With so many everyday factors damaging to our hair, it could be hard for many to grow long, healthy strands. While researching to determine how we can naturally grow our hair, we came across a number of hair growth supplements and pills that just didn’t seem safe. While many of the brands contained some seemingly safe ingredients, they also contained ingredients like horsetail extract, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and various amino acids. But the one ingredient all of these pills and supplements had in common was biotin. Proven to grow hair naturally and healthy, recommended by many nutritionists, we needed to find out if this was the golden ticket that could truly help our hair grow. We’ve spoken to nutritionist Dr. Ro Brock to hear her take on hair vitamins and advice on what we should really be taking to grow healthy hair. EBONY: I think readers just want to get to the point: what is the actual vitamin that encourages hair growth? Ro Brock: Vitamin B, biotin. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin and supports the growth of hair, skin and nails, but especially hair.
Years ago, I had a bald spot in my scalp from a result of a perm gone bad. I used to go to the dermatologist to get steroids, and my dermatologist would tell me that it would work, but I would have to reduce the stress in my life. So I put my nutrition knowledge to use and made a hair oil using herbal oils. I made a concoction of vitamin E oil, thyme oil, sweet almond oil, rosemary oil, great seed oil and peppermint or lemon for scent, and I took 5,000 micrograms of biotin a day for my hair to grow. I started locking my hair, and now it is as long as my other locks. EBONY: How does your diet affect your hair growth, or lack thereof? RB: Any product that you use topically on the skin and the scalp won’t fortify best results unless you put good nutrition in your body. Your body is one big organism, and your body’s system works together as an organism. So whatever you put on your skin and in your hair isn’t going to work unless you put it in your body. The only reason anyone wouldn’t see ample results combining topical treatments and good nutrition is if they had other medical problems that could be tied to hair loss.
EBONY: Are there any health risks for hair growth supplement use? RB: There are no health risks for taking biotin, but you do have to be careful when you take vitamin supplements and make sure that you intake standardized nutrients. Country Life is a good brand, which is available at most health food stores. I also like Carlson’s. You also want to take a multivitamin daily. You don’t need to take more than 5,000 micrograms of biotin a day if you’re going to take a multivitamin as well. Taking both will give you the best results. But taking more than 5,000 micrograms will not make the hair grow any faster. It’ll only excrete through your urine. EBONY: Are there other factors that take place in growing hair naturally?Eat lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. Make your plate one quarter whole unprocessed grains, the other quarter lean meats such as fish, chicken or turkey and half fruits and vegetables. Also, drink half your body weight of ounces of water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 70-80 ounces of water a day.
EBONY: Based on your review of products, what conclusions have you drawn about hair growth formulas or pills? RB: My general thought on hair growth pills is to forget about them! Let’s just take the vitamins. It’s not necessary to take a pill that purports itself to grow your hair back. There’s no pill that is going to grow your hair back. Unfortunately, thinning hair and hair loss comes with age and stress. You have to reduce the stress in your life. You have to make the decision that you’re going to take care of yourself. You have to love yourself and take care of your body. The reason there is a disconnect is because your body doesn’t corporate with you when you look in the mirror and say, “I hate myself, I hate my thighs, I hate my breasts,” etc. We are all living energy. That energy you put into your thoughts is going to come out in your body. Start treating yourself with love and affection. Loving yourself is the opposite of being stressed. If you can lose hair by being under stress, then you can gain hair by loving yourself (and of course, taking your biotin!).
Learn more of Dr. Ro’s nutrition tips and healthy eating on Everything Ro.Approximately 90% of your hair is growing at any one time, while the other 10% enter a resting phase. Every two to three months the resting hair falls out and allows new hair to grow in its place. Telogen effluvium is the excessive shedding of hair that occurs one to five months following pregnancy. This is not uncommon, as it affects somewhere between 40 to 50% of women; but like most changes during pregnancy, it is temporary. Hair loss that is connected to pregnancy usually occurs after delivery. During pregnancy, an increased number of hairs go into the resting phase, which is part of the normal hair loss cycle. This condition is not serious enough to cause bald spots or permanent hair loss, and it should begin to diminish within 3-4 months after delivery. If you feel that you are experiencing unusual hair loss while you are pregnant, this may be due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
The most common period of hair loss occurs approximately three months after delivery. The rise in hormones during pregnancy keeps you from losing your hair. After delivery, the hormones return to normal levels, which allows the hair to fall out and return to the normal cycle. The normal hair loss that was delayed during pregnancy may fall out all at once. Up to 60% of your hair that is in the growth state may enter into the telogen resting state. The hair loss usually peaks 3-4 months after delivery as your hair follicles rejuvenate themselves. As noted above, this hair loss is temporary, and hair loss returns to normal within six to twelve months. Hair loss can be triggered by anything that involves a change in the estrogen hormone balance in your system. Hair loss may result from any one or more of the following: During pregnancy there is an increase in the level of estrogen hormones. Estrogen causes hair to remain in the growing phase and stimulates the growth of your hair.
While you are pregnant, you should expect a full, luxurious head of hair. There are a number of things that you can do to have healthier hair and/or reduce hair loss during pregnancy and after delivery: Consult with your health care provider to ensure a proper balance of hormones Avoid pigtails, cornrows, hair weaves, braids and tight hair rollers which can pull and stress your hair Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, which contain flavonoids and antioxidants that may provide protection for the hair follicles and encourage hair growth Use shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin and silica Hair is fragile when it is wet, so be gentle; avoid fine tooth combs If you need to use blow dryers and other heated hair instruments, use the cool setting Supplement your diet with the following nutrients: Biotin (Possibly safe; orally and appropriately) Vitamin E (Likely safe if amount does not exceed the RDA; possibly safe if it does)