niacin and hair growth

[gattina]

i started taking niacin to improve my circulation, i am usually very cold.

i started doing some research and some people say its good for hair growth because it provides more blood circulation and opens up the capillaries?

what do you guys think?

[Firefox7275]

Your body needs a balance of micronutrients, they work synergistically and in opposition. IMO nobody should be supplementing individual vitamins/ minerals without the advice of a suitably qualified medical professional. The internet has more misinformation on nutrition than information, it can be very difficult to distinguish one from the other.

[DoubleCrowned]

Certain forms of niacin cause a flush because of the increased circulation, and it does make sense that hair growth would be helped by blood flow to the scalp. However, the flush from the niacin lasts only minutes, from what I understand. I'm interested to know if you see a difference in your hair growth from it. Massage and exercise ought to work at least as well.

[NordicPandi]

Firefox, perhaps you're lucky enough to have better medical professionals than I've seen in all the areas that I've lived. I find I get just as much misinformation from educated medical professional as I do from the internet.

For me, and I'm sure many other people, they already have their own methods of taking care of their own health and bodies in place. Whether that's consulting several different areas for research or none at all, it's up to the individual and what they believe is best for their bodies.

I think it's great that you're concerned about everyone, but please respect that not everyone believes in medical professionals or relies on them exclusively. There are many different beliefs, and I think we can all respect each others' individual choices.


It looks like one reason niacin may help with hair growth by reducing cholesterol, which when collected in the scalp can trigger the formation of DHT.

Niacin may also lead to liver damage. Niacinimide doesn't seem to have that effect, but also doesn't help with cholesterol. inositol hexaniacinate or niacinol are the safest forms of niacin according to one source.

One place also says it's best when combined with biotin for hair growth. Unfortunately I can't take biotin without breaking out :(

If you try it and have success I'd be very interested in hearing what it does. I was on niacin for a short time for acne and it did seem to help. I wasn't paying attention to my hair at the time though, so I have no idea if it had an effect on it.

[owlathena]

I take niacin sometimes. I originally bought it when I had a sunburn. It really helps them heal very quickly.

I don't find the flush too bad, it just lasts for a few minutes. I'm usually asleep by the time it happens anyway as I take 250mg right before bed. I've read that niacin can help you sleep and in my experience it helps me fall asleep faster.

As for hair, It makes sense that the extra blood to your scalp would stimulate growth, but I've never noticed.


ETA: I have very poor circulation. I have Raynauds. I feel like the niacin warms me up for a few minutes, but then I get the chills and I'm colder than ever.