Vitamins to Help Hair Loss

Hair loss affects more than half of women and men in America, and can be caused by a variety of different things. Poor nutrition, male-pattern baldness, side-effects of medication, chemicals, stress and diseases are the most common causes of hair loss. A common misconception is that men experience hair loss more than women. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss affects more than 30 million women in the United States. Nearly 30 percent of men and women will experience hair loss by the age of 30. Fifty percent will suffer hair loss by the age of 50. Vitamins and minerals can play a vital role in maintaining healthy hair, as well as preventing hair loss.

• Vitamins

B Vitamins

• B vitamins are arguably the most critical vitamins for healthy hair growth. According to Ted Daly, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at Nassau University Medical Center, vitamin B12 is a nutrient that hair can't live without. Women seeking treatment for hair loss are often diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency. Daly says that vitamin supplements are necessary in restoring B12 levels in the body. This often improves hair loss. Biotin is also essential to new hair growth. Biotin supplements are often prescribed by dermatologists in addition to other medical hair-loss treatments. Finally, folic acid helps promote hair regeneration and prevents hair loss.

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E increases oxygen uptake and helps to improve circulation. Increased circulation to the scalp can play an important part in reducing hair loss and encouraging hair growth. A study performed on 28 volunteers by the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Science Malaysia found that taking daily supplements of a patented tocotrienol (vitamin E) complex could increase hair growth by 42 percent in people suffering from male-pattern baldness.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A is essential to healthy hair. It helps to keep hair roots lubricated, which promotes healthy hair follicles. A word of caution, according to the National Institutes of Health, too much vitamin A can result in vitamin A toxicity (Hypervitaminosis A) which actually causes hair loss.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

• Vitamin-C deficiency often causes hair breakage. Increasing your daily intake of vitamin C can help in the formation of collagen. Collagen helps improve scalp circulation and strengthens hair. Taking an iron supplement may also help hair loss. A study appearing in the May issue of the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology," by Cleveland Clinic dermatologists, suggest that treating iron deficiency may restore hair growth. Doctor George Cotsarelis, director of the University of Pennsylvania Hair and Scalp Clinic, maintains that people taking iron supplements are more likely to regrow hair. Copper and zinc can also help prevent hair loss.

Protein

• Protein is also an important part of hair growth. Protein comes from meat, eggs, dairy, soy products and fish. An adequate daily amount of protein can help with hair loss. According to a 2004 article in "Prevention" magazine, "Without adequate protein, the cells in your body don't work efficiently and can't make new hair to replace old hair that's been shed."