gymfreak336
New Member
Before starting any vitamin regime, please set up an appointment with your doctor to go over any concerns you might have. This is especially true if you have a pre-existing medical condition like a heart problem or diabetes. Certain supplements in certain doses can aggravate these conditions. On the other hand, some supplements can actually benefit them as well as you over all health. In this guide, I will go over the benefits to your hair, our obvious goal, as well as the rest of your body.
When you mention “hair vitamins†to people you usually get one of two reactions. Reaction A- “Why take vitamins, you don’t need them to grow hairâ€
Reaction B- “It sounds interesting but it is overwhelming to try to decide what to take, besides, I never have taken vitamins before and I don’t want to get sick.
Both reactions make good points and legitimate concerns. Can you grow you hair long without vitamins? Of course you can and many do. There are many ladies here that have beautiful hair that don’t take vitamins. Can deciding what to take and why get overwhelming? Of course, learning about vitamins takes time. No one can read a couple of articles in a book or online and expect to be an expert.
So what should you do? Many grow their hair with out them to the lengths they desire and on the other hand many have seem huge improvements in texture, growth rate and moisture levels by adding one or two vitamins. The choice is yours to make. Don’t feel pressured to take anything by anyone. You should always do your research in what ever you decide to take, vitamins or even prescriptions. Just because it is recommended, doesn’t mean that if will work or be beneficial to you. Which leads me to my next point….. The number one cause of bad vitamin experiences is starting off with too much too fast. Our bodies like change. Think about exercise, change keeps us responding, the mistake most make is underestimating how little changes make big impacts.
Listen to your body, Rome wasn’t built in a day and nether will your vitamin regime. Some supplements might not agree with you at a particular dose and you might have to experiment with your dosage to find what works for you. On the other hand, some might not agree with you at all. Pick 1 or 2 supplements to start with and add as your body gets acclimated to what you are taking. Experiment with different forms of a vitamin. Calcium carbonate is different from calcium citrate. While there are both calcium supplements, they do not work the same way in your body. You might tolerate calcium citrate but get horribly sick from calcium carbonate. Many multi-vitamin formulas mix forms of a vitamin to give you the most balanced effect. There is also more than one way to get most nutrients. Take sulfur for example. Increased amounts of dietary sulfur can help soften and loosen your curl pattern as well has help increase growth. Most get this through MSM but you can also use single form amino acids like L-cysteine, glucosamine, and beet powder increase sulfur intake. Also by starting off slow, you will be able to monitor your progress and side effects better. Right them down in a journal if needed to keep track of changes you feel and notice. Remember to stay hydrated. Any possible side effects such as head aches or tummy aches when starting a particular vitamin are exasperated from dehydration. Many negative side affects can be eased with extra water. Drink a full glass of water every time you take your vitamins in additional to your regular daily intake. If you find that no matter what you do, you still have issues with a supplement, toss it.
So, what will this cost me?
Before we get into the supplements, I know someone is thinking well, how much is this going to cost me. Supplements do cost money but you have to set your own limits to how much you want to spend. You can save money by being selective with where you buy your vitamins, by changing the form you take and eating a well balanced diet.You also might want to think about investing in a multi-mineral complex, especially if you forgo a multi-vitamin. These supplements are not expensive and consuming adequate amounts of minerals everyday can be more difficult. Liquid forms of supplements can also be more convenient and in some ways more cost effective in certain cases. Liquid flaxseed oil provides a higher concentration of omega fatty acids compared to capsules. 1 tablespoon of liquid flaxseed oil provides the same amount of fatty acids in 7 or 8 1500mg capsules of flaxseed oil. Set your budget and research different forms and brands of supplements before you buy anything. Once you find things that you like, keep track of their sales through mailing lists, catalogs, and email. Many websites have mailing list that will send you notices through email and coupons or free shipping offers. When in doubt you can ask the ladies here if anyone has any discount codes for websites.
When do I take them
Okay, so you are ready to pick your vitamins but how will you take them. I know some of you down them all in the morning with a glass or water. I don’t recommend you do that especially if you are new to vitamins. This is a great way to ensure digestive problems and headaches. With vitamins, there are ways to help maximize the effects just by choosing what to take when.
For your multivitamins or multiminerals, look to how frequently you plan on taking them. If your multi says 2-3 times a day, you can take one with each main meal. If its just once, take it when you want
For omega fatty acids take them with a fatty meal. If you eat salad for lunch, then that is a perfect time to take your flaxseed oil, borage oil, and things like that. The dressing has healthy fats and they will help the omega fatty acids absorb. Again look at how often you often you plan to take them. If you take 2 borage oil capsules a day and 4 flaxseed capsules, split them and take some with lunch and dinner or breakfast and dinner….you get the idea.
For msm, you can really take it whenever you want. Many people including myself use a powder form and mix it in our drinks. If it irritates your stomach like it does for me, taking it with food can help.
For single form amino acids, they work better when taken on an empty stomach with vitamin C.
When you mention “hair vitamins†to people you usually get one of two reactions. Reaction A- “Why take vitamins, you don’t need them to grow hairâ€
Reaction B- “It sounds interesting but it is overwhelming to try to decide what to take, besides, I never have taken vitamins before and I don’t want to get sick.
Both reactions make good points and legitimate concerns. Can you grow you hair long without vitamins? Of course you can and many do. There are many ladies here that have beautiful hair that don’t take vitamins. Can deciding what to take and why get overwhelming? Of course, learning about vitamins takes time. No one can read a couple of articles in a book or online and expect to be an expert.
So what should you do? Many grow their hair with out them to the lengths they desire and on the other hand many have seem huge improvements in texture, growth rate and moisture levels by adding one or two vitamins. The choice is yours to make. Don’t feel pressured to take anything by anyone. You should always do your research in what ever you decide to take, vitamins or even prescriptions. Just because it is recommended, doesn’t mean that if will work or be beneficial to you. Which leads me to my next point….. The number one cause of bad vitamin experiences is starting off with too much too fast. Our bodies like change. Think about exercise, change keeps us responding, the mistake most make is underestimating how little changes make big impacts.
Listen to your body, Rome wasn’t built in a day and nether will your vitamin regime. Some supplements might not agree with you at a particular dose and you might have to experiment with your dosage to find what works for you. On the other hand, some might not agree with you at all. Pick 1 or 2 supplements to start with and add as your body gets acclimated to what you are taking. Experiment with different forms of a vitamin. Calcium carbonate is different from calcium citrate. While there are both calcium supplements, they do not work the same way in your body. You might tolerate calcium citrate but get horribly sick from calcium carbonate. Many multi-vitamin formulas mix forms of a vitamin to give you the most balanced effect. There is also more than one way to get most nutrients. Take sulfur for example. Increased amounts of dietary sulfur can help soften and loosen your curl pattern as well has help increase growth. Most get this through MSM but you can also use single form amino acids like L-cysteine, glucosamine, and beet powder increase sulfur intake. Also by starting off slow, you will be able to monitor your progress and side effects better. Right them down in a journal if needed to keep track of changes you feel and notice. Remember to stay hydrated. Any possible side effects such as head aches or tummy aches when starting a particular vitamin are exasperated from dehydration. Many negative side affects can be eased with extra water. Drink a full glass of water every time you take your vitamins in additional to your regular daily intake. If you find that no matter what you do, you still have issues with a supplement, toss it.
So, what will this cost me?
Before we get into the supplements, I know someone is thinking well, how much is this going to cost me. Supplements do cost money but you have to set your own limits to how much you want to spend. You can save money by being selective with where you buy your vitamins, by changing the form you take and eating a well balanced diet.You also might want to think about investing in a multi-mineral complex, especially if you forgo a multi-vitamin. These supplements are not expensive and consuming adequate amounts of minerals everyday can be more difficult. Liquid forms of supplements can also be more convenient and in some ways more cost effective in certain cases. Liquid flaxseed oil provides a higher concentration of omega fatty acids compared to capsules. 1 tablespoon of liquid flaxseed oil provides the same amount of fatty acids in 7 or 8 1500mg capsules of flaxseed oil. Set your budget and research different forms and brands of supplements before you buy anything. Once you find things that you like, keep track of their sales through mailing lists, catalogs, and email. Many websites have mailing list that will send you notices through email and coupons or free shipping offers. When in doubt you can ask the ladies here if anyone has any discount codes for websites.
When do I take them
Okay, so you are ready to pick your vitamins but how will you take them. I know some of you down them all in the morning with a glass or water. I don’t recommend you do that especially if you are new to vitamins. This is a great way to ensure digestive problems and headaches. With vitamins, there are ways to help maximize the effects just by choosing what to take when.
For your multivitamins or multiminerals, look to how frequently you plan on taking them. If your multi says 2-3 times a day, you can take one with each main meal. If its just once, take it when you want
For omega fatty acids take them with a fatty meal. If you eat salad for lunch, then that is a perfect time to take your flaxseed oil, borage oil, and things like that. The dressing has healthy fats and they will help the omega fatty acids absorb. Again look at how often you often you plan to take them. If you take 2 borage oil capsules a day and 4 flaxseed capsules, split them and take some with lunch and dinner or breakfast and dinner….you get the idea.
For msm, you can really take it whenever you want. Many people including myself use a powder form and mix it in our drinks. If it irritates your stomach like it does for me, taking it with food can help.
For single form amino acids, they work better when taken on an empty stomach with vitamin C.