In a world where hair growing pills and gummies are shoved in your face on social media, it’s hard to know which hair vitamins to take for natural hair.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype. You want your hair to grow, and you want it to grow fast. I totally get it. Who doesn’t want healthy, thick, luscious hair overnight?
And even though people say there’s no miracle pill that will accelerate hair growth, there are things you can do to maximize your hair growth rate to the fastest it can be.
Vitamins are the extra push that your body needs to grow your hair. Here’s the tea: when our bodies metabolize food into nutrients, these nutrients are directed to the vital organs. Your heart and lungs, for example.
If there is enough left over, your body supplies the remaining nutrients to your hair, skin and nails. It’s these areas that first show signs of malnutrition.
Bottom line = you need to supply your body with enough nutrients to have enough left over for your hair.
The solution? Vitamins.
The problem? Which one do we use?
The first thing to do is solidify your hair needs. There are certain hair vitamins to take for natural hair that are safe and effective. Are you looking to retain length and stop breakage? Are you experiencing excessive shedding and looking to retain thickness? Or are you hoping to achieve shiny, healthy looking curls?
Next, it is deciding which vitamins and supplements will achieve your goals. What are the hair vitamins to take for natural hair that will will work for me?
Well, we’ve done the guesswork for you. Below is a guide of safe hair vitamins to take for natural hair:
- Folic Acid
Folic acid, also known as Vitamin B9, is an essential nutrient that is critical for the human body to function. It boosts cell generation and is commonly found in leafy greens. Without it, it can cause both extreme hair loss and stunted hair growth.
WHEN TO USE= when you are experiencing hair loss and excessive breakage (not breakage). Common symptoms that occur in conjunction include diarrhea and dehydration.
- Biotin
Vitamin B, commonly known as biotin, has been long associated with hair growth. Since it is a B-vitamin, which helps to metabolize carbs and proteins from the foods we eat, contributing to hair health.
Although it is only weakly supported by science, a deficiency in biotin can lead to hair thinning, NOT growth. Therefore, it is best suited for hair thickness rather than length retaining. Keep in mind that biotin may cause adverse effects such as oily skin, and can lead to more breakouts than usual. Drink at least eight ounces of water to flush out ex
WHEN TO USE = when aiming to thicken natural hair. Biotin is best taken orally rather than topically, because your body absorbs the biotin better than your skin. Your body will send it straight to your follicles. If you don’t want to take a pill, try tweaking your diet to include biotin-rich foods such as salmon, eggs, chicken and whole wheat bread.
- Iron
Iron is an important nutrient for our bodies. It assists with bringing oxygen throughout your body and plays a vital role in respiratory function.
This mineral is a game changer when you are deficient in it (a condition called anemia). If you are low in iron, you will experience not only excessive breakage, you will also feel a constant fatigue. Iron-deficient naturals further report dull hair with a complete hair colour change (black/dark brown hair will lighten to a lighter shade of brown!).
WHEN TO USE = when you notice excessive breakage with a decrease in shine. See your doctor for a blood test to determine if you are iron deficient. You can also take a general multivitamin to promote overall health.
- Fish Oil
The high levels of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids contribute to the benefits of fish oil. Foods like eggs and salmon are enriched with fish oil, but supplements are also a great way to ensure you are getting enough omegas. Fish oil plays a large role in brain function and growth, and deficiencies lead to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and cancers. Our bodies don’t produce this naturally, so we need to get this externally.
When you take fish oil, you will notice an increase in elasticity and shine in your hair. Fish oil is especially great for scalp health.
WHEN TO USE = to increase your scalp health and increase shine. Fish oil is best taken orally to reap the most benefits.
- Vitamin E
Ah, vitamin E. A holy grail product in hair and skin care. Vitamin E improves with follicle elasticity and strength, is an important nutrient to the body and contains antioxidants that heal the scalp/skin and prevents against fungus.
WHEN TO USE = when you want to increase shine and prevent breakage.
