Poor, unhealthy-looking hair is a nightmare especially for women. Their self-esteem could be seriously affected when they experience thinning hair. While most hair loss treatment is probably applied topically, we all agree that your hair regrowth starts from within. Here what you get from diet plays a role. There are also numerous products of hair growth vitamins for women. Which is the best, highest rated one?
5 key vitamins for hair growth
Diet along with other factors such as genetics, hormones, and age can factor into hair loss – some of these factors are unchangeable. Luckily, diet is something that you can control.
Like any other part of the body, eating right gives an impact on hair health. A variety of nutrients, including vitamins, are required by the hair cells for healthy growth.
It is not uncommon that hair loss can occur if you have multiple nutritional deficiencies. Some of the main culprits are deficiencies of iron, zinc, biotin, protein, and vitamins [1].
Even though the role of your diet in contributing hair loss is not fully understood yet, the following vitamins may be important to support your hair regrowth.
Your body needs the vitamin B complex for various body functions, including to aid in cell metabolism. People usually can get enough these water-soluble vitamins – vitamin B 12, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid /B5, niacin /B3, riboflavin /B2, thiamine /B1, and folate – by eating a balanced, healthy diet.
Another type of the vitamin B complex, biotin /B7, is produced by your own body. Biotin supplement is usually not required for healthy individuals [2].
It seems not all types of the vitamin B complex have a role to support hair growth. Only the deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate, biotin, and riboflavin that have been linked to hair loss! This probably is particularly true for biotin deficiency.
Although the link between biotin and hair loss is still a bit puzzling (there is only limited evidence on this), we believe that biotin plays a role for hair growth by helping to create red blood cells. And we know well that red blood cells are required to transport oxygen to any part of the body including the scalp and hair follicles. Also, biotin may also have an effect to help improve the infrastructure of keratin, a basic protein to build up your skin, nails, and hair.
We know vitamin A is involved in many body functions. It is required in your body immune system, very important for your vision, and involved in your cellular growth and differentiation. It represents a class of fat-soluble retinoids such as retinal, retinol, and retinyl esters.
In general, 1300 mcg/day of vitamin A is the recommended dietary allowance for adults aged 19 years or over [3]. And a healthy, balanced diet is usually enough to give you a healthy amount of vitamin A. Some good sources include cod liver oil, eggs, yogurt, and low-fat milk.
The effect of vitamin A on hair health is like a coin that has two sides. Vitamin A deficiency may cause hair loss since it does marvelous job of keeping your hair healthy. For examples; this vitamin is involved to make sebum, make your hair shaft shinny & glossy, strengthen the hair and prevent it from drying out.
While getting enough vitamin A is important, you may have counterproductive effects when you get it higher than normal. An overdose of vitamin A could cause hair loss, too [4]. So moderation matters. Be careful when you’re taking vitamin A supplement, ask your doctor first!
If you’re looking for powerful antioxidant from vitamins, vitamin C is one of your best bets. This water-soluble vitamin is a wonderful agent for protecting the body, including your hair, from free radicals.
Furthermore, it is involved in helping the absorption of iron, a mineral that gives a big impact on your hair growth [5]. So your dietary vitamin C is critical if you have iron deficiency, which is common in women. Iron deficiency is often associated with telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss due to the early entry of hair in the resting phase.
Unfortunately even though vitamin C is likely to have a significant effect on hair, there is still no enough data to scientifically confirm specific vitamin C level that would induce hair loss. Whatever it is, getting enough vitamin C is always important for anyone.
This fat-soluble vitamin is obtained from synthesis in the skin (when you have direct contact with the sun’s rays) or through what you eat (e.g. cod liver oil, fatty fish, and fortified foods). And it needs to be activated enzymatically before the body can use it [6].
Some studies show that vitamin D deficiency is linked to hair loss (alopecia), but the exact way of how it affects the hair is unclear. It may play a role in the production of hair. Currently, most studies focus on the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR).
Even though there is still no clear cut answer about the connection between vitamin D and hair loss, it’s important for everyone to get enough vitamin D. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is common. So it’s good idea to boost your intake.
The imbalance of oxidant and antioxidant might have a role in causing hair loss in people with androgenic alopecia (a common hair loss problem affecting both men and women). Similar to vitamin C, vitamin E plays a role to protect against damage from free-radicals. It is also an antioxidant, involved in maintaining the oxidant and antioxidant balance [7].
Some foods high in vitamin E include vegetables (e.g. spinach, broccoli), vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fortified cereals. Eating a wide variety of foods containing vitamin E is the best idea, no risky harmful.
Ask your doctor first for vitamin E supplement, since taking supplement may cause an overdose of vitamin E which could be dangerous!
When it comes to diet for hair loss treatment, you should not only on vitamins mentioned above.
Your hair structure is complex. It also requires minerals (especially iron, zinc, and selenium), protein, and other necessary nutritional things for healthy growth. Staying with a balanced diet with a wide variety of healthy foods is the key!
But if you need something more, the following hair growth vitamins and supplements may help.
Highest rated hair growth supplements and vitamins for women
It seems optimal nutrient intake is essential to support hair growth and prevent hair loss. Still, diagnosing the underlying cause is the key since what causes the problem will plays a role in determining your treatment plan.
As mentioned earlier, nutritional deficiencies can lead to many healthy issues, one of them could be hair loss. Like others, the folks at Hairfluence feel that it’s not easy to ingest all of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients your hair needs on a daily basis. Here this product has your back.
It contains active ingredients to help stimulate hair growth, plus healthy nails. These include biotin, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, collagen, keratin, thiamine, and MSM (methylsulfonylmethane).
Does it work? The positive feedbacks about this supplement are quite a lot.
One thing that takes attention, it’s recommended by professional hairdressers, so you should give it a shot since hairdressers are on the front lines. Some consumers did notice a difference (thicker and stronger hair) after taking it.
You may worry about MSM since it’s a chemical-like tag which is a somewhat daunting. But it’s actually a natural ingredient found in many foods and plays a role to help boost the production of collagen.
What’s more? It comes with a satisfaction, 60-day money back guarantee and you can get it only for about $21 to cover a one-month supply. This is quite affordable, which is particularly worth a try if your hair loss is mild or if you’re just looking for a simple fix in improving hair breakage /brittle hair.
Results usually appear within 2-4 weeks, which can vary from person to person. Interestingly, a few women do become fanatic to the product. Those who like it would really love it and be likely to use it for many months.
Drawbacks! Unfortunately, it’s not formulated with other potent hair loss natural ingredients especially like saw palmetto (see more here). And like many hair loss products, it doesn’t work for everyone. In some cases, it didn’t carry a difference – probably depending on what causes your hair loss.
It might increase the risk of acne flare-ups, a few people experienced rashes or breakouts when they started taking it. Others found it only worked to carry healthier fingernails. It might also cause headache. Also, it’s not easy to swallow the capsule (for some people), because it is bigger.
However in general, it’s well-tolerated in most consumers. But if you’re vulnerable to breakouts, start with a lower dose to see whether it’s OK to your skin.
In case when DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is to blame, this supplement is worth trying!
We know that DHT is a man problem (especially for those with androgenic alopecia), but in a few cases it can also cause hair loss in women. Unlike most DHT blockers, Hair Rush is formulated for both men and women.
Does it work? Keratin is critical to promote hair growth. Here this product is unique, because it contains an exclusive keratin complex, saw palmetto and other key ingredients to help counter the negative effects of DHT more effectively.
With drug-free formula, it has essential vitamins derived from nettle leaf powder, which is also a powerhouse of protein, amino acids, and anti-dandruff property. Other key things found in this supplement are as follows:
- L-Lysine Hydrochloride, which is a kind of amino acid that has several benefits to stimulate hair growth. Study showed that it might have an effect to block DHT by increasing the effectiveness of natural DHT blockers in the body. It might also help the absorption of iron into the bloodstream [8].
- Pumpkin seed oil to help retain moisture of your hair, so the hair is not easy to dry out.
- Gotu kola powder. This potent botanical herb is quite familiar found in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It might effectively improve blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles, resulting in better hair growth.
The results may vary, but many consumers say it works. One thing to remember, it doesn’t give instant results. For optimal growth, it’s recommended to take the pills for at least 90 days. With 60 capsules per bottle, it will give you a month supply if you take 2 capsules per day.
It’s safe to take for months. So far there is no serious reported issue. But if you have particular allergic reaction, especially to any ingredient found in this product, see your doctor first! And read the instructions carefully; don’t take it with empty stomach!
The bad! While it’s recommended for at least 3-months of use, unfortunately it has no a money-back guarantee service. Also, the price is a bit costly if compared to other hair regrowth vitamins.
What’s more?