Many people recommend Vitamin E for hair loss since it is reported to support scalp health, hair growth and shine. But what is Vitamin E and how does this vitamin for hair work? Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant vitamin which is important for reproduction, vision, skin health and the brain. Vitamin E is not a single vitamin but a collection of eight vitamins which include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.

Does Vitamin E help hair loss?

There are many supplements containing vitamins for hair loss. Vitamins for hair are considered important by many consumers who report increased hair growth and better hair condition. Hair vitamins may help hair by nourishing the hair follicles. Hair vitamins supplements may also help to ensure healthy, strong hair.

Many people claim that taking vitamin E for hair loss also helps to enhance shine, condition and strengthen their hair, and whilst there may be a lack of scientific evidence for this, there is justification in the use of vitamin E for hair loss since its antioxidant properties may reduce cell damage and improve hair growth.

Tocotrienols are the most powerful antioxidants that are part of vitamin E. Free radicals are harmful to the body and are known to cause inflammation leading to numerous health conditions. The most widely accepted theory of ageing is oxidative stress from free radicals causing inflammation which is often referred to as inflammaging.

Only anecdotal evidence exists about vitamin E for hair loss but tocotrienols on the other hand do have some scientific evidence relating to their ability to protect against hair loss. They are effective at increasing hair counts, in other words enhancing hair density. In an eight-month human study, the results demonstrated that those taking tocotrienols experienced a better than 34% average improved hair count. This trial demonstrated that taking tocotrienol capsules increased hair numbers in volunteers suffering from hair loss compared to the placebo group. All subjects showed a significant increase in hair thickness and density.¹

It is theorised that taking vitamin E for hair loss is justifiable, it is actually the tocotrienols in some vitamin E supplements that work to increase hair count by reducing oxidative stress caused by free radicals such as superoxide, a tightly controlled inflammatory agent that the immune system uses to kill invading microorganisms.¹

Whether due to ageing or due to nutritional deficiencies of zinc, manganese or copper, we tend to make less superoxide dismutase (SOD) which neutralises the damaging molecule called superoxide and its capability to damage the hair follicles. With damage, hair follicles shrink causing hair to grow back thinner or not at all.

Tocotrienols are potent antioxidants and are up to 60 times more potent than the tocopherol fractions of vitamin E and it is these compounds that many be responsible for the benefits of vitamin E for hair loss.

Life Extension Super Absorbable Tocotrienols provides a patented form of bioavailable tocotrienols which are more bioavailable than other tocotrienol supplements. This vitamin for hair can easily be taken with other hair loss supplements for telogen effluvium (increased hair shedding) which is the most common type of hair loss. This type of hair loss is usually triggered by stress, post-partum and/or nutritional deficiencies.

Super Absorbable Tocotrienols can also be taken with DHT blockers, such as Superior Hair, for female pattern baldness known as androgenetic alopecia which is a pattern of hair loss linked to ageing, low female hormones and genetics.

Reference:

1. Effects of tocotrienol supplementation on hair growth in human volunteers – Trop Life Sci Res 2010

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