Vitamins for Hair Growth
Most of my life I’ve taken my hair for granted. However, over time, I noticed a gradual decline in the condition of my hair. I started looking deeply into hair health as we age, and what we can do to improve it naturally. Key to hair recovery and regrowth is acknowledging it will be a gradual process. Immediate improvements or growth are unlikely until adhering to a new regimen for at least three months. This is why I advise clients to be patient and allow time for any health routine to show results.
What About Nutrafol?
After doing extensive research on the subject, it is evident that not all vitamins/supplements are created equal. The popular hair growth supplement, Nutrafol, has been consistently topping charts. One key factor contributing to its success is its high percentage of biotin, a recommended nutrient for hair loss. However, studies on its effectiveness for promoting new hair growth yield mixed results.
A significant concern with Nutrafol is the lack of transparency regarding the breakdown of their listed blends. The absence of information on the quantities of each herb in the supplement raises doubts about their efficacy. By focusing on factual data, it is essential to analyze the levels of Vitamin A, C, D3, E, Biotin, Calcium, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, and Potassium in Nutrafol. This information can then be compared to other leading multivitamins on the market.
Choosing a high-quality multivitamin can be a more cost-effective and beneficial option for overall health compared to Nutrafol.
Choosing the Right Multi-vitamin
The multivitamins I compared side by side with Nutrafol include: Vitamin Code Raw One Women, MegaFood Women's One Daily, Pure Encapsulations Women's Nutrients, New Chapter Women's One Daily, MyKind Organics Women's Once Daily, and NOW Eve Soft gels multi. I wanted to see a cost comparison to Nutrafol and which of these contain the most hair growth encouraging ingredients.
I won't bore you with the full breakdown and my messy paperwork (but I can provide it to you personally if you’re interested, just ask), but I will tell you that there were two obvious winners out of all of these multivitamins. Those two are Pure Encapsulations Women's Nutrients and NOW Eve Soft gels multi. The other multivitamins may be good for those not concerned about hair growth, but they certainly are lacking in that department.
Pure Encapsulations contained a good majority of what Nutrafol has to offer plus many other amazing nutrients for the rest of your body. They fell short in biotin, which is to be expected. EVE is also a great supplement for women's overall health, but fell short in their Vitamin A and biotin quantities for hair growth. I would recommend either of these brands to those wanting to improve their hair, along with a few other supplements.
Between the two multivitamins, obviously Eve is more cost-effective. Does it have AS many beneficial nutrients? Perhaps not. But it is plenty good if you’re on a budget, and can provide a lot of benefits.
Please note: Multi-vitamins may not be for everyone, especially if there are certain vitamins and ingredients you can’t take due to medication interaction or an allergy. If you are on medication, please ask you doctor before taking any supplement to make sure it won’t cause you issues.
Additional Vitamins for Hair Growth
In addition to one of these multivitamins, I recommend taking NOW Biotin 5,000mcg, Krill oil for omega-3 fatty acids, Turmeric with black pepper, and a good prebiotic/probiotic. Digestion is a big part of hair growth, which is why the probiotic/prebiotic is important.
While some people believe in the benefits of collagen supplementation, the scientific research backing its efficacy is limited. Specially for those mindful of their budget, investing in collagen products may not offer significant tangible results.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss can be caused by a variety of factors, with the primary ones including poor nutrition, hormonal changes (such as perimenopause and menopause), genetics, medications, stress, skin conditions, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, cancer treatments, post-partum, PCOS, and other underlying health issues.
Additional Things That Can Help Hair Loss and Re-Growth
Scalp Massager (please be careful if you have any open wounds on the scalp)
Hair oils such as rosemary, castor oil, and argan oil.
Hair Mask 15-30 minutes before washing 1-2 times a week.
High quality shampoos such as Biolage, Redken, Kerastase, and Aveda.
Use enough conditioner. If your hair is dry/tangled, hair will come out in your brush more often. Seems obvious, but some people do not use enough.
Use a leave-in conditioner on your ends. If your hair is extra dry, use oil too.
Use heat protection and reduce how often you blow dry if you can.
Eat nourishing foods. Seems obvious, but worth mentioning.
Reduce stress (easier said than done, I know).
Get your hormones checked and get necessary blood work done.
Protect your hair at night with a satin/silk pillowcase. Wear it in a style that doesn’t put strain on your hair/scalp.
Use a shower filter! This is a game changer for me. Not only does it help hair growth, but also helps the color of your hair too. I got my shower head filter on Amazon for a very good price.
Most of all, allow yourself time. Hair regrowth and repair won’t happen overnight, I can attest to that! It’s a journey, and it’s worth putting in the time and effort. Let me know if you have any questions!
