Vitamins/supplements for hair/skin? Which ones help you?
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free skin care · Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:07 am

I take a multivitamin for total health not just hair, just so I know I'm getting a bit of everything. I also take EFAs and garlic and probiotics, again just because I know they are good for me as a whole.

I hear people asking all the time for suggestions on vitamins that work on different things (hair, skin), but I think this will be different for everyone, since we are all not eating the same food, do not have the same metabolism nor do we have the same internal needs. Supplements usually make a positive difference in your health if your diet or body are deficient in the nutrients the supplements are bringing in and if your body is able to assimilate them, meaning they should be easily broken down. Sometimes taking enzymes can help with that.

Because it's so easy to overdose on some oil-soluble vitamins, I think a multi-vitamin/mineral is safest to take. Not only are the quantities of the nutrients kept at a safe amount, but many of them work better when combined with others, and multis tend to have that part of the equation addressed in ratios that work, thus saving you the headache of having to figure that out. The Vitamin Shoppe's version of Hair, Skin and Nails contains more than just the "usual suspects" you find in hair vitamins and so if I were interested only on hair, skin and nails supplements and not too worried about anything else, I'd go for something like that because I get a lot more that will be helpful.

One thing to remember is hair and nails are at the bottom of list when it comes to your body taking care of itself. So if you aren't getting all the nutrients your body needs, then what you take just for hair may never get to where you want it, because the organs and the main system that keeps you alive will be served first and then if anything is left behind then your hair and nails will get a share. But that doesn't mean if you take a surplus then your hair is surely to be served, the machine that ensures delivery of nutrients is optimum needs to be functioning at its best too, so you can't ignore the fact that other nutrients not necessarily needed for hair growth are needed indirectly because the human machine has to be in perfect condition for it to deliver the necessary nutrients wherever they are needed. So focus on taking care of the whole body, and you'll see your hair, skin and nails reap the benefits too.

free skin care · Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:43 pm

I DONT work in lifestyle healthcare, but I already knew all of what both Nonie and Firefox have written - but thanks for the reminder that I'm doing all the right stuff... Wink

I've been into nutrition and natural therapies since I was a child because an idiot doctor overdosed me on Aspirin and nearly killed me. It left me in hospital for 2 months and gave me a lot of health problems.

After that I declared to my mother that "God gave us everything we need to heal ourselves within us and in Nature!" and I prattled on a bit about how I didnt believe in medications. A few years later she brought me a couple of naturopathy and vitamin bible type of books which I still have today and I think I can recite every word written within them! I live by those books! Very Happy

I know that some people require medications to remain alive, but meds just arent for me as I still react badly to most of them...

free skin care · Sat Oct 15, 2011 2:27 pm

flick24 wrote:

I am totally lost on this after reading through the great wealth of info on this forum I have come across all sorts of supplements people are taking if i took them all I'd be popping pills all day, I was all set to get some Hyaluronic Acid because i read it might be good for skin especially if it has collagen added althought I heard collagen supplements were not effective now I don't know what to get.
Theres lots of different supplements in my local health shop which claim to help skin etc but they are quite expensive.

A forum full of unqualified people can be a fantastic source of cosmetic advice but is a poor resource for nutrition. If you want to learn more, purchase a reputable text ('Feed your Face' by dermatologist Jessica Wu is evidence-based), look for online articles which are referenced with research papers or proper text books or read unbiased sites (governments, universities, non-commercial healthcare providers, charities, sporting bodies, World Health Organisation).

The vast majority of targeted food supplements are produced as a money spinner, to make customers feel better about their unhealthy lifestyle. Remember the skin is an organ; all parts of the human body need the same array of nutrients and all parts of the human body are damaged by the same toxins. Research shows micro-nutrients are better absorbed from food than expensive pills, and all Western governments distill this research into healthy eating guidelines. Unfortunately in my professional experience very, very few people adhere to these consistently! Confused

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