Do Prenatal Vitamins Promote Hair Growth? What You Need to Know
It’s already well-known, especially for mothers, that during pregnancy the frequency of hair growth increases. Many believe that’s because of taking prenatal vitamins, which cause the hair to grow. But do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth?!
You can find the answer to this question in the article below. You’ll also learn about the key nutrients involved in general hair growth and alternatives for them too.
Do Prenatal Vitamins Promote Hair Growth?
Prenatal vitamins are a very important part of pregnancy and have many benefits for health treatment. For that reason, many myths are known about these nutrients as well. Prenatal vitamins are specifically formulated to support a growing baby and mother’s health, not hair growth. So taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy doesn’t necessarily promote hair growth. If you want your hair to look healthier and thicker, there are many other effective ways to achieve that.
The Reality:
Do you know the main purpose of taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy? Guarantee, it’s not hair growth, right? Prenatal vitamins are created to support your health and your baby’s proper development. There’s no evidence that prenatal vitamins will directly make your hair grow. However, some of these vitamins include nutrients that can indirectly affect your hair’s health.
For example, iron and vitamin D have been shown to be beneficial for hair growth. Prenatal vitamins also include B vitamins, which are responsible for healthy cell growth which may consist of skin and hair as well. So indirectly, they may support hair to grow.
Temporary Hair Growth During Pregnancy:
When you’re pregnant many things change in your appearance as well as in your body. Most of them are temporary and will go back to an older shape or condition after childbirth. During pregnancy, many women notice a slight improvement in the quality and length of their hair. It typically grows better, is shinier, and hardly falls out. Do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth? No, the reason is hormones which make your hair grow faster and healthier. The estrogen level increases throughout pregnancy and that supports your hair to look more healthier. However, these hair changes are usually temporary.
Key Nutrients in Prenatal Vitamins That Impact Hair Health
Biotin (Vitamin B7):
Biotin, also called vitamin B7 is necessary for the body to metabolize fats, protein, and carbohydrates, and consume energy and nutrients from them. Biotin deficiency often leads to hair loss and skin problems, and therefore supplements can aid hair growth.
Prenatal vitamins taken during pregnancy may consist of B vitamins, including Biotin to support the baby’s healthy development. So when using those vitamins, your hair may also become healthier and stronger.
Iron:
Iron is the nutrient that helps your body to produce hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to the body’s cells to help them to grow or repair themselves. This also includes body cells which help your hair to grow.
Iron also improves blood circulation, including blood supply and lymphatics. These vessels nurture hair follicles, and growth and help nutrient delivery. Loss of blood supply to hair follicles can lead to some forms of hair loss. So always be aware of how balanced the iron is in your body.
Vitamin D:
Some researchers have found that vitamin D interacts directly with hair follicles. When your body has enough vitamin D, it helps hair to grow and function properly. This also supports the growth/anagen phase, where thick hair is produced. Vitamin D also has its role in the creation of new hair follicles. Hair follicles are tiny pores from where new hair grows. Newly grown follicles tend to maintain hair thickness and prevent existing hair from falling out. So maintaining vitamin D balance is important for your healthy hair.
Folic Acid:
Folic acid is an important vitamin for maintaining healthy hair because it supports the production of keratin which is a protein that creates the hair structure. Insufficiency of folic acid can cause hair thinning and loss, that’s why it is always an important ingredient while making hair growth products.
Folic acid helps the development of new cells in organs, which then turns into healthy cell division and eventually positively affects hair growth. To maintain a healthy cycle for your hair growth, always make sure to intake enough folic acid needed for your body.
Prenatal Vitamins vs. Biotin for Hair Growth
Biotin Supplements:
Do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth? Is it the best solution for your hair?! Let’s see:
If you’re comparing prenatal vitamins vs biotin for hair growth, always consider the body they are going in. It mostly depends on your needs and goals. Biotin is known to support existing hair growth and increase its thickness, which will lead to decreased hair fallout.
Therefore prenatal vitamins promote healthy blood circulation and oxygen delivery to your scalp which affect hair growth. In essence, biotin is often known to improve the strength and thickness of hair, while prenatal vitamins, especially folic acid, support general cell growth, indirectly benefiting hair growth too.
Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Health:
Prenatal vitamins are something that is necessary mostly for every pregnant woman to consume. They consist of many different nutrients that positively affect processes in your body, including hair growth. But how do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth?!
Many compare biotin vs prenatal vitamins for hair growth, when in reality, sometimes biotin is something that is found in some prenatal vitamins. For example, in B vitamins, which are the nutrients of prenatals. Biotin is vitamin B7, which as we already discussed, has a very positive impact on hair growth. But it doesn’t mean that prenatal vitamins are specifically targeted to promote healthy hair. Their purpose is to maintain the mother's health and support the baby's development.
Which is Better for Hair Growth?
When choosing prenatal vitamins vs biotin for hair growth, always consider individual needs and the body it has to go in. If your goal is to have healthy hair or nails and don’t have the special need for other nutrients, in this case, biotin can be the best option for you.
But if you’re pregnant or trying to be, then prenatal vitamins are a better choice for you. They contain biotin (the best prenatal vitamins for hair growth), which will support your hair’s health, and therefore include some other nutrients that will become necessary during your pregnancy. But before making a decision, consider consulting with your doctor to be more sure of your body’s needs.
Can Prenatal Vitamins Improve Hair Growth for Non-Pregnant Women?
Possible Side Effects for Non-Pregnant Women:
Do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth? Again, directly no. Prenatal vitamins shouldn’t be taken if you’re not pregnant. If you need any type of nutrients or have some other goal for your body to achieve, there would be many other effective ways for it rather than accomplishing it with prenatal vitamins. This is because unnecessary consumption of prenatal vitamins can cause much damage, as your body will be producing excessive iron and folic acid, which can cause severe liver, stomach, or nerve damage. So don’t face these risks with your own prescribed routine, talk to your doctor and precise what is best for you.
Hormonal Effects on Hair Growth During Pregnancy
Increased Estrogen Levels:
When your pregnancy journey starts, your body is expected to go through many changes, including hormonal ones. During pregnancy, the level of hormone estrogen is increasing. It supports hair to remain in a growing also called anagen phase and stimulates your hair growth. Because of that, while you’re pregnant expect to have a full and shiny head of hair.
That is the reason why pregnant women don’t usually go through hair loss, estrogen is responsible for it. But it’s temporary, after pregnancy it may change.
Postpartum Hair Loss:
Postpartum hair loss is a common condition that appears after 3 months of having the baby and may last up to six months. It’s a normal part of the after-pregnancy process and is only temporary, as it was hair growth during pregnancy. For most people, the hair goes back to the condition it had before getting pregnant.
The reason behind excessive hair loss after childbirth is the changes in hormonal balance, specifically in estrogen. During pregnancy, this hormone level increases which positively impacts hair growth and causes the body to keep the hair it would usually lose. After the baby is born, estrogen levels decrease to its previous condition and the extra hair falls out.
Alternatives to Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Growth
Biotin Supplements:
If you read the article till here, then you won’t have a question about if do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth. If you are looking for something effective to make your hair, skin, or nails healthier then your solution is biotin. It produces a protein called keratin, which makes up all three of them and supports their healthy look.
Collagen Supplements:
The human body produces collagen itself, but it can also be consumed from food supplements as well. Collagen can offer many benefits for your body, including creating strong, healthy, more hydrated, and elastic hair.
Keratin is the main protein from which your hair is built. Therefore some amount of keratin can be found in collagen. When you intake collagen or other kinds of proteins, your body tends to break them down into amino acids that can also be used to build up stronger hair proteins and strengthen the skin that contains your hair roots.
A Balanced Diet:
Including a balanced diet in your daily routine can be beneficial not only for your hair but for the overall health of your body. In healthy eating, you can include fresh fruits and vegetables that produce very necessary and important vitamins for your body. For example, Omega-3 fatty acid is a vitamin that can help to create healthier hair follicles and support hair growth.
Vitamins A, C, D, and E produce nutrients that maintain your healthy scalp and shiny hair. They also produce collagen, an important ingredient for your hair structure. So if you want to make your hair shinier and healthier, start by rearranging your daily eating routine.
Common Myths About Prenatal Vitamins and Hair Growth
Myth 1 – Prenatal Vitamins Are the Best for Hair Growth:
Let’s go back to the same question from which we started this article. Do prenatal vitamins promote hair growth? It can’t be said that they are the most effective way to make your hair grow, but as already stated above, they can indirectly affect hair health positively, but only during pregnancy.
Prenatal vitamins and hair growth without pregnancy can’t be healthily linked together. The main purpose of taking prenatal vitamins is to maintain the mother's health and support the baby's healthy growth and development.
Myth 2 – Prenatal Vitamins Work Immediately:
The only reason that prenatal vitamins can be connected to hair growth is when being pregnant and therefore, having an increased amount of hormone estrogen. Prenatal vitamins aren’t something to be used as a tool for quickly creating thicker or healthier hair. If you want to achieve this condition for your hair, try a balanced diet or other vitamins that can be used outside of pregnancy. Consult with your doctor and keep yourself safe.
FAQs About Prenatal Vitamins and Hair Growth
Can prenatal vitamins cause excessive hair growth?
Prenatal vitamins can’t lead to excessive hair growth as their purpose isn’t to serve or support healthier hair. If you’re pregnant and notice that your hair changed and become healthier, longer, and thicker, it’s because of the hormones. Increased estrogen levels cause the hair to grow temporarily and after childbirth, it goes back to its previous condition.
How long does it take for prenatal vitamins to affect hair growth?
When taking prenatal vitamins, you will need approximately 3 to 6 months to see how it can affect your hair condition. The best prenatal vitamins for hair growth is biotin, which can support the hair-growing process, but results won’t be seen immediately. Hair usually grows very slowly and it needs time to become visible how it can be changed after a long period of taking prenatal vitamins.
Is it safe to take prenatal vitamins solely for hair growth?
If you’re not pregnant, it’s not recommended to start taking prenatal vitamins, especially for hair growth. If you intend to make your hair longer and healthier, there are many different ways to make it happen. Using prenatal vitamins just for hair growth isn’t safe, as excessive intake of iron, folic acid or other nutrients included in these vitamins can create severe risks for your body.
Does your hair grow faster with prenatal vitamins?
Prenatal vitamins aren’t created to make your hair grow, therefore they also don't make your hair grow faster. During pregnancy, prenatal vitamins can indirectly affect hair growth, as they contain biotin and other nutrients that support healthier and stronger hair. But prenatal vitamins aren’t something that should be used as only a tool for hair growth.
What is the best vitamin for hair growth?
The best vitamin for hair growth can be considered biotin, as it helps to produce keratin, a protein used to make up your hair. But there are other vitamins that also support that process and create stronger, healthier, and longer hair. Such as Vitamin A, C, D, and E which produce collagen, help avoid hair loss, and hydrate the scalp.
Does folic acid help with hair growth?
Folic acid can be helpful in the hair growth process because it supports the production of Keratin. Keratin is the protein that makes up the structure of your hair. Not taking enough amount of folic acid for your body can cause hair loss or thinning. That’s why it is one of the important ingredients when making hair products.