Everything You Know About Hair, Skin, And Nail Supplements

Men, you've got many options, so many options, for OTC supplements. There are so, so many OTC supplements that help your nails, skin, and hair! So many! You get to take things to stop your nails from breaking way too short, stop acne from popping up, and even making sure you get a full head of hair. Obviously, though, you have to talk to your doc first! Men, ask them about any supplements you want to take, even single vitamins. It's important, so important, because high doses of certain things trigger side effects.

You've got the power to take skin supplements and treat acne, men. You can even get your nails stronger with nail supplements! There are even great individual vitamin supplements, like collagen tablets. But of course, men, you know you've got to consider your options first, like vitamins for acne and the best hair growth supplements!

Zinc

Zinc's huge, so huge, for your hair follicle health! Men, these supplements are going to make you shed less, boost your volume, and overall just make your hair a lot nicer. Win! You even get faster hair growth with zinc supplements. They're also a huge, huge way to treat dandruff and other scalp fungal infections. That said, you don't want to take more than 15mg of zinc every day for your hair. Men, you need to remember to only take zinc for up to 3 months too! Higher doses and longer supplementation make side effects a lot more likely.

See white spots on your fingernails? Men, you know this means you're not getting enough zinc! That's where zinc supplements come in, as they can fix this very fast. You'll even have less acne with zinc supplements. Some claim you can even treat skin ulcers and psoriasis this way. What a win, right? Awesome!

Collagen

Collagen's a hugely important protein. So huge! Men, it's made of 19 amino acids. Sadly, though, your body makes less and less of it as you get older. So sad. Men, it's a huge, huge part of the reason you get fine lines and wrinkles! It's also part of skin elasticity loss. The good news? You can take collagen supplements! They work on improving skin texture and reduce signs of skin aging. Yes, this means wrinkles and fine lines. Men, you know about the evidence. It says collagen fights free radicals! That's why you get some more hair growth and thickness with these supplements. So much more! You won't have to worry about brittle nails either. Awesome.

Men, there have been studies! One in 2017 looked at 25 people taking 2.5 grams every day of a specific collagen supplement. They did it for 24 weeks! Their average nail growth rate increased by 12%. Their nails broke less frequently by 42%. Wow! That said, men, there was no control group with this study. That means we need more research on the effects!

Biotin

Men, you know biotin's a coenzyme. Yes! It's also called vitamin B7. It's a part of the metabolism of glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids. There's research showing it helps your hair grow and be healthier! You'll get more scalp coverage, thicker hair, and better hair volume in just 3 months of biotin treatment. Yes, this evidence is from many, many research studies. But there's more. Men, you get shinier hair after 6 months! Biotin's also really good at stopping hair loss and treating brittle nails. You'll even get skin benefits too, like treating and preventing acne, dry or cracked skin, rashes, and even fungal skin infections!

You can also expect a lot of help with treating biotin deficiencies when taking these supplements. These deficiencies are really, really common when you take certain antibiotics or seizure meds. They're also common when you've got celiac disease. That said, you've got to talk to your doc about taking these supplements for a deficiency. It's also worth noting, men, that biotin comes in many, so many, topical treatments! That said, it's a lot better when you're taking it orally. Of course, men, be sure to stay at or below the doc-recommended max dose of 3,000mcg daily.

Vitamin B12

Men, you know about the effects of low vitamin B12. You do! It means you'll have things like skin lesions and hyperpigmentation a lot more than others. A lot more! Men, you're also likely to deal with premature gray hair and hair loss. No one wants that, no one. Other signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency are things like ridges in your fingernails and the absence of those white half-moons at your cuticles! It's not great. That said, there's a solution! Men, you can take vitamin B12 supplements to make your skin, nail, and hair health better, a lot better. In fact, lots of those pesky skin lesions vanish once your vitamin B12's back to a healthy level!

A simple blood test, yes simple, lets you check your vitamin B12 levels. Win! Men, you'll need vitamin B12 injections in many cases when your deficiency is very, very severe. That said, your doc can prescribe high-dose oral vitamin B12 for a few weeks too. You need vitamin B12 supplements when your levels are low. You really do! The supplements don't give the same benefit level when your levels are considered healthy.

Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid is vitamin B5, men. You know it! It's very, very common in nail, skin, and hair products. Men, this one's also listed under other names, like panthenol, butanamide, provitamin B5, and dexpanthenol. Look for those! In all cases, this vitamin's a huge, huge help for skin hydration and suppleness. It'll keep your skin protected from many types of damage. Men, pantothenic acid helps a lot, a lot, with skin lesions. One study says you get up to a 67% reduction in face lesions when you take the supplements for at least 12 weeks! Win. Men, you know this vitamin's great for treating acne. It'll be great for reducing skin redness as well as healing bug bites and minor cuts.

Men, you'll get some hair benefits from pantothenic acid too. It'll slow down your hair loss rate and reduce thinning hair. That's great! This vitamin makes your hair stronger, softer, and shinier too. Win. Men, it improves your hair's moisture retention! If you get topical panthenol, expect less nail breakage. There's more too. The risk of side effects on these supplements is very, very low. So low! That said, your doc will likely recommend a certain dose. This is no more than 5% in a topical product!