Your genetics play a large part in what your hair, skin and nails look like. If you want to improve on Mother Nature's offerings, however, herbal supplements may help. While scientific data confirming their efficacy is usually lacking, there's no shortage of folk wisdom backing herbal remedies. Before adding any supplements to your diet, talk to your doctor to make sure they won't interfere with any of your current medication.
Herbal Supplements for the Hair
Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Herbal Healing," suggests that biota, drynaria and ginkgo can help restore and thicken your hair. Both biota and drynaria come in specialty lotions or tinctures, an alcoholic solution made from herbal ingredients. Ginkgo is available in tablets in most grocery stores and drug stores. Biota, Balch notes, can thicken your hair and keep existing hair from falling out. Drynaria and ginkgo both help to stimulate new hair growth.
Herbal Supplements for Acne
To treat acne-prone skin, Balch recommends both an external and internal approach. Externally, she suggests you use calendula cream and tea tree oil to spot-treat pimples as needed. Internally, she notes that guggul tablets taken three times a day for three months can help to stop the inflammation that causes some forms of acne. If you think hormones are to blame, she suggests men take saw palmetto extract capsules --- as long as they're not currently undergoing testosterone therapy. Women should try vitex tablets, which help to regulate the pre-menstrual hormones that may be responsible for your acne outbreaks.
Herbal Supplements for Anti-Aging
As you age, the collagen in your skin loses moisture, causing sagging and visible wrinkles. In "The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions," Dr. James Duke suggests you protect your collagen with gotu kola. Duke notes that this herb can strengthen the collagen you have, whether you take it in pill form or combine the herb's extract with an emollient such as olive oil. Duke also suggests you make your own anti-wrinkle cream using two horse chestnut seeds and several fennel seeds ground into a paste with one avocado.
Herbal Supplements for Nails
Dr. Andrew Weil recommends supplements that contain gamma linolenic acid to help strengthen weak or brittle nails. This essential fatty acid works as a growth stimulator and an anti-inflammatory agent. Weil recommends three herbal sources of gamma linolenic acid: borage oil, evening primrose oil and black currant oil. Usually available in capsules, Weil notes that all three of these supplements need to be taken for up to eight weeks before you'll notice any results.
Consideration
There is no substitute for basic good nutrition in terms of healthy skin, hair and nails. The government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee notes that a multivitamin or supplement "does not offer health benefits to healthy Americans." If you're depending on herbal supplements to provide the nutrients and antioxidants readily available in fruits and veggies, you'd be better off revising your diet to include more nutrient-dense food.
References
- "Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2002
- "The Green Pharmacy Anti-Aging Prescriptions: Herbs, Foods, and Natural Formulas to Keep You Young"; James A. Duke, PhD with Michael Castleman; 2001
- Dr. Andrew Weil: Natural Hair and Skin Care Tips
- 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Executive Summary
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