Vitamins?

[PossibleMermaid]

So I see all over the internet people ranting and raving about the benefits of taking a vitamin to help your hair grow. Does it work? If so, which ones are the best? I've seen everything from Biotin to Folic Acid to Vitamin E. Users of vitamins, which ones work for you? Non-believers in vitamins, why don't you use them?

[Nadine <3]

http://www.amazon.com/Vitafusion-Womens-Vitamins-Natural-Flavors/dp/B007L0DPE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413774761&sr=8-1&keywords=womens+gummy+vitamins

I take those, nothing more. My diet isn't the greatest and I have a hard time taking pills, so these work well. I feel like taking large amounts of biotin and such is unhealthy and un needed. Just take a multi vitamin :)

[FallingDarkness]

My mom just bought me Hair, Skin, and Nails vitamins, legits two days ago. We'll see if they actually help with my hair health/growth, but I figure that ANYTHING is worth a shot. I want hip length hair so bad it hurts. Except now I think I might want closer to TBL... :/

[kganihanova]

I take fish oil and multivitamin but not solely for hair. It's been alright, I haven't seen anything exceptional.

[Larki]

I use vitafusion Hair, Skin & Nails gummy vitamins. They're delicious and I think they work - at least, I've gotten a lot of growth in the last few months. Only been taking them for a month and a half though.

[Elletoday]

I don't use vitamins- but I do drink a cup of milk every day and I think it has noticeably helped to strengthen and improve my hair

[Panth]

Unless you have a vitamin/mineral deficiency, there's absolutely no reason that supplementation would be beneficial. Likewise, if you do have a deficiency, it's far better to go to the doctor, have blood tests, get a proper diagnosis and get proper treatment - not least because overdosing on certain vitamins/minerals can actually cause a deficiency in other vitamins/minerals by impeding their uptake and can also cause health problems.

E.g. Biotin, which seems to be the "magic hair pill" of choice has never been demonstrated to cause hair growth. Yes, biotin deficient people can have alopecia - but it's highly, highly unlikely that you are biotin deficient as not only is it found in many food substances but both your body and your gut microbes make biotin. Conversely, even just on the LHC there are a considerable amount of people who've caused themselves cystic (scarring) acne and/or migraines by biotin overdosing. One LHC member gave herself kidney failure.

So, IMO, no - random, non-doctor-prescribed supplementation is a bad idea. The vast majority of what you read about vitamins/minerals (especially on the internet) is absolute rubbish, perpetuated by companies who like to pretend that if a deficiency causes, e.g. hair loss, then overdosing from a non-deficient state will cause MOAAAR hair growth. Sorry, the body just doesn't work like that. Of course, it's a nice easy way to get your money and supplements aren't regulated like medicines are...

[KittyBird]

So I see all over the internet people ranting and raving about the benefits of taking a vitamin to help your hair grow. Does it work? If so, which ones are the best? I've seen everything from Biotin to Folic Acid to Vitamin E. Users of vitamins, which ones work for you? Non-believers in vitamins, why don't you use them?

It's not that I don't believe in vitamins, I just don't think it's necessary to take them unless I have a deficiency. I second what Panth said, randomly taking vitamins, especially at high doses, can be downright harmful. I used to take lots of vitamins when I was younger because I thought "Why not? Vitamins are sooo healthy, so eating them like candy must be good for me!". Since then I've educated myself on this topic, and learned that it's not a good idea.
I've gotten my blood work done and the only thing I'm deficient in is iron, and that's the only supplement I take now. The results showed that I clearly got enough of everything else from my diet.
My advice is, try to eat healthy food and don't start taking vitamins until you've seen your doctor and found out what you need (if you need anything at all). :)

[MungoMania]

Not a vitamin, but a supplement - Viviscal does make hair grow longer faster. I does NOT make hair grow thicker or denser however, as they claim, but if all you need is length this product does work for me. Everybody is different and experimenting is the best way to find out what works for you. :)

[Jorja]

My advice is, try to eat healthy food and don't start taking vitamins until you've seen your doctor and found out what you need (if you need anything at all). :)

I agree with KittyBird. My hair (and skin) is at its best when I'm eating healthy, and drinking lots of water. :)

[Spinder]

The human body is really a beautiful thing; it's extremely good at balancing and regulating most things itself. The only vitamins I take are zinc supplements, recommended by my doctor to help bolster my immune system, and to reduce the oiliness of my skin. I don't like taking vitamins in general because I simply feel they don't benefit me much; I'm very sensitive to the effects of any type of medication, and I find they don't make me feel very good physically... headachey, nauseous, lethargic, etc. I think it's better trying to get what I need nutritionally simply by eating healthy. :)

[diddiedaisy]

I take a multi-vit, biotin and msm. I started as I had been experiencing a bad shed that was lasting over six months and leaving my scalp exposed in places. It stopped the huge shedding within weeks. I shed a normal amount now, but I now realise I was always a heavy shedder. It's nice not to lose a handful of hAir every time I look at it. It hasn't helped it grow faster.

I will also add though that I have digestion problems which has in the past led to malnutrition. My doctor and dietician are also aware of what I take. A healthy diet should suffice a normal person. Moderation is key.

[Gertrude]

I take a basic multi-vitamin twice a week or so. I am a near vegan so it has B12 and iodine. A good friend who is a doctor told me years ago you don't need to take them daily at all and it may do more harm.

I did take a hair,skin,nails formula vitamin every day for six weeks or so after joining here. It gave me a big premenstrual pimple and the redness has still not gone away fully. I am fortysomething with dry skin so didn't think I would get the acne side effect..........but I surely did.

[kelseyxface]

I take multi vitamins but only because I still suffer from disordered eating. I know I don't get enough vitamins in the day as I should. However, again, as others have said if you're eating right there's no real need to take em. (: Instead of taking multi vitamins for hair health I'd just do an overhaul in your diet. Try adding some more fruits and veggies, avocado is great for hair health along with fish. Look up some recipes online to make your self. Drink plenty of water, milk (or soy or almond milk!) seriously the list goes on. (: You can also add some hair masks to the mix to aid in hair growth. But I wouldn't count vitamins as something to help hair grow.

[Imalath]

I am also a believer in staying away from supplements unless necessary. In college I tried a lot of things to counteract a poor diet and ended up making things much worse. Multivitamins with sugar substitutes would make me dizzy and nauseous. Ones with minerals or large amounts of iron would make my stomach ache for days on end. For the most part, a good diet over several months helped me (and my hair!) more than anything that came out of a bottle.

Personally the only supplement I take now is vitamin d. I work in a building with no windows, which limits my exposure to the sun to synthesize my own vit d. In the summer I can go out during my lunch break and get enough light, but during fall and winter it is dark when I go to work and dark when I go home; the supplement helps me stay alert, energized, and keeps my moods stable. I can really feel a difference if I forget to take it for a few days in a row.

Please do your research carefully and consult your doctor before you start mega-doses of any vitamin or supplement; you can do yourself more harm than good. I put my vote in for examining your diet first; a steady supply of high-quality protein, grains, and veg has done more for my health (and my hair!) than any multivitamin has ever done.

[ZeppHead]

I take a prenatal and fish oil. I am not pregnant but I just never stopped taking them from when I was and fish oil I have been taking for years. I heard it was good for hair so I have always taken them. I do feel I need the vitamin because I know I don't get enough nutrition and I feel like it would benefit me to have the vitamin more than not . My hair health has improved greatly but I have changed a lot since I started taking them as well so I really don't give the vitamin all the credit.

If your hair is healthy and growing as it should I wouldn't bother with a vitamin unless your deficient in something, if your hair is damaged and breaking and not growing and you are attempting to get health back while trimming I would say give one a try and see what it does for you.

[brooke_kawaii]

Hi I'll just state that just because scientists have not found a connection between taking biotin and hair growth does not mean the connection doesn't exist. My nails used to be like paper and I could barely grow them past the nail bed without them breaking off. After I started taking biotin I noticed my nails were much stronger an they grow very fast now. I havent documented my hair growth before taking biotin so I can't say much for that. (A classmate of mine says she started taking it for her nails, but only her hair has been growing rapidly)
Also if you were to track all that you eat throughout the day and the vitamin content of the food, you would notice that you probably aren't getting all the vitamins you need. So a multi-vitamin with added biotin would not hurt at all-- though it is suggested you go to a doctor before making any decisions in your life.

[brooke_kawaii]

*any health decisions

but let us all remember that not everyone can afford to go to a dietitian and their doctor and just "eat healthy" because as we all know: health food is more expensive than unhealthy food. I, for example, survive on my meal plan in college and rely on whatever the cafeteria is serving. I can't do the whole "just eat five small meals full of just veggies and a lil bit of other stuff bc healthyyy (: (:"
I get two meals a day and I buy some off-brand nutrition shakes for my lunches (less than $1 per meal buddy!)
Vitamins are a cheap way to get the nutrition I need that the food here doesn't provide.
Also as I said before, I've seen results with taking Biotin, though I haven't explicitly tried the other supplements!

tl;dr: think of others and yay biotin (o_o)b

[MyAngel]

I take brewer's yeast, cod liver oil and wheat germ oil. I'm not comfortable taking multivitamins so I thought food supplements will be a good substitute. I know they say people shouldn't take supplements everyday, but my skin looks horrible when I don't take them, it looks leathery.

[diddiedaisy]

Hi I'll just state that just because scientists have not found a connection between taking biotin and hair growth does not mean the connection doesn't exist. My nails used to be like paper and I could barely grow them past the nail bed without them breaking off. After I started taking biotin I noticed my nails were much stronger an they grow very fast now. I havent documented my hair growth before taking biotin so I can't say much for that. (A classmate of mine says she started taking it for her nails, but only her hair has been growing rapidly)
Also if you were to track all that you eat throughout the day and the vitamin content of the food, you would notice that you probably aren't getting all the vitamins you need. So a multi-vitamin with added biotin would not hurt at all-- though it is suggested you go to a doctor before making any decisions in your life.

I will also add that my nails have also greatly improved since taking vits etc. they have stopped peeling and are really strong now. It's the first time in my life I've been able to grow a set and retain them all for more than a couple of weeks. I take this as a sign that they are giving me something that I was lacking. But as I've said before my digestion system isn't great and I have absorption issues. The biotin in particular has helped with that and I have gained some much needed weight from taking it.

If I didn't get any noticeable benefits from taking something I wouldn't bother. I would take a patience pill though if one came on the market lol as it seems to be the main ingredient for growing hair!!!

[LauraAlaina]

I'd like to bump this old thread up to the top so I can get some new input on this! I'm researching taking MSM, does anyone take this?
I already take biotin everyday, strangely though i find my shoulders breaking out, i'm not sure if that's from the increased coconut oil on my hair lately..

[lapushka]

MSM is in my glucosamine/chrondroitine supplement that I take for my joints. My hairgrowth is still half an inch a month. ;)

[DollyDagger]

I've taken MSM too also for joints.No big difference in hair growth.
While I was taking biotin I did experience breakouts more than usual. As always there were other variables involved but I do suspect it was the biotin.

[LauraAlaina]

I'm going to start MSM this weekend, I'll let you guys know how it goes...

[AutobotsAttack]

Well my body responds really well to vitamins or minerals in general. I take Biotin because it's good at boosting my metabolism. I can tell when my body is taking to the vitamins because my body temp rises. I don't think that taking vitamins are unhealthy or Unecessary. If anything they just give extra nutrition to parts of the body that perform a function involving what that specific mineral or vitamin contains. My body also responds well to medications too. I'm not sure why but I've always responded well to certain medical helpers. But everyone is different for a reason, so I wouldn't say its set in stone that vitamins are or aren't necessary if someone doesn't have a dificiency.