Your hair needs help from your diet, the products you use and even your style choices to stay healthy.

Beauty comes from within—literally. Strengthen your hair by working inside out and ingesting good-for-you ingredients. When it comes to the outside, hair health relies on the right products—and putting down the heat tools.

CALL IN THE REINFORCEMENTS

According to research from hair-growth-supplement brand Viviscal, one in three Canadian women will suffer from hair loss—a life stage we'd rather skip, thanks. Viviscal's now extra-strength oral supplement is formulated with 50 percent more AminoMar C (the active ingredient promoting hair growth) than the original, as well as zinc, iron and vitamin C. Clinical results show noticeable thicker, fuller and healthier looking hair—no wig required.

Viviscal Extra Strength, $60, shoppersdrugmart.ca. 

SCHEDULE YOUR STYLE

Put in a solid 30 minutes of hairstyling time early in the week, then use quick styling changes and dry shampoo for the rest of the week. "On Monday, start with tight curls achieved with a curling iron," says Roger Medina, a Toronto-based hairstylist and Garnier Canada ambassador. "Then, on Tuesday, push your hair to the side, and on Wednesday, add a braid. Thursday, put it half up in a bun. By Friday, you might be greasy—remember to use dry shampoo as needed—so brush your hair out and put it in a low pony. Stretching out your wash to last all week saves your hair from heat tools and hot water."

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Healthy hair starts with your diet. "Hair is predominantly made up of protein," says Casey Berglund, a Calgary-based registered dietician and the owner of worthyandwell.com. "However, it requires fats and micronutrients to be healthy." Consider unprocessed whole foods your best starting point. Healthy proteins (lean meat, eggs, beans, nuts), omega-3s (oily fish, chia seeds, walnuts, tofu) and vitamin B12 (meat, fish, dairy, nutritional yeast) are essential for strong, healthy hair. "When people are malnourished or chronically dieting, hair can appear dull and weak—and even fall out," says Berglund.

BUILD BETTER HAIR

These gel tubes from Nexxus are designed for hair that's been intensively damaged or exposed to harsh treatments, such as double processing (when hair is lightened by more than two shades and it's first bleached to remove pigments, then dyed to achieve the desired shade). They're also great if you have healthy fine hair that needs some responsiveness, says Kevin Mancuso, global creative director for Nexxus. Jam-packed with elastin proteins and marine collagen, the treatment strengthens and improves elasticity while repairing porosity. "Think of it as insulating the hair and rebuilding the cuticle wall from the inside out," says Mancuso. First, shampoo and rinse. Then, cover your hair in one dose of Emergencée Reconstructing Treatment, pressing it into your hair, and let it sit for 10 minutes, until it's almost hardened. Next, shampoo out the treatment and use a hair mask or conditioner.

Nexxus Emergencée Reconstructing Treatment, $20, nexxus.com.