CosmoBiz Magazine November 2015 | Page 79

VITAMIN D: Regarded as one of the best vitamins in general, vitamin D has properties directly related to the cycle of your hair follicle, therefore making it one of the most essential vitamins for healthy hair. Additionally, vitamin D controls the mineral balance within your body. This essentially means that other vitamins have to go through vitamin D receptors including Zinc which is also a nutrient needed to promote hair growth. Whatever your direction in starting a hair supplement routine, make sure you have your vitamin D covered as it’s the foundation to your nutrient arsenal. B COMPLEX VITAMINS: The most popular B-complex vitamins used to promote healthier hair are Biotin and Niacin. These vitamins are known to improve the strength of your strands and help restore thickness and shine. As a result your hair retains growth and looks fuller. It’s also good to note that Biotin produces the protein Keratin which is used in numerous hair strengthening treatments. While we won’t say that B-Complex vitamins make your hair grow, we will say that it helps you keep the hair you have, longer. VITAMIN A & E: Another hair retention vitamin, Vitamin A, promotes healthy hair by producing sebum. This nutrient helps stop drying and breakage resulting in longer hair. While Vitamin E isn’t directly related to hair growth in particular, it is known to be one of the most important vitamins promoting a healthy immune system which generally relates to healthy hair. Again, neither of these vitamins can actually make your hair grow, but the key is promoting a healthy environment—your body— for your hair to grow. If you’re looking to try out a hair growth supplement, our advice would be to do your research, make sure the brand contains these vitamins, and don’t venture into this expecting immediate results. The reality is, hair growth is a process, and taking supplements is just one aspect in order to reach the hair length goals of your dreams. And remember, when in doubt, a daily multivitamin can work just as well. 79