Taking A Prenatal Vitamin For Hair Growth
If you’re pregnant, you’ll likely want to take a prenatal vitamins after talking with your doctor. However if you’re not pregnant, you don’t necessarily need the extra nutrients found in prenatal vitamins. Taking in too many of certain vitamins and minerals can be problematic. If you’re not pregnant and your doctor gives you the okay to take a prenatal vitamin, doing so may help prevent hair loss due to nutrient deficiencies but likely won’t boost hair growth if you’re not deficient in hair loss-causing nutrients.
Do Prenatal Vitamins Work For Hair Growth
Fact Checked
There’s a common misconception that prenatal vitamins have positive effects upon non-pregnant women. For instance, you might have heard that they will help increase your rate of hair growth or strengthen your hair. This may not be true since prenatal vitamins will most likely not have more of an effect than a typical multivitamin. Understanding the role of prenatal vitamins and their content may help you talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of using them for hair growth or other reasons other than pregnancy 3.
Are Prenatals A Good Option Or Is There Something Better For Thinning Hair
Women often add prenatal vitamins to their daily vitamin regimen when they are looking to boost hair growth. Prenatals can be a good option for increasing certain nutrients in the body, and they are usually safe for most women to take. However, there are better supplement solutions for both men and women looking to stop hair thinning.
One of the leading causes of hair loss is androgenic alopecia, or male and female pattern hair loss. Men and women with this common condition can suffer from DHT sensitivity, which shrinks your hair follicles and eventually causes permanent hair loss. Several factors aside from DHT sensitivity are at play in this condition, including inflammation and scalp infection. Thus, boosting your intake of nutrients like zinc, iron, and folate can be helpful, but it will not reverse the effects of androgenic alopecia and other hair loss conditions.
To counter hair loss, you need to take a supplement that contains all of the essential nutrients for hair growth support, plus anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and DHT blockers. Examples of agents that offer these attributes include Canadian willowherb, procyanidin B2, and alfalfa extract.
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What Nutrients Are In Prenatal Vitamins
The vitamin aisle is brimming with different prenatal formulas. Most include the following:
- Vitamin B-12
- Iron
All are good things a woman needs, so they should be great for making healthy hair grow faster, right?
This is the common rationale for taking prenatals for hair health. But not so fast. While it’s true that all women need these nutrients, the level of need is determined primarily by age, and most Americans who are not pregnant can meet these needs easily by eating a balanced diet with the possible enhancement of a daily multivitamin.
During pregnancy, perhaps the most talked-about ingredient is folic acid. Folic acid or folate is an essential B-9 vitamin that’s required for new cell production. Folic acid generates new cells, including the keratinization of hair during the active growth phase. Some sources even report that high levels of this b vitamin in the blood help to prevent premature graying of the hair.
Pregnancy does often trigger folate deficiency, so taking a prenatal vitamin as a hair care strategy would seem to make sense for the benefits of folic acid.
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So You’re Not Up For Motherhood At The Moment
…but you’d love the result of all of those hormones rushing around, namely a spurt of hair growth .
Taking prenatal vitamins for hair growth is a common practice. We may reason that a pregnant woman takes these supplements while nurturing another life-in-progress in her body, so therefore the same array of nutrients, vitamins and minerals should be doubly effective on a woman who is not expecting or even trying to get pregnant.
Director-actor Mindy Kaling is a fan of prenatals, and her luscious tresses and radiant skin seem to be persuasive evidence that they work. Ditto for GOOP goddess Gwyneth Paltrow.
Although the math seems reasonable no baby in the works, more nourishment for mama the conclusion is incorrect.
But here’s something to think about: The Mayo Clinic says if you’re not pregnant and planning to get pregnant, high levels of certain nutrients over a long period of time may actually be more harmful than helpful.
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Do Prenatals Help With Postpartum Hair Loss
Being a new Mom is a balance of hearing “do this for the baby”, “make sure you keep taking this for the well-being of the baby”, “don’t forget the DHA”, along with questioning, “will this affect the baby while breastfeeding?”
Honestly it’s a lot to navigate. Then something happens to you.. something you might not have necessarily been anticipating. You were prepared for the added weight, the milk coming in, the lack of sleep…but then your hair..on your head.. starts FALLING OUT. Maybe leaving you with a patchy scalpy reminder of the way pregnancy changes our bodies.
So you weren’t given a whole lot to go on but Doctor did recommend you keep taking your prenatals after pregnancy. Let’s dive into that, was it to help with postpartum hair loss? Is it enough? Is it even to help you ?
Why you keep taking prenatals for Baby
Let’s look at what a typical prenatal should have in it: essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and folic acid should be a cornerstone. Doctors may or may not do due diligence and look at your diet before recommending you stay on your prenatal but the idea is if you are breastfeeding, the baby is going to receive nutrients from you and the diet you consume. Baby is going to need adequate levels of vitamin A,D,E and K. For that reason your Doctor may have recommended you keep taking your prenatal while you breastfeed.
What about Mom?
Back to your hair falling out
How Your Hormones Change During Pregnancy And Postpartum
During pregnancy, your hormones change dramatically.
One of the first to spike is human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. Thats the hormone your pregnancy test measured and its rising levels indicated that you were pregnant. Pregnancy also causes several other hormone levels to rise, including estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and prolactin. Your blood volume also rose during pregnancy, to as much as 50 percent greater volume than normal by your due date.
Immediately after your baby is born, several of your hormone levels drop quickly, including estrogen and progesterone. Those hormones will be almost back to normal levels within 24 hours after birth, although prolactin will stay high as long as youre breast-feeding.
Your blood volume also decreases, but its drop is more gradual. It gets back to normal a few weeks after your baby arrives.
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Prenatal Vitamins For Hair Growth When Pregnant Vs Biotin
Women who are pregnant or trying to be pregnant should actively take prenatal vitamins so there are enough nutrients in the body during conception to provide the baby a healthy environment to grow.
If youre pregnant these health supplements are the logical choice if trying to decide the better choice in the biotin vs prenatal vitamins for hair growth battle.
Some women use prenatal vitamins for hair growth because hair tends to grow longer during pregnancy. Some ladies imagine that they’ll enjoy the full and healthy fast-growing locks that accompany pregnancy long after the baby.
However, soon after the baby is born, their hair returns to normal or begins to shed more than usual. Prenatal vitamins are an essential part of prenatal care and are packed with many health-boosting nutrients, many that are beneficial for faster hair growth however, this drastic change in hair growth patterns is not completely due to the vitamin supplements.
There are some natural and hormonal changes that come along with the pregnancy phase that account for the bountiful hair growth that takes place.
How pregnancy benefits hair…
When a woman becomes pregnant, her body becomes oxygen-rich in order to properly deliver nutrients to her developing baby.
Blood circulation becomes extremely high in order to adapt to the metabolic needs of the embryo. This increased circulation also helps transport oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles.
What Causes Postpartum Hair Loss
The average person loses about 100 hairs a day, but not all at once, so you don’t notice them. When you’re expecting, however, your pregnancy hormones keep those hairs from falling out leaving your hair looking as lush as a supermodel’s, or so thick that you can barely get a brush through it.
But all good things must come to an end, and that includes your awesome new ‘do. When those hormones drop back to normal, the extra hairs drop, too.
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You’re Trying To Get Pregnant
One of the main nutrients in prenatal vitamins is folic acid, which many women dont get enough naturally, even if theyre eating a healthy diet. Unfortunately, folic acid deficiency has been linked to birth defectsand potentially low birthweights in some infants, so making sure mom is getting enough is very important. Prenatal vitamins also commonly include the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid , which can help with brain development and vision. While fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, there is concern regarding fish consumption and mercury toxicity while pregnant, meaning pregnant women must rely on supplementation to reduce the risk to themselves and their baby/babies.
One to try: Thorne Basic Prenatal
Are There Any Natural Sources Of Folic Acid
Folate is naturally found in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts and some meats, to name a few. Its better to get it from these sources than fortified sources like white bread, cereals, etc, advises Dr Gupta. She also notes that the amino acid, lysine can help your body absorb folic acid better.
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Can I Take Prenatal Vitamins If I Dont Want To Get Pregnant
Prenatal vitamins are specific to the needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Theyre geared to make up the common nutritional deficiencies a pregnant woman could have. But they arent really intended for women who arent expecting or lactating.
Taking too much folic acid each day can have the adverse side effect of masking a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Excess iron can be a problem, too. Getting too much iron is associated with health problems like constipation, nausea, and diarrhea.
Excess amounts of nutrients like vitamin A taken from synthetic vitamins could be toxic to a persons liver.
Again, its better if you get these nutrients through your diet instead of a pill. For these reasons, most women should skip prenatal vitamins unless their doctors tell them otherwise.
Pink Stork Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are frequently taken to promote a healthy pregnancy, but they may accomplish more than that. They might also help you grow your hair healthier. We selected Pink Stork Vitamins since they contain all of the required nutrients for your health and the health of your baby.
They are also gluten-free, dairy-free, and GMO-free. They dont contain any additives or chemicals that may be harmful to you or the baby. Finally, Pink Stork is a trustworthy brand when it comes to having a healthy pregnancy and postpartum.
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Can You Take A Prenatal If You Arent Pregnant
If youre not pregnant, there are a few things to consider before taking a prenatal vitamin for hair growth.
The main concern with taking a prenatal when you arent pregnant is iron toxicity. Nonpregnant women need 18 milligrams of iron per day, compared to pregnant women who need 27 milligrams.
Taking too much iron daily over a long period of time can lead to symptoms such as:
- stomach pain
- constipation
- liver complications
However, some prenatals dont contain any iron at all. In short, your best bet is to investigate the label thoroughly if you decide you want to take a prenatal.
Calcium is another nutrient of concern when taking a prenatal outside of pregnancy. In the long run, getting more calcium than your body requires could contribute to kidney issues.
Powerful Hair Plus Unique Hair Vitamins
Powerful Hair manufactures their products in a unique way, working from the ground-up to give you a high-quality experience. All Powerful Hair products are made in the U.S.A., we can guarantee that youre getting items made to the highest standards.
Each bottle is filled with vitamins containing all-natural ingredients such as Biotin, MSM, Saw Palmetto, even Fo-Ti. There are even more on top of that. On top of that, all these natural ingredients are packed in a vegetable capsule that is gluten-free, cruelty-free, and does not contain any harmful chemicals.
Powerful Hair Plus attacks the root of the issue. Instead of working at the surface, the Powerful Hair Plus product goes deep into the body and corrects vitamin deficiencies that are known for causing hair loss or lack of hair growth in order to cause the body to begin to create healthy hair.
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Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins
During pregnancy, there are so many changes happening to your body and mind that it can be challenging to stay on top of everything. One thing you may not have been expecting is hair loss during pregnancy, which can leave you feeling frustrated and worried. Luckily, Vitafusion has a Prenatal Gummy Vitamin that might help promote healthy hair and nails.
Vitafusion gummy vitamins are nutrient-rich and delicious. This unique blend contains folic acid, omega-3 DHA, Vitamin A, and D to support a healthy pregnancy. On top of that, Vitafusions safe, gentle formulation only contains naturally sourced flavors that taste like gummy candy.
Furthermore, the formula is free from gluten, corn syrup, synthetic dyes, and dairy products so that the gummies become gentle on the stomach. Youll not experience stomach issues, such as heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and cramps, when you take these gummies since they dont contain iron.
Is Hairfinity Right For You
* DISCLAIMER: The statements endorsed herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and information mentioned on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information and statements made are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating doctor. Hairfinity does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Hairfinity are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice.
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