The future of healthy hair is here.

And it's come in a way you might not have expected. It's probably safe to say that social media affects most, if not all, parts of our lives. From work to diet to going on holidays and Instagramming every single sight you see, the likes of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have changed the way we view and interact with the world. However, they've also changed the way we interact with our hair - and, most notably, how healthy we tend to keep it. According to research conducted by hair growth supplement giant Viviscal, "the social media effect" is very much shifting our perceptions of hair and how we care for it. They say we have moved to:

"... a much more transparent beauty culture, where women are no longer inhibited about openly sharing discussions about thinning hair and hair loss online."

However, while women feel more comfortable discussing their hair health issues, social media has also created "an Instagram standard of perfection." Scrolling through the social media app and seeing seemingly perfect pictures of hair (#hairinspo) has led many people to take steps to improve the health of their own hair, whether through deep treatments or growth supplements. Similarly, Viviscal says that due to the sheer amount of products available for hair care, consumers are really looking into products to see which is best suited to them before buying them. The company also lists a male focus on hair thinning and health, improved lifestyle, and women wanting healthier hair in their later years as reasons behind this increased interest in healthy hair. So there you go - maybe your Instagram obsession isn't so bad for your health after all?