QUESTION: Someone told me that prenatal vitamins are beneficial for women with hair loss. Have you, or perhaps your readers, heard of this?
ANSWER: While no formal studies have been conducted, there are reports of pregnant women who have taken prenatal vitamins and have noticed an increase in hair thickness and growth.
Prenatal vitamins contain elevated amounts of calcium, iron and folic acid. An increase in calcium is required because a woman needs stronger bones to be able to carry the additional weight of a baby to full-term. Additional iron helps the body make new blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Folic acid has been proven to prevent spina bifida, a neural-tube defect.
Folic acid is one of the B-complex vitamins available in many hair-growth formulas on the market today. It is reported to cause hair to grow faster and the strands to become thicker. According to dermatologists, there are various ways to treat hair loss. Rogaine is an excellent choice, but if you choose to go a more natural route, they recommend that blood tests be done to rule out anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and copper deficiency. Biotin, B vitamins, iron and omega-3 fatty acids (such as omega-3 oil) are all necessary for proper hair, skin and nail health. Saw palmetto has shown promise in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is caused by the some of the same hormones that cause hair loss.
