At Cult Aesthetics, almost every 2nd patient dealing with hair loss has popped up this question, Do Hair Growth Supplements Work? & we don’t blame them either, with stores popping up online and celebrity Instagrammers and influencers promoting their benefits and endorsing brands it’s bound to be a common question. Today, let us address it.
What Exactly Are Hair Growth Supplements?
Well, they all promise the same benefits, i.e. thicker, healthier-looking hair and a better growth. We’ve already talked about how Hair is the fastest growing tissue which requires a ton of nutrition for its growth. Due to this characteristic there is bound to be a ton of supplements in the market that come in various forms having different ingredients but promising the same thing which is Hair Growth.
Do Hair Growth Supplements Really Work?
When it comes to getting the nutrients for the hair like we’ve just discussed, there is just one perfect answer and that is via a healthy diet. Having said that, we do have to also understand that in today’s world it can be a nightmare to stick to a diet or a regime that nourishes your hair with exactly what it need at all times.
This is exactly why our hair growth suffers the most in this day and age. Busier lifestyles lead to lack of care for stuff that we consider to be “non-essential” and sadly hair growth is something that also falls in this category of “non-essential” for most until it becomes a visible problem.
With hair supplements, you are simply making up for the difference in terms of nutrition. The nourishment of hair aspect is what they mostly cover. However, just like every supplement, hair growth supplements should also be started ONLY after you have consulted your physician.
How To Tell If Nutritional Deficiency Is Hampering My Hair Growth?
That’s a good question, one that everyone should ask before randomly starting with supplements. Like we have discussed before there are a TON of factors that can hamper the Hair Growth. So, starting supplements when the underlying reason for a degraded hair growth is quite different than nutritional deficiency simply will not work. Hence it is important to first analyse if nutritional deficiency is the cause at all or not.
Now to answer the question, there is no way to do it yourself. It has to be tested by your doctor. Do not fall for any tricks online and just set up a consultation with your doctor to diagnose the true cause of a degraded hair growth.
Ways To Promote Hair Growth When Nutritional Deficiency Isn’t There
The following ways can help if the person is healthy but wants to promote the Hair Growth without the use of supplements:
- Sleep More: The body goes into a repairing mode while you are sleeping. 7 to 8 hrs of quality sleep is suggested for the benefits of this to come into effect.
- Reducing Stress: We’ve talked on this topic quite extensively and came to the conclusion that Stress can, in some cases be the number 1 reason for a degraded hair growth.
- Nourishing from the outside: Nourishment of the hair can happen from the outside as well, by using the correct shampoo and conditioners that are designed to promote the hair growth.
- Taking care of your hair: It’s in the human nature to ignore smaller problems till they becomes quite big. Don’t let that happen, take care of your hair even when the growth is good! Poor hair care habits lead to breakage.
What Ingredients To Look for In a Hair Growth Supplement
- Vitamin A: This vitamin assists the scalp in producing natural oils that keep the hair healthy & moisturised.
- Biotin: A type of B Vitamin (B7) that quite literally deserves a category of its own. It helps in the breaking down of proteins that you consume. Having too little of biotin in your diet can lead to overall weaker hair that is naturally a lot more prone to breakage.
- Vitamin C: Importance of Vitamin C in Skincare has already been highlighted by Dr. Jaspreet on our dermatology based blog. Vitamin C produces collagen which is important to the structure of your hair and the scalp. This antioxidant protects the hair and skin from damage via free radicals.
- Vitamin D: Research has shown that Vitamin D helps create new hair follicles, low levels of Vitamin D has also often been linked to hair loss. Include this in your diet as it has many benefits apart from the hair related ones we’ve mentioned.
- Zync: It helps to repair the hair tissue, also responsible for keeping the oil glands on your scalp to function correctly. Almost all brands selling supplements have this as an active ingredient.
- Amino Acids, Silica Vitamin E & Iron are also vitamins & minerals that you may look for in your Hair Growth supplement.
What Ingredients Should NOT Be In Your Hair Growth Supplement
In case the hair growth supplement has filler, animal-derived gelatin or even synthetic dyes or preservatives then avoid buying them at all costs.
Should I Be Consuming The Hair Growth Supplement For a Specific Ingredient?
Like we have stated, what nutrient your body needs is something you’d have to get tested with your doctor. After this, ideally the supplement should be targeting the exact nutrient primarily. Having said that, the all-in-one hair growth supplements can also be beneficial, as long as you are not taking too much of a specific nutrient due to them.
In How Much Time Do Hair Supplements Show Their Effect?
Almost nothing good works overnight, especially when you are actively trying to deal with a nutritional deficiency that your body is experiencing. It takes several months to show the results and up to 2 years! Yes 2 years! For the healthier and new hair to reach your shoulders. Always think of this as the long term solution.
To book a consultation with Dr. Gaurav call us on +91-9990449555. Also, in case you are planning to get a Hair Transplant, do check out our Blog for lots of information that could be beneficial to you in your Hair Transplant journey.