Is this popular practice safe an effective? Find out here…
It’s amazing how many people are looking for quick and easy ways to promote hair growth or improve the health of their hair! When simple, healthy lifestyle habits fail, people will turn to all sorts of interesting methods to have better, healthier, more beautiful hair.
Taking prenatal vitamins for better hair has become a popular practice in the last few years. Many women taking prenatal vitamins during their pregnancy discover that their hair grows longer, stronger, and healthier in the final months before giving birth. Given that, shouldn’t it stand to reason that taking prenatal vitamins for better hair will work even if you’re not pregnant?
First off, it’s important to know what in your prenatal vitamins:
- Iron — Iron helps the mother’s body to produce new red blood cells, which are needed to transport oxygen and nutrients around the body. More iron could equal healthier hair.
- Folic acid –– Folic acid, or folate, plays an important role in fetal development and the health of both mother and child during pregnancy. There are very few benefits of folic acid when it comes to your hair.
- Calcium –– Calcium is needed to protect the bones of the mother during pregnancy, and promote the formation of health bones in the fetus. Calcium can help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a problem common among women who have had multiple children.
Of course, prenatal vitamins are ideal for pregnant women who are unable to get a proper balance of vitamins and minerals from their diet. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, you can get enough folic acid, iron, and calcium just by eating right. Adding more fruits, veggies (especially dark leafy greens), dairy products, and whole grains to your diet should be enough to provide you with all the calcium, iron, and folic acid you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
READ MORE: Natural Ways to Make Hair Grow Faster
But back to taking prenatal vitamins for better hair…
According to a number of sources (including Dr. Oz and the Mayo Clinic), taking prenatal vitamins will do nothing to improve the health of your hair.
“But why not? If my hair is growing so much and looking so great during my pregnancy, and I’m taking the prenatal vitamins, shouldn’t the vitamins work even if I’m not pregnant?”
The simple answer to that question is: No.
The reason your hair is so beautiful during your pregnancy has nothing to do with the vitamins you are taking, and everything to do with the pregnancy itself.
Many women notice that their hair looks thicker, richer, and silkier during their second trimester of pregnancy, so they automatically assume that their hair is actually healthier. Unfortunately, as with so many other things in life, looks can be deceiving! Your hair only looks better, but it isn’t significantly healthier. Thanks to the pregnancy hormones coursing through your body, you are losing less hair, which is why it looks so much thicker, richer, and more lustrous.
Taking prenatal vitamins for better hair is kind of like taking them for bigger boobs or the “glow” that you get during pregnancy: it’s not going to work. The appearance of “better hair” is not at all related to the prenatal vitamins, but it’s all about the effect that pregnancy has on your body.
That being said, it’s still a good idea to get more iron, calcium, and folic acid in your diet. These nutrients do play important roles in your overall health, and they can help you to prevent other problems that would lead to the weakening and loss of your hair!
