Best Nutritional Supplements For Treating Hair Loss; How To Use It?

Hairloss is such a downer! Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it seems to be more prevalent among men. Hair loss may affect just the scalp or your entire body, and it may be temporary or permanent. Nearly 80 per cent of men and half of all women experience hair loss during their lifetimes.

Several types of hair loss can be treated effectively. You may even be able to reverse or slow the hair loss process. In some cases, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within one year [1]. Hair loss can be treated through medication and surgery. Although nutritional supplements are commonly used for treating hair loss, limited data is available on their effectiveness [2].

According to a recent review of 30 previous human studies, nutritional supplements could potentially treat certain types of hair loss while causing generally tolerable side effects [3].

Here are the important points from the survey:

Point 1: According to the study, many supplements have shown promise in treating certain types of hair loss, including pumpkin seed oil, zinc, vitamin E, omega fatty acids, as well as commercial formulations like Viviscal and Nutrafol [4][5].

Point 2: Usually, hair loss is treated by addressing the underlying cause, such as nutritional deficiencies or diseases. There are also medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for androgenetic alopecia, such as topical minoxidil and oral finasteride.

Point 3: For females suffering from androgenetic alopecia, only minoxidil is also used due to the potential negative effects of finasteride. Because of the potential side effects associated with pharmacological treatments for hair loss, alternative therapies, such as nutritional supplements, have gained interest [6].

Best Nutritional Supplements For Hair Loss

1. Vitamins and antioxidants: Many types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, and telogen effluvium, appear to be related to oxidative stress and micronutrient deficiencies.

Several randomized clinical trials have indicated that tocotrienols, a family of antioxidants belonging to the vitamin E family, combined with fish oil (omega-3 and omega-6), blackcurrant seed oil, and antioxidants such as vitamin E and lycopene, can improve hair density [7].

2. Hormone modulators: An androgenetic alopecia occurs when the hair follicle responds excessively to a testosterone-derived androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Research suggests pumpkin seed oil may stimulate men's hair growth among nutritional supplements that inhibit DHT formation. There is evidence that chili peppers, which contain capsaicin, and isoflavones, a class of antioxidants, may increase hair growth factor levels.

An immune response against hair follicles is characteristic of alopecia areata, which can be treated with plant-derived compounds such as glycyrrhizin (licorice) and peony extracts. A compound derived from apple species, procyanidin B-2, has also been shown to stimulate hair growth.

3. Multi-ingredient commercial formulations: Numerous multi-ingredient commercial formulations, including Pantogar, Nourkrin, Viviscal, Nutrafol, and Lambdapil, have also shown positive results in randomized clinical trials.

Pantogar contains keratin, the major protein in hair, as well as its building block, L-cysteineTrusted Source, which may promote hair growth. Nutrafol contains antioxidants, DHT synthesis blockers, and anti-inflammatory compounds, while Lambdapil contains L-cysteine, plant-derived silicon, and DHT synthesis blockers [8].

On A Final Note...

It should be noted that besides having beneficial effects on hair growth, the interventions reviewed in the present study also had mild side effects. These findings suggest that nutritional supplements may be able to help treat certain types of hair loss.

According to the authors, however, the research included in the review had several limitations. Therefore, it is recommended that you consult with an expert before beginning any treatment for hair loss.