Hair Vitamins: Tablets or Gummies?

If you’re someone suffering from hair loss, you have probably come across ads for hair growth pills, gummies, drink mixes, or even snack foods promoted for their ability to grow your hair. While some of these products claim miracles and seem too good to be true, it can be hard to tell the true from the false! We have done some research on these miracle claims to give you the lowdown on how these supplements work and whether or not they’ll work for you.

What’s causing your hair loss?

While some supplements boast their ability to boost hair growth in anyone who wants a little extra length, if you suffer from hair loss, your needs are a little more complex.

Hair loss can be caused by many different factors. One of the most common causes of hair loss in women is traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by harsh or repetitive styling which causes strain on the hair follicles. When hair is pulled too tightly or snagged in the same areas over time, the hair is pulled out and the hair follicles can weaken, leading to patches of thinning hair or receding hairlines. For women suffering from traction alopecia, if the follicles have not been scarred or permanently damaged, this condition can be completely reversed with proper nutrition and hair care.

Additionally, many vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause hair thinning or loss. For example, zinc, protein, iron, and B vitamin deficiencies are all known to cause hair loss. People suffering from malnutrition, poor nutrition, people recovering from eating disorders, or those who experience high stress and anxiety are also prone to hair loss due to imbalance of nutrients and hormones in the body.

If you are suffering from hair loss from one of these causes, vitamins and supplements for hair growth are likely to work for you!

Does the Good outweigh the Bad? There are a lot of supplements on the market that are quite innovative in their delivery method. Gummies, snack bars, and drink mixes are increasingly common as health supplements for hair growth, but it’s important to check the ingredients before you buy! While these products may contain a boost of vitamins and minerals for hair growth, it’s important to be wary of sugar, and other additives that could potentially make matters worse.

Snacks and gummies intended for hair growth often contain the same amount of sugar as their junk food counterparts. Sugar is a leading cause of inflammation, and inflammation can inhibit healthy hair growth. In addition to sugar, often drink mixes can contain caffeine. While caffeine can make you feel energized, high levels of caffeine can also cause the stress hormone cortisol to build up in the body. Cortisol is a hormone that can contribute to hair loss. While these products may contain the vitamins the body needs to grow healthy hair, added sugars and caffeine may cancel out their positive benefits.

What vitamins and minerals are the most effective for hair growth?

If you have done any even superficial research on supplements for hair growth, you’re aware of the benefits of Biotin and Hydrolized Keratin for thinning hair. Biotin, a complex B vitamin anecdotally proven to help with hair growth, in high levels on a daily basis has been shown to help with growing fuller hair, though it has not been scientifically proven to grow hair on its own. Hydrolized keratin is a protein, specifically the kind of protein that hair and nails are made of. In combination with ingredients like collagen, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants like Vitamins A, C, and E, these daily supplements help nourish and fortify the hair follicles. While gummies and drink mixes may contain these ingredients as well, a daily supplement in the form of a tablet or capsule directly delivers these vital hair growth nutrients without unhealthy additives.

When something works, it’s normal to assume that using it more or taking more will make that product work better. This is not the case with hair growth supplements. Because the body detoxifies itself, taking in more vitamins and minerals does not mean you will retain them. Many excess vitamins are flushed out through the kidneys and end up in the toilet. The key to these supplements is to give you the necessary amounts of these nutrients so that your own follicles can work their best. If you do not have a deficiency in your diet for any of these vitamins and minerals, these supplements may not do much to boost your hair growth—however the majority of Americans don’t get the right amount of vitamins, healthy fats, or proteins.

In the case of snacks and gummies, it’s easy to waste your money. Because they taste sweet, you may end up eating more of them than the suggested daily dose. As you snack on them, you do not receive additional hair growth benefits. Instead, you’re likely wasting future daily servings that could help you in the long-term.

Bottom Line

Though gummies, drink mixes, and snack foods intended for hair growth may be a tasty and fun way to incorporate vitamins and minerals into your daily diet, added sugars and caffeine can potentially make hair loss worse. Because making a purchase of hair vitamins can be an investment in your hair journey, you want to make that investment last. Taking a daily supplement, instead of snacking on it, might help you with portion control, and increase the effectiveness of your hair vitamins over time.

Natural hair growth is not an instant process. It is a journey. Get a little boost along the way with Edge Naturale Hair Vitamins and see your hair grow fuller and stronger.