If you’re looking to stimulate your hair into growing much quicker, then you absolutely need to check out this guide on the best vitamins for hair growth. I think we all know how important a role vitamins play in our well-being, but few of us recognize the effect that they can have one something as trivial as hair growth. I say trivial because compared with all their other functions, simply helping our hair to grow stronger and healthier seems to be a bit less important. Nevertheless, I’m here to help uncover the secrets of the hair growth vitamins.
The first and most “famous” of the vitamins would have to be biotin, or Vitamin H. It’s been touted as one of the “miracle cures” for hair growth, and while I would say that it is definitely very important, it’s not going to act as the end all be all of your hair health. If you’re looking to add Biotin to your hair growth regimen, I would suggest going natural and eating a lot of dairy products, as biotin is highly bioavailable in many of these.
Next on our list is Vitamin B. There are a lot of different types of Vitamin B, but it is the family itself that is helpful for hair growth. This is why it shows up in almost every hair product out there. While important, it’s not a vitamin you really need to worry about since it is so prevalent in both food and the hair products that you (hopefully) already use.
On to the next one – antioxidants. The word antioxidants has become a buzzword for overall health in the last decade or so, but it can be broken down so you actually understand what it means. Vitamin E, C and A are all part of the large family of antioxidants, and should be in your daily vitamin intake if you want to have healthy skin – and a healthy body in general. Vitamin A alone is something that you should be careful of. I want to make sure you understand that you CAN actually take too much Vitamin A and it will be harmful not only to your hair, but your entire body. So please be safe when you’re thinking about taking these supplements.
The biggest takeaway I can give you all if you’re looking for hair growth vitamins is this: vitamins and minerals are essential for your entire body, not just your hair. Sure, some of them might be more effective for your hair than for anything else, but if you follow the protocol of making sure you get enough vitamins for your overall health, then the health of your hair is sure to follow. Of course, there is only so much that any vitamin regimen is going to do for your hair. Check out some other recommendations for hair growth or hair loss prevention in my other articles – I’ve whipped up some great tips for you that can help you if vitamins aren’t giving you all of the effects you’re hoping for.
November 18th, 2011 | Posted in Hair Growth Tips | No Comments
“Does Provillus work?” I get asked this question all of the time because my friends and family know I like to review hair growth products. While it gets a little tedious at times, I can’t blame them! It socks me that there are so many people out there that DON’T care if a medication works. They are simply taken in by the advertising and promises of a “newer, better you” that they don’t stop to ask themselves or others if the medication actually does what it promises.
Provillus is a hair growth supplement that has separated itself from more well-known products like Rogaine. While they both contain minoxidil, the active ingredient, Provillus uses a lower concentration than Rogaine. This is a good thing because the biggest complaints about Rogaine are the side effects of using it over a prolonged period of time. People have mentioned itchiness in the eyes and scalp, as well as lowered blood pressure and potentially some extra weight gain. All of these things that are really not worth the full head of hair that you may or may not get from Rogaine.
Provillus on the other hand is more of a natural medicine. The company behind Provillus, Ultra Herbal, blends a lot of herbal ingredients into their hair growth products and uses a much lower concentration of minoxidil. That means that you will likely experience less of the symptoms I have described above than if you were to use Rogaine or any other similar products with a higher minoxidil concentration. Initial users report that it does stimulate hair growth, however it must be used for life in order to keep that rate of growth.
That’s the unfortunate truth about minoxidil-based hair growth supplements. Without the minoxidil, there is no real hair growth in these medication mixtures. That means that after a couple months you will be looking at the same rate of hair loss that you had prior to taking the supplement. An unfortunate situation, but one that many people are willing to put up with in order to get their hair back.
The question to ask yourself is: is it worth the risk? Is getting a full head of hair worth potentially having to be on Provillus for life, or suffering itchiness, dry skin and low blood pressure? I’m not saying that these things WILL happen but I am saying that they COULD. Keep this in mind as you do your due diligence in the hair growth field and make sure you’re completely comfortable with the risks before you decide to start any of these treatment methods. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
December 18th, 2011 | Posted in Reviews | No Comments
By now most people who have educated themselves on the different types of hair growth products out there have realized that there is one ingredient in all of them that has been shown to regrow hair effectively – minoxidil. Whether the product is Rogaine, Provillus, or any other hair growth product out there the chances are that minoxidili is present.
The question remains: does minoxidil work? Is it an effective remedy for hair loss or is it just another scam preying on the insecurities of middle –aged men? The good news is that it actually DOES work to regrow hair, but that is definitely not the entire story here. There is more to dig out in the history and mechanism of minoxidil that might prove interesting enough to make you think twice about using it to regrow your own hair.
The way it works is by supporting the hair follicles to continue production of new hair instead of letting the hair die and fall out, never to return. The odd thing is that scientists aren’t completely sure exactly how minoxidil is doing this, but they know that it works through double blind tests that have been repeated for dozens of years. One of the things that they do know is that it typically works to help hair being lost in the center of the head as opposed to the outer ring. Fortunately for men, the center is the first part to go so minoxidil will definitely be an effective treatment for them.
The second thing that minoxidil does for your hair is act as a vasodilator. In plain English that just means that it opens up the blood vessels more so they can transport more nutrients to your hair. More oxygen, more blood and more vitamins and minerals entering the area where you have lost hair is a great thing for your follicles. It puts them into overdrive and allows them to produce hair when they would have otherwise just died.
While scientists are unsure of why hair follicles tend to die out as we reach middle age and just fall out onto the floor, they do know a little something about how long it takes for them to react to a treatment of minoxidil. After a few months of use, hair growth can return to normal levels but care must be taken not to go off the medication. If you do stop taking minoxidil you’ll find that in just thirty to sixty days your hair will begin to fall back out at the same rate that it did prior to taking the meds. This basically means that you need to take it for the rest of your life if you don’t want to lose your hair again which makes it very expensive and also quite a hassle to deal with if you’re signing up for a lifetime commitment. It’s understandable that many people would feel that this is an unacceptable condition and would prefer to live their lives balding.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Reviews | No Comments
I often hear from people who have had adverse reactions to using Rogaine for hair growth and still want their hair to come back full and healthy. They want to know if there are any other products out there that can match what Rogaine does without all of the nasty side effects that happen when they take it. Fortunately I have done my homework and found Provillus, an herbal supplement that is produced by Ultra Herbal and designed to regrow hair at an alarming rate. I’ll go over the Provillus side effects so you don’t have to make the same mistake you made when you took Rogaine without looking into the side effects.
The first thing to note is that this is an herbal, over the counter supplement. That means that you don’t have to go out and get a prescription to use the product and generally means that it will be cheaper than some of the more “serious” options. I put serious in quotes because often times a prescription medicine is more expensive just for the sake of being more expensive. There’s no reason for it to be other than the fact it may be under patent, so the company producing the medication has a monopoly it on and can charge whatever they want.
Herbal supplements are good because they don’t contain any engineered substances that have been altered to do a specific purpose. They use natural products in combination with one another to help fight hair loss. Provillus provides a great supplement of vitamins and minerals that are sent to the area in the scalp where hair loss occurs to block the progress of dihydrotestosterone.
There really are few side effects to Provillus simply because of its herbal nature. It does contain a minor amount of the active ingredient in Rogaine and that ingredient is known to cause some burning around the eyes and scalp. However there is less of it in Provillus than there is in Rogaine and other Rogaine-like products so you have less to worry about
In the end I would recommend Provillus over the standard Rogaine products out there, but you have to keep in mind that they both use minoxidil as their active ingredient, so there is going to be some similarity between the two. Both of them are clinically proven to regrow hair and both are proven to have some side effects that are less than pleasant, so it is up to you how serious you want to go on your mission for hair growth. If I were you I would take the most responsible and measured approach by purchasing Provillus. The lower concentration of minoxidil is going to help you avoid the side effects while still getting the growth that you want from one of these products.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Side Effects | No Comments
One of the biggest competitors to Rogaine out there today is Provillus. It’s understandable to be skeptical of any product in the hair loss niche because a lot of these companies are simply preying on the insecurities and fears of men out there who are slowly but surely losing that radiant and full head of hair that they once had. The marketing techniques out there make sure to mention the negative things about losing hair and all of the positive things that you will regain in your life IF ONLY you had a full head of hair.
I’m going to do a Provillus review and let you know what I honestly think about the product. There are some really cool features to Provillus that separate it from the market in a few key ways. The very first is the fact that it is not a chemically created substance in a laboratory. It is an herbal supplement that comes from the company Ultra Herbal, which already gives it a few points in my book. This means that it’s an over the counter medicine that you do not need any kind of prescription to use. Sometimes it’s quite a hassle to go in to the doctors, wait in line and get a prescription for a medication that is somewhat unsafe and barely works in the first place, so I have to give Provillus some credit here.
The manufacturer claims that there are also no side effects to using Provillus. In my own independent research I have discovered that there are a few to be wary of. People that area already on a hair loss medication or have been in the past might experience some adverse reactions when using Provillus or may find that it’s not as effective as was promised. This is due to the cross-contamination of using two medicines for hair growth at once. Your body doesn’t really know what to do with both at the same time so it decides to do nothing instead.
Although it is an organic and herbal substance, some people have adverse reactions to some of the ingredients, especially if they are already taking a multivitamin. It’s crucial to make sure you’re not getting more than you need of any vitamin or mineral, particularly ones that are fat soluble because they remain in your fat tissue instead of being discarded in urine like the water soluble ones. This is why you need to do a cross-check anytime you’re taking more than one medication at once – you really never know what sort of problems you might run into until you check both with a medical professional.
Provillus seems to work decently well for hair growth although it is less effective than its competitor Rogaine. I suspect this is because Rogaine’s formula is much more aggressive and has been developed after years of study to interact directly with the hair follicles and your body’s biochemistry. However, it also comes with more side effects so I would recommend Provillus over Rogaine any day of the week.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Reviews | No Comments
It’s not very well known that Rogaine is just the brand name of a medication that came off of patent in 1996. As soon as a patent expires, that means that the company that held it no longer has exclusive rights to produce the substance and market it. They may still have the ability to use their branded name of course, but other companies are now able to compete by offering the exact same substance and undercutting the original company or aggressively advertising their own brand.
Minoxidil is the real name behind Rogaine and in this article we will look at minoxidil side effects to determine if getting back the head of hair you had in your early 20s is actually worth the risk. There are some surprising side effects to using this medication that I think might open your eyes to what’s going on in the hair growth industry these days.
One of the strangest side effects is actually hair loss. The companies that make minoxidil products say that this is just your hair shedding and regrowing from a new healthier state, but there have been reports that the hair that was lost never actually grew back. In some of these cases it actually did the exact opposite as advertised – made the hair loss worse!
On a more serious note, there are a lot of side effects of minoxidil that deal with your overall well being. A drop in blood pressure is a serious notification that minoxidil is affecting your system in a very negative way. This is a risk that you should not feel comfortable taking solely to gain back your hair. What’s worse, a bald head or an unhealthy cardiovascular system? I think you know the answer to that.
Lastly, there have been reports of excessive weight gain while taking minoxidil that can’t be explained by any other source. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why the Rogaine is causing this but the facts do not lie. There is a potential risk of putting on extra weight while you are on the product. Again, it seems to me like gaining weight and looking fatter and less healthy is going to have more of a negative effect on your appearance than losing some of the hair on your head.
These side effects illustrate how important it is to get your facts straight when you take some medication for your vanity. Let’s not kid ourselves here – minoxidil products are a vanity medication, because you aren’t actually helping your body become more healthy. You may actually be harming your health in a tradeoff to look better for your spouse, coworkers or girlfriend. In the end it is up to you what you want to do with your own body of course, but I think it’s important to conduct the appropriate research to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into. There’s not enough unbiased information out there these days and hopefully I’ve provided a little tidbit for you to chew on in this article.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Side Effects | No Comments
Many men out here who are losing their hair have asked me, “Does Rogaine work?” The answer is yes, it definitely does work, but there are more things to consider than that question alone. You need to look at the full picture before you commit to anything as serious as using a medication to prevent or slow your hair loss and promote growth.
It isn’t a well known fact that Rogaine is simply the brand name of a substance that was once under patent a while ago. Rogaine is the most popular brand name of the substance that is really known as minoxidil.
The purpose of minoxidil is to supplement the hair and support growth, as well as to stop the dying of hair follicles and overall thinning out of your hair. It definitely does the job because it works directly with your body’s biochemistry to stimulate the hair into growth and not death. There is no doubt about this – it works.
What’s the problem then? Well, there are a couple reasons that you should be wary of using Rogaine and the biggest one is the fact that you have to use it continuously for it to keep working. It isn’t a medication that you only have to apply once over the course of a couple months and then forget about forever. It would be amazing if that was the case but sadly it is not. Minoxidil actually has to be used for the restof your life if you want it to keep the hair that it has grown back for you. Without it, you begin to lose hair just as rapidly as you had in the past in only a matter of one or two months.
Aside from that you have to consider what happens to the rest of your body when you use Rogaine. The most common side effects are the irritation of both your scalp and your eyes. It’s not a pleasant sort of itching feeling either – it’s more of a burning sensation that is hard to ignore and even harder to get rid of, unless you stop taking the medication. And as soon as you do that you begin to lose your hair again, so you’re looking at a trade off of your own personal comfort versus your personal vanity. Not an easy decision, but I know that I would always choose comfort over vanity in my own life.
So, the question “Does Rogaine work?” can be answered with a definitive “Yes!” The question I then have for you is, “Is it worth it?” Is it worth all of the burning, itching and potential hair loss in areas that you actually wanted to grow hair back? I don’t think many people would use the product if they fully understood the mechanism by which it grows your hair back and the fact that it needs to be used for life to keep your hair looking nice and full. As with all medications, you need to do a cost benefit analysis to see if this is the right fit for you.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Reviews | No Comments
I would argue that the only question people ask when they’re researching a product is: Does it work? Without a good solid answer to this question there is no chance that a customer is ever going to buy a product. As a hair product reviewer, I find myself looking at a lot of hair products and asking this question. Sadly the answer has been “No, it doesn’t” for a lot of the products that I’ve taken a look at in the past couple months.
There have been a lot of nioxin reviews out there but I’m aiming to create a review that actually addresses concerns past this simple question. Of course the product works in the sense that it does what it says it’s going to do. They wouldn’t sell any of their hair growth line if it didn’t work at all. The real question you need to be asking yourself when you look at a product like nioxin is if it’s worth it.
What do I mean by that? Isn’t growing your hair back worth it all the time? Your self-esteem becomes stronger and you look more like you did when you were younger. It’s hard to argue against being more confident, looking younger and appearing to be healthier, right? There’s more to consider than just the effect of the product.
If I said that I could make you rich beyond your wildest dreams, but you would have to have cancer for me to do it, I’m sure you wouldn’t take the offer. There’s no use in being rich if you can’t be around to enjoy it. It’s the same with nioxin, because there are reports of side effects that are far more annoying or hazardous to your health than the simple shame of not having a full head of hair.
Besides, there are so many people out there today with thinning hair that you’re really the majority as opposed to the minority. I read somewhere that around two thirds of all men experience some degree of hair thinning as they become middle aged so there’s really nothing to worry about: you’ll just be a part of the club.
Some of the problems with using nioxin end up being pretty serious. I’m talking about blood pressure and weight issues, as well as the off chance that you actually grow back way more hair than you had expected to. That might sound like a blessing and not a curse, but until you experience massive hair growth you really don’t understand what a hassle it can be. There’s nothing good about either extreme when it comes to hair loss or growth, so this is definitely a side effect to be wary of. At least with balding hair you don’t have to take care of it as much – with quickly growing hair you spend a lot more time just managing it and making it look somewhat presentable.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Reviews | No Comments
Let’s face it – all of us as men want a head of hair that is not only full but also healthy. When we start to lose hair in our early thirties and forties, it’s not the most pleasant experience for any of us. Our hair is a source of pride and manliness and to lose it is definitely a blow to the ego. When I started to lose my hair I definitely felt the tides of time washing against me and slowly eroding me away. Not a good feeling.
I turned to products like rogaine to see if they could help me regain the full head of hair that I once had. In my haste to figure out a solution to my problem I didn’t even think about rogaine side effects and what they could do to my body.
With any medical treatment you have to ask yourself one simple question: Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Many people think that there are no downsides to medications and that the side effects listed are just “to protect the company.” Well, they’re on there for a reason and that’s not the only one. These side effects are very real and affect a good majority of the people that use rogaine.
The first and most frightening side effect of rogaine that I have come across in my research is the combination of decreasing blood pressure and excessive weight gain. Typically when people gain weight their blood pressure goes up in response, but this combination of weight gain and lower blood pressure is very abnormal. Low blood pressure is a dangerous condition on its own so in combinations with all of the well-known side effects of gaining too much weight you’re looking at a problem that’s much more serious than losing the hair on your head. You could be losing your overall well being if this side effect begins to hit you.
On the more mild side you’re looking at an itchy scalp and some minor dizziness. Personally I wouldn’t want to feel dizzy all the time just so I could have my hair back. I’d rather go bald and wear it with pride. There are a lot of men out there in the same situation and the simple fact is that bald is beautiful when it comes to men. You really can’t go wrong with a very short buzz cut. If you’re feeling particularly bold, just shave it all off and walk around like the boss you know you are.
When you’re looking at this product, make sure you read all of rogaine’s side effects to be absolutely certain that it is something you want to do. If you truly can’t live without your hair then the risks will be worth it, but if you’re on the fence about the issue and it really doesn’t matter one way or another I would urge you to think differently about your situation.
December 1st, 2011 | Posted in Side Effects | No Comments
Let’s talk about that fabled ingredient for massive hair growth, biotin. Biotin is a bit of a confusing vitamin. Its other name is Vitamin H, but it’s also referred to as Vitamin B7. Confused yet? I sure was when I first looked into biotin and what it can do for your hair.
There’s no reason to be discouraged when you’re trying to do your research about biotin for hair growth. That’s what I’m here for! I’ll shed some light on exactly what biotin does for your body. I think it’s safe to say that biotin for hair growth is one of the essential components that you must have if you’re serious about getting on a hair growth regimen.
Biotin functions as a strengthener for both your hair and your nails. Since hair and nails are made of essentially the same thing (protein), biotin has a similar effect on both of these parts of your body. Fortunately if you start experiencing massive nail growth as a result of using biotin supplements you can just clip them right off without a problem. If you experience hair growth, well, that’s what you decided to take it for, right?
While biotin certainly plays an important role in hair growth, it actually plays more of a role if you do NOT have it than if you DO. The symptoms of a lack of biotin in your diet or daily vitamin regimen is actually a loss of hair and a loss of strength in your hair follicles as well as nails. So, not getting enough biotin is actually much more of a problem than getting too much. For this reason, I would recommend making sure you’re at least hitting the recommended daily allowance of biotin, either from food or a supplement of your choice.
As far as going over the daily limit – I don’t think you’re going to see a huge increase in hair growth. Like I said, it seems that it’s a situation where you get penalized by your body for not having enough, but not rewarded for having more than you need. That being said, it’s still a vital part of any plan to strengthen, condition, and grow your hair and for that reason I would highly recommend picking up a supplement if you’re not sure that you are getting enough from your daily food intake.
Lastly, remember this – biotin alone isn’t going to take you from good to great when it comes to your hair. In fact, nothing will. There’s no miracle cure for hair growth but there are a lot of simple things you can do on a daily basis to increase the likelihood that you will hit your genetic potential for growing as much strong hair as you possibly can. Do what you can and let Mother Nature take care of the rest. That’s all you can ask for when trying to stimulate hair growth.
November 18th, 2011 | Posted in Biotin for Hair Growth | No Comments
In the industry of hair growth there have been far too many myths and legends going around for the last few years. I’m here to dispel some of these outrageous lies and give you some simple tips that ctually have a noticeable effect on the way that your hair looks and feels – as well as how fast it grows.
The first and most insidious myth of them all is that cutting your hair helps it to grow back thicker or quicker. This is an outright lie and to figure out why, just think about who’s telling this to you. My guess is that it’s your local stylist. I wonder why she’s telling you to cut your hair more often…
The truth is this: cutting your hair makes your hair shorter, not longer. And it doesn’t spur on some kind of “insane” growth spurt like you’ve been led to believe. If you want longer and stronger hair, the best strategy is to NOT cut it regularly, but let it grow out as naturally as possible.
The next myth that is really not a good thing to be spreading around is that just rinsing out a conditioner right after use won’t help your hair at all. While you do rinse out quite a bit of the product, there is a thin film that remains on your hair follicles and goes to work. This is where their formula can really kick in the with the vitamins and minerals that you need to jumpstart your hair on the path to rehabilitation and strength. So don’t believe the people who tell you this – often times they’re the ones trying to sell you some kind of snake oil “miracle cure” that they claim is better than any conditioner or shampoo on the market. Keep using your product and eventually you’ll get the results you’re looking for.
So what are some hair growth tips you can use to actually get yourself away from these harmful myths and on a path that will give you the hair you want? Well, the first is simply to eat well and sleep enough. I know it sounds silly, but your diet and sleep schedule affect every other part of your body – why wouldn’t the same be true for your hair? If you’re constantly switching up your sleep schedule and diet, you shouldn’t expect to have massive hair growth! That would be like expecting yourself to lose weight on a program where you didn’t eat the right food and didn’t work out enough. It just doesn’t make sense.
Lastly, make sure you’re not constantly fidgeting with your hair and playing with it. Some of us have a nervous habit that causes us to chew on our hair or constantly twirl it around our fingers. Try your best to stop these habits as they can only do harm to your hair, especially chewing it! Think about your long term goals for your hair and I’m sure you will have no problem at all stopping these bad habits.
November 18th, 2011 | Posted in Hair Growth Tips | No Comments