Can Italian Wine Help Your Hair?

If you read the Xtrawine blog regularly, you’ll already know that Italian wine has been linked to an array of health benefits. In fact, we covered five of them related to skin and hair in a post from a few years back. We also know that regular and moderate consumption of red wine can help with everything from heart disease to stroke prevention.

But can it help with your hair?

In the previously mentioned post, we touched on the benefits that consuming Italian wine can have for your hair. Here, we want to dig into the science a little more while also giving you a few ideas of how you can use wine to strengthen and protect those luscious locks.

The Science Behind Wine And Hair

So, are we telling you that you need to start using Italian wine shampoo or start bathing in wine?

No…

Well, not really at least.

Instead, the science behind how Italian wine can affect your hair comes down to a topic we’ve talked about in the past – free radicals.

If you don’t know what free radicals are, just remember that they are bad for your body. They form as you age and are responsible for a whole lot of issues related to getting older. Do you have wrinkles or fine lines? Thank free radicals for breaking down the collagen that supports your skin. Are you struggling with an age-related health condition? Again, free radicals will have played their part in the formation and ongoing issues related to that condition.

When it comes to hair, free radicals are the prime culprits for several conditions, including inflammation of the scalp and alopecia. And they’re responsible because they create something called oxidative stress. Think of this as a kind of pressure that’s constantly applied to the affected area of your body.

Eventually, something has to give.

An immune response gets trigged or your cells start breaking down, resulting in issues with your hair.

So, where does Italian wine come into this?

Many studies show that wine contains antioxidants, with resveratrol being the most important, that can help your body to combat free radicals before they can do much damage.

But more recent studies show that these effects extend into the protection of your hair. Hair loss expert and University of Chieti collaborator Dr. Angelo Labrozzi digs into the science:

“One of the main effects of oxidative stress concerns the graying of hair, caused by damage to melanocytes by free radicals. But the effects of oxidation are not limited to this phenomenon, which is all in all acceptable and aesthetically treatable, and can become much more serious. A stress that lasts over time can damage the cells of the hair bulb resulting in the birth of a weak hair tending to fall out.”

In other words, we see similar effects on hair bulbs caused by oxidative stress that we see with the collagen that supports your skin. The constant stress placed on either by free radicals results in them breaking down. For skin cells, this leads to weaker regeneration, leading to sagging and wrinkles. For hair, it appears that free radicals affect the little bulbs that your hair grows out of, leading to the thinning or loss of the hair entirely.

This is where Italian wine comes in.

Dr. Labrozzi suggests that regularly drinking wine, in moderation, fortified your scalp by ensuring you have a constant flow of antioxidants in your body. This, when fortified by ensuring you’re getting the appropriate vitamins and minerals in your diet, essentially bulks up your body’s protection against oxidative stress.

The result?

Reductions in hair loss and thinning, in addition to less inflammation of the scalp.

How Can You Use Wine to Prevent Hair Damage?

So, now we know a little more about the science. And as is often the case, Italian red wine is likely best for you to experience hair-related benefits. It contains higher concentrations of antioxidants, meaning you get more “bang for your buck” out of a single glass.

Now, we need to focus on how you use wine to improve hair health.

Here are a few ideas.

Idea #1 – Drink It!

It really is as simple as that.

A single glass of Italian red wine per day is packed with so many antioxidants that you automatically take the fight to free radicals. These antioxidants travel all around your body and get used where they’re needed most. By simply drinking a glass a day, you’re doing great things for your health.

We know, it’s such a challenge, right?

Idea #2 – Dilute It And Rub It On Your Scalp

We know we said that you probably won’t need to use wine as a shampoo to get its benefits.

But you kind of can for a very specific problem.

We’ll let Dr. Labrozzi explain:

“Diluted in water in the last rinse during washing, thanks to its antibacterial properties, it can help fight dandruff.”

So, there you have it. Stick with your normal hair routine, including shampoos and conditioner. But for that added protection, dilute a drop of red wine in water and rub it into your scalp. It’ll get absorbed directly, allowing the antioxidants in the wine to support the health of both your scalp skin and the little hair bulbs that you rely on for strong hair.

The Final Word

Italian red wine has so many healing properties. It’s so rich in antioxidants that a single glass per day can help you in so many ways.

These healing powers extend to your hair.

Now, it’s important to note that wine isn’t going to help you regrow hair that you’ve already lost. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late to do anything using wine once you reach that point.

Instead, think of it as a preventative measure. By drinking a glass a day, you reinforce your hair bulbs and protect them against free radicals. Couple that with the ability to combat inflammation and dandruff for wine to become a healthy hair tonic that you can use every day. And of course, you can find plenty of great wines to help you with your hair in the Xtrawine collection.