Fish oil for hair growth - is it worth it?

[lapis_lazuli]

I ask if it's worth it because I'm a strict vegetarian and mostly vegan. The thought of ingesting fish oil makes my skin crawl. But I have heard the benefits of taking Omega3 not just for hair but also for mood (I suffer from severe depression).

I'm only considering this because it might help my hair to grow faster (I'm on the slower side) but I don't know if it's worth breaking my values over. Can I still be a vegetarian if I take these capsules? Are there any vegetarians/vegans who take Omega3 fish oil? I know there are alternatives out there but I've heard fish oil is the best source of omega3 fats...

Thoughts?

Thank you!!! :flower: :blossom:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I take them for the Omega3 fats, thought I'm not vegetarian. I take the gummies which are delicious, and have not the slightest taste or smell of fish oil (can't stand it).

I don't know if they are specifically good for hair, but I figure it all helps with a well balanced diet. It's the best way I know to get Omega3 fats apart from eating oily fish and I'm no great fan of fish.

[cocoahair]

I am a vegetarian(also mostly vegan) who takes omegas for health reasons for the last 6 years. I have only been veg for a year and I used to take fish oil but now I take flax seed and I notice no difference as far as changes in my hair. I have taken omegas so long that I cannot say whether they effect my hair as I started when I was 14 but I can tell you that I did not experience any kind of teenage skin flare ups and I credit them for that. I can also say that my hair grows at a very average rate but it is very strong. I would say that if you're interested that flax seed oil may be a good route for you to try. Just beware of gelatin capsules.
Hope this helps
Eta:as far as the moral implications of you taking omegas, I would say that you're the only one who can answer that. There is no right or wrong answer in my book personally but I suggest you take up that question on the vegetarian/vegan thread for more input if you desire it.

[teddygirl]

Yeah I was going to say if you ARE going to take fish oil for health, stay away from the gummies as they will likely have gelatin in them. There is also krill oil, which, while still technically alive are maybe more 'morally' acceptable?

Fish oil is so good for your body in general. If you can take it, I'd recommend it for sure.

[Gabriel]

Chia seeds might be of more interest to you. Walnuts and flaxseeds too. Sorry, if this is a bit short, been a long day for me but that should get you started in a better direction towards more veggie friendly options. :)

[ravenheather]

I don't notice more hair growth but the mood benefits are dramatic. I am not vegetarian so I can't comment on that aspect. I started taking it after a family member with ptsd was told to take it by a psychiatrist. It does wonders for my mild anxiety. I take country life brand mood formula.

[TheGray]

I'm a pescatarian so taking fish oil wouldn't be a problem for me, but as far as whether you should try them out it really depends on why you're a vegetarian. I don't eat gummies/jello/marshmallows because of the gelatin, but my brothers (who are also pescatarians) aren't as strict with themselves and will eat all the gummies they want. Digestive-wise, the fish supplements shouldn't be too hard on your stomach, especially if you once used to eat meat.

[Mzteaze]

Consider Flax Oil supplements as an alternative.

[lapis_lazuli]

Thank you all for your replies! I'm just so torn... I have a lot to think about. I will check out the flax oil as suggested. Thanks! :flowers: :flower:

[Mzteaze]

I forgot the "granddaddy" of all of the omega 3,6,9 products - Udo's Oil. I didn't realize they are vegetarian/vegan friendly products. It's really pretty good, just fairly expensive. Should be fairly easy to find locally or online.

[Arctic]

There are really good omega-3 supplements with good EPA-DHA rations, made of sea weed/kelp, usually sold in veggy-capsules. Completely vegan. :google:

Much better than flaxseed, Udo's Oil or probably most other omega-products usually sold to vegans/vegetarians.

[Nellon]

I'm pretty much in the exact same situation. I'll be following this thread... :) I'm vegetarian because the thought of causing more suffering than nessecary makes me cringe. Pretty simple like that. So the thought of eating meat or fish or anyone just makes me feel sad to the bone. However I also have quite bad anxiety and this and that :) Mixed assortment bag of goodies haha! And fish oil really helps for the anxiety and excessive worrying, and racing mind. I tried flaxseed oil as well but in my mind the difference was noticeable. But really, what helps me the most is eating varied and well, and getting my daily excercise... (And additional supplements, I won't spam your thread any more though now..) Just to mention iron supplement gives me more energy and makes me feel better in general. Hair growth I also think gets a bit better with the fish oil, but for me that's not so important, at least not important enough alone to take it.

Sometimes I think though, that if everything else I do is aimed at reducing suffering for others, perhaps one small exception is ok:ish? Everyone can't do everything, but everyone can do something. And with the extra energy you get from feeling better you might also make a positive impact on the world and those around you... Just thinking out loud here!

I guess you could try fish oil, and flax seed oil and other sources of omega 3 and see if there is a difference? Then you can ponder the moral perspective of it :)

[lapushka]

I say to heck with "strict" labeling. Why can't you still be *mostly* vegetarian with the capsules. :shrug:

[QMacrocarpa]

I'm a vegetarian who makes an exception for fish oil capsules. I have no information on whether fish oil impacted my hair, but it really helped with my mood swings, and I wasn't the only one who noticed. I've looked into vegetarian alternatives, but the veg. omega-3 capsules I looked at were much more expensive for a comparable dosage. If you compare veg. and non-veg. ones, make sure to note the dose per capsule; what I noticed was that to get a comparable dose I would need to take many more capsules of the veg. ones, which really made the cost add up. I take three 1000 mg fish oil capsules per day (generally one at each meal). From what I've read, flax seed oil (or Udo's blend) would not have the same benefits as fish oil. I would be willing to try vegetarian omega-3 supplements someday if the price comes down, but for now I'm sticking with fish oil.

[lapis_lazuli]

Thank you all for the replies and sharing your experiences :)
My psychiatrist recommended I take them months ago but I am only now just taking her advice. I did make the decision to start taking them... I hope it will do something for my mood/anxiety (and hair if I'm lucky :wink:)
:blossom:

[Deborah]

I have taken fish oil and flax oil for years. They are both very good for your health, but have no effect on hair at all.

[Nellon]

Thank you all for the replies and sharing your experiences :)
My psychiatrist recommended I take them months ago but I am only now just taking her advice. I did make the decision to start taking them... I hope it will do something for my mood/anxiety (and hair if I'm lucky :wink:)
:blossom:

Seems you made a good choice there. Best of luck with it! <3

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have taken fish oil and flax oil for years. They are both very good for your health, but have no effect on hair at all.

But if they are good for your health they must also be good for your hair too :)

[Alex Lou]

Why not just eat some walnuts? Our bodies do a better job of absorbing nutrients from whole foods vs. supplements. Although as a vegetarian, if you want high amounts of DHA (our bodies do manufacture some from the precursor omega 3s in plant foods) you will need to take algae supplements. Is DHA good for hair??? I only know about it's role in brain growth of fetuses and infants.

[Deborah]

But if they are good for your health they must also be good for your hair too :)

What I mean is that my hair is no different since taking the fish and flax oils, although I do notice benefit to my overall health.

[hufflepug]

I take flax seed oil capsules. I'm not vegetarian but I don't like the taste of fish so the idea of fish oil grosses me out. I don't take it for my hair though, it was actually suggested by my doctor to help with my depression. I started it around the time I started taking wellbutrin so I can't say for sure if it helps. I believe the ones I take have gelatin but you may be able to find ones that don't.

[Gaalsong]

Low-fat diets can actually cause depression, so if you can find some good healthy fats that you are willing to eat/take as a supplement, go for it! It may help you on several different levels. I am a vegan part of the year for religious reasons, but I take fish oil off and on, along with other types of good fats. You could try some butter from grass-fed happy cows? Or coconut oil? You can experiment and see what helps your mood and hair, and what you are comfortable with.

ETA: Oops. I see that you decided to take them. Maybe I should read the whole thread before posting an answer. :) Best wishes! Hope it helps.

[teddygirl]

Also wanted to add that many religions have exceptions for medication - ex kosher. This might be something that settles your mind a bit that medication is exempt in even some of the strictest capacities, so you might not feel *as* bad taking them.

[lapis_lazuli]

Thanks everyone! I think I made the right choice :) I know I don't get enough fats by food (it's part of my ED), so I'm more comfortable taking supplements anyway. I hope I will start to feel better soon, both mentally and physically- which includes hair as Sarah said ;)

ETA: hufflepug, strangely they don't taste like fish at all! (at least the ones I take) I was grossed out by that too, but it turned out fine :) I also have to take it with food so that helps conceal any taste it has :p

[mindwiped]

The 'good' fish oil capsules (idk if they're the best nutritionally, but I tolerated then the best) were the ones that had orange oil in the gel cap, so that if you had a fish oil burp (so nasty without the orange oil) it just tastes orangey.

Maybe tmi for some- I also take cinnamon, for the help it gives your blood sugar, and I had a batch of the icky fish oil. One burp had me dry heaving, cod fish and cinnamon were not a good combo on top of my latte and eggs

[roseomalley]

I am vegetarian, too. I know you have already made your choice, but I wanted to add that I take Health from The Sun brand, Black Currant Oil Vegetarian Softgels for my Omega 3, 6 and 9. They might be an option for some other Vegetarians.

[EdG]

There are quite a number of long-haired vegetarians and vegans on this board.

Any healthy diet will allow one to grow long hair. There aren't any foods that are especially good at growing one kind of cell (like hair) over other kinds of cells.
Ed

[renia22]

For anyone who has trouble with that fishy taste, you can just keep the fish oil capsules in the freezer. No fishy taste :)

[missrandie]

For what it's worth, it's best to take your fish oil supplement and any fat soluble vitamins with at least 3 grams of fat. The fat activates your gall bladder to stimulate the excretion of lipase to break down and absorb the fats, your vitamins and supplement included.

[Smky_Mtn_Echo]

I take primrose oil for mood help. It is wonderful for me. I haven't noticed a difference in hair growth but I do notice my anxiety is much more when I stop taking them.
I give my children Nordic Naturals fish oil (liquid form) and it's noticeable in their moods as well if I skip a few days.

[lapis_lazuli]

There are quite a number of long-haired vegetarians and vegans on this board.

Any healthy diet will allow one to grow long hair. There aren't any foods that are especially good at growing one kind of cell (like hair) over other kinds of cells.
Ed

Absolutely true... I just struggle with the 'healthy diet' part so hopefully the fish oil will help. I have to remind myself there isn't a magic pill that will shoot hair out from my scalp. (Why haven't they invented that yet?! :lol: Patience...)


For what it's worth, it's best to take your fish oil supplement and any fat soluble vitamins with at least 3 grams of fat. The fat activates your gall bladder to stimulate the excretion of lipase to break down and absorb the fats, your vitamins and supplement included.

Huh, I didn't know that! Thanks for the info, I'll try to make use of it :flower:


I take primrose oil for mood help. It is wonderful for me. I haven't noticed a difference in hair growth but I do notice my anxiety is much more when I stop taking them.
I give my children Nordic Naturals fish oil (liquid form) and it's noticeable in their moods as well if I skip a few days.

Interesting, I've never heard of primrose oil! I'll look into that too :)

[Smky_Mtn_Echo]

Please note though, that the primrose oil is also contained in a gelatin capsule. It works better for me than fish oil as it is a hormone regulator and definitely eases my anxiety (also high in GLA) and eczema.
You can buy fish oil in a liquid state (the lemon one doesn't taste awful and I didn't taste fish all day while taking it). There are also fish oil gummies but they too are likely to contain gelatin.
Whatever you decide to try, please stick with it awhile and give it a chance to work. I hope you find what works best for you without too much trial and error.