Vitamins

[GabrielleRose]

I was wondering what vitamins do y'all recommend for hair care? I don't take vitamins at all, but I'm thinking I may need to because I have horrible circulation. I was taking hair, skin and nail vitamins but my mom threw them out due to they got nasty and I wasn't very consistent with them.

[Mairéad]

It's always better to get vitamins from your food, but a multi vitamin in general isn't a shabby idea either.

Some of the common "additions" are biotin and silica. Omega-3 (fish oil) is also seen as beneficial by some. I've heard of MSM and sulfur also being taken but I've never taken them.

The only vitamins I take are a multi, biotin, fish oil, b-12, and iron. The last two are because I don't eat a lot of meat and dairy. I could eat more if I wanted but my stomach is a wimp and only accepts those food groups in small, lean portions.

Also, exercise could help with circulation. So does dry body brushing.
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[Mairéad]

Oops, double post.

[krissykins]

B vitamins are one that most like to add to their diets. (Biotin is a B vitamin, but it is important to remember to add in the other ones as well!)

I also recommend adding an iron supplement if you do not eat a lot of iron-rich foods. That was a mistake I made.

Other than that, I would say get some tests done to see where you're missing vitamins and nutrients and try adding those to your diet. A balanced diet is key! :)

[GabrielleRose]

It's always better to get vitamins from your food, but a multi vitamin in general isn't a shabby idea either.

Some of the common "additions" are biotin and silica. Omega-3 (fish oil) is also seen as beneficial by some. I've heard of MSM and sulfur also being taken but I've never taken them.

The only vitamins I take are a multi, biotin, fish oil, b-12, and iron. The last two are because I don't eat a lot of meat and dairy. I could eat more if I wanted but my stomach is a wimp and only accepts those food groups in small, lean portions.

Also, exercise could help with circulation. So does dry body brushing.
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Thanks for the suggestions! I am allergic to sulfur so thats out lol! :p But you're right, I should add more veggies to my diet. I don't eat as well as I should, and I don't sleep very well either. But I was thinking of trying the fish oil. B-12 I may need to add because I know I may have a deficiency in that. What is dry body brushing?

[GabrielleRose]

B vitamins are one that most like to add to their diets. (Biotin is a B vitamin, but it is important to remember to add in the other ones as well!)

I also recommend adding an iron supplement if you do not eat a lot of iron-rich foods. That was a mistake I made.

Other than that, I would say get some tests done to see where you're missing vitamins and nutrients and try adding those to your diet. A balanced diet is key! :)

Thanks! I was thinking of adding iron, because I have a throbbing pain in my veins and when I started walking for exercise my veins started surfacing like crazy! I asked the doctors about this but they seem puzzled. :confused: But you are absolutely right about a balanced diet! I really need to get into gear with a good diet plan.

[Mairéad]

To dry body brush you take a brush, kind of like this one http://www.jindaleespa.com.au/_product_20742/jindlicious_dry_body_brush, and brush your skin in motions always in the direction of your heart. One doing this should spend a good 5-10 minutes then hop in the shower to wash away the dead skin cells. It's a good non-messy way to exfoliate skin too.

[NightOwl26]

My coworkers swear by Biotin. So I take that (it's very cheap), along with Hair Fare, and (very important) Omega 3. My mother-in-law is a hair dresser and gets Hair Fare for me.

My sister just started taking Hair, Skin, and Nail vitamins but they smell really bad. Hare Fare isn't that bad.

I look for supplements that have a high % of biotin, pantothenic acid, manganese, and niacin.

I am not a medical practitioner. These are my opinions based on my research. :-)

[October]

I currently only take Biotin, B6 and Omega3. I am planning on starting B12 sometime soon. I hear the B vitamins and omega3 are really good for your hair, skin and nails.

[TheCaityCat]

I take fish oil, a multivitamin, and calcium. I'm allergic to dairy so I don't get a whole lot of calcium otherwise. Calcium supplements have been a part of my life for a very long time!

I started taking fish oil after it was recommended to me by my aunt. I think it has helped with my skin and hair. I can't speak for my other organs. I don't get to eat fish very often, so this is the best way I could think of to get those missing nutrients. The explanation was that your body needs omega-3s and omega-6s. Omega-6s (I think it's these anyway) are all over the place, so your body normally gets plenty. It only has so much capacity for both omega-3s and omega 6s, however, so that leaves little room for the omega-3s when you DO get them. By taking a supplement, I'm able to get both. This is what I remember of her explanation, anyway, and she got the suggestion from her doctor.

[GabrielleRose]

To dry body brush you take a brush, kind of like this one http://www.jindaleespa.com.au/_product_20742/jindlicious_dry_body_brush, and brush your skin in motions always in the direction of your heart. One doing this should spend a good 5-10 minutes then hop in the shower to wash away the dead skin cells. It's a good non-messy way to exfoliate skin too.

Wow! This is so interesting, I think I may try this once I get some money. I could probably use some exfoliation.

[GabrielleRose]

My coworkers swear by Biotin. So I take that (it's very cheap), along with Hair Fare, and (very important) Omega 3. My mother-in-law is a hair dresser and gets Hair Fare for me.

My sister just started taking Hair, Skin, and Nail vitamins but they smell really bad. Hare Fare isn't that bad.

I look for supplements that have a high % of biotin, pantothenic acid, manganese, and niacin.

I am not a medical practitioner. These are my opinions based on my research. :-)

I'm thinking of buying some Biotin. What is Hair Fare? The Hair, Skin, and Nail vitamins do stink YUCK!!!

[GabrielleRose]

I currently only take Biotin, B6 and Omega3. I am planning on starting B12 sometime soon. I hear the B vitamins and omega3 are really good for your hair, skin and nails.

Have you noticed any changes from the supplements you're taking?

[GabrielleRose]

I take fish oil, a multivitamin, and calcium. I'm allergic to dairy so I don't get a whole lot of calcium otherwise. Calcium supplements have been a part of my life for a very long time!

Does the fish oil have an after taste?

[TheCaityCat]

Does the fish oil have an after taste?
No, actually. The bottle smells funky but I haven't had any issues with after taste or fish breath. Sometimes I can taste it faintly but a glass of water takes care of that. I take fish oil in capsules, so I'm not sure if this would be the case with the stuff you take by spoon.

[Seishin]

My stomach isn't a big fan of meat and dairy so I do supplement with a multi-vitamin but most important I think is to have a complete B-vitamin supplement. I think there's 7 or is it 8 in total of the B-vitamins and I take a one a day supplement that contains them all

[DuckyDot]

I take these vitamins: http://www.seven-seas.com/products/seven-seas/multivitamins-plus-vegetarian-and-vegan-minerals

They're just a good multi-vitamin for overall health. And that means good hair!

Vitamin A is very important for Hair, Skin and Nails as are B vitamins.

So I think finding a good multi-vitamin will help you! :)

[Seishin]

Quick word about Vitamin A- its fat soluble as opposed to the water soluble Vitamin B's, so you need to make sure you dont take more than the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A as taking regular high doses can contribute to hair loss amongst other things

[GabrielleRose]

No, actually. The bottle smells funky but I haven't had any issues with after taste or fish breath. Sometimes I can taste it faintly but a glass of water takes care of that. I take fish oil in capsules, so I'm not sure if this would be the case with the stuff you take by spoon.


I'll have to get the capsules then! My boyfriend's mom takes the capsules, but I don't know how frequently she takes them.

[GabrielleRose]

Quick word about Vitamin A- its fat soluble as opposed to the water soluble Vitamin B's, so you need to make sure you dont take more than the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A as taking regular high doses can contribute to hair loss amongst other things


Thanks for the quick word on Vitamin A. ;)

[SarahKayfa]

You mentioned poor circulation. I have a circulatory condition and I've been taking baby aspirin (81mg) for that, and it's helped my hair and nails as a side effect. I also take blood pressure medication to thin my blood in the winter(when my circulation is worse.) and that has the same effect. I'd caution you against using aspirin therapy without consulting your doctor as it has some risks, but if you have poor circulation you're likely under the care of a physician and you can bring it up at your next appointment.

[mallorykay13]

So, if I take a biotin, b complex and iron supplement I should be pretty well covered?

[GabrielleRose]

You mentioned poor circulation. I have a circulatory condition and I've been taking baby aspirin (81mg) for that, and it's helped my hair and nails as a side effect. I also take blood pressure medication to thin my blood in the winter(when my circulation is worse.) and that has the same effect. I'd caution you against using aspirin therapy without consulting your doctor as it has some risks, but if you have poor circulation you're likely under the care of a physician and you can bring it up at your next appointment.



Well, I've told the doctor and he just seems puzzled. I actually thought it was deep vein thrombosis but I guess not. When I see him again I'll try bringing it up, but maybe I'm just getting varicose veins?:confused: