Hey there, viewers! When you’re stuck with dull hair, ads will have you believing in all those
magical shampoos and conditioners. But if your hair is dead, this really won’t help. Any change
in weather, water, and diet is sure to affect the health of your hair. It needs nutrition, and fast!
In today's video, we’ll discuss vitamins that can promote hair growth.
How much Vitamin D is actually necessary? Are Vitamin C and A
important? Are there minerals that can help? We’re talking all that AND more…
1. Vitamin D
Imagine your scalp is like garden soil. If the soil is rich in minerals and vitamins,
your plants are bound to be healthy and grow faster. Similarly, the cells of the scalp that
don’t have Vitamin D slow down the growth of hair. You’ll see a lot of shedding if this happens.
There are so many types of hair loss out there. One of
them being alopecia (alo-piece-ee-ah) areata (air-ee-ah-ta). This is an autoimmune condition.
A review suggested vitamin D deficiency has been linked with this type of hair
loss. If you’re already low on Vitamin D, alopecia areata can be even worse.
A study found that typical female baldness also has links to low vitamin D levels. It
may start with the part in your hair getting wider, or thinning hair at the temple.
Despite studies showing a link between Vitamin D and hair loss, there was a large-scale study
that stated vitamin D is not related to hair loss in alopecia. This means your body needs
something more than vitamin D to restore its hair health. Vitamin D can help to strengthen the hair
follicle and prevent it from uprooting. It also maintains the balance of calcium and phosphorus.
What’s one hairstyle you’ve had to stop doing? What was the reason? Was it because it damaged
your hair? Sound off in the comments below, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
Now if you visit the doctor for hair troubles, the first thing they usually do is blood work.
That'll give you an idea of your vitamin D level. A healthy adult requires
600 International units, or 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day.
If you've got a low vitamin D count, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to do Vitamin D supplements for
the rest of your life. Your doctor will probably put you on these supplements for 12 weeks,
and then assess you again to see if changes need to be made.
Along with supplements, you can also try natural foods that are the best sources of this vitamin.
These include fish, mushrooms and egg yolk, as well as fortified orange juice, and milk.
How much sun do you get? Sunlight triggers your body’s cells to produce this vitamin naturally.
Don't forget to wear sunscreen when you’re outside. Overexposure can lead to skin damage.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause insomnia, muscle fatigue,
weakness, and hair loss. Vitamin D2 is found in vegetable sources,
while D3 is obtained from sunlight and eggs. Most supplements will have Vitamin D3 in them.
You have to be cautious about how much Vitamin D you consume each day. While
vitamin D toxicity is rare, it can lead to severe complications. An excessively
high dose of 50,000 IU’s can be dangerous for your body.
You definitely can’t just load up on this vitamin in one day,
and get a head full of hair the next morning. You have to take your time with it.
A quick tip is to have Vitamin D with foods that contain natural fats.
This improves the absorption of the vitamin.
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2. Vitamin B
A large number of young people are suffering from hair loss, regardless of genetics, hormonal
imbalance, stress, and hygiene. All factors point to nutritional deficiency, especially Vitamin B.
Losing 50-100 strands a day is considered normal by dermatologists and hair doctors.
Your hair is in a continuous cycle of growth, repair, and shedding.
B complex vitamins are essential for maintaining the health of your nerves.
They include B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. Nobody likes unnecessary medications.
If you're deficient in this group, your first aim should be to level up through natural
food sources. Whole grains, green leafy veggies, meats such as liver and poultry,
fish, eggs, beans, legumes, and avocados should be your go-to food.
If your diet is well balanced, you don’t need to worry as much.
Unlike Vitamin D, there is no vitamin B toxicity. B complex is water-soluble. Your body simply uses
whatever is necessary and the extra vitamin is flushed out through the urine. Don't shy away
from having this supplement if you’re dependent on plant-based nutrition or certain medications.
Pregnant women should also have it to help with any digestive problems.
Vitamin B12
If you’re low on B12, you’re going to feel tired. You can also lose your hair. You need
to consume around 2 micrograms of B12 per day, not just to stay healthy, but also for
great hair. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers require around 3 micrograms a day.
While a few doctors believe in this magic vitamin, some studies have found no evidence of a link
between B12 levels and hair loss. However, it won't hurt to get a bit more B12 in your life.
Vitamin B7
Another name for this vitamin is Biotin. This B vitamin is known for helping to strengthen your
hair. It's proven through various studies that low levels of biotin can make you go bald quicker.
It helps in the synthesis of hormones and production of red blood cells.
It also helps in the cell growth of hair papilla (papil-ah) and increases the blood
supply to hair follicles. Biotin is going to make your hair strong and improve its texture.
This is the only vitamin that can be stored in small quantities in your body despite belonging
to a water-soluble group. Biotin is secreted in the gut flora and stored in small quantities.
Studies revealed that 38% of women who experienced hair loss had biotin deficiency. Therefore,
this vitamin can be extremely beneficial for those who are already low on vitamin B7. Keep in mind,
there is no evidence that biotin supplements will help people with healthy Vitamin B7 levels.
Before we move ahead, here are 15 signs you have Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Now back to Vitamins that help hair growth...
3. Vitamin E
This fat-soluble vitamin can protect your body cells from free radicals and oxidative stress.
Free radicals have the capacity to mess with your DNA,
RNA, and protein synthesis. This vitamin also improves the blood circulation of your scalp,
reduces hair loss, and promotes new hair growth all at once.
The best source of vitamin E in your diet is through vegetable oils,
nuts, green leafy vegetables and fish.
Pharmaceutical markets have made vitamin E capsules and oils available for those who
are deficient. Having these supplements on a regular basis can help nourish your scalp.
But some people choose to rub vitamin E oil directly onto their scalp so it can
speed up hair generation. However, there is no scientific evidence to this theory,
and may actually end up hurting you. Too much Vitamin E can cause you to lose more hair instead.
Nevertheless, studies have found that people who used moderate vitamin E
supplements showed an improvement in both alopecia or hair loss.
4. Vitamin A Now you might
not necessarily suffer from hair loss and thinning. You may have great hair,
and be wondering what you can do to keep it this way. This is where Vitamin A enters the picture.
Vitamin A deficiency can make your hair look frizzy, dull and unmanageable. It keeps the
roots of your hair soft and supple by helping produce sebum. This is the natural oil that
prevents your hair from becoming too dry. Vitamin A or retinol supplements are easily available.
But make sure you have them in their natural forms through foods such as fruits, vegetables,
oranges, pumpkin, sweet potato, and cod liver oil. Remember to slow down
on this Vitamin in a timely manner. Too much vitamin A can lead to hair loss.
5. Vitamin C This vitamin is mostly neglected
when it comes to hair care. Vitamin C deficiency can give you hairs that look like corkscrews.
Red bell peppers, leafy green vegetables, and citrus fruits are great sources of vitamin C.
Supplements of Vitamin C are also important if your diet is missing them.
6. Other Important Nutrients
Folate Not having enough folate can
result in iron deficiency anemia. Women who suffer from this kind of anemia will see hair loss.
Without folate, your blood won’t carry enough oxygen. Without oxygen, none of the tissues
can function to their full capacity. This means bad luck for your hair follicles.
Magnesium You also need magnesium,
as it actively participates in the biochemical reaction of your hair.
Magnesium deficiency can cause both fatigue and hair loss.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Next, you need to pay special
attention to Omega 3 fatty acids. You might get it from natural sources like salmon, cod liver oil,
oysters, flax seeds, walnuts, kidney beans, etc.
This fatty acid is anti-inflammatory, which gives more volume to your hair.
Zinc Zinc is another trace element that helps
strengthen your cells. Seafood, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are natural sources of zinc.
Proteins Proteins are the building blocks of
your body. Body growth and cell repair just can’t happen without protein. Healthy tissues will stop
unwanted hair loss. Hair is basically made of a protein called Keratin. Without it,
you will not form new hair cells. Maintaining the existing ones will also be very difficult.
There are just so many reasons to add proteins to your diet. Should you be having more cheese,
chicken or beans? Let's keep the conversation going with
a couple more protein-related videos, shall we?
Watch 20 foods high in protein that you should be eating!
You can also check out what eating more protein does to your body!
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and get more insight into your proteins.
Do you know any other food that improves hair growth? Let us know in the comments below!