Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Growth and Health

By Dr. Kenosha Gleaton

The word on the street is that prenatals can give you glossy, vibrant, and strong hair, but do prenatal vitamins even have anything to do with hair health? Don’t fret; we’re here to break down the science behind these claims.

Who can benefit from taking prenatal vitamins

While prenatal and postnatal vitamins are typically reserved for women in different stages of their reproductive journey, other people may be able to benefit from taking prenatal vitamins as well. More specifically, anyone in need of larger doses of vitamins due to various deficiencies.

Can prenatal vitamins support hair health?

The short answer is yes, but that’s not what they’re intended to do. Prenatal vitamins are multivitamins with added ingredients to support a growing baby. Prenatal vitamins are specifically formulated to support a healthy pregnancy, not hair health. That being said, hair health—including hair thickness, color, and strength is somewhat impacted by diet and nutrition overall. Micronutrients play an important, but not entirely clear, role in normal hair follicle development and immune cell function. Certain vitamins and minerals are beneficial for maintaining different properties in the body, including hair, skin and nails.

How do vitamins support hair growth

Different vitamins and minerals can help regulate or support the body’s production and maintenance of proteins, AKA the building blocks of hair. When you consistently provide your body with the appropriate nutrients, it keeps many different processes working efficiently, resulting in healthier organs, and in return, healthy skin and thicker hair.

Biotin is a common supplement known to support hair, nail, and skin health. While it's not recommended during pregnancy, biotin supplements can be a great option for new moms experiencing postnatal hair loss, or anyone else that's not currently pregnant and interested in the benefits of biotin!

Ingredients in vitamins that are good for hair growth

• Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to female pattern hair loss as well as alopecia and premature hair greying.Our vitamin D gummies for adults contain 1,000 IU per gummy to ensure you are meeting your daily needs.

• Folic acid (folate) has been shown to moderately impact the progression of hair thinning and prevent premature greying.

• Vitamin B12 has been shown to moderately impact the progression of hair thinning and help prevent premature greying.

• Vitamin C aids in creating collagen while shielding hair from the harmful effects of oxidative stress, which is one of the major causes of hair loss.

• Selenium, a common mineral in multivitamins, has been linked to preventing premature greying.

When can you expect to see results?

Most multivitamins contain both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins, which means the rate of absorption can vary. Within a full 24 hours, you will have broken down most of the essential vitamins and minerals found in a multivitamin.

Vitamins, hair, and health (oh my!)

Prenatal vitamins are an essential part of a pregnancy routine that provide many key health benefits to a growing baby. While some claim that prenatal vitamins can help with healthy hair growth and even stronger nails, it can actually be toxic to consume prenatal vitamins when you’re not pregnant or trying to conceive. Excess amounts of even the best vitamins can, in fact, be damaging to the body, so we recommend sticking to a regular multivitamin which may actually help with hair health, or opt for a biotin supplement for targeted benefits. Some vitamins and minerals have been linked to fuller, more pigmented hair, but you don’t need to take a prenatal vitamin in order to get these nutrients.

Sources:

1. Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review. Dermatology and therapy. 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6
2. Draelos ZD. An Oral Supplement and the Nutrition–Skin Connection. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2019;12(7):13-16. Accessed June 18, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715334/
3. Yang FC, Zhang Y, Rheinstädter MC. The structure of people’s hair. PeerJ. 2014;2:e619. doi:https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.619
4. Nahidi Y, Banihashemi M, Meibodi N, Jarahi L, Dolatkhah M. Serum vitamin D3 level in patients with female pattern hair loss. International Journal of Trichology. 2016;8(3):116. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7753.188965
5. Wooltorton E. Too much of a good thing? Toxic effects of vitamin and mineral supplements. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2003;169(1):47-48. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164945/