The strength and durability of your hair can come from a number of factors from genetics to your diet, but if you’re struggling with fallout or thinning strands it may be worth integrating certain supplements into your routine that will improve the quality of your hair. It’s always ideal for your current lifestyle to improve your wellness naturally, but sometimes there are gaps in your eating plan that may result in the need of supplementation in order to put your body in the best position to thrive.
We spoke with board-certified dermatologist, Elizabeth Mullans M.D. from Uptown Dermatology to determine the most effective supplement to take for healthy hair growth so you can strengthen brittle locks and improve the quality of your strands.
Biotin
Biotin is one of the most useful supplements to integrate into your daily routine in order to benefit not only your hair, but your skin and nails as well. Particularly if your locks have a tendency towards breakage and fallout, taking biotin daily may help to boost the strength of each strand and make them more resilient to outside stressors. “Biotin is an antioxidant and is excellent for your skin, as it provides nutrients to boost the skin’s collagen production,” explains Mullans. “Biotin also helps curb hair fall, and stimulates keratin production in hair and can speed up the rate of follicle growth.”
Taking a biotin supplement daily can help bolster the overall wellness of your body, and Mullans suggests selecting a supplement with 5000 mcg of biotin each day for the best results. This dosage will work quickly to enhance collagen production to help with younger looking skin, while also allowing your hair to reap the benefits of looking fresher and healthier. That being said, taking too much biotin in one day can lead to an upset stomach, rather than expediting the results of your supplementation routine, so it may be worth checking in with a healthcare professional to determine exactly the right dosage for you and your hair’s needs, notes Mullans.
In order to enhance the rate at which you see results from your biotin routine, there are several steps you can integrate that may make the vitamin more effective within your body. “To speed up growth, try to stay hydrated, and have a healthy diet with proper food and good nutrients such as fish, nuts, and eggs,” says Mullans. “Biotin is a great over the counter remedy that is easy to get as it doesn’t require a prescription from a doctor.” Not only can biotin help to strengthen and add some durability to brittle locks, but it is also useful for enhancing the shine and overall texture of your hair as well.
Foods that are rich in biotin such as egg yolk, meat, and nuts are all wonderful additions to your diet to naturally bolster the appearance of both your hair and skin, but as B vitamins are generally more difficult to get enough of within a plant-based diet, if this is the case a supplement would be a valuable addition to your day. With no notable downsides to your overall wellness and only positives for the strength and texture of your hair, biotin is a great addition to your routine to reduce fallout and improve the health of your strands with ease.
