Having long, shiny and healthy looking hair is the envy of most women these days. Although hair plays an important role in keeping the skin protected, hair can also accentuate the looks, making it great for aesthetic purposes. However, not all of us are able to have great hair all the time. Because of this, a lot of people are spending huge amounts of money just to provide the proper nourishment and pampering to our hair. In addition to this, vitamins and other supplements are also considered ideal in order to keep hair healthy. Some women also encounter problems when it comes to making hair grow fast. In line with this, what are the different hair growth supplements for women?
Importance of Vitamins and Minerals for Hair
Although most shampoos and hair conditioners contain vitamins and minerals, our hair sometimes still isn’t receiving the adequate amount of nutrients it needs. These vitamins and minerals are indeed needed by our hair in order to maintain hair growth just like our body needs it for overall health and wellness. Aside from these, vitamins and minerals also play an important role in preventing hair loss.
Nevertheless, hair vitamins and minerals are not capable of inducing new hair growth in follicles that are affected by hereditary-related hair loss or those that are affected by DHT or dihydrotestosterone. In addition to this, OTC or over-the-counter hair supplements are also incapable of blocking DHT just like what finasteride can do. These things must be made clear in order not to mislead any users of the vitamin supplements. Aside from this, overdosing of vitamins is also harmful for the hair. This is why too much of a good thing can also be hazardous for us. For example, vitamin A is generally good for body. However, going beyond 25,000 IU of vitamin A per day can also lead to temporary hair loss, particularly in women. This condition is known as hypervitaminosis. The daily recommended dose for vitamin A is only about 5,000 IUs. This clearly shows that overdosing the vitamins will not help in bringing out the best for our hair.
However, not having enough of the good thing can also cause hair loss problems. The lack of vitamins in the system can also affect the health and the growth of our hair. This has already been proven by majority of the available research and clinical studies. An improper diet with vitamin deficiency can also lead to nutritional disorders such as anemia and/or protein deficiency, which can take its toll on our hair. Vitamin D deficiency is known to produce rickets; however, hair loss can also be obtained from this problem.
Other Vitamins and minerals that can cause the same kind of hair problem if deficient include the following:
- Vitamin A – too much and too little can cause hair loss
- Vitamin D – can cause rickets and hair loss if deficient
- Iron – can lead to anemia, which can also affect the growth of hair
- Amino Acids – deficiency of this essential substance can also cause hair loss problems
- Biotin – important nutrient for hair growth
- Zinc – zinc deficiency can cause hair loss; however, some experts still disagree with the role of zinc in hair health.
These are just some of the vitamins that can cause hair loss problems if taken in inadequate amounts. In order to prevent this, a diet that includes all the 5 major food groups is beneficial in providing the necessary vitamins for hair loss. In addition to these, taking in vitamin supplements can also help in compensating the lack of vitamins in the diet. These supplements can be taken in capsule or tablet form for easy ingestion and absorption of the body. Once hair loss is experienced and vitamin deficiency is suspected as the cause, then a consultation to the dermatologist is needed. The dermatologist can perform tests in order to determine what has caused the hair loss damage.
A daily intake of a simple multivitamin and mineral supplement that is manufactures by a quality company is already enough in order to compensate for the deficiency in vitamins. These multivitamins; however, should consist vitamin A or beta carotene, Vitamin B specifically B12, B6 and Biotin, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc and iron. Multivitamins that contains vitamin C, amino acids and folic acid can also be essential. These are just some of the facts that we need to know when it comes to providing essential nutrients for health hair growth.
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