THIS WORKS FAST AND SAFELY ON SCALP AND EYEBROWS
(See Comments at end for a brief discussion of male pattern baldness.)
CATEGORY: 1: Simple Malnutrition
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENT: FOLIC ACID
Hair so thin your scalp is showing where it didn’t before. Hair that falls out, won’t grow back and leaves bald spots behind. Hair that grows maddeningly slow then weakens and splits at the ends. Hair that grows to a certain length shorter than you want and won’t grow longer. Hair that used to grow to your satisfaction, but has slowed way down. Hair that has fallen out due to a medical condition or treatment, but is growing back too slow for you. These kinds of hair trauma are no joking matter. Any one of these problems can be devastating to one’s sense of self, but it’s particularly hard when you’re only 11, like Natalie L., and think that all the other kids notice.
Natalie is a beautiful, cerebral child, the oldest daughter of my friend, Rita L., a preemie RN, who herself is one of nine siblings—five girls. Natalie’s brown hair had grown so thin and wispy that her scalp was visible, and she wasn’t alone. All the women on that side of the family, including Rita, have similar problems. They always assumed it was an inherited trait because they all have the problem. That may be true, but another way of looking at it is to say that what they actually inherited was DNA that gives them all a need for extra B Complex in general, and Folic Acid in specific. The lack thereof is what causes the hair loss.
It is known that family members share similar health issues, like hair problems in Natalie’s family, or breast cancer in another family, simply because they share similar DNA. But there’s more to it than that. The similar health problem may come originally from the shared DNA, but it is the lack of the proper food supplements later that permits the disorder to present itself. In other words, vulnerability to a given disorder is due not only to the shared DNA, but also to a common way of eating—all those family recipes and eating rituals passed down, and over—which is nutritionally deficient. Since family members are eating similarly deficient diets, they are developing similar health problems.
I have heard of women in breast cancer prone families having one or more healthy breasts removed, because their sisters, mother, or aunts developed breast cancer. This is certainly one approach to avoidance, but please understand that you don’t have to do anything nearly so drastic. Shared DNA may result in deficiency X. But X can always be treated with the correct food supplements, and thereby controlled and completely avoided.
I put Natalie and Rita on the same supplement regimen, with Natalie’s dosage slightly lower. A little over a month later, Rita had two inches of new growth and it’s growing in thicker and healthier looking. Natalie had four gorgeous inches of thicker new growth! When Natalie looks in the mirror now, she beams. For the first time in years, Natalie’s hair in front is long and thick enough to flop over her eyes and cheekbones. She’s got a real Veronica Lake thing going on, and you can’t see her scalp.
As an assist for the Folic Acid, I also gave them B Complex, Biotin, and Silica. Folic Acid is part of the B Complex. These support vitamins help grow hair, but if your funds are tight, start with Folic Acid and B Complex right away, and add Biotin and Silica when you can. Folic Acid will also stimulate eyebrow growth.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING FOLIC ACID
You need a lot of Folic Acid on a regular basis to get your hair to grow in earnest. (Remember, you’re not thinking of supplements as “pills” any more, which suggests medicine, but rather as what they are, “concentrated nutrition.” Food, in other words.) When you stop the Folic Acid, it’s like turning off a tap; your hair stops growing immediately. You have to take it regularly, like clockwork, twice daily. The more Folic Acid you take, the faster your hair will grow, up to a point. (There is a point at which taking more Folic Acid will actually cause your hair growth to slow down. But you’ll notice when you get there.) If you’ve chosen a certain number to start and don’t see results in a few days, it just means that you need to increase your dosage.
I take 18 tablets twice daily for optimum growth; Rita has been taking 15 twice daily, and Natalie 7 twice daily. I use Puritan’s Pride brand because it works well, and the tiny, tic-tac size makes it easier to take so many. I started with 10 tablets twice daily a couple years ago, and that worked for a while. But over time I have had to increase the dosage to keep my hair growing the way I want. I have been taking 18 twice daily for over a year and am happy with the results.
RITA’S REMEDY AT A GLANCE CHART (Adult)
| SUPPLEMENTS | BREAKFAST | DINNER | BRAND | STRENGTH |
| FOLIC ACID | 10-18 tablets | 10-18 tablets | Puritan’s Pride #2845 | 800 mcg |
| B COMPLEX 100 (capsules only) | 1 capsule | 1 capsule | Puritan’s Pride #10282 | 100 mg/mcg |
| BIOTIN | 3 tablets | 3 tablets | Puritan’s Pride #7961 | 1000 mcg |
NATALIE’S REMEDY AT A GLANCE CHART (11-Year-Old)
| SUPPLEMENTS | BREAKFAST | DINNER | BRAND | STRENGTH |
| FOLIC ACID | 7-10 tablets | 7-10 tablets | Puritan’s Pride #2845 | 800 mcg |
| B COMPLEX 50 (capsules only) | 1 capsule | 1 capsule | Puritan’s Pride #19973 | 50 mg/mcg |
| BIOTIN | 2 tablets | 2 tablets | Puritan’s Pride #7961 | 1000 mcg |
NOTES
When using Folic Acid in high doses for an extended period. The individual components of B Complex depend on each other to interact properly within your system. Folic Acid is part of the B Complex. If you take any one component for an extended time without the whole complex, you will deplete another component and create a different deficiency. Therefore, you have to take the full B Complex mixture as long as you take Folic Acid.
I highly recommend staying away from tablets and using only B Complex capsules. Tablets can be very hard to digest. I also suggest taking B Complex with food, again because of the digestion issue. If you have a cast iron stomach, don’t worry. Otherwise, it can cause a terrific tummy ache for some people.
Please be nice to each other, and look for my next blog: Blog 3: The Danger of Inflammation, where I explain why it is the single biggest health threat that you face.
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Lynn Capehart Wellness Project 
Hi Lynn, My hair has thinned due to Tacrolimus, I ‘m pretty sure so my question : are the B vitamins in a daily multi enough to support the high dose folic acid….or do I still need to take B complex along with my multi ?
ALSO : as always I must ask could the extra B, or Folic acid cause a conflict with immunosurpressants for a kidney transplant ? Thanks Again
Oren
Hi Oren,
Please read the quick glance chart carefully. If I didn’t think you needed the extra B Complex 100 I wouldn’t have recommended it. What you get in a multi is not enough. No conflict with immunosurpressants.
Thanks for writing, Lynn
Hello, first of all thank you so much for this wonderful piece of information! I’m a 23yo female who suffers from PCOS and Depression and my hair has been falling tremendously for the last few years, I used to have SO MUCH hair I actually disliked it (oh the regrets..) and now I can see my scalp and the only bit of hair I have left is super oily at the roots and extremely brittle at the ends, and I lose hair in chunks. I’m depressed and desperate and I’m willing to try anything to make this work.
My question is.. I’m also taking vitamin D, fish oil, vitex and saw palmetto to fight my PCOS symptoms and I would like to add Inositol too because I read that Inositol and folic acid is a miraculous combination for PCOS. Is it okay for me to take all these substances along with your program? Or do you have your own program for PCOS sufferers like me?
Also, one of the PCOS symptoms that affect me is hirsutism, will your program make my hirsutism worse? Do you have any sort of recommendations on how to treat it?
I’m desperate and I’m willing to try anything, all I need is some help and guidance to find what works for me.
Thank you in advance,
Ursula
Hi Ursula,
Just found your email. I have to suggest that if you are still suffering from these conditions it would be good for you to consider a private consultation. I say this because the hormonal dysfunction you suffer from has to be monitored closely–something that can’t be done in a reply comment.
Briefly, you need Non GMO soya lecithin 1200 mg softgels to reduce and eliminate the PCOS, and pharmaceutical grade DHEA capsules to adjust your hormones. But this is tricky. Let me know if you are interested by emailing me directly at lynncapehartnonprofit@outlook.com
Thanks for writing, Lynn
I have researched a bit and understand that folic acid may also help with RLS – Restless Leg Syndrome. Have you heard of this?
Hi Dwayne,
I had not heard that. I am pretty certain that restless leg syndrome is connected to a hormonal inbalance. In my experiments to test hormonal disruption relief, depending on what adjustment I made, I would give myself restless leg, and it is hellish to say the least. As soon as I would change the doses, it went away and I never experienced it again. I don’t have any more info on it at this time, and I’d like to hear from other readers who experience this problem…restless leg. Do you have any other symptoms that would lead you to believe that it could be hormonal based in your case, Dwayne? I don’t believe that Folic Acid would have much to do with it, but perhaps the whole B Complex would help, because it supports the nervous system and prevents nervous disorders like Parkinson, palsy, tics, twitching, and trembling hands, etc.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi Lynn, thank you for this wonderful blog! I too am in the hair thinning and hair loss camp. I would like to try this protocol, but due to issues with toxicity, whenever I take B vitamins and certain other supps, it causes me to have wicked detox reactions, including kidney/adrenal pain, though I am in dire need of Vitamins and minerals. I am having to go very slow with all supplements, therefore I think this would be too strong for me. Do you have any suggestions for someone like me, who doesn’t want to keep losing hair. My main issues are adrenal fatigue, hyperthyroid, blood sugar imbalance, to name a few.
thank you
Hi Cyndy,
What comes to mind immediately is a problem with your digestive system. Any of the B complex elements are very difficult to digest and can wreak havoc on your entire system. I only use B complex in capsule form because it is easier to digest that way. Individually, I might take a chance but for the whole complex I have to use capsules.
Also you have to take all B vitamins with food. After a meal preferably, again due to the difficulty digestion it. So never take any B vitamins on an empty stomach or with liquid only. Let’s start with the most obvious path. Try buying Betaine Hydrochloride tablets from Puritan’s Pride, Product No. 3850. Take 2 of them every time you take any B vitamin. If it helps a little but there is still discomfort, you just need to take more. It is essentially stomach acid in tablet form, so take as many as necessary to get relief. I love bananas, but can’t always digest them. Sometimes eating one can result in hours of stomach distress. When that happens I start taking Betaine Hydrochloride, sometimes taking a dozen or more to get relief.
Let me know if this works. If not, we’ll dig deeper.
Thanks for writing, Lynn
Nice article. I just wanted to add a comment; I used Puritan’s Pride “timed release Vitamins for the Hair, and saw wonderful improvements in my hair. Without explanation last year, they completely changed the formula. The issue I have is they didn’t note it on their site, and they kept the PRODUCT REORDER NUMBER THE EXACT SAME. I have an issue with this. Many of the ingredients were cut in half, but others were increased. There were SO many people that loved the product, so I was curious why they changed, and I emailed them. I received a response that said “they were responding to customer requests”; seriously, I highly doubt that. Every comment was in praise of the product before they changed it, and I saw none requesting a change. There weren’t any low stars or negative comments, and there were so many comments. With the new formula, there was at least one that said she had serious issues with her hair with the new formula. I’ve noticed they have removed most of the comments from their website, and the 5 star comments are years old (with the old formula).
I had also started using their chelated calcium magnesium zinc supplement because I’d liked the hair supplement so much. Several months ago I started having burning feet/leg pain at night. It took a while to figure out what was causing this. I never had this before, and I’ve taken calcium supplements for many years, but on a recommendation, I quit the calcium, and the problem subsided.
The calcium could have just been an issue that didn’t work for me; but I have decided to not reorder the hair vitamins, and I quit ordering anything else based on the lack of honest customer response.
My purpose for posting this is to say pay attention on reordering supplements. Companies are not always going to tell you everything, and it’s up to us to keep up with these things. Blessings.
Hi Nancy,
Sorry for the delay; I just discovered your comment from two months ago. I agree that Puritan’s Pride should have noted the changes to their formula and not tried to slip it by. Sounds like the changes inbalanced the formula. You could always try my folic acid et al treatment for your hair.
One note: beware of taking zinc supplements unless they are very small doses. Zinc is the one supplement I stay away from except in my multiple vitamin taken once a day. All you need to assimilate calcium is magnesium oxide. Adding zinc is just marketing. The more choices you have the greater chance of buying more
product. Beware of marketing.
Thanks for the heads up. Lynn.
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for the wonderful information in this informative blog. I wanted to draw your attention towards the whole Folic Acid vs Folate vs 5MTFHR debate. There is so much contradicting information out there…some of the blogs suggest that excessive Folic Acid intake can cause Cancer too. Please guide us about what info to believe and what to discard…
Thanks,
Raj
Hi Raj,
Please don’t believe anything as idiotic as that Folic Acid will cause cancer. It boggles my mind that such ridiculous misinformation is out there. No vitamin that I recommend will cause cancer. Only free radicals cause cancer. All that an excess of Folic Acid will cause is your hair and eyebrows to grow faster with a better end product. You just have to remember to take a B Complex along with the Folic Acid to prevent a different deficiency with one of the other elements. Since they work together, taking too much of one without a balance can cause a deficiency of a different B element. You have nothing to worry about with taking any dose amount of Folic Acid. It is water soluble and any excess that your body can’t use (and believe me it can use and needs a lot of Folic Acid), will simply be washed out of your system. There is a lot of junk science on the internet so be careful what you take to heart, Raj. Folic Acid will not cause cancer nor any other harm to you.
Thanks for writing. Lynn
Lynn,
Bless your heart for this information!!!! I’ve been suffering for years from numerous symptoms and have seen numerous doctors who had all diagnosed me with varying things and after trying various medications and doing hours and hours of research (I have no idea how I never found your website before!!!), still suffered. After a half a year doing my own trials, I have greatly reduced the severity of most of my symptoms through trial and error supplements (I wish I had found your site sooner – I have tubs of supplements that didn’t help or made symptoms worse). The two symptoms that have been relentlessly stubborn are 1. hair loss/dry, extremely brittle hair (that barely grows if it actually bothers to grow at all) and 2. eyebrow loss.
My doctors diagnosed me with hypothyroid, yet every single thyroid med made all my symptoms worse! (tried synthroid, armour, cytomel, sustained release t3, iodine). And of course it made no sense to me that eyebrow loss and hair loss are typical thyroid problems.
During the few years, I did try folate because my doctor said I had the MTHFR mutation but only recommended the daily percentage. I tried it and saw no difference (duh!). Tried biotin and saw no difference. At my wit’s end, I prayed for a miracle and less than 24 hours later I found your website! IT ALL MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!
The question I have is what you recommend for people with such a ‘mutation’. My body “supposedly” cannot convert regular folic acid, so it was recommended I take the active form, though my doc didn’t specify which kind. I luckily had some leftover that I bought on my own and tried half of your protocol this morning and am going to take the rest tonight.
1. Does the MTHFR mutation matter? Should I only take the folate form or can I take the regular AND cheaper folic acid form? If you recommend only taking folate for this kind of situation, does it matter if the b vitamin I take has a small percentage of folic acid?
2. The brand I have is “Doctor’s Best, best folate fully active”, but it only has 400 mcg per capsule, and says “elemental, as 800 mcg 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid”. Does that mean it’s only 400 mcg of folate, or 800 mcg total but includes regular folic acid? And if I have a MTHFR, would this not be the “right folate”? I looked online and see that there’s also “l-methylfolate-metafolin” as 800 as mcg and it looks pretty straight forward. So confusing!
3. I had been low in b12 but brought it up with sublingual methyl-b12: my levels are high now, but I worry about taking the other form of b12, the cyano-b12, which is often in b compexes and supposedly “cannot convert in people with MTHFR”. What are your thoughts?
4. Is the silica necessary? If you tell me that the best results will come from taking all four, I will make sure I buy some silica (I don’t have any yet).
5. Is there a reason why you recommend capsules for the b complex but tablets are fine for the others? All I have are b complex tablets and I wasn’t even aware they come in capsules! Is there a brand that uses the methyl-b12 or is it okay for everyone to take the cyano-b12 form?
I apologize for the lengthy questions/comment: I just want to make sure I do this right! I took 10 capsules of folate which I now think was only 400 mcg each (oops) along with b complex and biotin. I was suffering from strange bouts of low mood and extreme fatigue that coincided with bouts of further eyebrow loss and extremely dry, brittle hair (I’m only in my twenties!!!). Not only can I see that my hair needed a way higher dose (it’s already softer and shinier), but it’s already helping with some of the lingering “mystery” symptoms, especially the random irritability.
I am still astounded that someone like you exists! Your efforts are so very much appreciated. I don’t even want to think about the idea of spending the rest of my life never realizing I needed a higher dose of folate all along: I doubt there is a doctor that would ever recognize that. Again, thank you so much for your website!!!!!!!!!!
L
Hi there L,
I’m really glad you found my website. Until I got to the bottom where you give your age, I thought you were probably in your 50s, though hair loss can even begin in childhood. I always wondered why women would get to a certain age and suddenly decide to change their eyebrows to thinner versions. Then I realized it was a health problem caused by a deficiency!
Don’t worry about mutations; your doctor hasn’t a clue. What you have is a severe deficiency, probably you were born with it because you didn’t get enough nutrition in vitro. Puritan’s Pride sells an 800 mcg tablet of regular folic acid. My treatment recommends 10-18 of those tablets twice daily as a maintenance dose. You haven’t been taking nearly enough to make a difference. You have to take the doses religiously every single day.
Yes you need the biotin as suggested in the chart, and the B complex as well. But you can do without the silica. I also want you to stop all the other vitamins that relate to your hair loss. Your system is all out of balance and you’re not helping it by throwing so much into it. Stop worrying. The folic acid will work if enough is taken. If 18 don’t start your follicles pumping out beautiful, silky, thick hair than take more of it. This is nutrition and won’t hurt you, especially if you follow my directions.
Obviously, the amount of folic acid and biotin found in a B complex is not enough to make a difference in hair growth, but you take it to avoid causing another kind of B complex deficiency. The whole B complex is hard for many people to digest in tablet form. You should use capsules for that reason, and take it with food. The biotin and folic acid are fine on the stomach in tablet form.
Try to calm down and stop stressing. That also helps rob you of the same nutrition that you need for the new hair growth. Everything is going to be fine. Take the supplements the way I instruct you in the chart, and everything will be fine. Your doctor is the mutant, not you.
Regarding thyroid problems: If its working too fast and hard, as in hyperthyroidism, try taking sea kelp. Puritan’s Pride sells a really good and inexpensive item. Practice with it, taking anywhere from 1/2 tab to a whole tab. Be careful because it’s very relaxing, and will help cut out the irritability and mood swings.
If you have been helped by this information, please consider making a tax free donation by following the link at the top of the page to paypal.com, where you can make the donation to me through the email address lynncapehartnonprofit@outlook.com. You can also go directly to paypal.com and enter this email address as the donee of your donation.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi Lynn,
Today, I was trying to order Biotin and/or Hair Skin and Nails on Puritan Prides website and I became overwhelmed with choices and doses and combinations. I got no nutritional support from the phone receptionists wanting to take my order so I am delighted to find your site! I currently take the Puritan Pride ABC Plus senior multivitamin-mineral formula and an 800mcg of Folic Acid, Absorbable Calcium 1200mg with D 1000 IU, Vitamin A 8000 IU & Vitamin D 400 IU, Selenium 200mcg, and CO-Q-10mg, and also a separate D3 which I just ran out of and have in my cart. If I followed your regimen what would I discontinue if anything.
Lynn, I have had fairly thin hair for many years, ever since delivering my children, but lately it has gotten even thinner and wonder if the fact that I started taking a low dose of Citalopram about 6 or 7 months ago. I don’t know if this has created this problem of thinning hair but others I know, while on that med. have not had a thinning problem, so I am not sure.
I am so anxious to start your plan and I would greatly appreciate your advice as soon as possible.
Thank You So Much for your wisdom and interest in helping us all.
Susan
Hi Susan. What you’re taking is fine, but you have a “Folic Acid” deficiency. Please read the blog on hair loss and follow the regimen. Biotin is a support vitamin, as is Vitamin B Complex, but the main assist for hair growth is Folic Acid. You need about 10 times the amount you are taking, instead of only 1 tablet of Folic Acid. Follow the directions in the chart and you will see improvement pretty quick. I don’t know anything about the med you’re taking, but it may be capable of increasing the Folic Acid and B complex deficiencies that you already have.
Good luck and thanks for writing, Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Just to be clear, do you recommend following the chart and still taking the Puritan Pride multi along with the other individual vitamins I am taking…
Thanks Lynn
Hi Susan,
If you’re worried about hair loss, all you need are the vitamins in the chart. A multi is good. The other vitamins are also good; extra nutrition is never bad. But none of them are going to make any difference im thinning hair. Follow the chart, Susan.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hello, I have started your Folic acid program and for the last four weeks have taken 18 x 800mcg folic acid twice a day plus Vit B complex 100mg twice a day. I also take Biotin 5000mcg daily and Vit D 5000iu daily. I take Kelp also.
I have not noticed any new hair as yet. I do have diffuse thinning on scalp and have less hair now in my forties than in my twenties when it was quite thick. Just wondering how long the program takes to see any results and whether you ever recoup the hair you had in your youth or is this just wishful thinking!!
Hi Sal,
You should have seen some new hair growth by now. Can you cut back to 3000 mcg of Biotin like the chart recommends? Too much can upset the balance. If you do that and still do not see results, then increase the Folic Acid to 20 twice daily. Also increase the B complex to Two twice daily. Let me know if that helps. My experieince has been that if Folic Acid doesn’t help then something else is going wrong.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Thanks for sharing this information. Think any hair treatments could make your hair grow longer… It may strengthen the hair and lessen breakage.
Hi there,
The therapy does all three things, makes your hair grow longer, strengthens it and lessens breakage. It also works the same on eyebrows.
Thanks for writing, Lynn
Hi, thanks I finally found your blog. I am a first time mum who has been breastfeeding for a while. Also I am afro caribbean descent and I use relaxer in my hair. I have noticed 2 months ago that I have a bald patch at the topside of my head. And my hair seems to break and shed very easily. I have just started Puritan’s Pride prenatal complex but I am still worried as what I can do to make my hair problem better. Please advise.
Hi there,
I can’t offer any more advice than what’s found on the blog. Folic Acid is the main vitamin, supported by B Complex 100, Biotin, and Silica. If you read it carefully you will learn all you need to know to repair your hair and get that bald spot growing again. This therapy really works.
Thanks for writing, Lynn
Lynn,
I have decided to also follow your heart suggestions in the heart blog. Is there anything I should modify since I am doing both?
Thank you.
Sue
Hi Sue,
No, you don’t have to modify anything even though you are taking supplements for two different ailments. Heart disease requires different supplements from those suggested for hair loss and eyebrow thinning. You need regimens.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Thank you so much, Lynn, for your quick response. I am encouraged. I am going to add the Silica, as Puritan Pride is out of stock and I had not found it yet. I have ordered the Sea Kelp from Puritans Pride and will try your suggestions. I forgot to mention that my eyebrows have started growing back at the ends. Now I am hoping my eyelashes will also grow.
Thanks again.
Sue
You’re welcome, Sue,
Puritan’s Pride has discontinued Silica. It comes from the herb Horsetail, so order that instead.
Lynn
Hi, Lynn,
I found your website after searching for information on hair loss. I was looking for the effects of Metformin and stumbled across your most helpful website. After numerous attempts with a previous doctor to pursue thyroid issues past their tests, another doctor sent me to an endocrinologist. He discovered I had four goiters on my thyroid and Hasimoto’s thyroiditis. I take small dosages of levothyroxine. He also said I was prediabetic, thus the Metformin. I had lost a significant amount of hair prior to the thyroid diagnosis, but lost even more after taking the Metformin for almost a year. I am almost completely bald on the very top of my head. This is where the endocrinologist says my thyroid particularly attacks my body – through the hair follicles. I stopped the Metformin and then, one day, found your site. After following the chart my hair is starting to grow, although very slowly. Even my hairdresser asked me what I was doing because she noticed new growth on the top of my head. After all of this rambling, I am wondering if you have any thoughts on how much my hair will grow even with the thyroid issues. I have read some about follicle hair growth and it seems like it might take a long time. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Your hair will continue to grow until it fills in completely and grows back to normal, only better, because it will he healthier, stronger, longer even. And it shouldn’t take that long. Some people go their whole lives living with slow hair growth in spots on their head, and finally get even those sections growing again. I’m very happy for you. I know this subject is important and that’s why it was one of my first blogs. Even without hair loss we all have a bit of hair trauma issues. Losing hair can be devastating, but now you know that’s also unnecessary if people are educated in this subject. I hope you’re taking the full 18 twice daily dose. If not, up it to that and the hair will grow even faster.
Re your thyroid. Goiters develop because your thyroid is working overtime trying to extract iodine from your system. I had a friend who was about to be given radioactive iodine for a huge goiter on his neck, the size of a baseball. Physicians encouraged him despite the obvious risks and despite their saying it wouldn’t last or prevent other goiters. He avoided that awful process by taking my advice and simply taking Sea Kelp twice a day. Order Puritan’s Pride brand #623, 150 mcg tablets. Start slow with the dosage. Take a 1/2 tablet twice daily first thing in the morning, and 20 minutes before going to bed. See how you feel after a week there. Move it up to 1/2 in the morning and a full tab before bed. Stay there a week, and then move it up to 1 tab twice daily. Stay at 1 tab twice daily for several months and give your body a chance to adjust. If things happen you don’t like, like you’re too relaxed, simply reduce the dosage. Experiment with it to get the dosage that’s just right for you.
Lynn
I discovered your blog while googling “eyebrow loss” and “low vitamin d”. I have been losing my eyebrows for almost a year now, and it seems to be a complete mystery “why”. They used to be quite thick (which I loved) and the change is pretty drastic. I have been tested numerous times for thyroid issues, but continue to be in the normal range. The only deficiency I seem to have is low vitamin d, as well as low alkaline phosphatase. I’ve been using latisse, at the recommendations of several different doctors, but after 3 months I am not seeing much difference. I have very thick hair, and haven’t noticed any loss on my head-just my eyebrows! Do you think your regime above will help? Thank you.
Hi Diane,
Yes, I’m sure the regimen will work for your eyebrows. Just follow the directions on the Quick Glance Chart.
Lynn
I started taking 5000 mcg biotin and 250 mg Pantothenic acid a month ago and noticed my outer half of my eyebrows filling in again for the first time in over a decade, and my nails growing faster, and my lashes thicker (I am 45 and the past decade involved having four children and extended nursing plus stress from two family members’ chronic illnesses).
This happened within the first 2 weeks of taking it. However, my scalp is diffused thin, still; I haven’t noticed any stubbly new growth yet; my female family members lose hair with major life stress, but I found it so interesting that you described how even familial eating patterns/preferences can carry a trend through a family that one might just suppose is “genetic”, when it is actually predisposition toward deficiencies due to a shared and common diet.
I had absolutely no idea about the folic acid component; I still take a prenatal vitamin which has 800 mcg folic acid and is rich in B vites but given my biotin experiment of the past month, I must burn through the B vites because otherwise my prenatal might have been sufficient. So I am wondering if I may need more folic acid than my prenatal is providing, given my scalp issues? My prenatal has 20 mg Pantothenic Acid, 5 mg Thiamin, 5 mg Riboflavin, 15 mg Niacin, 10 mg B6, 500 mcg B12 and 300 mcg Biotin. I am wondering if a B-complex would still be helpful on top of that, if my response to Biotin is any indication of my underlying needs.
Hi Elizabeth,
The B Complex vitamins work together as a team. If you take too much of any one of them, you cause an imbalance that shows up as another deficiency. That’s why you need the additional B Complex capsules daily, to make sure you’re getting a little of each. 5000 mg Biotin is a lot, but if it’s helping keep it up. Folic Acid is the main component for hair growth. Biotin, B Complex, and Silica are support vitamins. I recommend taking 10 to 18 of the 800 mcg of Folic Acid, so your 1 tablet a day won’t get the new hair growth you desire.
Try following the recommendations in the Quick Glance Chart exactly as they say. Those dosages have worked the best for people wanting increased hair growth on scalp and eyebrows, and even lashes.
Lynn.
Hi Lynn, thank you for your reply. I will follow the chart and see how it works for me!
Hi Ruth,
I try to be very precise in the Charts, and the recommendations I list have given the best results for the largest number of people. Good luck, and thanks for reading the blog.
Lynn
Hi again, Lynn,
Just to clarify for those reading the comments that I was taking 5000 mcg of Biotin, not mg. On the chart you suggest a total of 6000 micrograms daily for adults and that is a bit more than I was taking so I will adjust accordingly and follow the outlines for the folic acid and B complex as well; hoping to post with great results!
Thanks again,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
Good luck and don’t forget to give us an update on your success with treating hair loss and eyebrow thinning naturally.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
This is not only for hair length growth, right? Very thinning hair is my problem! I’m gonna try this for sure! I hope it works!
Hi Corrine,
Yes, it works for thinning hair as well as hair growth. It is very effective for this purpose.
Lynn
Hey, I am for the first time here. I found this blog and I find it truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.
Thanks Bernadine. Help as many people as you can. And tell them about my blog.
Lynn
Hi there it’s me, I am also visiting this web page regularly, this website is actually pleasant and the viewers are actually sharing good thoughts.
Thanks for your kind words. Glad you are enjoying the blogs.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
I went to the Puritan’s Pride website to order B COMPLEX 100 (capsules only) Puritan’s Pride #10282 100 mg/mcg but their site said that item# 10282 does not exist. Can you tell me which B complex 100 to order?
Hi,
If you have a problem with Puritan’s Pride online, call them at 800-645-1030. They could have helped you figure out that you are off by one number. B Complex 100 is #10280. Remember it is just a support vitamin, and that you need to take all the listed vitamins, especially Folic Acid, the main hairgrow vitamin.
Thanks for writing, Lynn
Whoa this weblog is fantastic. I like studying your posts. Keep up the great postings! You realize, lots of individuals are searching around for this info, you could aid them greatly.
Hi Chong,
I’m glad the blog is helpful to you. Please share the link with others so they can learn more.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi I was wondering if this is safe to do while I am breastfeeding? I had to use a blood thinner for the 10 months while I was pregnant with my 1 year old. I also have hypothyroidism and started losing my hair and eyebrows shortly after having my baby. I am getting close to weaning my baby but would like to start this therapy now. I just want to make sure it’s safe while I’m still nursing? Thanks!!! Lena.
Hi Lenal,
Congratulations on your new baby! Yes, you can start the therapy immediately. These are only concentrated food sources you will be taking. They will not hurt you or your baby while you are breast feeding. You may also want to read Blog 3: The Danger of Inflammation, as inflammation and swelling are one of the causes of hypothyroidism, as is an auto-immune problem. You can learn more about auto-immune disorders on Blogs 9, 13, 15, and 21, which all deal with auto-immune problems. Let me know if you need more help.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Thank you very much! I will give it a try;)
Thank you for your previous reply 🙂 I got the Puritans Pride you recommended off eBay, and it was really cheap! Now I take 18 folic acid in the morning and 18 at night. The only problem is that even though my hair may be growing, the shedding still continues. My hair is layered so when it appears that my hair has grown maybe a centimeter, after a shower – which is very traumatic for me btw, no matter what I do the hair collects in the drain like crazy and it makes me really hate showers, so when I’m confident my hair is getting longer, the hair still sheds and I don’t get it. So in short I do believe that the folic acid is helping with growth but not the shedding problem itself. Do you recommend I up my dosage of folic acid? As I said in my previous post you can buy the drugstore brand of silica and from a brand like puritans pride, which use minerals such as silica colloidal anhydrous that is a essentially from a rock. Then there’s horsetail which is 7% silica and bamboo which is 70% silica, so with the same quantities of horsetail and bamboo, bamboo is more potent and you get more silica out of it, I hope I’ve worded that properly for you.
Hi Aden,
I know that the Puritan’s Pride Silica is not as potent as that found in Bamboo, which you are using. But that may be your problem. For all we know, you are taking too much Silica. Silica is just a support vitamin; no way will the therapy work with you loading up on that much Silica. You may be causing a different deficiency which is causing hair to fall back out after being stimulated to grow. Is there a reason why you can’t follow the instructions on my chart? 18 folic is good, but cut back on everything else until you are taking what I said. Then we can measure whether you need to take more Folic Acid. For hair growth, Folic Acid is THE supplement. Biotin supports it more than Silica. But Silica is good, at the dosages I’ve told you…1 tablet twice daily of the Puritan’s Pride is all you should be taking, like the chart says. And yes, it is a weak dose. Frankly, I’d rather see you cut out Silica all together than take the large doses. It’s Folic Acid you should be concentrating on, increasing it (slowly) to see what a larger dose does for your problem. Let’s take it slow and easy. I’m certain we can solve your problem with natural nutrition.
Stay in touch and thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to reply, wasn’t expecting to get one so fast! Just have a few more questions for you; why is folic acid the star of the show? What does it do exactly that expedites the growth rate of hair? I thought Biotin was widely known to grow hair very fast.
Because 800mcg pills are quite a small dose and especially when you’re taking 18 of them, wouldn’t the pills run out quick? I’m looking at 20mg pills on eBay and they come in a pack of 100 tablets. And I know it’s not 28mg like your chart adds up to but I prefer to start of small and I’ve already got a 5mg pack of folic acid so I can add that to the 20mg as the weeks go on.
How much could I expect my hair to grow on 28mg of folic acid in a month? In inches I mean?
Last question; because my hair is already dried out and damaged from the Roaccutane and I could never grow out healthier hair – it stayed dry, even the regrowth wasn’t healthier, it was still being dried out and affected by the Accutane – so does folic acid affect the health of the new hair? Or is it more to do with the growth? Because if it just makes my hair grow really fast but the health stays the same then I will continue to take the bamboo because I’m sure that affects the condition of the new growth as well as the biotin.
Hi Aden
If your hair is not growing it is because you have a Folic Acid deficiency. Biotin helps, buy it is Folic Acid that really makes hair grow remarkably. I don’t know why, except the hair needs that supplemental nutrition to grow properly. The B Complex is taken just to prevent a different B Complex deficiency, as the elements all work together. Taking too much of one can cause a deficiency in another B element. Let me repeat that: If you deviate from the chart’s instruction, i.e., taking more or less than recommended your hair will not grow as promised. It will only work if you FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS. I also don’t know anything about the relationship between bamboo and hair growth. But I do know that what I posted on my blog will work. Bamboo is not important to hair growth.
To my knowledge Folic Acid is measured in micrograms, not milligrams. So I don’t know about the 28 milligrams you mention. But I cannot promise the hair growth if you tinker with my recommendtions as to brand and dosage. If you follow my directions, I can promise you 1-2 inches or more a month. I’ve seen this therapy work over and over for adults as well as children. The only thing it doesn’t seem to help is male-pattern baldness, which is hormonal based. Your new hair growth will be thicker, shiner, healthier looking and will continue as long as you follow the therapy. You will be trememdously happy with the results. Trust me and you won’t be disappointed.
Lynn
Hi, I recently became sick with strep throat and it was a huge physical stress on my body; my glands were up, I got around 3 hours solid sleep over the 7 days I had the strep throat and I could only have hot drinks and icy poles to eat, and I know crash dieting can be a cause of hair loss. It seems like because my glands were so swollen in my neck, trying to fight off this infection that it caused my hair to start falling out. It is so upsetting because I had a full head of healthy hair beforehand, and this one little infection causes it to shed excessively. I suspect it might be telogen effluvium.
I am taking Biotin 7,500mcg x1 daily
Bamboo Extract 700mg (I chose this because it is a more potent version of the traditional drugstore silica, and bamboo is 70% silica) x1 daily
Folic Acid 500mcg x2 daily
B- Complex 50mg x1 daily
I am looking at the positives as as my hair is growing, the regrowth will be healthier as its new hair and affected by the vitamins I’ve been taking, and when my hair loss goes back to normal, my hair should grow very fast and a lot longer. I finished an eight-month course of Roaccutane 8 months ago and it completely fried my hair. It was so coarse and dry and was falling out excessively. Hair loss was one of the symptoms of Roaccutane, which was originally used as a chemo agent and works by shrinking your sebaceous glands and killing acne, but it also caused hair loss and hair dryness. And since then my hair hasn’t gotten any healthier. I read that the vitamin a in Accutane depletes biotin, so I decided to take it, but unfortunately I wasn’t aware you were supposed to take it with a B complex at the time so I broke out tremendously, however my hair did grow faster. Now that I’m going to be taking it religiously for the next few months, do you think that by September 2013 the hair loss would’ve stopped? How long do you think my hair would grow by then with the help of Biotin, B complex, silica and folic acid? Will the regrowth be healthier? Are my doses right?
In my head, I’m picturing my hair loss stopping first, then I’d have some regrowth which would fill in any noticeable thinning or bald areas, then my current hair would grow longer and a lot faster as it returns to its normal growth rate from its stubborn telogen effluvium stage. Then in 9 months time I have a full head of new, healthier hair.
Hi Aden,
The drugs caused your hair to fall out because they destroyed nutrition in your body, causing you to become malnutriated.
If you will please recheck the Quick Glance Chart, you will see that the most important vitamin for hair growth is Folic Acid…800 mcg…which you should take 18 of, twice daily. This is 14,400 mcg daily. 1000 mcg Folic Acid daily isn’t nearly enough to restart hair growing. And 7,500 mg of Biotin once a day is too much…it will cause an imbalance and your hair will not grow properly. You only need 3000 mcg of Biotin twice daily. As additional support and to ensure that no imbalances occur, also take a B 100 (not B50) capsule twice daily.
This is the top hair growing formula. Silica helps, but is not as important as these three. I suggest you purchase your supplements from Puritan’s Pride if you can. They have the exact dosages I mention.
PLEASE REREAD THE QUICK GLANCE CHART AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY…STOP IMPROVISING IF YOU WANT YOUR HAIR TO GROW.
If you follow my instructions you’ll have a full head of hair way before September 2013. It will only take a month or so for you to see real results.
Thanks for writing, and let me know what happens.
Lynn
Hello. I’ve purchased 20 mg tablets of B complex, how many should I take everyday?
Hi Liah,
Please check the above chart again. B complex by itself will NOT make hair grow faster. You need large doses of folic acid along with biotin and B complex. At 20 mg, you will need 5 tablets of the B complex twice daily to match the recommended 100 mg/mcg. Plus, I recommend against tablets because they are hard to digest. Capsules are better.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi thanks for info however, I heard biotin causes acne which really worries me as I do not have good skin anyway. Will the combination stop acne forming?
Hi Linda,
Acne is a function of excess progesterone/testosterone in your system. As long as you take the hair growth supplements together they will actually help your skin. But an imbalance in B Complex in your system can contribute to acne. The B Complex elements work synergistically to support each other. If you suddenly start taking one element alone, you will end up with a deficiency in another of its elements. Using one only will drain the others. Make sense?
Use the therapy I recommend. It won’t hurt you in any way.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hey, my names Charlie, I’m slightly confused, you take such a huge amount of Folic Acid, and yet when I researched it I was told to be careful of not taking to much because of health risks. I have fine short hair, and would love to start seeing some results, but not at the risk of my health, could you please get back to me on your ideas? And does this regimen make your hair thicker?
Thanks. X
Hi Charlie,
I understand your concerns about your health, but nothing I tell you in a blog will hurt you. Folic Acid is only nutrition, a concentrated food source. Thousands of people have tried this therapy without a single complaint, but with many happy results. Folic Acid will not hurt you. No matter the source of your information, they are wrong about Folic Acid being dangerous.
Have you noticed how every so often you’ll hear a report about a supplement being dangerous? Then time will pass and the information fades away and everything goes back to normal. In the past years I have heard reports that everything from Beta Carotene to Vitamin C was dangerous. All of it lies and misinformation.
I guarantee you that Folic Acid taken as I recommend, using the brand I recommend, will absolutely, positively make your hair grow longer, thicker, and stronger, without endangering your health in any way.
I got interested in hair loss when I started to see my own eyebrows thin. (I have always had naturally thick eyebrows that I love.) In just a week, I noticed new hair growth there and on my scalp. Portions of my scalp hair that grew slower than the rest suddenly started growing noticeably from one day to the next. Everyone who has followed the therapy has seen beneficial results.
But don’t forget to also take the support vitamins I recommend, especially the B Complelx 100 to make sure that you don’t deplete other elements of the Complex and end up with a different deficiency. That is the only thing to worry about when you take large doses of a single B Complex element like Folic Acid. But if you follow my recommendations, and take the full regimen, you will have no problems.
Go for it, Charlie.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
kelly marie
i am already taking hair skin and nails vitamins from holland and barret which have folic acid in my hair is still coming out how much more do i need to take to stop it from coming out?
Hi Kelly,
You didn’t tell me exactly how much Folic Acid you are taking so I can’t tell you how much more you need. Why don’t you compare what I recommend with what you are taking? My short answer would be keep upping your Folid Acid dosage until your hair stops falling out. If you’re only getting a little Folic Acid as part of a multiple vitamin, that’s never going to be enough. You need to buy Folic Acid alone. I recommend 800 mcg tablets, and that you take 10-20 of then twice daily. That’s a lot of Folic Acid. Check out the numbers.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.
Hi Lynn,
I am ordering my folic acid 800mg and b complex and will see the results after one month.
Recently I lost a lot of my hair at the back because of stress and I’m hoping for two to three inches after a month is this realistic?
Yes, Kamara,
Two to three inches in a month is entirely realistic if you take enough Folic Acid. The high doses I have recommended will work. One query: I’m assuming you have removed the cause of the stress that led to the hair loss in the first place? That’s important to do. And you might consider adding B Complex 100 capsules, Chelated Calcium Magnesium tablets 500/250, Vitamin D3 softgels, 1000 IU strength, and Puritan’s Pride Sea Kelp to your diet through supplements to help you cope better with stress. Please let us know how the therapy works for you.
Thanks for writing,
Lynn.
As far as male pattern baldness, I have had hair transplants and currently on propecia and minoxidol. Do you feel the Folic acid might help me? What vitamins do you suggest for male pattern baldness?
Hi David,
For the benefit of other readers, Propecia is used to treat enlargement of the prostrate gland. And Minoxidil is an antihypertensive vasodilator medication used to slow or stop hair loss and promote regrowth.
Most male pattern baldness is caused by excess testosterone production.
Specifically, male pattern baldness is caused by a genetic sensitivity of hair follicles to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is produced by a the body with the help of an enzyme. It is interesting that prostate gland enlargement is also believed to be caused by excess testosterone production, which causes an increase in cell growth in the prostate leading to enlargement.
I think you should definitely try Folic Acid in the higher doses listed in the blog. You should also explore adding DHEA in capsule form to your diet. Enzymatic Therapy makes a 5 mg formula called Youthful You, advertised generally to stabilize hormone production in men or women. They also have a formula for men only. I would try the general version first to try to balance your hormone production. If there is no change I would then try the “men only” formula, but I would watch myself carefully to make sure it doesn’t add even more testosterone to your system. But don’t worry, any natural supplement you take to artificially push your hormones in one direction or another will last for only 24 hours before it washes out of your system and you go back to normal. To keep the effects you have to take it daily.
Lynn
Hello again
So I tried using 15mg folic acid twice daily for two weeks now. I noticed that my hair grew about a half an inch already! To me that’s amazing. However no new hairs. Am I too quick to expect to see results?
Hi Joanne,
I’m happy you’re gettting results already. Two things: it may take longer for certain people to see new hair growth, but it could also mean that you aren’t taking enough Folic Acid. I recommend 10 to 18, 800 mcg tablets twice daily. You’re taking only 15. Even if you move it up to 18 twice daily and aren’t satisfied with the results, just up your dosage. Go to 20 or 22 or 25 twice daily. Whatever it takes to see the results you want.
But remember, you have to protect against a B Complex deficiency. Folic Acid taken alone without the whole complex will deplete other elements and lead to different deficiencies. So with every dose of Folic Acid, take at least one B Complex 100 capsule.
Thanks for writing with the good news.
Lynn
Hi Janice,
Folic Acid definitely increases scalp and eyebrow growth if you take enough of it. No, there is no danger in taking it long term because it’s only nutrition that your body is missing, otherwise your hair would be growing fine. Just remember to also purchase B Complex 100 and take it along with the Folic Acid. The elements of B Complex all work together. Folic Acid is an element of B Complex. If you take too much of just one of the B Complex elements, you risk depleting another element and causing a different deficiency than the one you’re treating.
Lynn
Hi Sarah.
Good to hear from you again. Yes, you are correct that 1000 mcg is equal to 1 mg. I have recommended taking between 8,000 mcg and 14,000 mcg of Folic Acid twice daily, so taking 10,000 mcg twice daily puts you right in the middle with an average dose. Don’t forget what I said about taking B Complex 100 with it so that you don’t deplete other elements of the B Complex, of which Folic Acid is a part. If you don’t also take B Complex with these large doses of Folic Acid, you will end up with a different deficiency than the one you’re treating.
Lynn
I will definately try it. One can get 5mg for very cheap over the counter. I will report back in a few days. I’m off to the shop!
PS. Are there any dangers in using this in such high dosages in the long run?
Hello again Lynn
I just have one more quick question. Would I be correct if I say that I can take 5mg Folic Acid because it’s equivalent to 5000mcg? So technically I can take 2 of these in the morning (10000mcg) and two at night to start with if I go according to your chart? As far as I understand mg is bigger than mcg, right?
Sarah
Hi Joanne,
Yes, folic acid and the other mentioned supplements will stop hair loss and hair thinning–on scalp and eyebrows. You have to take it regularly, every day for it to work. It only won’t work on male pattern baldness hair loss.
Lynn
Dear Lynn
Will this stop hairloss as well? Im experiencing bad hair loss did all the tests possible, hormonal, thyroid esc all stable but still have it and my hair is already very thin as it is. My mother and father both have thin hair.
Hope to hear from you
Hi Sarah,
The strength listed in the chart is what strength to buy; the strength of each tablet in the bottle you purchase. Then under “Morning,” and “Evening,” it tells you how many of this strength tablet you should take. So you’re buying 800 mcg strength tablets, and taking 10 to 18 of them twice daily, like it says in the chart.
Hope this helps, Lynn.
P.S. Some of the smartest women I’ve ever known have been blondes.
Hello there
Looking at the chart. The strengh is that per tablet or overall strengh that you need to use per day. Im a little blond. Blush*
Thanks for your comment, James. I don’t know what else to tell you about this therapy. It is simple, and depends greatly on the right amount of Folic Acid. It really does work as well as I’ve indicated here. It’s truly amazing.
Thank you for posting this information to us. This is very much helpful. Hope you could post more about this information.
Thank you and more power!
I have a few friends who are worried about their hair thinning out.. (probably due to all that stress from studying 24/7) I will recommend this to them. Thanks!
Thanks for leaving a comment Min. When I was in graduate school, I noticed the same thing, people losing their hair, even going gray from all the stress. Folic Acid starts working after only a few days of use. It even works on eyebrows, which I really like because my thick brows had started to thin out before I started taking this Folic acid therapy.
My hair started thinning out after college and now at 43 I have been on this remedy for a couple years and my hair is long and full.
Can you follow this chart while breastfeeding?
Sorry therapy?
Hi Lena,
Sorry for taking so long to answer. Technical glitches. I know it’s too late for my answer on breast feeding to make a difference, but I want you to have the information anyway. Yes it’s perfectly all right to follow any of my treatments when a woman is breast feeding, and for the same reason that it is all right to eat. Supplements are only concentrated food sources. In fact, it will help your baby because she or her will be getting a more nutritious diet through you.
Thanks for writing, Lynn.