Hair Pills: Are They Really Worth The Hype?

The other day I snipped yet another random section of hair. While there is certainly some growth since last year, it's still a long way from my dream length. In my moment of impatience, I had the urge to start a hair supplement to get me to my goal length quicker. When I asked a few of my twitter followers for some supplement suggestions, the reaction that I received was certainly less than favorable (someone even suggested that they could cause growth of extra body parts!). Extremely concerned by this news, I decided to do some research to see if hair pills are really worth the hype.

The ability of a person to obtain long hair starts from the inside out. While there are numerous practices that can help retain the length of one's hair, the growth process itself is entirely internal. This internal process is what hair pills seek to address. But how is this exactly?

Like all other parts of our body, our hair follicles need certain nutrients in order to operate at its optimal level. Because it is the lowest in the hierarchy of bodily needs, our hair gets only the remnants of the essential vitamins and minerals needed to sustain our other bodily functions. Hair pills seek to boost vitamin and mineral levels to allow our hair to get more of the nutrients it needs. And what exactly are the essential vitamins and minerals for hair growth? From my research, I found that the following are essential:

Biotin (Vitamin B7) - this is one of the 8 essential vitamins for the body. It helps with metabolism and growth and is also needed for healthy hair and skin.

Inositol (Vitamin B8) - this vitamin is good for healthy skin and hair

Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) - this helps the body make healthy new cells, and is especially essential for women who are able to have children.

Vitamin B6 - can help accelerate hair growth

Zinc - helps the body utilize protein, which stimulates hair growth

Vitamin C - helps increase circulation of blood to the scalp

Vitamin E - improves scalp circulation

Silica - a mineral naturally found in the body that can help accelerate hair growth and help strengthen the hair

MSM - mineral that lengthens the growth cycle of hair, allowing each hair follicle to be in the active state longer

While these vitamins and minerals have substantial benefits for hair growth, when supplemented in extreme doses they can have adverse effects on the body. Most hair growth pills provide dosages of up to 30 times the recommended daily intake. Since all of these vitamins can generally be found in certain foods that we eat, intaking a supplement that boosts levels to 30 times the recommended daily dosage is definitely extreme. This accounts for the negative side effects that many people experience from taking hair growth pills. Some of these side effects can included neurological disorders, heartburn, acid reflux, headaches, and cystic acne.

Although it would be nice to be able to grow an inch of hair a month, I personally am not willing to take those risks. For now, I am going to stick with my multivitamin since it encompasses most, if not all, of the essential vitamins needed for hair growth. I do, however, intend to take biotin supplements. (Look out for a post in the next few days about it!)