What Vitamin Supplements Can I Take to Maintain My Hair?

Whether it’s combing, brushing, washing, conditioning, or using an array of top-of-the-line products, caring for your hair can be a complex process that involves a lot of work. And some of the things we do to make hair look the way we want can actually damage it, such as bleaching and using hot combs or curling irons. Keeping hair healthy for as long as possible can be tricky, but there are a surprising number of things you can do at home or get from the store to help.

Vitamin supplements can be a great benefit to hair health, provided you get the right stuff and use it as recommended. Let’s explore the advantages of this method of keeping hair strong and full by looking at which supplements provide benefits and what is considered a healthy dose for use.

Residents of the Newport Beach and Glendale california areas looking for ways to keep your hair at its fullest can find help with Drs. Michael and Alister Meshkin and their team at Meshkin Medical.

How vitamin supplements help hair

Many of the vitamins that provide great benefits for hair are also the ones you find in many healthy foods, such as eggs, spinach, berries, fatty fish, avocados, sweet potatoes, seeds, and nuts. Here are some of the nutrients in vitamin supplements that contribute to maintaining your hair:

Vitamin A

A benefit for both hair and skin, this is great for cell growth and helps to promote the growth of sebum. This is the oil in your skin that keeps skin moist and hair healthy. Avoid using too much though, because ironically excess can lead to hair loss.

Vitamin C

This vitamin helps in the formation of a key protein in the structure of skin known as collagen, which is also used to keep skin firm and strong. Collagen is also used for making keratin, which is a primary part of what makes up hair.

Biotin

It helps with keratin production, and not having enough of it in your system can lead to hair loss. It’s also water-soluble, meaning excess amounts of it leave your body when you empty your bladder.

Iron

This element is essential for the body in trace amounts for transporting oxygen to cells, but also plays a role in growing hair.

Omega-3 acids

Useful for heart, brain, eye and immune system health this also directly contributes to healthier scalp and hair.

Multivitamins can also be helpful for hair, containing some of these vitamins and minerals as well as zinc and vitamins B and D.

Recommended dosage

To get the best benefits from these supplements, here’s the dosage you should take:

• Vitamin A: in micrograms (mcg), 900 mcg for men and 700 for women

• Vitamin C: 90 mg in men, 75 mg in women

• Biotin: three to five milligrams (mg) a day

• Iron: eight mg for men, 18 mg for women 50 and under, eight for women over 50

• Omega-3: 250 mg a week, or 36 mg a day

• Zinc: 50 mg a day

Collagen (2.5 grams) and keratin (at least .8 grams) supplements are also available, and we can help you find the right combination to suit your specific needs.

These nutrients can be a big help for healthy hair either in food or as supplements, and if you want advice in this or other hair needs, make an appointment with the Drs. Meshkin and Meshkin Medical today.