Prenatal vitamins & hair growth?
I happened to see a response when someone is recommending prenatal vitamins for hair growth or have heard of. Does anyone know if this helps hair growth? I took prenatal vitamins because some ‘Dr. told me to start taking them b4 trying to get pregnant, but I felt like I was losing my hair, I felt like my hair was falling so I stopped taking them.
When you get pregnant your body tries to retain EVERYTHING. Your hair gets thicker, your nails get stronger and longer, your behind, well, just don’t look back there. After the pregnancy, your hair will fall out in clumps and you’ll think you’re going bald. This happened to me during my second pregnancy. It had nothing to do with prenatals, as I couldn’t take them the second time around, just the normal pregnancy horomones.
Women who take prenatal vitamins find that their hair and their nails grow a lot better and stronger. However, what people don’t realize is that if you take regular vitamins you can get the same affect. If you are not pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant then do not take prenatal vitamins.
Iwould talk to my doctor and see if you could get a different prenatal vitamin Im sure there is more than one kind
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Doctors’ Answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” – Hair Growth
These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Aldactone & Hair Growth [posted 11/25/98]
Question: I am a 31 year old healthy, active and slightly overweight female and have been on oral contraceptives for several years (Loovral) I have small amounts of facial hair and dark body hair – it seems to be a family trait as my 2 sisters and mother have similar problems. I have been checked for hormonal imbalances and diabetes and there was no cause found for the hair growth. My doctor says that this is not abnormal – that a lot of similar hair growth occurs with for no diagnosable problem other than heredity. It isn’t a major problem just annoying. She prescribed 50mg of Aldactone daily to try to reverse the effects of the hair growth. I only took the Aldactone for 1 month and my husband and I decided that we are ready to start planning for children. The doctor says that I be off of birth control and Aldactone for 3 months before we can try to get pregnant. All of the information I have found stated that there has not been adequate testing of the affects of Aldactone on pregnancy. How long does Aldactone stay in your system and what are the possible complications if I were to get pregnant before the 3 months is over? What effect can birth control pills have in this equation? I have discontinued taking both prescriptions (about 1 month ago) and am taking prenatal vitamins (for 2 months).
Answer: The reason to use Aldactone is the estrogen like effect that it produces (blocking facial hair growth). However, there is no reason to assume that high levels of estrogen would do anything to a pregnancy. Most patients are counseled to start to get pregnant as soon as you are off the birth control. It should not last in your system more than a week or two and I’m not sure what his/her goal is in the waiting period.
Sudden Onset of Pubic Hair Growth [posted 11/19/98]
Question: My wife is 38 years old. During the last 5 years her pubic hair has extended to her inner thighs. It is now about 1.5″ into her thighs and as thick as her regular pubic hair. She has no other medical conditions, has never had children and is not taking any medication or contraceptives. What could be the reason for this growth?
Answer: Two possibilities, first familial-so if the same thing happened to her mother probably no big deal. Secondly, overproduction of testerone. This is seen in several medical syndromes and needs to be evaluated. Treatment commonly is spironolactone to reduce/eliminate the hair propagation.
Body Hair [posted 7/17/98]
Question: Since the birth of my 4 1/2 month old, I have noticed more body hair. I am breastfeeding my son. Can you give me some information on why I would be having more body hair now.
Answer: Have you noticed that you have more or less? Either could be the case if there is an endocrine disturbance post delivery. If you can breast feed, it would argue against anything important, but will need a full endocrine evaluation.
Hair Density
Question: Does shaving affect the actual thinkness of facial hair?
Answer: Shaving has no effect on hair density. If it did bald men would shave hourly. Hair depends on your genetic heritage and the sex steroids present in your system. Neither the amount or type of shaving will have any effect on the amount of hair present. Different methods of hair removal focus on pulling the hair out by the root(waxing, tweezing etc.) or damage to the hair root(electrolysis, lazer treatment etc.).
Facial Hair growth in women
Question: I am a 21 year old healthy female. I have been noticing numerous amount of hair growth on my whole face, surrounded by the mouth and my cheeks area. Is there any resolution you think I can do to control this hair growth?
Answer: There are two types of facial hair syndromes with women. First are endocrine disorders. These usually are marked by irregular or missing periods, weight gain and masculine changes(deeper voice, change of pubic hair distribution, bigger muscles, etc.) Secondly, are familial hair problems(your mother, sister, grandmother had similar hair distribution). Initial treatment is usually a drug called spironolactone assuming the endocrine evaluation is normal. There are new ruby laser treatments being used by plastic surgeons which will completely ablate the hairs-it is expensive but works and is permanent.
Hair transplants
Question: I am a female and was burned when I was 6 months old on the right side, top part of my head. No hair has ever grown here. Is there a hair transplant that would be of use to me? I’m 42 now and the bald spot is the size of a 50 cent piece.
Answer: I’d discuss this with a plastic surgeon. For a small area, depending on the location, excision might work. Transplantation of hair plugs is also effective if excision is not an option. This should be fairly easily fixed depending on the size and location of the denuded area.
Rate of hair growth
Question: I am of African decent, and the growth rate of my hair compared to others is very slow, I’ve been growing my hair for a year now, and people whom I started before now have longer hair than I do. Is there something I can do to enhance the growth rate of my hair?
Answer: Hair and nail growth is very individual. However, a low thyroid can occasionally cause slow growth. Get this checked out. If this is normal I wouldn’t be too concerned.
Facial Hair Growth
Question: I am a 26 years old male. I don’t have much hair in my face and chest although I am very hairy in the other parts of my body. All my family’s males are very hairy. I visited an endocrinologist and he found my testosterone level to be normal. He said giving me testosterone has a lot of side effects, such as breast enlargement and shrinkage of testicles. The problem is not that I don’t have hair at all, but they are very very tiny hair pieces that have not increased by shaving.
Answer: The amount and distribution of ones hair growth is mainly dictated by your parents. In particular by your father and your mother’s father. Facial hair is very similar to hair in other parts of the body. There doen’t seem to be any way to induce hair growth which will last. Use of rogaine on the face should work, but must be performed every day or the effect will begin to vanish.
Fastin & Hair Growth
Question: I have experienced hair thinning/loss for the past 7 years. I am now 29. I noticed the thinning after a 3 month period of taking Fastin for weight reduction. Recently I was prescribed prednisone for an allergic reaction to an unknown source. Something I noticed immediately was growth of my frontal hairline. I also took tagamet and atarax during the 2 week period of the allergic reaction. Could one or a combination of these drugs be causing my hair growth? Would it be sensible to request my physician to continue this treatment to regrow my hair?
Answer: The only drug the potentially would have an effect is the Prednisone. This can cause hair growth when the loss is due to inflammation(not the typical male type balding). The other medications would have no effect. A better question is what caused the loss of hair. There is a fairly significant work up including biopsy which will be necessary to answer this question.
Female Facial Hair
Question: I am a 34 year old female, healthy as far as I know. I have one problem, hair. I have begun to get dark whisker-like hairs growing from my chin and neck. This is very embarrassing, and I don’t know why it has started, any help for me?
Answer: There are two types of facial hair in women. The first is associated with masculinizing tumors and there is usually a change in pelvic hair, chest hair etc. in a male pattern. Women’s pelvic hair usually doesn’t go the umbilicus(belly button) men’s usually does. Secondly, if women in your family have this problem you probably are cursed with it. There are two options. First, treatment with spirolactone(usually a mild diuretic) will usually result in a decrease in hair. Secondly, laser treatment with a ruby laser will permanently remove the hair. This usually takes 2-3 sessions and unfortunately is not usually covered by insurance. The cost varies with the area;but, is $2-3000 in most plastic surgeon or dermatologists offices
As hard as anyone pregnant or not can try, very few mothers get a nutritionally balanced diet everyday. During pregnancy this can sometimes become even more impossible especially during early pregnancy when morning sickness is a common appetite suppressant and fatigue makes an expectant mother skip eating in exchange for a soft pillow and fresh sheets! These are just two small reasons why taking a good prenatal vitamin is vital throughout pregnancy. A good vitamin does not take the place of eating nutritiously but it can balance the scales in your favor, and your baby’s too.
Doctors routinely prescribe prenatal vitamins to women trying to conceive and to those who are pregnant. Taking a prenatal vitamin before getting pregnant and in the early months of pregnancy has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects (spina bifida) in babies.
A prenatal vitamin is a multivitamin designed to meets the need of pregnant and nursing mothers. Neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have set guidelines for what has to be in a multivitamin for it to be called a prenatal vitamin. There are some ingredients that are now considered standard in prenatal vitamins such as a greater amount of folic acid (folate), iron and calcium. Expectant mothers, breastfeeding mothers and those trying to conceive need more of these nutrients than the average woman, especially folic acid. Folic acid specifically reduces the chance of neural tube defects. And iron because with pregnancy, your body is making so much extra blood, that you could become anemic without the help of extra iron. Remember, your baby will take what it needs first to develop and grow, and therefore, your body may suffer if you’re not getting enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed throughout pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins can be purchased over-the-counter at a drugstore or your doctor or midwife may write a prescription for your vitamins.
A good prenatal vitamin should contain these:
Vitamin C – is essential for tissue repair, wound and bone healing and increases the body’s resistance to infection. For mother and baby this vitamin is essential daily as it is the agent that holds newly formed cells together. Helps baby to grow and builds strong bones and teeth. It is also instrumental in the body’s ability to absorb iron.
Vitamin D – promotes general growth. It maintains proper levels of calcium and phosphorus thus helping to build baby’s bones and teeth.
B Vitamins (thiamine, vitamin B6, riboflavin) – Thiamine converts carbohydrates into energy for mother and baby and is essential for baby’s brain development. It also aids in normal functioning of the nervous system and heart. If deficient during pregnancy, a baby is at risk for beriberi, a serious heart ailment. Vitamin B6 is also vital to develop your baby’s brain and nervous system. Riboflavin helps the body to produce energy. It promotes growth, good vision and healthy skin for mom and is important for the development of the baby’s bone, muscle and nervous system.
Folic Acid – is one of the B Vitamins that is needed to produce red blood cells. It helps synthesize DNA, is conducive to normal brain functions and is a critical part of spinal fluid, thus making it one of the few nutrients known to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Calcium – your developing baby needs this mineral to grow strong bones and teeth, healthy nerves and muscles and to develop normal heart rhythm and blood clotting.
Potassium – is a mineral that helps maintain fluid balance in the body. This mineral helps regulate blood pressure, nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
Vitamin A – is important for cell growth, healthy skin and mucous membranes, and resistance to infections. It benefits red blood cell production in both mother and baby. This vitamin is essential for postpartum tissue repair.
Copper – a trace mineral found in all plant and animal tissues; it’s essential for forming red blood cells-a key process during pregnancy, when your blood supply doubles. Copper also aids tissue growth, glucose metabolism, and growth of healthy hair. It also helps form a baby’s heart, skeletal and nervous systems, arteries, and blood vessels.
Pantothenic Acid – is a trace mineral that regulates the body’s adrenal activity, antibody production, and the growth and metabolism of protein and fats. If you are deficient in this vitamin during pregnancy your baby’s growth may be slowed. This trace mineral is required for many essential functions, including growth, appetite regulation, digestion, wound healing, and the maintenance of collagen and elastin which may explain why some doctors think it may also help prevent stretch marks, one of the banes of pregnancy.
Iron – makes red blood cells, supplies oxygen to cells for energy and growth and builds bones and teeth. In pregnancy this mineral is so crucial because the body must produce extra blood to support the growing baby. During pregnancy you will need double the recommended daily allowance of iron to insure yours’ and your baby’s health.
More often than not, many expectant mothers find taking a prenatal vitamin increases nausea in early pregnancy and sometimes beyond. If this happens, ask your doctor or midwife to change your formula or it may help to change how and when you take your vitamin. If you normally take it with a meal then try after your meal. If swallowing a large pill is difficult, cut it in half or talk to your doctor or midwife about a smaller tablet or capsule that can be opened and sprinkled on food. In any event just like your mother said all those years, don’t forget to take your vitamin.
A friend of mine took prenatal vitamins for the reason of growing stronger, healthier hair and finger nails.
After she took them for about 6 months+ and her hair did grow longer and her nails were stronger.
I was actually thinking of buying them myself for the same reason.
it definitely helped my hair grow when i was pregnant
There is nothing wrong with taking prenatal vitamins if you aren’t pregnant, but I still feel like i’m jinxing myself!!! So, anyways, the vitamin in prenatal vitamins that makes your hair grow is folic acid. You can buy that otc, as well. About your question, did you get pregnant? Because although it’s common for women to grow more hair, it is possible for it to thin, change texture, and even color. Maybe it has to do with something in your diet, do you eat enough protein and get all your vitamins and nutrients? Diet is a huge factor in the health of your hair, also if you were on any other meds, it could have affected it.
Hair growth is supported by taking Biotin, also known as Vitamin H…….
GNC has a supplement called “Nourishair” that makes the hair grow faster, you can read what’s in it by googling it. Be warned these pills are HUGE and you have to take 2 a day.
Also ProCaps labs sells a “hair skin and nails” formula that does the same thing, supports hair growth and health, and is smaller and easier to swallow.
If you take only Biotin alone, make sure you take at least 2.5 milligrams or 2500 micrograms [the same thing] a day because thats’ a good amount to take. I use the Nourishair supplement from GNC now and my hair is growing faster than it did, but it took about 6 to 8 weeks of daily use to see results
Vitamins for hair growth
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