To be suspicious of "hair vitamins"

[pepsicolagirl]

I'm 39. I have always had fine hair but a lot of it (hairdressers words) but lately its gone to shit!
Frizzy, breaks off - think around 3inches long on top and around the front but most of my hair is down to my boobs (and not pert either so its long) and just generally crap.
Someone at the school gates recommended I try taking vitamins specifically for hair but I am suspicious of her motives (looked like an mlm type 🤪) so I need to ask you.
Hair vitamins, AIBU to be dubious!? If so, what can I do!? Or is this the start of the menopause? Will I have to shave it all off!?

First I'd go to the gp incase you have any deficiencies causing this.
Second Id get a really good haircut to even it up.
Do you colour your hair? Have you tried any treatments?

Dunno but I saw some in aldi yesterday

I'd look at whether you're not helping by using lots of heat, dye and chemicals in shampoos

Of course they're a thing! Called Biotin.
I'd look at how you treat your hair overall though. Something is seriously amiss if your hair can't grow longer than 3" before snapping.
Do you bleach or permanently dye your hair regularly? Perm or chemical straightener? Even a bad hair brush can do some serious damage.

I have used Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (Extreme) recently and it did wonders. I’m also waiting to try Olaplex. It has brilliant reviews.

If she didn't reccomend specific ones I guess she wasn't just trying to make a sale. Your hair and skin reflect your health a little so some blood tests with your gp might be in order. In the meantime I'd cut it short if it bothers you.

Olaplex is excellent but the number 3 used as a weekly treatment, my hairdresser recommended the shampoo and conditioner and it's no good for me, too heavy.

I take them and have seen an improvement to my very fine/thin hair over a few months. I take boots own brand beauty gummies which have similar ingredients to ones specifically for hair:

www.boots.com/boots-vitamin-gummies-beauty---60-blueberry-gummies-10263841

I've also got an under active thyroid which although medicated I think adds to the hair problems so might be worth checking out if you have other symptoms.

I take viviscal vitamins for my hair which is thinning and it helps. I also use olaplex treatment and shampoo and conditioner. Expensive but you don't use much so it lasts ages. Be careful with the strength of the shower. I use as gentle a spray as possible. I also comb through before I wash it and gently afterwards. It could be you are perimenopausal. I had lots of fine hair so it looked thick but it is thinner nowadays after peri and going through menopause.

Berocca! Quite cheap but has biotin and magnesium in - both of which will help your hair! A lot of the expensive ones actually have less biotin than berocca, or you could just pick up biotin in Holland and Barrett.

I took biotin but it gave me a never ending appetite. They are promoted heavily by celebs and the like but you don't need the exspensive ones and definitely not ones from a mlm

I have. A theory that all you need is zinc. When I was TTC my hair and nails were never better so I still take it now and it's cheap as chips. If you look at the ingredients on hair and nail stuff zinc is usually pretty high up there.

My thin hair improved a lot after vitamin B & iron tablets. Really cheap, bought online & less than a fiver for 6months of each. I don't always use a hairdryer & I use tongs only on the bit that kinks outward. That's made it much better condition wise.

I was sceptical about these vitamins but having frizzy mid length hair and going through the meno I bought some in the range for about 2 quid.
My hair did improve.I bought another months worth in lockdown.Weirdly my DS bought some in Boots for around 11/14 quid so prices do vary.As others have said it must be the zinc.

@goalpostmover with a thyroid problem you should take medical advice before taking anything with biotin in it. It can interfere with the results of your blood tests.

[quote ContraIndicated]@goalpostmover with a thyroid problem you should take medical advice before taking anything with biotin in it. It can interfere with the results of your blood tests.[/quote]
Gosh, thanks for that. My GP isn't doing routine blood tests at the moment (I usually have one every 6 months) but I'll mention it. Thank you

I've wasted loads of money on viviscal and biotin - no improvement. Get your thyroid tested, be gentle with your hair (no colouring or straighteners) and pick shampoo and conditioner that are free of additives. Take a general multi-vitamin and add in an extra zinc and a vit c + iron.

I take chewable hair vitamins from Holland & Barrett because my hair was coming out at an alarming rate, in the shower, when I brushed it, even just running my fingers through it would bring a clump out. Less than a month in and these vitamins have really done the trick. Hair has stopped coming out, honestly only 1 or 2 strands in the shower if anything at all.

I suppose really what I should’ve done is ask my GP for a blood test to see if I was deficient in anything but I’m not doing that in the current climate. The vitamins have sorted it for now.

They do and l noticed a difference, as did my hairdresser. Good luck with it. I also have fine hair