The Naked Truth About Hair Loss Supplements

Most of us will lose between 50 and 100 hairs each and every day. It’s really nothing to worry about. Because 50 to 100 new hairs are growing in to replace the ones we lost. But some folks may see a lot more stray hairs in the bathtub drain after shampooing. There are plenty of reasons for hair loss, many of which, such as male pattern baldness, are perfectly normal and don’t have any impact on your general health, although it may impact your emotional wellbeing. Others, such as Tinea capitis (fungal infection of the scalp) or Alopecia areata (an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out in one or more small patches) might be cause for concern and might indicate a trip to your doctor’s office to determine the cause.

Trauma, drug side effects, hormone imbalances, prolonged illnesses and heredity all can result in hair loss. But unless you have a serious nutritional deficiency of protein, iron, zinc or biotin, chances are changing your diet is probably not going to affect your hair loss problem, according to Harvard Medical School. The American Dermatology Association notes that in most studies, taking nutritional supplements such as biotin, folic acid, and others touted for their ability to help grow and thicken hair had no effect on hair growth or thickness.

With one notable exception. One study involving 120 healthy women reported thicker hair and less hair loss after taking specific omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants after the women took the combination for six months. The ADA is waiting for other studies to replicate the results before jumping on the hair supplements bandwagon.

If you decide to try supplements that promise to regrow hair, the ADA advises checking with your doctor first to avoid any undesirable drug interactions with other medications you might be taking. Or talk to your dermatologist to find out if there is any evidence that the supplement might actually work.