Many people are concerned about their hair health. For women, it is usually on how to keep their hair healthy, glowing, and shiny. For men, it is quite simpler: the main concern is how to keep it! Regardless, we all want healthy hair. For this reason, hair growth supplements are very appealing to many people.
If you visit your local drugstore and go to the vitamin section, chances are you will most likely never miss a vitamin that promotes hair growth and overall hair health. If you are a fan of online shopping, just check out Amazon, and you will see that there is a large variety of hair growth supplements out there.
Now, for the big question: do hair growth supplements really work? The answer is: yes, and no. Because hair growth supplements are one of the popular supplement products on the market, it makes sense that companies would exploit customers by selling fad-only hair growth supplements. We will briefly cover this below.
For now, it is important to understand what hair growth supplements are and how you can use them for yourself. Specifically, we will cover:
- What are hair growth supplements?
- Benefits of using hair growth supplements
- How to take hair growth supplements
- Do hair growth supplements really work? (Yes, if you choose the proper product.)
- Are hair growth supplements right for you?
Before we talk about hair growth supplements, though, it is important first to know why our hair is damaged, to begin with. So, let’s begin there!
5 Causes Of Damaged Hair
Hair damage and hair loss are usually caused by the following five causes:
1. Age
As we age, our hair growth activity slowly declines. This is especially true if we hit around 30s, but some can experience a significant decline in their 20s, while for others, they seem to have good hair growth until in their 30s and 40s.
2. Genetics
If our genes are predisposed to hair loss, there is nothing much we can do about it. It is estimated that around 60-70% of the population have genes that cause male and female hair loss to a certain extent.
3. Lack Of proper nutrition
If you constantly eat unhealthy foods or foods that do not have significant vitamins and minerals, it will soon start to hurt your hair health, alongside other parts of your body. So, watch what you eat, and try to eat nutrient-dense meals that are full of vitamins and minerals.
4. Major Health Problems
Some health problems or medical conditions can cause hair damage or hair loss. For example, those who deal with anemia and thyroid problems are prone to damaged hair.
5. Major Life Events
Major life events can affect our hair health. For instance, having a baby and a major surgery can increase the shedding of your hair. However, it does not necessarily mean that that it will shed that much forever. It’s possible that the increased shedding is temporary, and after a while, your hair health will return back to normal.
Stress is also to blame for hair loss and for good reasons. However, some suggest that stress does not necessarily cause hair damage and hair loss. Still, if you find yourself chronically stressed, it is crucial you find a way to properly manage your stress, not just for your hair, but for your overall physical and mental health as well.
What Are Hair Growth Supplements?
Hair growth supplements are simply how they sound: they are supplements that can promote increased hair health, hence, they can aid in your hair growth.
Hair growth supplements are often packed with a couple of vitamins and minerals that promote hair health and hair growth, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, biotin, essential protein, zinc, and iron.
Although you can buy hair growth supplements as a pack, it is possible that you are getting the same vitamins from your diet or from your other supplementation. For instance, if you are taking biotin supplements, then you are getting the hair benefits that biotin can give you, alongside the other benefits.
Nevertheless, if you are really concerned about your hair, it does not hurt if you use hair growth supplements to promote hair health and growth.
Just one note before we move: always read the label of the hair growth supplement you are checking and see which vitamins are packed inside it. That way, you will know what kind of benefits a particular hair growth supplement can give you.
Benefits Of Using Supplements For Hair Growth
The obvious benefit of using hair growth supplements is that it promotes and even possibly restores your hair health and hair growth.
Hair growth supplements, as already mentioned above, normally are packed with plenty of essential vitamins and minerals needed to promote hair health.
Here are some of the vitamins that can be typically found in hair growth supplements. Keep in mind that they are not necessarily packed in one hair growth supplement, so it is essential to check the label before buying your supplement:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin H (Biotin)
- Zinc
- Iron
- Essential proteins
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Flaxseed Oil
It is important to keep in mind that these vitamins and minerals that promote hair health can also benefit other parts of your body in their own respective ways.
For instance, Vitamin A can help promote eye and bone health, aside from hair health. On the other hand, Vitamin H or biotin is a very powerful vitamin that brings plenty of health benefits. For instance, Vitamin H can also support your metabolism, regulate your blood sugar, and lower your cholesterol.
Of course, if you take these vitamins and minerals independent from your hair growth supplements – such as through your diet or supplementation – you can get the wholeness of these benefits as well.
How To Take Hair Growth Supplements
Hair growth supplements usually come in a capsule or pill form, so you will simply take it just like how you take any capsule or pill medicine. Of course, it is important to check the proper dosage and consumption of your supplement and stick to it.
Some hair growth supplements come in shampoo form as well. For obvious reasons, hair growth shampoo is intended to apply directly to your hair in hopes that it will directly add the essential vitamins and minerals that will promote and improve your hair health.
Do Hair Growth Supplements Really Work?
Now, this is one of the big questions about this whole hair growth supplement thing: do they really work, or are they just a fad? The short answer is: yes, they work, but there are certainly some exceptions.
First of all, hair growth supplements might work, but not always necessarily the way you desire. For instance, hair growth supplements will not magically restore your hair from hair loss or make your hair glowing and shiny overnight. At its very best, hair growth supplements aid in promoting and improving your hair health by providing the vitamins and minerals it contains.
Second, hair growth supplements will work best if you use them early in your hair loss stage (or before the hair loss pattern begins). If your hair health is severely damaged over a period of years, around 7-10 years, hair growth supplements cannot do much to restore your hair, other than keep the hair that you have left.
Also, keep in mind that hair growth supplements never guarantee that you will keep your hair forever. As mentioned above, genes and age are also one factor to damage and losing hair, and those two facts are something that is out of our control.
Finally, hair growth supplements are often not regulated by the FDA. This is where the counterfeit supplements will come into play. So, it is important to check the label, and for the best possible result, use only the hair growth supplements that are recommended by your trusted friends or reviews, such as a blog that you trust.
But, despite all these “but’s,” hair growth supplements do work – you just need to find ones that are vitamin dense and work well for you. This might take some time, but don’t give up because the outcome is worth the effort.
Are Hair Growth Supplements Right For You?
If you want to keep your hair as healthy as possible, then hair growth supplements might be a good idea for you to try. Hair growth supplements are typically very easy on the body, with very little to no negative effects. If you are looking for stronger hair, then testing out a supplement is a great idea.
Best Supplements For Hair Growth
Nutrafol Core for Women / Nutrafol for Men ($88)
While there are hundreds of pills, powders, gummies, and products that promise hair growth, Nutrafol has been reviewed by a variety of dermatologists who agree it’s one of the best products on the market. Priced at $88, the capsules are on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, but worth every penny according to past users.
Hum Hair Sweet Hair ($25)
Another one of our highly rated hair growth supplements is Hum Hair Sweet Hair. Hum Hair Sweet Hair is a hair growth and hair care supplement that is 100% vegan. This supplement comes in gummy form and contains proteins, vitamins, and biotin that are designed to stimulate hair growth. Hum Hair Sweet Hair is priced at $25 for a 30-day supply that includes 60 gummies.
GET THE BEST PRICE ON HUM HAIR SWEET HAIRSuperHair Daily Hair Nutrition by Moonjuice ($60)
Another capsule-based product, SuperHair, promises healthier, thicker, and stronger hair, supported by their potent complex mix of bioavailable and bioactive ingredients.
Matrix 5000 by Elon ($30)
This supplement is moderately priced, has hundreds of positive reviews and recommendations, and is supported by many dermatologists as well. The Matrix 5000 is a mix of biotin with silicone dioxide and l-cysteine. This powerful trio promises to increase hair growth as well as strengthening nails, hair, and skin.
Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Nutrient Tablets ($35)
Viviscal is an extra strength hair supplement that has thousands of positive reviews by customers and is supported by a variety of clinical trials and industry co-signs. The mix of professional and non-professional reviews have made it a staple for many who are trying to grow their hair. Not only does this supplement promise hair re-growth, but it is priced on the lower end of the spectrum, making it a great solution for many.
GET A FREE GIFT WITH YOUR VIVISCAL PURCHASECan I Stack Hair Growth Supplements With Anything?
You can stack hair growth supplements with just about any other supplement. These supplements are typically very easy on your body and don’t have any potential harmful qualities.
Hair Growth Supplement Alternatives
While the supplements mentioned above work really well for hair growth, there are a few different supplements you can take like collagen peptides, castor oil, and biotin. While collagen and biotin are mentioned in some of the above products, they can also be taken by themselves.
Final Thoughts: Best Supplements For Hair Growth
If you are thinking about adding a supplement for hair growth into your diet, now is a great time to try it out. Hair growth supplements are easy and safe, plus they can add a variety of benefits. If you start taking a supplement for hair growth and experience any negative symptoms, contact a medical professional for help.
