Are Vitamins essential in the fight against hair loss and the ultimate goal of hair regrowth and maintenance?

The answer is yes, vitamins for hair loss are crucial in the war on female and male pattern baldness.

Studies have demonstrated that the utilization of proper nutrition and agressive vitamin and nutrient supplementation has significantly improved the appearance and growth of patient's hair, as well as dramatically improved the appearance, thickness, strength and sheen of existing hair.

So, what are these vitamins, nutrients and natural compounds that are such an integral part of your hair loss campaign? The list is fairly long, but the payoff can be pretty sweet if you find the right product that contains most of these ingredients in a standardized and pure form.

The first on the list is Zinc. Deficiencies in Zinc, an essential mineral to the human system, has been shown to be partially responsible for balding and scalp problems such as psoriasis and dryness. When zinc is reintroduced into the diet, it usually has an healing effect on the scalp and rejuvenation of the hair follicles, especially when combined with the other key vitamins and nutrients mentioned down below, such as B vitamins, biotin, amino acids and gelatin - to name a few.

Vitamin B5 is the second one on the list. Vitamin B5, otherwise known as panthenol, and the entire family of B vitamins has been shown in studies to help immensely in stopping hair loss and helping to quickly regrow hair that has been lost in both men and women.

Vitamin B6 is highly involved in the metabolism and proper utilization of protein. Biotin, another member of the B Vitamin family, is a water soluble vitamin - meaning you do get rid of it through urination and excretion on a daily basis - it does not build up to toxic levels as some other vitamins can that are not water soluble if they are overused.

Biotin is another known strengthener of the hair and nails. Just to show how important the nutrient Biotin is to the health and continued growth of your hair, in labratory-controlled studies it has been shown that deficiencies in biotin leads to hair loss and scaly red rashes on the face and in the genital areas. Apparently, biotin has proven its worth in the health and maintenance of our hair, skin and nails. In extreme cases of biotin deficiency, adults have manifested symptoms of depression, lethargy and numbness in the arms, legs, feet and fingers.

Amino Acids - Amino acids have many times been dubbed the "building blocks" of the protein and the human body itself, and are known facilitators of protein synthesis. Amino acid supplmentation helps to rebuild and repair bodily tissues, and also helps to restore hair growth, as well as strengthen the hair you currently have to help avoid additional hair loss.

Just to run through a few of the ESSENTIAL amino acids (the kind that cannot be manufactured by your body, but rather are a nutrient that you must consume and digest in order to be present in the body), there are actually several. To name the primary ones, you have tryptophan, lysine, methionine, phenylalaine and then a few others.

So you see, essential amino acids are key to the completion and rejuvenation of the hair growth cycle that many times is temporarily interrupted by hormonal surges or drops, or is permanently hampered by other life changes such as menopause or aging in general.

Horsetail is actually an herb, but we will discuss it here since it is actually a pretty powerful weapon in the war on hair loss and thinning, as well as dry and brittle hair. This powerful herb is an excellent source of the elusive nutrient silica, which help keep hair lustrous and shiny. Horsetail is actually so potent that it is not recommended you take the product in its whole form, rather in a combination formula that has equal parts of this and other vitamins necessary for hair growth, to prevent toxicity due to its unusual potency.

Gelatin is another nutrient known to strengthen nails and hair as well as to help fortify the hair shaft and scalp. It is especially well known for strengthening connective tissue and making hair and nails grow faster. Gelatin is actually the end result of boiled connective tissues of animals (I know, not too savory, but nonetheless true). As a result, gelatin contains protein, collagen, and various essential amino acids which, as discussed previously, are the building blocks of protein and essential to connective tissue health.

All of these nutrients are very powerful precursors to hair growth and rejuvenation of the hair shaft and scalp. They should, deservedly so, be considered crucial elements to the regrowth and maintenance of your hair!

See Herbal Hair Loss Remedies and Vitamins for more information on how to naturally regrow hair and prevent hair loss in women and men. Danna Schneider is the webmaster of Herbal Remedies, a site dedicated to providing reviews and articles on the most effective natural herbal remedies and products.