It seems like every day, some new beauty influencer or celebrity is on social media talking about the “amazing” supplements they take for stronger, thicker, shinier, and every-other-adjective hair and nails. And after being inundated with a billion of these images, day after day, you’ve probably been tempted to join the crowd and pick up a few bottles of vitamins, too. We know we have. But before we raided the shelves of GNC, we talked to an expert—you know, the kind with an actual medical degree who saves lives and stuff—about whether or not popping a few pills can really give you the gorgeous hair and nails of your dreams like social media promises. And yes, she had a lot to say. Read on to find out the five things you should absolutely know before stocking up on those mystical, magical vitamins. First, learn your supplements. If you’re going to gulp down some pills that your sister’s hairstylist’s cousin told you to try, you should make sure you know what you’re taking.
“Vitamin A, omega 3s, and all of the B-complex vitamins play a role in how our skin and nails look,” says Holly Phillips, MD. “B-complex vitamins, like biotin and folic acid—two of the most popular vitamins people take when they’re trying to grow their hair—help your body process energy and transport carbon dioxide to the blood cells, which aids in your metabolism and cell turnover,” she says, stressing and re-stressing that these vitamins don’t necessarily cause stronger, thicker, or prettier hair and nails, but they might help. The other popular pill of choice? “Everything that is keratin-based, which is the basic protein found in your hair, skin, and nails, can benefit from omega-3s,” says Phillips. “600 milligrams a day is the recommended daily dose, which you can easily get from fish, flaxseed, certain nuts, and even some dairy products.” And, finally, you’ve got your vitamin A, which Phillips says “can help reduce nail brittleness, especially if you have a deficiency.”
But, she notes, “it’s easier to get the safe, recommended dose of vitamins A and B through a daily multivitamin, rather than taking supplements that might be too high for your system.” Then, ignore (most of) what you hear. Raise your hand if you’ve heard pregnant ladies swear that their folic acid vitamins gave them thick, shiny hair. In fact, it was one of the things we most looked forward to about pregnancy—other than, you know, the baby. But, says Phillips, the two aren’t necessarily related. “Hair growth during pregnancy is likely caused by a flood of changing hormones, rather than the introduction of a folic acid supplement, which your body already has,” says Phillips, adding that folic acid isn’t a mystical pregnancy pill, but a form of vitamin B that helps promote cell turnover, and is found in a ton of foods. “Most American breads, cereals, grains, and even some milk products are fortified with folic acid,” she says. “It’s also found naturally found in spinach, avocado, and beans, so, provided that you’re not pregnant, you’re probably eating more than enough folic acid already.”
Make sure you know how vitamins work. Just like your body doesn’t know to target, say, your thighs when you’re trying to lose weight, your body also doesn’t know that those supplements you’re taking are supposed to help with your nails or hair. “There aren’t special vitamins that enter your system and are magically diverted to your hair or nails,” says Phillips. “They might help the overall functioning of your body, which, in turn, can contribute to healthier skin and nails, but the same can pretty much be said of a proper diet.” But be patient—and don’t expect miracles. Sorry, but vitamins don’t work immediately. In fact, unless you have a deficiency, they might not work for you at all. “We simply don’t have studies on the effects of taking vitamins and supplements to boost your hair and nail growth,” says Phillips. “But if we did, I can tell you that it wouldn’t be a magical, immediate cure. Even if your levels were low, or you had the rare deficiency that would benefit from taking supplements, it would still take several weeks to a couple of months to see results.”
But it also makes sense, because clearly nothing you ingest today is going to help the dead hair that’s already hangin’ out in a ponytail on top of your head. “Any supplement that you’re going to take right now would only help the next layer of layer or nails that you’re growing next,” says Phillips. “So you wouldn’t even really notice results for another four or five months—and that’s if you’re totally consistent with taking them daily.” Then repeat after us: More isn’t better. In fact, it’s rarely better. “The biggest problem with taking supplements is the risk of over-doing it and harming yourself by taking double or triple the recommended dose,” says Phillips. “Although most vitamins are safe to take at the recommended dose, things get risky when people don’t factor in the vitamins they’re already getting from their food.” Plus, is the risk really worth the possible payoff? “The fact is, we just don’t have supporting evidence that these supplements will give you better hair and nails,” she says.
“We know that vitamin deficiencies can cause hair loss and brittle nails, but taking additional vitamins when you’re already at sufficient levels? There’s no proof that it will help you look better.” So, that being said, take supplements at your own risk. Or, better yet, just go to your doctor and discuss everything with her. Because as awesome your sister’s hairstylist’s cousin probably is, do you really want to be taking health advice from her?My hair is my favorite accessory. I don’t take my supplements in vain; I take them because I’m vain — and because Lady Godiva locks are my goal. Every morning after I eat breakfast, I swallow a handful of supplements that would rival Valley of the Dolls’ Neely O’Hara’s daily allotment. After testing many combinations, I've found the best hair-growth and/or thickness hack, which makes my hair grow two inches each month, is this: one Viviscal Extra Strength pill (the daily dosage is two), one biotin pill (7,500 mcg), and one folic-acid pill (400 mcg).
To make sure I won’t become immune to their effects, I switch out my regular Viviscal cocktail with supplement stunt-doubles like Keratin Booster, MD Nutri Hair, or Phyto’s Phytophanere every few weeks. Two years ago, I was only taking Viviscal’s original formula in its recommended dose: two pills per day. Since then, a half-dosage (one pill) of Viviscal Extra Strength has become integral to my supplement cocktail. Before incorporating this pill into my daily routine, my hair never grew more than a few inches beyond my shoulder. In my entire life. No matter what happened. No matter what I changed in my various hippie white-meat-and fish-focused, gluten- and dairy-free diet. Thanks to Viviscal’s aminomar marine complex, in addition to its blend of vitamin C, niacin, and biotin, my hair’s grown much longer, glossier, and thicker. Viviscal does, however, make my roots a bit oily when I take the full dosage and I’ve also noticed my hair growing faster everywhere. In the case of my suddenly robust eyebrows, this news is well received.
In the case of my five-o’clock leg-hair shadow, which I’ve since remedied with a few laser-hair-removal sessions, not so much. The next pill I throw back is biotin, a water-soluble version of vitamin B. In my informal lab experiment of cutting my Viviscal dosage in half in favor of adding a biotin pill, I found that the oily-roots problem became a non-issue and my hair now boasted a bounce I’ve seen Orlando Pita create for Michael Kors ads. It yielded the same effect as an application of root-lifting spray and backcombing at the root — and people have noticed. However, Dr. Dennis Gross notes, “[Biotin is] a more popular hair-growth vitamin, but I am skeptical about the clinical data out there. Biotin supplements show best results if you’re already deficient. You can naturally find biotin in nuts, eggs, and leafy greens.” Perhaps my diet wasn’t rich enough in biotin. Gross recommends topical supplements, ingredients applied directly to the skin. “These are the most effective means of preventing aging and treating existing conditions.
When you consider how much volume and surface area an ingested vitamin supplement must cover as its diluted by the entire bloodstream and then covers the entire body,” Gross explains. “For instance the math analysis shows that a 2 percent vitamin-C gel applied directly to the face is 200 times more potent than consuming a 600 milligram vitamin C pill.” His hair-care suite includes a shampoo containing salicylic acid, which helps in “reducing the number of pore blockages in the skin. For your hair, it helps to exfoliate the scalp — ridding it of oils, dirt, and debris — allowing for optimum hair growth.” The line also includes peptides, retinol, azelaic acid, adenosine, and procyanidin-B2. Last, Gross says to be cautious: “Don’t take more than recommended by the FDA or what is written on the labels. Be sure not to take more than the label tells you to. More is not better when it comes to this.” His own supplement cocktail includes GLA, which stands for gamma linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.
“It is considered an essential fatty acid since it is necessary for human health, but the body cannot make it itself — you must get them through food or supplements. GLA helps to stimulate skin and hair growth among other things. It’s a good supplement to take in the wintertime,” he notes. If you’d rather score your biotin from your food directly, Cathy Wong, ND, CNS, notes that “Biotin is found in a variety of foods such as milk, bananas, cauliflower, cooked eggs, legumes, nuts, sardines, and whole grains, and it can also be produced by bacteria in the large intestine.” Biotin isn’t dangerous if you stick to the recommended dosage and clear it with your physician before taking it. However, topical supplements and nutrition represent an alternate route to lengthy locks, if you don’t have a penchant for pills. Prenatal or folic-acid pills have long been recommended, even for those who aren’t with child, for thick, healthy hair, but Wong says to beware. “While they contain folic acid, they do also have larger amounts of iron, which I don't recommend, unless there is documented iron-deficiency anemia.
There is no evidence that they can help, and generally, I am cautious about recommending iron because it is a pro-oxidant (opposite of an antioxidant) and may contribute to diseases of aging such as atherosclerosis and diabetes.” That said, folic acid influences biotin metabolism, according to a study conducted by the University di Bologna. “After an injection of folic acid, biotin-deficient rats showed greater alterations of the urinary excretion and liver storage of folate derivatives than did control rats. On the basis of these results, it was hypothesized that biotin influences folic-acid metabolism and particularly for the utilization of the biosyntheisis of coenzymatic derivatives.” My addition of folic acid keeps me from pissing away, literally, the benefits of my biotin. A tip for pill poppers to save time in the most Mealprep Mondays–inspired way is to invest in three large, seven-day pill cases like these, available at Amazon, and fill them up once every three weeks.