Cost of hair vitamins and add ons?

[Cupofmilk]

I am not talking hair toys here. But things beyond the normal conditioner and shampoos.

I was looking at vitamins - MSM and Biotin. I have a very good friend who is a health practitioner and they always advise to use good quality vitamins/supplements fromm known manufacturers and not the cheap supermarket ones. To be honest, I cannot remember exactly why - I think part of it was not having other elements in there that cheap mutlivitamins have that have no nutitional value.
I am in the UK - I recenlty bought MSM - by SOLGAR - a US make I believe. They were something like £12 for 60 tablets (I think that is about $19. That would last a month. Add in Biotin - thats about £6 for a month's supply ($10 ish) and a good multivitamin is probably £6 per month. It adds up.
The ACV I use can cost between £4 and £15 per litre.

There must be a cheaper way of doing these things. As far as I see it these are non essential items - the things I cannot live without are conditioner, shampoo and coconut oil. Supplements are always an add on and ACV is nice but not necessary.

[ChloeDharma]

I get MSM from Holland and Barrett 240 tablets are about a tenner i think but are often on special offer. I found 100 5mg biotin pills on amazon that worked out to about a fiver.
For ACV look in sainsburys, the bottle i get i'm sure costs no more than £2.

It really can add up though, especially when you are getting loads of different oils, herbs etc.

[enfys]

The only "add ons" I use I suppose are cassia and fenugreek (about £15 a year) and a Hair, Skin and Nails multivitamin from Boots that's £10 every three months.

I don't care all that much is there is a spoon of flour in my pills or something. The vitamins and minerals in it are on a par with the much more expensive ones and you only take one a day. I eat fairly well so it's just to plug in any gaps I may have, not a substitute.

I think my hair expenditure is fairly low, luckily. I can't afford to spend much on it at the moment!

[marikamt]

I take a LOT of supplements, including the the ones you listed.... I would (personally) rather spend money on that and find a cheap (but good for my hair) conditioner and 'poo.... I feel the vitamins benefit my overall health (I do also eat healthy) and I swear I feel a difference when I am not taking them- for me the add on is that my hair grows like crazy

[Joliebaby]

The supplements definitely have so many other benefits beyond hair that I don't consider them unnecessary add-ons. I have my staple supplements and sometimes I try something extra for a while. Where I save money (and most of us here do) is by not going to the salon every six weeks for a cut and color :) Also 40$ salon shampoos and conditioners are not necessary. Some of my vitamins are - a good multi, and omega fatty acids are two of my most important supplements. We also buy organic and free range (and fair trade) food and I also consider those more necessity than indulgence!

The supplements are super expensive here. Now I buy most of my vits from iHerb.com.

[Cupofmilk]

I get MSM from Holland and Barrett 240 tablets are about a tenner i think but are often on special offer. I found 100 5mg biotin pills on amazon that worked out to about a fiver.
For ACV look in sainsburys, the bottle i get i'm sure costs no more than £2.

It really can add up though, especially when you are getting loads of different oils, herbs etc.

Thank you that's really helpful. I bought 2 litres of ACV for £6 today (horse grade ... cheaper thank for chickens:poot:)
MSM - Have resolved that one - have found another good brand for much less than the ones I was on (or H&B if on offer).

I eat well but my health has not been brilliant recently. I am currently using up my super-b complex and extra high iron (I am quite anaemic). Then I have a new multi in mind too!

[ChloeDharma]

Thank you that's really helpful. I bought 2 litres of ACV for £6 today (horse grade ... cheaper thank for chickens:poot:)
MSM - Have resolved that one - have found another good brand for much less than the ones I was on (or H&B if on offer).

I eat well but my health has not been brilliant recently. I am currently using up my super-b complex and extra high iron (I am quite anaemic). Then I have a new multi in mind too!

You're welcome, that's what we're here for :)

What new deal do you have for MSM? I'm always on the lookout for a bargain ;)

I sympathise with the health issues, i have that problem as well which causes lots of shedding so i tend to focus on that really. ~I actually have this big bag filled with bottles of pills lol

[McFearless]

I hear loads of good things about GNC vitamins, but they are expensive. I usually try to buy my vitamins on sale, or 2 for 1 specials, because they finish quickly and I take many. Slowly I'm using less vitamins and eating better food. I think the only thing you should really buy is fish oil if you don't want to spend a lot.

[ghost]

I buy a multivitamin from trader joes, an additional folic acid supplement, biotin, and glucosamine/MSM, though the last one is more to keep my joints healthy for dance than for my hair. The vitamins can get kind of expensive, but I've noticed a positive change in how my new growth looks, so I won't stop taking them now. I'd rather spend the extra money for good results.

[helwa]

The only "add ons" I use I suppose are cassia and fenugreek (about £15 a year) and a Hair, Skin and Nails multivitamin from Boots that's £10 every three months.

What, fenugreek? Please tell me more! I have some lying around, it's ridiculously cheap and readily available in Egypt. What do you use it for? :happydance:

[ChloeDharma]

What, fenugreek? Please tell me more! I have some lying around, it's ridiculously cheap and readily available in Egypt. What do you use it for? :happydance:

It's used as a remedy for hairloss in India, as well as other things. You can take it internally and or use a paste of the root to wash your hair with (powdered seed is used for this).

[helwa]

It's used as a remedy for hairloss in India, as well as other things. You can take it internally and or use a paste of the root to wash your hair with (powdered seed is used for this).

That's awesome! We've been drinking it like tea, I had no idea that it's good for hair. I will definitely start experimenting with it then. The bag of fenugreek that I got was less than 60 cents, which makes it all the more exciting. :cheer:

[Dars]

I agree on the part that it's unnecessary and that's why I choose not to buy any supplements - besides the nutritional value you get from real food is far better than anything in a tablet form (hair wise). Oh and cheaper and more delicious too! :D

[Joliebaby]

I eat healthy food AND take supplements. Especially if you don't eat all organic, the nutritional value of food is so much less than it used to be a few decades ago.

[swivelhop]

ACV is really expensive in the UK! I live in apple country so ACV is a waste product here. If white vinigar is cheaper I'd definately switch. Supplements are cheaper in powder form online than in caps/tabs.

[ChloeDharma]

ACV is really expensive in the UK! I live in apple country so ACV is a waste product here. If white vinigar is cheaper I'd definately switch. Supplements are cheaper in powder form online than in caps/tabs.

I don't know why people think this. I get my ACV from the supermarket and it's reasonably cheap.

Helwa, that is an excellent way to take it...i wish i could do that. For those that can't drink it then you can buy empty pill capsules and fill those up.

If you want to try the traditional Indian topical use then you oil your hair and scalp with coconut oil at night, mix up the methi seed with water to soak then use the paste the next morning. It is said that doing this every day should show results in a month.

[Dars]

I eat healthy food AND take supplements. Especially if you don't eat all organic, the nutritional value of food is so much less than it used to be a few decades ago.
The balanced diet is quite underrated in my opinion. I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you on your last sentence simply because I have access to local/fresh grown produce which certainly has the same nutritional value as always.

[ChloeDharma]

For those in the UK, i just noticed in Holland and Barrett their bottles of 120 MSM pills are on special for £3.99 at the moment.

In terms of supplements v diet i agree that a combination of the 2 works well, some things like brewers yeast are actually food really. Supplements can act as an insurance and the high doses of nutrients would be hard to get from diet alone....especially for someone like me who has difficulty eating.
Also some supplements are not things we'd include in a diet, herbs for example.

[pepperminttea]

I don't know why people think this. I get my ACV from the supermarket and it's reasonably cheap.

I'm confused too. I got a bottle in Sainsbury's for £1-something, it lasts me ages. Coconut oil's the same; dead cheap, lasts for yonks.