Let me guess? You have seen advertisements for vitamins claiming to regrow your hair and you want in? Maybe you have started seeing the first signs of hair loss, maybe you have been experiencing it for some time and have not found a solution, as of yet. Not only do you want to stop the loss, but you want it all back! Am I right?
First, let me start by saying, there is no “cure” for hair loss. We have touched on this in some of our previous blogs, because if there was a cure, we would not all be still searching for the answers, would we?
It is true that some vitamin deficiencies can affect hair loss and your ability to reproduce hair, however if it was that simple, we would all just up our vitamin intake and have full heads of thick, healthy hair. Unfortunately, it does not quite work that way.
We already know that there are two FDA-approved medications that are clinically proven to stop hair loss. Minoxidil, a topical solution and Finasteride, generally an ingestible pill, but also available as a topical solution (only approved for use by men and coming with a list of severe sexual side effects that are in many cases irreversible).
Knowing about DHT, its effects on hair loss and the high percentage of those suffering with hair loss due to DHT, concentrating your efforts on blocking DHT topically with clinically proven ingredients can be more beneficial than using vitamins that are ingested.
We have talked with some of the industry’s leading hair loss experts, and they all have come to the general consensus that hair loss vitamins just do not work!
If you are deficient in a specific vitamin or vitamins, it is important to take those and only those vitamins. However, if you are not deficient in any specific vitamins it is NOT recommended to take them. In fact, taking too much of any specific vitamins can actually hinder progress or affect your health.
That means that if you don’t have a specific deficiency, taking vitamins won’t help you—and may even cause other issues.
Knowing that, you may ask about shampoos, conditioners, and topical products that contain vitamins. Didn’t I just say that you shouldn’t take extra vitamins? Yes, I did, but… using hair products that contain certain nutrients can benefit you when used topically. Topical use versus ingestible vitamins have different benefits and effects. The way your body processes these vitamins and nutrients is different depending on topical application or consuming. When consuming a vitamin, the nutrients travel through your digestive process, through your liver and into your bloodstream, then disperse to various parts of your body. Going where they are needed first, like your heart and brain. When you apply products topically to the areas of concern, they are absorbed through your body’s largest organ first, the epidermis. That is right! Your skin! Applying directly to the scalp gets the ingredients you need, more concentrated directly to the area where it can be absorbed and benefit you most without having to compete with your liver, heart and brain!
Bottom line: While some supplements can alleviate the side affects you may experience if you have any nutritional deficiencies, hair loss vitamins can’t treat pattern baldness as advertised. If you’re experiencing increased shedding, for example, it is recommended to get a blood test that checks your vitamin and nutrient levels. Taking certain vitamins could curb that extra hair shedding if your levels are low. But at the end of the day, you will still experience hair loss if you have pattern baldness, no matter how many vitamins you take.
But don’t despair. Using topicals like Minoxidil and hair products containing DHT blockers can help slow down hair loss and promote hair regrowth. Of course, if you are unsure, you should always consult with your physician about the best course of treatment for you!