Herbal remedies have long been used to treat hair loss, and various vitamins may also help, reports the Huntington College of Health Sciences. Hair loss is not as common in women as in men, but it occurs with aging in all sexes. Nutrition plays a part in maintaining healthy hair, so adding vitamins to the diet may slow hair loss in women. Medical professional should be consulted before adding any herbal remedies or nutritional supplements to the diet, as complications and drug interaction may occur, as well as side effects.
Lavender
The herb lavender, or Lavandula augustifolia is used in shampoos and hair conditioners because of its healing affinity for hair. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that lavender has a calming effect, and is used to treat insomnia, headaches, skin conditions, muscle and joint pain, as well as hair loss. Using an herbal oil infused with lavender oil helped regrow hair. Lavender stimulates the circulation on the scalp and it is suggested that this is the mechanism by which it prevents hair loss. Lavender can also be used as a tea or taken in capsule form. The flowers are the parts used in medicine.
Equisetum
The herb Equisetum arvense is known as horsetail. Huntington College of Health Sciences reports that this herb may help prevent hair loss. The plant contains many minerals, including selenium, silica, and cysteine. A tea made of one teaspoon of dried horsetail may be an effective tonic used to prevent hair loss in women. Horsetail has also been used in folk medicine as a soap or shampoo.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is used in the cells of the hair follicle. The hair follicle produces the hair, so nutritional support of this area is vital to preventing hair loss. While large doses of vitamin A can lead to hair loss, a daily dose of 5,000 to 25,000 a day can help hair to grow, according to Huntington College of Health Sciences. A dose over 50,000 a day may be damaging. Vitamin A can be found in many vegetables, especially the ones that are orange, like carrots, or red, like tomatoes, or green, like many leafy plants such as spinach and kale.
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