starts with consistent nourishment from within. The most critical nutrients include:

Iron Needed for oxygen transport to hair follicles. Iron deficiency is one of the leading causes of hair loss in women. Found in: red meat, lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds.

Protein Hair is made of keratin, a type of protein. Without adequate protein intake, strands become weak and slow to grow. Found in: eggs, fish, tofu, legumes, dairy.

Zinc Supports cell regeneration and oil balance. A deficiency can lead to a dry scalp, flaking, and thinning. Found in: shellfish, chickpeas, cashews, whole grains.

Biotin (Vitamin B7) Known for its role in strengthening the keratin structure of hair and promoting growth. Found in: egg yolks, nuts, seeds, sweet potatoes.

Essential Fatty Acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 help maintain scalp barrier function and regulate inflammation. Found in: oily fish (salmon, mackerel), flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds.

Why Dakmatter Takes a Scalp-First Approach

At Dakmatter, every formula is designed with the scalp ecosystem in mind. We blend bioactive botanicals with documented efficacy to aid with scalp and hair issues

• Lactobacillus/Salix Purpurea Bark Ferment Extract – our signature microbiome-friendly ferment
• Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract – to soothe and balance inflamed scalp environments
• Azelaic Acid and Sodium PCA – to regulate sebum and maintain hydration

We believe topical care should work with your biology, not just on top of it. But we also know that products alone aren’t always enough. Nutritional and metabolic imbalances often need a deeper look. That’s where our trichologist can help.

Listen to What Your Scalp Is really trying to say — starting at the root. 

If your hair has changed — if it feels weaker, sheds more, or simply isn’t what it used to be —it could be a sign of something internal.  Your scalp may be the first place to catch it. Contact our world-renowned trichologist today or send us a DM. Don't hesitate. We are here to help. This may be a life-changing experience.

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Written by Alexa Wolf Advanced Organic Formulator & Cosmetic Chemist. Fact checked by Tom Hornshöj-Möller: MSc Chemical Engineering