Vitamins and Supplements: do they work for you?

[Faeli]

I currently take no vitamins or supplements for my hair. I do take fish oil, magnesium, and multivitamin for other health reasons, but I’ve started doing hair specific vitamin research. What are your experiences? What has worked for you, what hasn’t? I’ll confess, I’ve though it was BS for a long time, but I’ve read a LOT of testimonies (especially for biotin, MSM, flax seed, and kelp,) and I’m curious: is it worth the investment to start adding to my supplements? Has anyone seen improved hair health and growth with vitamins and such?

Thanks in advance =)

[blackgothicdoll]

Supplements are intended to supplement your diet. If you eat enough of something, you're just gonna pee those supplements back out. :o If you do not, then you want to supplement. I like this site (just do a three day free membership) to figure out your macro and micronutrients. Just record your diet for three days, then run a report to figure out where you're lacking.

https://cronometer.com/

In addition, going to a doctor to get your vitamin levels measured is a great idea, too. Then you know the supplements you are taking are truly being put to use.

Here is an example of mine. You can find your AMDRs using something like myplate.gov and making a plan based on your age and sex. Hope that helps!

https://i.imgur.com/5UnPvEj.png
https://i.imgur.com/xoB3AU6.png

[Chromis]

I don't think hair vitamins in general are worthwhile. That said, we are recommended to take Vitamin D here, especially in the winter, but even in the summer, most of Canada is still recommended to take a low dose. They found even people in outdoor professions were deficient at this latitude. You might look into what the recommendations are for your area.

[lapushka]

I take nothing for my hair, specifically.

I do take a multivitamin, but for health reasons. I have been on anti-seizure medication (for nerve pain) since 2004 and being on something like this long-term can do a number on the vitamins you "retain", so it's because it's a must for me.

Also, I am on a chondroitine/glucosamine supplement for my joint health. And also, I take separate calcium/vit.D3 but that's because I have to inject myself with calcitonin, and this works with the injection.

But that's it. Nothing separate for the hair.

I always get 1/2 inch of growth no matter what, so I figure, I have to take enough medications as it is, I'll skip that. :) :flower:

I would invest the money in good hair products. ;)

[*Wednesday*]

Your multi is probably enough. For a generally healthy person who eats a variety of foods (excluding junk foods), your body can get enough nutrients from actual foods you eat. Unless you have digestive disorders which inhibit absorption or other medical issues. Vitamins are synthetic and are not converted as easily as from actual food. Not saying they can’t help, they can. Some vitamins are never fully digested or destroyed by stomach acids. So $10 or $16, or sometimes $20 hair vitamins can turn out to be a waste of money. Many vitamins need to be taken with other vitamins. Example, biotin. People love to just pop them. They need to be taken with B-Complex to be effective. Taking high amounts of it, 5,000 mg is not going to make it do *extra.* MSM is a sulfur found in cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy (cruciferous veggies) to name a few. If you don’t have adequate levels of Vit C can inhibit absorption of MSM.

Claims can be anecdotal. Be wary for the ones, “I started taking these vitamins and in two weeks my hair was so thick.” Once hair is out of the follicle receives no benefits from the body’s blood supply to receive vitamins.

Maybe try some bone broth which contains collagen. Some people have reported hair and nail improvement. There are benefits from eating actual food.

[Chromis]

Yeah - D should be taken with C and also absorbs best with some fat!

[meteor]

It's a really big topic, but to quickly answer your title question: "Vitamins and Supplements: do they work for you?" - Only the ones that I've been deficient in.

I'd get some blood tests done first, talk to a doctor or two and research a bit and then go from there.
Yes, deficiencies can cause all sorts of problems (especially if left unattended to for a while), but it's important to figure out what they are first before supplementing (hopefully) a good quality, relatively diverse and whole foods-based diet.
Taking pills without having a clear picture can lead to some risks of its own (which could backfire on hair, too, among other things), not to mention quality control issues in regards to brands of vitamins/supplements and lack of regulations in different markets, unlike food and medication (which is another kettle of fish altogether).

[Deborah]

I take a multivitamin for general health, but nothing for my hair. It is very fast growing because that seems to be my genetic predisposition. Nothing I do or don't do changes my growth rate. Most likely nothing you do will change yours either. Hang in there! It WILL grow to a length you like better.

[akurah]

Something overlooked with supplements is side effects. Take care to read up on that before you start anything. Biotin has a very common side effect of acne, for example.

[AmaryllisRed]

I just started taking a multivitamin just for general health but I haven't noticed any change in my hair.

[milosmomma]

The only time I took a vitamin specifically for hair was just continuing my prenatal vitamins after having my son. I knew I was going to have a shed and thought it would help reduce the hairfall. I didn't measure pony thickness before or after but I do feel my braid is slightly thinner. I was losing 80-100 hairs a day for almost 9 months before letting up, so I stopped the vitamins after about 3 months. It slowed down on it's own and is back to normal now just recently (son is 15 months). I do have a lot of new growth but I feel like thats just normal after a post-pardum shed, if grows back, so I can't rightfully attribute any direct improvements to the vitamins.

[MusicalSpoons]

Something overlooked with supplements is side effects. Take care to read up on that before you start anything. Biotin has a very common side effect of acne, for example.

Agreed ^. I always recommend to definitely do your research before starting things! Fat-soluble vitamins can potentially build up to toxic levels if you already have high-normal levels, and water-soluble ones can cause problems if you're heavily overloading your body with them (yes, you do 'just pee out the excess' but the processes before that point are where problems can occur).

That said, I currently take literally a handful of vitamins and supplements daily because my diet is lacking through illness, and my blood tests showed low-normal if not borderline deficient for most of the ones I'm taking - the ones I don't know for sure are there to help my body metabolise the ones I know I'm lacking (e.g. my iron/multi tablets contain moderately high amounts of vit C but not a megadose). I honestly haven't noticed any difference in hair growth or quality but as my health has declined I think it's likely to have staved off real deficiency and thus prevented excessive shedding ... :shrug: I don't know for sure though.

I haven't tried MSM as one of the warnings is that it increases the potency of medication, and I did try a hair/skin/nails with biotin but despite drinking 3-4l water every day I still ended up with cystic acne. I tried taking it just twice a week then once to see if that helped, but still my body reacted badly.

tl;dr: do your research, think rationally and critically. There's a huge amount of wellness (mis)information out there, but equally medical guidelines for what counts as low or deficient can be out-of-date or simply inadequate (vitamin D, vitamin B12, ferritin guidelines etc, I'm looking at you!). Take a moderate and considered approach and you shouldn't go wrong :flower:

[lapushka]

The only time I took a vitamin specifically for hair was just continuing my prenatal vitamins after having my son. I knew I was going to have a shed and thought it would help reduce the hairfall. I didn't measure pony thickness before or after but I do feel my braid is slightly thinner. I was losing 80-100 hairs a day for almost 9 months before letting up, so I stopped the vitamins after about 3 months. It slowed down on it's own and is back to normal now just recently (son is 15 months). I do have a lot of new growth but I feel like thats just normal after a post-pardum shed, if grows back, so I can't rightfully attribute any direct improvements to the vitamins.

My mother never recovered after pregnancy in the hair department. It was a good average ii in her teens & early 20s and then she had me and lost both a lot of weight and hair (postpartum shed). She put some weight back on but never regained her earlier thickness. Then after menopause another chunk came off. :( No vitamins especially for pregnancy & mothers at the time. This was early 70s, Belgium. So...

[Dark40]

I take both a multivitamin and other vitamins for my hair. I take a multivitamin, vitamin B, C, D, and hair, skin, and nails vitamins, and they have helped me out tremendously well with the health of my hair! They haven't helped much with growth but they have helped in giving my hair a nicer gloss and sheen. Helps with controlling the shedding.

[vpatt]

I take d3 when I can remember and use bone broth and collagen....for my digestion and immune system not hair. I have been steady for 4/5 months with the collagen and I have had no sheds (prior to that I had 2 major sheds in about 2.5 yrs) But I can't say it it has helped with that, how would I ever know?. I try to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of protein. I have read that at my age we need double the protein. I'm hoping to heal my immune issues. And I reckon some immune issues can cause hair loss so I have been told.

[Lizabeth94]

Supplements work great for me, age 12 to 23 I took various brands of hair supplements, and ate very high protein diet as much as possible. My average growth rate from age 12 to 23 was 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches a month! Last fall when I turned 24, I chopped my hair and stopped taking supplements. I also limited my protein to 50g a day, and was shocked at how slow it started growing, a measly 1/4 inch a month. I didn't start any new medications or go through any unusual stress, so diet is the only explanation.
I just restarted supplements at the end of last month, and I'm trying to eat as much protein as I can afford on my shoestring budget. I got about 3/4 inch this month, which is much better than 1/4 inch, but I'm hoping after a few months of remaining on supplements and eating more protein I will get the crazy growth that I used to. Unfortunately I also just started Aimovig which can cause hairloss. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best. :justy:
Also, I've never noticed any side effects like acne.

[Riozen]

I have only tried biotin twice and the funny thing is that when I take it, I notice drastic changes in my hair length the 3-4 months after I have stopped taking it and not while taking it :confused:
Heard that L-lysine also helps with hair growth and acne so its a great alternative for those who break out while on biotin

[Katsura]

I take multivitamin, and long lasting effect multi-b-vitamin. I feel the multi-b-vitamin has helped me tremendously with winter dry skin. That should help my scalp too. I also take calcium because I don't use a lot of milk products.

[milosmomma]

My mother never recovered after pregnancy in the hair department. It was a good average ii in her teens & early 20s and then she had me and lost both a lot of weight and hair (postpartum shed). She put some weight back on but never regained her earlier thickness. Then after menopause another chunk came off. :( No vitamins especially for pregnancy & mothers at the time. This was early 70s, Belgium. So...

That's too bad, I'm sorry she went through that! It makes me appreciate MORE(i already am immensely thankful) to be in a regrowth stage. And thankful to have started off pretty thick, I am happy with my hair the thickness I have now so if more travels down it will be the cherry on top :)
I can see how supplements could be a great tool for the right circumstance, but if you are already healthy and have a good diet, it might be overkill.

[Dark40]

Supplements work great for me, age 12 to 23 I took various brands of hair supplements, and ate very high protein diet as much as possible. My average growth rate from age 12 to 23 was 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches a month! Last fall when I turned 24, I chopped my hair and stopped taking supplements. I also limited my protein to 50g a day, and was shocked at how slow it started growing, a measly 1/4 inch a month. I didn't start any new medications or go through any unusual stress, so diet is the only explanation.
I just restarted supplements at the end of last month, and I'm trying to eat as much protein as I can afford on my shoestring budget. I got about 3/4 inch this month, which is much better than 1/4 inch, but I'm hoping after a few months of remaining on supplements and eating more protein I will get the crazy growth that I used to. Unfortunately I also just started Aimovig which can cause hairloss. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best. :justy:
Also, I've never noticed any side effects like acne.

Hey, I've also noticed as I am taking hair supplements my hair has been growing faster too! With the supplements my hair grows 1.5 inches a month! And, I also eat a lot of protein with the supplements as well! Now, I've also noticed when I don't take the supplements my hair growth rate slows down too! It slows down to 1/2 inch or a cm of growth a month. So, that's why I try to stay on taking the supplements. I'm really shocked that with the supplements I get 1.5 inches of growth! That's crazy growth for me too!

[Aerya]

Hey, I've also noticed as I am taking hair supplements my hair has been growing faster too! With the supplements my hair grows 1.5 inches a month! And, I also eat a lot of protein with the supplements as well! Now, I've also noticed when I don't take the supplements my hair growth rate slows down too! It slows down to 1/2 inch or a cm of growth a month. So, that's why I try to stay on taking the supplements. I'm really shocked that with the supplements I get 1.5 inches of growth! That's crazy growth for me too!

What supplements are those?

[Aeonian]

I'm taking multivitamins for women, fishoil and vitamine D daily. Haven't noticed anything unusual about my hairgrowth. What I did notice was that my hair almost stopped shedding after doing the keto diet for a few months, I don't seem to loose a lot hair, a few strands here and there.

[Gwyned]

Something overlooked with supplements is side effects. Take care to read up on that before you start anything. Biotin has a very common side effect of acne, for example.

Very true! I've taken certain brands of multi-vitamins that have made me ill. I now take multi-vitamins to supplement my diet since I have a very small appetite and don't eat enough. I'm working on it. I also think that vitamins shouldn't be looked at as a magic bullet. I think a lot of people get caught up in things that may impact hair growth but forget to focus on healthy hair care practices. The acne thing is so true. My sister took biotin and it made her break out. She had scarring for a long time because of it.

[lapushka]

That's too bad, I'm sorry she went through that! It makes me appreciate MORE(i already am immensely thankful) to be in a regrowth stage. And thankful to have started off pretty thick, I am happy with my hair the thickness I have now so if more travels down it will be the cherry on top :)
I can see how supplements could be a great tool for the right circumstance, but if you are already healthy and have a good diet, it might be overkill.

My mom lost 3 teeth while pregnant with me. Doctor said I had "run away" with all of her calcium. So yes, I do believe in supplementation during periods when more is asked of the body (like health issues, pregnancy etc.)

I'm so glad you have regrowth! Hope it continues to go well for you!

[Joules]

I'm not sure about my hair, sometimes it feels like my hair does respond to supplements, sometimes it feels like it doesn't, but I can definitely feel the overall effects. I have a very crappy nervous system, I'm the biggest ball of nerves and anxiety this world has ever known, and taking large doses of B vitamins every day (like Berocca, for example) makes me feel like a semi-normal person. I'd been taking supplements with large doses of B vitaming for years, and the other month I decided to give my liver a break and try out something lighter. All of a sudden I need anti-anxiety medication again, two different kinds of it simultaneously, even though nothing extraordinary is happening in my life right now. So there's that. My diet isn't too bad, just for the record.

[RavennaNight]

I take a daily vitamin, because my eating habits are all over the place. I should regain better mastery of that, however life’s been a bit hectic and no time for proper cooking regularly. The vitamin supplements some of my nutritional failings, I don’t see a difference whatsoever with my hair, and it’s rate of growth.

[eresh]

I take a multivitamin daily, a fizzy tablet that solves in water and makes a kind of orangejuice type of drink.
It is against fatigue and tiredness. Supradyn Complex Forte. I like to think it helps me feel more energitic as my medical meds have as a sideeffect drowsiness.

I also take daily cranberry pills, it helps keep bladderinfections at bay, I have those a lot without the cranberry pills.

And for my skin and nails Vitamin B-complex with yeast (I don't know if I translated that right). It really helps improve my brittle nails.
It says it is also good for your hair but I havent noticed any difference yet.
But I'm not taking these a very long time, only a month or two.

Edit: Oh in wintertime I take vitamin D

[Begemot]

My supplements: vitamin D, vitamin B, iron, selenium, biotin with vitamin C and wheat germ oil/vitamin E. I take fish oil periodically. I just started taking iron supplement again because of fatigue but it possibly benefits my hair too. I need vitamin D supplement because I live up north. Selenium is for thyroid which needs to be okay in order for everything else in my system to be okay, hair included. Biotin is apparently good for hair, vitamin E also, and I do like them and have been taking them a year or two. I took biotin supplements in the past but usually wasn't really consistent like now.

[Dark40]

What supplements are those?

Nature's Bounty hair, skin, and nails with argan oil. You can get them at your local Walmart for $8.97. Or, something like that.

[Ylva]

I've been taking a prenatal multivitamin (half a pill because I'm not pregnant) and K2+D3, occasionally replacing that with a cod oil capsule, for about two months now, and my diet is generally not half bad either. I haven't noticed any hair growth benefits from taking the supplements, and I primarily take them for my general well-being.

ETA: Forgot to list collagen (types 1 and 3)!

[JennGalt]

I take D3 because I don’t eat animal products or byproducts and I have dark skin. I started taking it for depression, and it helped with that and had the unexpected side effects of reducing tooth sensitivity and increasing the growth rate of my hair a little when I take it consistently.

[ExpectoPatronum]

JennGalt,

The same thing happens to me when I take D3 consistently. I was deficient in it for some time which caused me to shed a ton.

[BleachedBerry]

I have had good results with biotin in liquid and gummy form. The tablets did not do much.
MSM is a type of sulfur that is said to lengthen the growth cycle. Allowing each hair to grow longer before entering the rest and shedding phase. So this may help the hair grow longer, not necessarily faster or improve the health of existing hair even though some report both. There are some side effects that cause many people to discontinue use.

Adding more biotin and msm to your diet and/or supplementing may help. Msm is also great for joint pain.

[MusicalSpoons]

I have had good results with biotin in liquid and gummy form. The tablets did not do much.
MSM is a type of sulfur that is said to lengthen the growth cycle. Allowing each hair to grow longer before entering the rest and shedding phase. So this may help the hair grow longer, not necessarily faster or improve the health of existing hair even though some report both. There are some side effects that cause many people to discontinue use.

Adding more biotin and msm to your diet and/or supplementing may help. Msm is also great for joint pain.

I've seen cautions about using MSM if you're on any type of medication, because it can increase the potency or something along those lines.

[SelenVinland]

I took biotin once upon a time, and didn't notice any difference. I also had a lot of skin and scalp issues around that time, and I can't confirm it was for sure the biotin (or JUST the biotin - it could have been some combination of the products I was using then etc.) buuuut it definitely makes me hesitate to take it again. I do take a multivitamin and omega 3 supplements for general health.

[BleachedBerry]

I've seen cautions about using MSM if you're on any type of medication, because it can increase the potency or something along those lines.

yes, like I said side effects.
Especially if you don't start with small dose or take too much. If you take too much to start you will get extremely sick and then not want to use it ever again.
Didn't know about the medications but I hear strange vivid dreams are common.
It is still great for joint pain though.

[purple_omelette]

As a general rule, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor before you start taking anything, just to make sure it's safe for you (this is especially true if you have any health conditions or are on medications). As stated previously in this thread, supplements are taken to supplement a deficiency in something: you can't keep adding indefinitely and expect to see infinitely improving results! Your body can only process a fixed amount of a substance at any given point, the rest is either excreted or build up in your body, potentially causing health problems. So everyone please be careful <3