What Vitamins Are Good For Hair?

Everyday, thousands of people boot up their computers in search for information on what vitamins are good for hair. Indeed, we all want healthy terrific looking hair. However, it’s important to understand that your hair actually share the same nutritional requirements as your internal health. Therefore, to make sure you’re giving your crowning glory its due, our advice is try optimal nutrition intake as a starting point, which means eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to feed your hair what it needs.

In fact, what you look like on the outside depends a lot on what you do for yourself on the inside and, as such, the lack of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes etc. show your overall health status through limp, lifeless, dull, brittle, or worn out looking hair.

Now, let’s return back to the question of what vitamins are good for hair?

We believe then, that by taking a comprehensive high quality multi nutrient supplement that contains a broad-range of ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants etc. would be important if you want to keep your hair shiny, healthy, and growing.

Why?

Put simply, no nutrient is an island all unto itself. For example, zinc will not function without vitamin B6, nor can some enzymes be made without it.

On the other hand, there are specific vitamins in regards to hair health, but keep in mind that the every single nutrient requires other nutrients as cofactors, either for activation or function from each of the nutrient categories, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. For activation, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids require enzymes, and for function, essential fatty acids are also needed.

That said, let’s look at specific vitamins that play a major role in hair health so that you can make an informed decision in your quest for what vitamins are good for hair.

The B-Complex vitamins, sometimes called the beauty vitamins, are essential for hair growth and are needed for healthy hair, especially biotin. A deficiency in vitamins B2, B6, or biotin can lead to possibly hair loss. It’s important to note that the B vitamins all work together as a team. Therefore, they should always be taken together for optimal hair health.

Vitamin C and E helps to maintain hair health and they also aid in enhancing scalp circulation. Going way beyond what vitamins are good for hair

Antioxidants – A broad-spectrum antioxidant supplement containing green tea extract, grape seed extract, soy isoflavones, L-glutathione, bilberry, coenzyme q10, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, gingko biloba, beta carotene, lutein, and lycopene can help protect your hair from oxidative damage.

Sulfur as MSM aids with the manufacture of keratin, which is essential for hair growth. It also helps to promote thicker and shinier hair.

Beta Carotene works with the B vitamins to keep hair shiny.

Inositol is part of the B vitamin complex that experts claim to be linked to hair growth thus supporting hair health.

Iodine is a trace mineral that helps to regulate thyroid hormone production, thus preventing dry hair and hair loss.

PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid) is a member of the B complex family that appears to be linked to healthy skin and hair. It is an intermediate in the synthesis of folic acid in bacteria. PABA may prevent hair loss by protecting hair follicles when taken as a supplement form.

L-Methionine is a sulfur-bearing essential amino acid that is needed for hair and muscle production. It also prevents brittle hair.

But wait, there’s one herb that may be helpful that goes beyond what vitamins are good for hair.

Saw Palmetto has been touted by some marketers as an herb that can help men regrow their hair. As such, we did some research on this claim and although it too does not fit in the category of what vitamins are good for hair it may be worth a try if you suffer from male pattern baldness.

Here’s what our research found:

According to the well renowned tome “The People’s Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies,” written by Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. who state:

“We must admit that there is no science here. We offer this herb as a potential treatment for male pattern baldness purely on speculation and hypothesis. The reason we think that there might be some benefit is that this herb has the ability to inhibit 5-α-reductase, the same enzyme that Proscar and Propecia affect.” (Page 66.)

“If saw palmetto can prevent the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone by blocking enzymatic activity, then there is a good reason to believe that this herb could be at least as good as Propecia in growing hair.” (Page 67.)

In fact, even the well renowned tome “Prescription of Nutritional Healing” written by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC mentions saw palmetto as a possible aid in reducing hair loss.

Keep in mind that we make no guarantees nor would I expect dramatic effects.

Lastly, essential fatty acids such as Omega 3 fish oil is known for their ability to significantly improve hair and nail health, improving hair texture, luster and condition.