I'm sure you've heard of sulfur, but.... Can you tell us what it is? Is it toxic, or is it healthy? Can it benefit my body? And what does it have to do with hair? Don't worry: in this 4-minute reading you'll understand perfectly why it's so necessary for the health of your hair, and more importantly, how to balance it naturally to improve its appearance. Here we go!
What is Sulfur, and what is it for?
Sulfur is a "non-metal" chemical element (S-16) very abundant in nature, especially in the volcanic regions of the planet. It has multiple uses and the most disparate, it is used as a fertilizer and in the manufacture of gunpowder, laxatives and insecticides, but it is also essential for the synthesis of proteins present in all living organisms (including us humans) and this is where its importance for the human body comes in!
What is the function of sulfur in our body?
It is present in different structures of the organism such as skin, hair and nails. It is what is known as a trace element, the eighth most abundant element and the fourth most abundant mineral in the composition of our body. Yes, sulfur is inside our body! We know that in very small quantities (we talk about 0.25% of our body) but the absence or decrease of its levels causes the body to not function properly.
But... what does sulfur do in our body? It participates in multiple metabolic reactions (fat or carbohydrates) and is part of several important components of the body, such as proteins, vitamins and hormones, among others. That is to say, several of the components of our body (proteins, vitamins, hormones...) are sulfur-containing, therefore, they contain sulfur in their composition, and, as we said at the beginning, where it is found in higher concentrations is in the hair, skin and nails. That said, let us now focus on hair.
What are the benefits of sulfur for our hair?
Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute! Let's go first with some curiosity you may not have known about hair. Why do we have hair?
Did you know that the presence of hair follicles (i.e. hair) is one of the main characteristics of mammals? Its functions range from regulating body temperature, providing physical protection, offering a sensory and tactile aspect, to dispersing sebum and sweat, not to mention (especially in humans) its role in social interactions.
Humans have approximately 5 million hair follicles on the skin, of which about 100,000 are on the scalp. But what is hair made of? Good question!
Composition of hair
Hair is composed of 28% protein, 2% lipids, 70% water and other substances. Let's remember that some of the proteins in our body contain sulfur, as is the case of keratin, in fact 90% of those proteins that make up our hair are keratin. I'm sure this sounds familiar to you, but... Heh, heh, what exactly is it? Maybe we've caught you here! Don't worry; we'll get to it in no time.
What is keratin, and how is it related to sulfur?
Keratin is the protein produced by keratinocytes, and who are they? The main cells of the epidermis, which as they age, move from the innermost layers to the stratum corneum (the outermost layer). These cells, when they die, accumulate and disintegrate around the hair follicle, leaving practically only keratin. So, little by little, they push the keratin upwards, which results in the hair growing from the roots, and not from the ends, as many people believe. So why do we cut off the ends to heal our hair? Good question! Although we've been told all our lives that it's necessary to repair and stimulate hair growth, there are actually ways to keep it healthy and well cared for without the need to "go through the scissors".
But let's continue with keratin, it is responsible for providing strength and elasticity to the hair. How? It is formed by chains of amino acids that are joined together, forming a helical structure called alpha-helix. Keratin contains a large amount of sulfur-containing cysteine residues - there's our protagonist!
The cysteine residues in the keratin filaments form covalent disulfide bonds with the cysteine residues of adjacent keratin filaments, i.e. they bind in pairs or threes like magnets, forming a structure called a protofibril, which in turn group together to form a kind of cable called microfibrils which are the fibers that make up hair. This is what establishes our hair type, i.e. if these bonds are parallel, the hair is straight, but if they are diagonal, the hair is curly. Furthermore, these disulfide bonds remain intact when the hair is wet, which allows the hair to regain its original shape.
What does all this mean? First of all, keratin helps the hair to maintain its shape, providing healthy growth, strength and elasticity (this is what most of us are looking for, right? Healthy, strong and elastic hair) And secondly, and super-important, we could not achieve all this without sulfur, which is why it is crucial to maintain sulfur levels in our body!
What happens to the hair when sulfur levels drop?
Signs and symptoms of declining sulfur levels in our body are: weak and brittle nails and hair, joint problems, increased tendency to skin infections and increased difficulty in detoxifying the body.
But, if we go back to hair, we are sure you are familiar with split ends, brittle, frizzy, dull and "straw-like" hair? Well, it all has to do with low sulfur levels.
How can we boost our sulfur levels naturally?
There are foods rich in sulfur amino acids such as garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, nuts, sunflower seeds and legumes, which you can include in your diet to restore sulfur levels in your body.
But if you are looking for a direct effect on your hair, to make it healthier, stronger and more elastic, that is to say, to look "great", you can help your hair fiber by providing it with the necessary sulfur to rebuild the disulfide bonds of damaged keratin. How? With innovative hair products that focus precisely on balancing and improving our hair from the inside, repairing the structure of the hair fibers. This is what really matters!
Because just as you wouldn't start "putting the cart before the horse"... why take care of your hair only "for show"? Besides, these results tend to be momentary and temporary, right? So, it's time to go "to the root" of the matter.
If those results of "Woooow what a great hair" are usually transient, if you prefer to get a beautiful hair, but above all healthy, if you want to avoid applying silicons, sulfates and other petroleum derivatives in your body and if you are also one of those people who care about their environment and care for the planet .... Pay close attention, because you are about to discover a new way to take care of your hair. Click here. Freshly Hair Science!
We at Freshly Cosmetics create natural cosmetics (all of our formulas contain over 99% natural, sustainable and vegan ingredients) based on scientific knowledge and studies. We aim to make people aware of the effect cosmetics have on their skin. We are scientists with a strong desire to change things and help people take better care of themselves, consciously.
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