This Morning: Liz Earle discusses supplements for hair loss
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Slight hair loss isn’t usually anything to be worried about as most people lose around 50 to 100 hairs a day, usually without even noticing. However, stresses of life, genetics or medical conditions can cause a person to lose far more than a few strands. Two supplements could help with your hair regrowth according to studies.
Zinc
Collective Laboraties said: “Throughout the body, zinc is essential for healthy biological processes like hair growth.
“Zinc also has anti-inflammatory properties and promotes cell division – key factors in maintaining scalp health.
“By supporting healthy follicles, zinc will ensure a balanced scalp as the foundation of a healthy head of hair.
“Zinc strengthens the sebaceous gland, prolonging the hair growth cycle and promoting hair follicle recovery.”
A study published in the National Library of Health looked at oral zinc therapy for zinc deficiency-related telogen effluvium.
Zinc is crucial for maintaining human body homeostasis and is one of the major components of hormones, signal molecules, and enzymes, noted the study.
It continued: “In order to test whether oral zinc administration can successfully improve zinc deficiency-related alopecia, we treated five patients with zinc deficiency-related telogen effluvium with oral zinc administration.
“In all patients, hair loss was cured or improved.”
The study concluded that administration of zinc for zinc deficiency-related alopecia may recover appropriate activities of metalloenzymes, hedgehog signalling, and immunomodulation, all of which are required for normal control of hair growth cycle.
Biotin
One of the best-known vitamins for hair regrowth is said to be a B-vitamin known as biotin.
Experts have linked a biotin deficiency with hair loss in humans.
Although biotin is used as an alternative hair-loss treatment, those who are deficient have the best results.
Other B-vitamins help create red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles. These processes are important for hair growth.
Biotin stimulates keratin production in hair and can increase the rate of follicle growth.
According to a 2017 review in the journal Skin Appendage Disorders, there is little conclusive evidence that biotin reduces hair loss, but it remains a popular supplement for hair, skin, and nail growth.
“Biotin supplementation may be helpful for people who are truly biotin-deficient, but biotin deficiency is quite rare amongst the general population,” said Dr Gary Linkov, a facial plastic surgeon and hair restoration specialist.
Other hair loss treatments
Finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness, recommended by the NHS.
Minoxidil can also be used to treat female pattern baldness, but women shouldn’t use finasteride.
But it’s important to know these treatments don’t work for everyone and may only work for as long as they’re used.
They also aren’t available on the NHS and can be expensive.
Other ways to treat hair loss include a hair transplant – when hair cells are moved to thinning patches – and tattooing, when tattoos are used to look like short hair and eyebrows.
If your hair loss is causing you distress, speak to your GP who may be able to help you get some counselling.
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