Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Growth to avoid losing hair during pregnancy
While a lof of hair growth products reviews could be found out there, Prenatal vitamins are beneficial for pregnant women. They help keep the mommy-to-be and her baby in good health condition throughout the pregnancy. This includes maintaining the good health of the scalp necessary for hair growth. As hair appears to grow longer faster with pregnant women, most believe that these vitamins also work with non-pregnant women. Is the belief about prenatal vitamins for hair growth true?
Why Hair Grows Longer Faster During Pregnancy
To find out, it helps to examine why hair growth seems to be at its optimum with pregnant women. Studies show that pregnant women undergo hormonal changes during their pregnancy. Their estrogen level rises. The increase in estrogen has significant effect in hair growth.
Hair growth comes in three phases. First, you have the growing phase where the hair grows roughly ½ inch a month or an average of six (6) inches in a year’s time. The second phase is the transitional lasting about one to two weeks. In this phase, the hair shrinks about 1/6 of its length. Then it enters the third phase- resting that lasts up to six weeks, where the hair stops growing. This is also when the old hair sheds or the new hair pushes the old to begin a new cycle of hair growth.
The increase in estrogen prevents the hair from entering the second and third phases such that the hair seems to appear ‘locked’ into the growing phase. This makes it possible for women to grow their hair longer faster during their pregnancy.
The Role of Prenatal Vitamins to Hair Growth
Prenatal vitamins contain the nutrients essential for pregnant moms to stay healthy to benefit their babies. These vitamins also regulate the hormones to ensure healthy pregnancy. The benefits and nourishment pregnant women gets from their prenatal vitamins extend to the growth of their hair. This is why pregnant women do not only grow their hair longer faster but their hair appears to be fuller, thicker, and healthier; thus, the belief about prenatal vitamins for hair growth is borne.
Regardless whether the belief is true or not, there are certain vitamins that are beneficial to the hair. One of these vitamins is biotin that belongs to Vitamin B-complex. This vitamin benefits pregnant women as they prevent gestational diabetes (increase in blood sugar during pregnancy). Vitamin B-complex also helps control blood pressure during pregnancy and keeps the cholesterol level in check.
Biotin specifically benefits hair growth in several ways. Countless studies and clinical trials prove how biotin plays a crucial role in preventing hair loss and stimulating hair growth or re-growth. It nourishes the hair follicles that produce hair stands acting like food for the hair. Deficiency in biotin results to dry and brittle hair prone to breakage and eventually hair loss.
While you can get biotin and other prenatal vitamins for hair growth from food such as in meats like liver and poultry such as eggs, you may not be able to get the right amount. Food processing alters the biotin and other vitamin content of food. The solution is to get the amount from hair growth products that contain biotin and all the essential vitamins- prenatal included necessary to grow your hair longer and healthier.