Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

Yes, Prenatal Vitamins Help with Hair Growth — Sort Of

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before — prenatal vitamins are the secret to stronger, thicker, better hair. While it’s true that pregnant women have truly enviable strands — ultra shiny and positively brimming with health — can we really chalk it up to their prenatal vitamins? We looked at the research and double checked with a fertility dietitian for the real deal on prenatal vitamins for hair growth.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Longer, stronger, healthier hair is a common side effect of pregnancy, and it’s largely related to higher hormone levels.
    • Many of the vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy hair can be found in prenatal vitamins, which may play a role in the idea that prenatals are the reason for great hair during pregnancy.
    • There are benefits to taking prenatal vitamins if you aren’t currently pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, but thicker, healthier hair isn’t one of them.
    • For women of reproductive age, it's a good idea to take a high-quality prenatal vitamin in preparation for a future pregnancy.

Prenatal Vitamins for Hair Growth?

beli-prenatals-vitamins-for-hair-growth

The human body is one impressive machine, and never more so than during pregnancy. While that forty-week rollercoaster has its ups and downs, thick, full, shiny hair (not to mention fab nails) seems to be a perk for many. You can largely credit hormones, and specifically higher levels of estrogen, for ten months of good hair days. More estrogen means increased blood flow to the baby and your scalp, which promotes hair growth and, importantly, prolongs the growth phase of your hair. The upshot? Fewer strands lost, less breakage, and longer, lusher hair. “Deficiencies in nutrients, especially zinc and b-vitamins, are linked to hair loss and hair thinning, as are hormone imbalances, so pregnancy is often a time where women see more growth,” adds Carly Hartwig, holistic reproductive health advocate and fertility awareness educator.

So if hormones are the secret sauce, why do so many people (celebrities in particular, we’re looking at you) rave about prenatal vitamins for better hair, pregnant or no? Well, it’s almost a case of mistaken identity. There are a few vitamins and minerals that may be key to healthy hair:

    • Vitamin A, which is critical for cellular growth (did you know hair is the fastest growing tissue in the human body?!) and helps sebum production. Vitamin A deficiencies are linked to hair loss.
    • B vitamins, and particularly biotin, which is great for hair growth. Biotin deficiencies are directly tied to hair loss. Other B vitamins help create red blood cells, which ferry nutrients and oxygen to the scalp for effective hair growth.
    • Folic acid, which is technically a B vitamin and key for healthy cell growth.
    • Vitamin C, an important antioxidant that can help protect against oxidative stress that prematurely ages the hair. Plus, vitamin C is used to create collagen, which makes up hair structure, and helps the body absorb iron, a key mineral for hair growth.
    • Vitamin D, which isn’t well understood in the production of hair growth. However, low levels are linked to hair loss.
    • Vitamin E, another antioxidant that wards off oxidative stress and is linked to hair growth.

Now, all of these nutrients are found in many prenatal vitamins. But correlation doesn’t mean causation, which is an alliterative way of saying that things may be related but one doesn’t necessarily cause the other. And that brings us to the idea of taking prenatal vitamins for hair growth if you aren’t pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Are Prenatal Vitamins Effective for Hair Growth if you aren’t Pregnant?

Many prenatal vitamins aren’t designed with non-pregnant people in mind, which makes complete sense. Prenatal vitamins are for the thinking-or-actively-trying-to-get-pregnant crowd, the already-with-child folks, and the our-baby-is-here-now-what people. That means that taking prenatal vitamins solely for better hair probably isn’t going to work like you hope it will. In some cases, it will mean you’re getting higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than your body actually needs. And if you’re also taking things like vitamin D or calcium separately along with a prenatal for better hair, you’re also running the risk of over-supplementing.

Still, some fertility dietitians recommend taking prenatal vitamins if a baby isn’t the plan today, but maybe sometime in the next five or ten years.

“Starting a high-quality prenatal during your reproductive years is great insurance if you do end up becoming pregnant sooner than planned,” says Hartwig. “Most women don't get adequate nutrients from their diets, especially with our soil being depleted, and the chronic stress of today's lifestyle can easily contribute to nutrient and hormone imbalances. Instead of taking a poor-quality multivitamin that contains the bare minimum levels of nutrients, I recommend that women in their reproductive years take a high-quality prenatal like Beli to optimize their reproductive and physical health.”

In other words, women should be going for optimal health during those reproductive years, so that they’re primed for pregnancy at any time. Remember, that baby starts developing before you even know you’re pregnant, which is why starting prenatals well before you hope to conceive is the standard recommendation. This will ensure that your nutrient stores are well-established, which is critical to the developmental of a healthy embryo and fetus. And that’s true even — and especially — if you’re on the Pill. “If you're taking hormonal birth control to prevent unplanned pregnancy, there's tremendous benefit in taking a robust prenatal like Beli, as hormonal birth control depletes your nutrient levels,” says Hartwig. “Beli will counteract this depletion, keeping your body, skin, and hair healthier while you're on hormonal birth control.” 

Eyes on the Prize

Of course, the most important thing a prenatal vitamin can do is fill any nutritional gaps in your diet to improve your chances of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy little bundle of joy. But let’s be honest — great hair is a happy side benefit! If a baby isn’t ever the plan, you’ll likely be better off focusing on a healthy lifestyle to support healthier, shinier, stronger hair. Drink plenty of water, get lots of quality sleep, manage your stress levels, and make a point of eating fresh produce, lean proteins, fiber, and healthy fats. The benefits of that will go well beyond a good hair day.

Additional Resources

There’s a certain magic to the holiday season, whether you’re all-in on the decorations and the family time or a self-proclaimed Scrooge from mid-November to the New Year. But when you’re trying to conceive, it can be a challenging time.  We’re sharing five tips for managing the holidays when you’re trying to conceive.

Read More

Everyone knows that alcohol and pregnancy don’t mix. But what about before you’re pregnant, during the trying-to-conceive stage? There’s no evidence that the occasional drink—i.e. one or two a week—is going to torpedo your chances of parenthood. But it is true that the more you drink, the greater the likelihood it will have an effect on your health. Here’s what the research says about alcohol and your fertility.

Read More

You’re clear on the mechanics of making a baby, but how much do you really know about conception and fertility? There are a lot of wild stories, downright falsehoods and notions that are actually rooted in a kernel of truth out there. In the interest of sticking to the facts, we’re debunking 15 of the most common myths about conception and fertility.

Read More

When you’re knocking boots in an effort to get knocked up, timing is everything. Your best chance of conceiving is during the most fertile time of your menstrual cycle—when you ovulate. The key is figuring out exactly when that happens. Fortunately, you have a few ways of detecting ovulation. Here’s what to know about understanding ovulation and timing sex for pregnancy.

Read More

You have big plans for parenthood in 2024, which means this is the time to start laying the groundwork for everything to come. While so much of conception is beyond our control, there are actionable steps you and your partner can take right now to support and nourish your fertility.

Read More

Welcome to our little corner of common fertility and pregnancy terms! We know that jargon can be overwhelming, so consider this your very own baby-making dictionary. Here, confusing medical terms transform into easy-to-understand facts that help you confidently navigate your family planning journey. 

Read More

Is there anything worse than the two-week wait? All the listicles out there sensibly advise keeping busy and journaling and talking it out, but we’re sharing more specific recommendations collected from the Beli community. Read on for seven tips for surviving the two-week wait without losing your mind.

Read More

As a society, we’re an impatient bunch, and that applies to pregnancy, too. The second you decide it’s time to try for a baby, you’re ready to see those two pink lines. If you’ve recently tossed the birth control and you’re wondering how long it should take to get pregnant, here's what to know.

Read More

There’s a persistent misconception that a woman’s egg quality is largely untouchable—you get what you get, and the rest is out of your hands. But for women actively planning on becoming mothers, there are a handful of best practices that can go a very long way. So, can you improve egg quality in 90 days?

Read More

Can weight loss improve your fertility? That depends on what you read. In today’s post, we’re running through all the latest data on weight loss and fertility, and clarifying why the focus should be less on pounds lost and more on prioritizing habits that support your health as a whole.

Read More

Perimenopause is a transitional time that’s pretty wild in its own right, with hormonal changes similar to a roller coaster and major changes to your cycle. Balanced hormones are, of course, key to successfully becoming pregnant and it’s certainly reasonable to wonder whether it’s possible to get pregnant during perimenopause. The short answer is oh yes. 

Read More

A few years ago, the keto diet was all the rage—a high-fat, low-carb way to shed pounds quickly. While it’s lost a bit of its luster, as all diet trends do, interest in the keto diet remains. Specifically, those hoping to become parents wonder whether following this way of eating could support fertility. Is a diet high in fat and low in carbs the answer? It’s possible. Here’s what to know about the keto diet and whether it might help support fertility.

Read More

When you’re pregnant, of course, you’re told to limit your caffeine consumption. But what about when you’re trying to conceive? Can too much caffeine affect your chances of conception as a couple? It's a good idea to cut back—which means you need to be really clear about sneaky sources of caffeine in your diet.

Read More

Many new mothers are seriously drained. The popular term is postnatal depletion, the combination of hormonal, physical and emotional depletion that’s incredibly common for women following the birth of their babies.  Here’s what to understand about postnatal depletion and its effects on breastfeeding + 4 easy tips to help avoid postnatal depletion.

Read More

Turns out, you really can have too much of a good thing, and nutrient overload during pregnancy is a prime example—particularly if you add a daily prenatal vitamin to the supplements you’re already taking. Here’s why excess nutrients are problematic during pregnancy, and what you can do to keep things balanced.

Read More

The heat and humidity on these endless summer days can be hard to beat, and believe us when we say it’s even harder when you’re pregnant. The good news—you can do this! And we can help with these four not-so-obvious tips to beat the summer heat during pregnancy.

Read More

Everyone responds to supplementation (not to mention pregnancy!) differently, which is one reason that how you feel isn’t a clue into whether or not your prenatal vitamin is actually working. Instead, you need to be confident about the prenatal vitamin itself, and there are a few things you’ll want to look for.

Read More

Up to 90% of pregnant women will end up with stretch marks—call it a maternity souvenir. That’s why the internet is full of creams and lotions and potions that promise to prevent these completely harmless but largely undesirable scars. By and large, stretch mark prevention products are largely anecdotal (and definitely unproven). But what about collagen?

Read More

You may know all the ways collagen benefits you before, during and after pregnancy, but there are a handful of little best practices that can actually make or break the experience. In the interest of ensuring that you’re really reaping the benefits, we’re highlighting three mistakes you’re (probably) making with prenatal collagen.

Read More

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects 1 in every 10 women of childbearing age, which adds up to a lot of women. Sure, they’re not all actively trying to conceive, but those who are will find PCOS poses a hurdle. The good news—it’s a hurdle that can be managed

Read More

Pregnancy is a time to get really particular about what you’re ingesting. From the cleanest prenatal vitamin you can find to ten months of minimal caffeine and zero sushi, you’re taking precautions. And rightfully so! So what does that mean for your favorite collagen supplement? Can you take collagen while you’re pregnant? You certainly can—with caveats.

Read More

Learning that you’re about to become a mother is truly life-changing news, and it's always helpful to have an immediate next step or two. Start checking things off this little list, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy and minimally stressful pregnancy.

Read More

The role of a prenatal vitamin is to support the healthy growth and development of growing babies, and minimizing the risk of birth defects is front and center. But can your prenatal vitamins really reduce the risk of birth defects? Absolutely!

Read More

Think about good nutrition, and protein is generally front and center. It’s the macronutrient behind so many essential processes and functions in the body, from building and repairing muscle and bone to whipping up hormones and enzymes. And the importance of protein only increases during and after pregnancy. Here's why.

Read More