Is there a vitamin for hair loss? It all depends. Do you want a vitamin to prevent or stop hair loss, or do you want a vitamin to make you lose your hair? Okay, I suppose that’s not funny, but vitamin A can do both. 5000 IU of vitamin A each day may help stop hair loss. 25,000 IU or more a day is toxic, and one of the toxic effects is that your hair falls out.

Hypervitaminosis

When taking any vitamin or nutritional supplement, be sure to take only the recommended amounts. Some vitamins, like vitamin A, can accumulate in your body and cause hypervitaminosis. Other vitamins can cause unpleasant side effects, like diarrhea, if you take too much.

B Vitamins

B complex vitamins seem to prevent hair loss. Pantothenic acid (B5) is one vitamin for hair loss. Inosotol and biotin are also important, as are niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. These are all B complex vitamins, and are found in meat, egg yolks and other foods.

Other Vitamins

Other vitamins that help with hair loss are vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A (in the proper amounts). Vitamin E may cause high blood pressure and may interfere with clotting. If you have high blood pressure or clotting problems, you should check with a physician before taking vitamin E.

Minerals

The minerals magnesium, sulfur and zinc help prevent hair loss.

Supplements vs. Food

The big question is, will taking a vitamin supplement help with hair loss? There are two points of view about using a vitamin for hair loss—or anything else.

The first point view is that as Americans, we have a good variety of foods available to us. If you eat a healthy diet with a good variety of foods, you should get all the nutrients you need without taking a supplement of any kind.

The other point of view is that modern farming processes have depleted our food of some of the natural vitamins and minerals in it. Vitamins and minerals are also lost when foods are harvested early and shipped long distances, or when preservatives are added to them. People in this camp feel that it makes good sense to take a vitamin supplement to replace the vitamins that are lost.

Is there a vitamin for hair loss? Not specifically. It is important, though, to get a good balanced diet with plenty of the right vitamins and minerals in it. You may get all the nutrients you need that way. It may be helpful to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement, too; you’ll need to decide that.

Just don’t take too much vitamin A. Unless you want your hair to fall out.

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