Hair (follicle) nutrition -- Making follicles healthier as they cycle (finasteride)

[BigThinker]

As I've been shedding a lot lately, likely due to finasteride treatment, I've been thinking about the nutritional aspect of hair follicle health.

My understanding is that as we inhibit our DHT, the miniaturized hairs enter "sleep" cycles/fall from our scalp, and come back (hopefully) a little bit healthier. Hair cycles slow of course, so over the source of multiple cycles of depleted DHT, the hair follicles become healthier and healthier, while the hairs themselves become thicker and darker.

So, now that I've bored you all with what you already know, here's my inquiry: are there certain nutrients that promote the health of our hair follicles? More specifically, as hair follicles are recovering from a battery of DHT, are there certain nutrients that promote faster recovery?

Currently, I'm taking (inconsistently) fish oil, biotin, and a multi-vitamin.

I'm certainly open to theories, in addition to hard facts. I just want the new, budding hair in my hairline to come back as thick and dark each cycle as it possibly can.

Thank you.

[chrisis]

I've read MSM as well but I haven't seen any studies on anything like this unfortunately. When I picked MSM up at my health foods store, it was in the joint care section, which I didn't understand... unless it's good for joints as well?

I currently take Biotin 1000µg and a multi-vitamin containing zinc and selenium.

[BigThinker]

I've read MSM as well but I haven't seen any studies on anything like this unfortunately. When I picked MSM up at my health foods store, it was in the joint care section, which I didn't understand... unless it's good for joints as well?

I currently take Biotin 1000µg and a multi-vitamin containing zinc and selenium.

Hadn't heard of MSM. Checked it out a bit. Sounds like it keeps your hair in the growing phase -- assuming the fin is keeping the hair alive, that sounds pretty beneficial.

I'll check it out when I'm at the pharmacy next. Appreciate that insight.

Between my diet and multi-vitamin, I'm covering all the other nutrients I've read about thus far (iron, vitC, etc.)

[25 going on 65]

MSM is supposed to keep hair in the growing phase? I thought hair follicles had to cycle....if not, I wonder if there are disadvantages to stretching out the growth phase?

I have always used multis but just started biotin and omegas recently. Not sure if they will help the hair but I have to cut my nails more often it seems!

[Aames]

I know this isn't a vitamin, but many recommend switching to a sulfate-free shampoo (if you haven't already). I still use Nizoral, though.

[BigThinker]

I know this isn't a vitamin, but many recommend switching to a sulfate-free shampoo (if you haven't already). I still use Nizoral, though.

Yeah, it's one of the first things I did. Keto irritated my scalp pretty bad, so instead I'm on a sulfate-free shampoo with zinc pyrithione in it. I only wash my hair twice a week right now anyways.

[Proper]

What kinda shampoo do you use in between the nizoral? I personally never touched nizoral before but I've been using head and shoulders on my head for the past..... ever since I can remember even as a kid, everyday. lol prob not the bset thing for my head but it seems to thicken my hair after the shower all the time but then becomes fluffy when it dries... weird shit. I really need a switch. I have a couple shampoo bottles of the axe stuff just cauise for some reasno I seem to get an AXE kit every christmas from somebody as a gift.

[Woodyy]

I use biotin and MSM, only been doing this for about 3 weeks though so too soon to report anything, my nails are definitely growing quicker though and that's all I ask of my hair as well seeing as I'm recovering from Telogen Effluvium.

I also read a study recently that suggested L-Cartinine is beneficial to hair although admittedly I didn't read through it all. I've ordered some L-cartinine from Myprotein.co.uk as that's where I get all my supps from anyway and it was pretty cheap, might as well give it a shot.

[NotBelievingIt]

Now THATS a supplement rip off. Unless you've sworn off red meat...just eat some kind of red meat every two-three weeks.

[fitnessisgood4u]

I read really good reviews about it .... my hair is still thinning rapidly after trying it.

[blondetooth]

i take 30000mcg biotin, multis,fish oil, coconut oil. finestride. and apply castor oil sometimes.

looking into MSM.

What else is good?

[blondetooth]

The theory is that carnitine improves the energy production in the hair follicle cell enabling more hair to grow. The data in the patent looked promising. The shaved hair on the back of mice grew back twice as fast with the carnitine topical application.

[Munkynutz]

I may be different because I have psoriasis and a little bit of it on the scalp but when I eat a diet predominantly of vegetables and fruit (virtually no grains but oats), and fish and chicken (red meat once a week) my skin becomes better until the point of normal over the span of 3-6 months and stays that way until I eat crap for food again and lots of bread.

A side note of trying to cure that lovely skin disease was that I noted the patches where it existed before about 2-4 weeks in start growing hair again. Noticed this first on the elbows but it is also true of my scalp. I assume this has to do with fighting the inflammation and allowing hair follicles to grow normally .

For those of you who don't know in psoriatic lesions skin grows and sheds at many times the normal rate creating a build if of plaques which then crack and bleed and other lovely stuff like that. It stands to reason it messed with hair follicles too.

However I suspect the healthier your body the better everything will grow, so a whole/raw food diet with minimal processed elements will no doubt help.