Whether a doctor or a nurse, working in the healthcare industry brings unprecedented stress that affects your well-being. It takes a toll on your mental health, manifesting in being irritable, sad, burnt out, and other negative feelings. We describe In this article 5 supplements that support healthy hair growth and repair.
Being in a demanding environment also leads to physical symptoms of stress, such as headaches, chest pains, vision problems, and fatigue.
Hair damage and loss due to stress is also a thing, and it’s something that not many people realize until they find more strands of hair than usual on their pillowcases and shower drains.
Many interventions can relieve the different effects of stress on the body. But if you’re looking for ways to address damage and thinning hair or assist in healthy hair growth, this article can help you.
It will discuss ingredients that should be in your hair supplements, a list of recommended hair products, and other reminders to support healthy hair repair and growth.
Ingredients to Look For
A long list of vitamins and supplements aid in repairing damaged hair and reinforcing healthy growth. This sheer number makes it difficult to pinpoint which can effectively improve hair quality and quantity.
To find the right hair growth and repair supplement, you must first know the essential vitamins and minerals that support your hair to be stronger and healthier.
One of these hair-nourishing ingredients is keratin, a key structural material that makes up the skin, hair, and nails. This protective protein helps strengthen your crowning glory and make it look healthier.
Another vital component you need to look for in your hair supplements is Vitamin B, specifically Vitamins B7 (biotin) and B12. This micronutrient reinforces and conditions the hair to prevent hair loss. Biotin supports keratin production, while Vitamin B12 increases oxygen to hair follicles to stimulate the replacement of lost strands.
Vitamins C and D are other compounds for the right hair supplement. With its ability to boost immunity and increase collagen production, Vitamin C helps maintain a healthy scalp by fighting free radicals while promoting stronger hair strands.
On the other hand, Vitamin D stimulates hair growth as it acts on keratinocytes — a dominant skin cell that produces keratin. This compound combats hair loss and supports thicker hair growth.
Other ingredients you should look for are:
- Vitamin A – supports sebum production to prevent hair breakage.
- Vitamin E – an antioxidant that fights free radicals on hair follicles to maintain healthy locks.
- Iron – boosts blood circulation and oxygen delivery, thereby promoting hair growth.
- Zinc – helps with addressing thinning hair.
Finding The Best Hair Supplement
Your job as a healthcare professional can take away the time you need to care for your crowning glory. The best you can do with that limited time is washing and condition your hair, but doing so may not be enough. This is where hair supplements can come into play.
Hair growth supplements provide the proper nourishment to anyone with damaged hair, experiencing hair loss, or those who wish to have healthier and thicker locks.
Nutrafol
This supplement combines various herbs, collagen, Vitamin D, biotin, and other hair-nourishing ingredients to mitigate the factors that cause thinning hair. The highly concentrated botanicals in Nutrafol aim to support every phase of the hair’s growth cycle.
Those botanicals also reduce elevated cortisol levels, thereby minimizing stress and the hair loss that comes with it. The ingredients also make the hair look shinier and fuller, and have better texture.
Viviscal
Viviscal can increase hair volume while reducing hair loss, thanks to its health-giving ingredients that extend the growth phase of the hair’s development cycle. This supplement protects the hair, stimulates new growth, and improves its appearance.
Additionally, it contains vital ingredients that nourish the hair, such as biotin, Vitamin C, and zinc. Viviscal also has marine collagen (repairs the hair and keeps it more robust), calcium (improves iron absorption), and silica (prevents thinning).
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is usually used as a topical treatment for pattern hair loss, but it now comes in a pill form as a prescription medication. This supplement was initially used to treat high blood pressure and was later found to improve hair growth when taken orally at low doses.
While it may not have the essential ingredients for hair growth, oral minoxidil can still grow hair better than its liquid or foam counterpart. It works by relaxing the blood vessels and allowing blood to flow easily. This relaxed state then enhances the delivery of nutrients to the scalp and stimulates hair growth.
Nature Made Biotin
This Vitamin B7 supplement plays a vital role in promoting healthy hair. Aside from supporting keratin production, as stated above, Biotin also improves hair volume and scalp coverage for people experiencing thinning hair.
However, it’s worth noting that people with a biotin deficiency may likely reap the benefits of taking this water-soluble vitamin more than those with sufficient micronutrient levels.
This discretion comes from a 2012 double-blind study wherein women with self-perceived thinning hair reported a visible increase in hair volume. The control group did not present any significant changes.
Saw Palmetto
This supplement is a fruit extract that can also be found in Nutrafol. Saw palmetto, in its form, was found to improve hair regrowth and balance out hormone levels to prevent hair loss.
It does so by inhibiting the enzyme that turns testosterone into the androgen-like hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is thought to cause androgenic alopecia or pattern baldness.
While it offers promising results, research on saw palmetto and its efficacy in preventing hair loss remains limited. Additional studies are needed to ensure its effectiveness.
Take Care of Yourself to Nourish Your Hair
Many factors cause hair damage and loss. Genetics, old age, diseases, medication, and infections are all reasons your mane is thinning or looking unhealthy.
Taking hair supplements can help, but it’s not the only thing you should do to resolve this health concern. Determining the cause of your hair issues and consulting with other experts offer a better chance of addressing the root cause of your hair problem.
Adopting a more active lifestyle and a diet involving therapeutic nutrition can help you alleviate stress and improve your overall well-being — including hair health.