Vitamins for Hair Loss Are Safe, Cheap, and Effective

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Posted on December 4, 2009 by Maria Turner

Why use vitamins for hair loss? With so many hair loss treatments available on the market, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Unfortunately, many of these solutions are very expensive and do not solve anything. Some of these so-called cures can even have very dangerous side effects. Hair loss vitamins, on the other hand, are perfectly safe when taken at the recommended dosages by healthy people and can actually make a difference when it comes to your hair.

Enlisting the help of vitamins for hair loss is a cheap, safe, and effective means of improving the appearance of your hair. However, it does require a bit of patience to see results. You should allow at least a month of consistent usage of vitamins for the hair before deciding whether or not to continue. Remember that nothing short of surgery will work overnight. Most people feel that using hair loss vitamins to grow hair is worth the wait because of the lack of side effects.

What vitamins are good for hair loss? The truth is that most vitamins help your hair in one way or another but some are better than others. One of the best vitamins for hair loss is biotin. Biotin is one of the B vitamins and is renowned for its ability to strengthen hair and nails. It can also help improve the elasticity of hair and as such, prevent breakage. It can also help make hair follicles thicker and stronger. This hair vitamin all-star is even recommended by dermatologists to help with hair loss. Biotin has the biggest impact on hair growth when taken internally. Although it is found in food sources such as eggs and liver, it would be very difficult to consume enough of it to make a difference, so if you are looking to see results, consider taking biotin supplements.

In addition to biotin, you can take other B vitamins for hair loss as well. Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, helps with circulation at the scalp which promotes hair regrowth. Vitamin B5 has a similar effect and can also help alleviate gray hair. Vitamin B9, which is folic acid, can also help hair to grow. A good B complex vitamin can work wonders for hair loss and vitamins in the B family are easy to find in food sources as well.

Vitamin E is another of the top vitamins for hair loss. Vitamin E is known for its moisturizing properties. Perhaps you are already aware of how much it can help dry skin. This principle also applies to hair, since hair comes from the scalp, which is skin. A hydrated scalp can really help improve the condition of hair and help keep hair loss at bay. It also helps improve the circulation throughout the body including at the scalp, which in turn helps the production of new hair. Be advised that taking too much Vitamin E can thin the blood, so if this is a concern for you, you may want to consult with your doctor first.

Vitamins offer many benefits for hair loss.

All of these are great vitamins for hair loss, but there is one to avoid if you want to keep as much hair as possible: Vitamin A. Too much Vitamin A has been known to actually cause hair loss, so proceed with caution when using multivitamins.

Vitamins offer so many benefits for your health that it really is a great option for someone who wants to control hair loss without introducing dangerous chemicals into the body. You can use vitamins for hair loss prevention as well as making your hair healthier and thicker. The connection between vitamins and hair loss is strong, and vitamins have plenty of added benefits for your overall health as well. And best of all, they are easy to find and very affordable!

How Much Does Your Hair Grow In a Month?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Maria Turner

How much does hair grow in a month? This is one of the top questions I get from readers. Maybe you’ve cut your hair too short or had an accident with the shaver. If you have a big event coming up like a wedding or the start of school, it’s normal to be anxious about whether or not your hair will grow out quickly. How long hair grows in a month depends on your health, age, genetics, and your styling habits.

Exactly how much does your hair grow in a month?

While a number of factors influence the growth rate, one-half inch per month is average. This means the average yearly growth of hair is somewhere around six inches, although there are several factors that can influence the actual amount. However, there are some steps you can take to help your hair grow faster.

How Your Hair Products Affect Growth

First, consider the products you use on your hair. While conditioners, hair sprays, and styling products can make hair look nice, they can also slow its growth. When these products are left on the scalp, they can prevent new hair from growing.

For faster growth, it is best to use a mild shampoo and avoid additional products. Check out our sulfate free shampoo list to find something gentle that doesn’t contain harmful ingredients like sulfates that contribute to hair loss.

As natural oils build up on the scalp and slow the growth of new hair, you should gently wash your scalp and hair often. Using your fingernails and scrubbing hard are two practices to avoid.

To Brush or Not To Brush?

An old wives’ tale claims that a hundred strokes with a hair brush will make your hair grow longer faster. This is simply not true. In fact, too much brushing can lead to hair loss and breakage. In addition to breaking hair, it can actually pull hair out by the roots. Brush or comb your hair very gently using a brush with coated bristles. If you have the habit of brushing or combing throughout the day, begin limiting your grooming habits to two or three times a day.

Many people find that they don’t need to brush their hair as often as they think. Save brushing for just before you leave the house, and avoid using a comb or brush on wet hair.

Your Hair Can’t Take the Heat

A third factor in reducing breakage and hair loss is keeping your hair healthy. As heat will dry and damage hair, avoid styling irons, hair dryers, and similar products. For many people, it’s not realistic to give these tools up entirely. But if you are asking how long hair grows in a month, you are probably looking for a quick fix ahead of a big event and it would do you a world of good to lay off the curling and flat irons while you’re waiting for your hair to grow out.

Does Trimming Hair Stimulate Growth?

You may have heard it is necessary to trim hair regularly when you want it to grow. This is a myth. Trimming cannot increase growth. The only benefit of trimming is it will remove split ends, making hair appear fuller and healthier. If you do not have split ends, all trimming will accomplish is making your hair shorter.

Topical Solutions to Speed Up Hair Growth

As hair grows from inside, products made to be applied directly to the hair cannot speed up growth. Instead, keeping your body as healthy as possible will give you the results you want. Begin by making a balanced diet a part of your everyday life. You should have plenty of vegetables, fruits, and protein. Taking vitamins for hair loss can help make up for the nutrition a less than stellar diet lacks.

While products applied directly to the hair don’t help much, products used topically on the scalp can make a difference if they are left on long enough to penetrate the hair follicles. A few good choices for improving the condition of your scalp include hair growth shampoo like Nioxin and vitamin E oil for hair.

Mind Over Matter

If you are asking how much does your hair grow in a month because you’ve had a styling accident, one important thing you can do is try not to stress about it! General good health keeps hair in its best condition, and helps it grow faster. Reduce the amount of stress in your life as much as possible. Make a point of getting a full night’s sleep every night. Fresh air and exercise are also useful. Not only are these habits good for your body, they will help hair grow faster.

You can look at the condition of your hair as a sign of your general health. Even a bad cold can leave hair looking dull. You may see more hair than usual in your hairbrush when you’re under the weather.

If you follow this advice, these problems do not need to be permanent. The growth of new hair will start from within, and you will soon see the beautiful results.

To summarize…

How much does your hair grow in a month?
About half an inch on average.

Things that can slow hair growth:

Stress
Heat Styling
Too much brushing
Harmful Products

Things that can increase hair growth:

Healthy diet
Vitamins for hair loss
Topical Solutions
Avoiding stress

Does Celiac Disease Cause Hair Loss?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Maria Turner

Does celiac disease cause hair loss? Many people suffering from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is related to gluten intolerance, report excessive hair loss. Moreover, there is a higher than normal incidence of celiac disease among people with alopecia areata, another autoimmune disorder that attacks the hair follicles and leads to hair loss. In many of these cases, hair loss slowed or ceased when the patient switched to a gluten-free diet.

The topic of celiac disease hair loss has not been investigated very thoroughly, but the results of several smaller research projects as well as anecdotal evidence do point to a connection. Many people with celiac disease who accidentally ingest foods that contain gluten report a sudden increase in hair fall among other reactions. Once the gluten is out of their system, the hair loss subsides. This points very strongly to a connection between celiac disease and hair loss.

In a study on celiac hair loss at the University of L’Aquila in Italy published in the medical journal Gasterenterology, researchers reported on several patients suffering from alopecia areata and celiac disease. In one particularly dramatic case, a 14-year-old boy suffering severe hair loss on his head and body found that all of his hair grew back after switching to a gluten-free diet. Overall, the celiac disease hair loss connection was so strong that it led to the recommendation that all patients suffering from alopecia areata be tested for celiac disease. A study in the Eurasian Journal of Medicine conducted on 140 children backs up these findings.

Does Celiac Disease Cause Hair Loss?

First, it’s important to have a clear understanding of these conditions before you can determine if this could be the cause of your hair loss. First, we’ll take a look at alopecia areata.

What Is Alopecia Areata?

The type of hair loss associated with celiac disease is called alopecia areata. The hallmark of alopecia areata is patches of hair loss, usually appearing on the scalp but occasionally in other areas such as the beard as well. It’s an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles.

It normally starts with one or two patches before spreading to other areas. The patches may be peach-colored and contain hairs around the border that resemble exclamation marks, although this does not always occur. Hair loss that follows this pattern is the most common type to accompany celiac disease.

What Is Celiac Disease?

If you think you might have hair loss from celiac disease, there are a few symptoms of celiac to look out for. However, it’s important to keep in mind that celiac disease does not present itself in the same way in every person. While many sufferers complain of abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, others may have no obvious signs of this condition.

In children, short stature and slow growth can indicate the possibility of celiac disease. Because those with celiac disease have trouble absorbing nutrients, weight loss and fatigue can also be present. Some theorize that it is the malabsorption of nutrients that accompanies Celiac that is responsible for celiac-related hair loss in many individuals, particularly the milder cases of hair fall. Blood tests and endoscopy can confirm suspected cases of celiac disease.

Could Your Hair Loss Be Caused by Celiac Disease?

If you have already been diagnosed with celiac disease and are experiencing hair loss, there is a good possibility that the two conditions are related, particularly if you notice increased hair fall following ingestion of gluten.

If you suspect a connection, you could try eliminating gluten from your diet to see if your hair loss improves. However, if you have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, it is important not to put yourself on a gluten-free diet before testing as this can skew the results. Check with your doctor if you think you might have celiac disease. Although celiac disease and hair loss can be related, there are plenty of other possible causes of hair loss as well.