1. Biotin. Biotin (vitamin B7) is important for cells inside your body. Low levels of it can cause hair loss, skin rashes, and brittle nails.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Biotin is well-known for being able to support hair health and growth, which is why you can't wrong with taking the supplement at least once a day. “Biotin (a form of vitamin B) is important for the energy production that many enzymes need,” New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD says.
To date, no clinical studies show that hair vitamins and supplements promote hair growth, prevent hair loss, or improve other facets of healthy hair such as dryness, shine, and thickness. In rare cases in which poor hair health is caused by nutrient deficiencies, taking supplements may improve hair quality.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
Sudden hair loss is typically a sign of two conditions: telogen effluvium or alopecia areata. Telogen effluvium is commonly caused by stress, which increases the natural rate of hair loss. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes your body to attack its hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
When vitamin B12 levels are low, your hair follicles may not be able to grow new hair as efficiently, resulting in hair loss. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of anemia, which is associated with low iron levels, hair thinning, and hair loss.
Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. People who have immune system deficiencies could also have thinning hair.
If you are experiencing thinning or balding, our Bosley experts recommend washing no more than three times a week.
"Ironically, with thinning hair it's important to make sure you get your hair cut regularly," says Julie Hensman, from Hensmans in Northampton. "Thinning hair can get out of shape more quickly, making it look more obvious". Booking in for regular trims can keep your hair looking its best.
How Many Washes Should You Aim For? While this question truly depends on the nature of your hair and varies from every person, if you have thinning hair, try to wash your hair between 3-4 times a week if necessary; washing thinning hair just 3 to 4 times per week means doing so just about every other day.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
Sources of Biotin
Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) [2,12].
How much B12 should I take daily for hair growth? The lowest amount recommended that should be traceable in your body is 2.4 mcg. While you are looking for a difference in your hair growth you can increase this dosage to 3 mcg and beyond.
While folic acid is essential in supporting healthy hair growth, it is not the only vitamin or supplement that benefits both the hair and skin. Rather, it's best to choose hair care supplements that include additional hair-boosting ingredients, such as B complex, vitamin B12 and biotin.
"There are specific juices that can be beneficial for the health of your hair and scalp, including aloe vera juice, kiwi juice and cucumber juice." According to Synder, spinach is highly concentrated with vitamin B, which restores shine and promotes hair growth.