No one really notices hair health till it starts to deteriorate. Hair usually takes care of itself and unless something is out of whack, it goes about its business and leaves you to worry about other things. Hair has a system in place. It is this system that keeps it healthy and constantly rejuvenating itself. Hair, or rather hair follicles, go through three stages that ensure that the scalp and hair enjoy a state of well-being.
- Anagen, or the growth stage, can last anywhere from two to six years per follicle. This is the stage where hair lengthens and becomes stronger.
- The Catagen phase is the transition phase, lasting about 7 to 10 days. Here, the existing hair follicle begins to move over and make space for a new follicle to take its place. The first follicle is still effectively attached to the scalp, just not as surely as before.
- Telogen is the final phase. The hair follicle with the hair strand comes away from the scalp and falls out. The new hair follicle grows into place, and it gets into the groove of things in about 3 months. You need not be alarmed as the follicles work independently of each other, which is why we always have decent scalp coverage at all times.
A good amount of research has gone into healthy hair growth as this is connected to the aesthetics of being human. The consensus states that the anagen and telogen phases are the best if you wish to manipulate hair into behaving itself. The anagen phase keeps the hair strand growing and supplying the follicle with antioxidants and nutrients helps to strengthen hair, increase hair thickness, and boost overall hair health. Taking care of the scalp during the telogen phase promotes thicker and fuller hair in the future.
Unfortunately, there is no way to isolate the hair follicles in the aforementioned phases, which means that most hair growth supplements don’t work about 30% of the time. Patience is key when dealing with scalp and hair wellbeing.
Of all the fads and alternative solutions to keep hair healthy, only a few have stood to the test of time and proven to improve hair health. Here are a few things you could try before you call in the wellness professionals.
- Topical treatments work. The ancients got that part down to a science. Every culture in the world has a remedy for damaged hair and hair loss. While some practices perished, others survived because they were effective. Coconut oil, mustard, sesame oil, fermented rice water, and even clarified butter are known remedies to thicken hair and promote growth.
- Get yourself tested. Sometimes, excessive hair fall is a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Hormone imbalances, excessive stress, thyroid issues, or scalp and skin rashes could be the reason for hair issues. If you find the medical cause, solutions would work better.
- Cosmetic handling damages hair strands. A leading cause of hair damage is exposing the hair and scalp to all sorts of treatments. Coloring, bleaching, curling, straightening, perming, or even wearing wigs too often can lead to falling hair health.
- Hygiene is key. Need more be said?
- Invest in a good hair supplement. The operational term here is ‘good’.
There is an abundance of hair products in the market, which also raises the likelihood of selecting a subpar product. The smart move is to compare supplements before you actually buy them. Since you may be too busy to do that, we did it for you. We compared three popular hair supplements, so by the end of this piece, you should have a fair idea of what you need.
Nutrafol, Biotin & Folexin: What Are They?
Nutrafol
Nutrafol is a hair growth formula put forward by Nutraceutical Wellness Inc. The official website features separate hair products for men and women, but a closer inspection reveals that the recipes used for both supplements are exactly the same. This marks the initial letdown. Despite the brand’s efforts to market the identical product differently to each gender through language and imagery, customers are quick to catch on and may be deterred by the lack of genuine differentiation. For ease, we are going to be looking at Nutrafol for Men. The supplement uses clinically tested ingredients put together to deal with problems like hair loss and thinning, male pattern hair loss, decreased scalp coverage, and excessive shedding. Nutrafol cites hormones, stress, lifestyle habits, slow metabolism, and nutrition as the factors that could affect hair health, and the formula used is meant to get a handle on those issues. We had to mention that the same factors affect women, too, so the similarity in the formula could be forgiven (female pattern hair loss is also real).
Furthermore, the supplement is gluten, dairy, and soy-free, with no additives or artificial hormones. In addition to that, it also promises to deliver results in a 3-to-6-month window.
How to use Nutrafol?
Take 4 capsules a day with a meal.
Biotin
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H, belongs to the vitamin B complex and has several benefits for overall body function and well-being. Biotin is also notoriously hawked as the exclusive elixir for hair and skin health; which is not entirely false but not true either. Biotin’s primary responsibility is in energy production and the metabolism of carbs, fats, and proteins. It is also needed for the production of keratin, which is the protein needed for skin, nails, and hair – hence the fame. Biotin supplements can be used on their own or, as you will see ahead, added to products that can promote healthy blood sugar, muscle growth, energy production, and kidney health. It is also a regular feature in prenatal supplements. A biotin deficiency is rare as it is easily ingested through foods like egg yolks, cauliflower, mushrooms, banana, and whole grains; common symptoms of a deficiency include brittle nails, weak or thinning hair, and irregular glucose levels.
How to use Biotin?
Each supplement comes with its dosage. However, it is best to keep a daily dose of 30mcg or less.
Folexin
Folexin is brought to you by Vita Balance Inc. The brand has a few supplement success stories on the market, with Folexin being the best seller so far. Folexin uses a combination of natural ingredients and nutrients designed to fulfill nutritional gaps, neutralize free radicals, fight inflammation, and promote healthy hair growth. The one supplement can be used by both men and women. Folexin is a no-nonsense supplement, opting to back its claims with clinical studies rather than shiny pictures. What’s best about this product is that you do not have to wait for hair shedding or scalp issues to use it. You could use the product simply to better the state of your hair, as the formula used has no side effects and only functions to keep hair follicles and scalp healthy. Folexin is vegetarian-friendly.
How to use Folexin?
Take 2 capsules a day with food or as instructed by a healthcare professional. Also, avoid taking Folexin within one hour of taking any medications, and make sure not to surpass the recommended dosage.
Buy Folexin 4 + 1 Free, because great hair deserves an extra boost!
The Benefits
Since we are discussing hair growth supplements, you will see a lot of overlap in the benefits each product claims to have. What you must be clear about is that supplements that include biotin would feature the benefits of biotin as well. Both Nutrafol and Folexin feature biotin.
| Nutrafol | Biotin – Vitamin B7 | Folexin |
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The Key Ingredients
These hair loss treatments are designed to enhance the health of hair follicles in the growth stage. You see, the stronger the follicle, the better quality of hair that grows out of it. Some experts claim that hair is as good as dead tissue, which means that no good can come out of supplements. This is not entirely true. If supplements are applied during the growth phase, new hair growth improves dramatically in strength, thickness, and shine. However, a lot depends on what you supply the hair with and how much of it.
If you are expecting overnight results and quick results, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Natural supplements do not work that way. The combined impact of hair growth vitamins, nutrients, and herbs gradually accumulates in the body, leading to progressive results over time. The results also manifest depending on hair types, existing issues with hair, medical health, genetics, exposure to physical and emotional stress, diet, and lifestyle. There will be results, but they will take time to manifest.
The Nutrafol Supplements Formula
Like it was mentioned earlier, Nutrafol attributes hair regrowth issues to stress hormones, lifestyle choices, and nutrition. With the ingredients used in the supplement, the brand seems to have covered most of these factors. By supplying all the nutrients, Nutrafol tries to correct the wrongs and improve hair growth. The inclusions here are as follows:
Vitamin A promotes cell growth and regeneration, including that of hair follicles. It also helps to keep the scalp moisturized, as it is required for the production of sebum.
Vitamin C is added to reduce damage caused by free radicals to the hair follicles. It even keeps dandruff away and helps with preserving the natural color and shine of the hair while preventing breakage.
Vitamin D is closely associated with alopecia– a condition identified by the loss of hair. Vitamin D also helps with oxidative stress and improves blood circulation to the scalp.
Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant and works best for keratin-based proteins – skin, nails, and hair. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin E is safe to use even when your scalp suffers from other issues like dandruff or rashes.
Biotin will be discussed further.
Iodine helps fight inflammation that could curb hair follicle function.
Zinc is a trace mineral that has several health responsibilities, one of which is maintaining hair follicle strength, improving hair volume, and supporting natural hair growth.
Selenium is a staple addition in anti-dandruff products. The mineral is known to attack the fungus that causes dandruff and also prevent scalp damage from said fungus.
The Synergen Complex® consists of Saw Palmetto fruit, Hydrolyzed Marine collagen, ashwagandha, curcumin, palm extract, and hyaluronic acid. Since there is no explanation about the addition, we have to make assumptions that this blend is probably meant to rid the scalp of infections, inflammation, and free radical damage.
The Nutrafol Blend® includes amino acids l-cysteine, l-lysine, and l-methionine, horsetail extract, Japanese Knotweed, solubilized keratin, black pepper, and capsicum fruit extract. It was difficult to find a common thread in this blend, but we can presume that the inclusions promote hair health.
The Role of Biotin as a Hair Supplement
Because the symptoms of a biotin deficiency are usually hair or skin-related, there is a belief that adding to your everyday B7 quota would improve hair health. Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin, which means that the body uses what it needs and disposes of the rest. However, this has not stopped products from using high amounts of the vitamin, promising that you would reach your hair goals.
Whether consumed or lathered into your hair, biotin does have its benefits. It is clinically proven to be safe and can promote scalp and hair health with any hair type. A 2012 study revealed that when women supplemented B7 for 6 months, there was a visible change in hair health.
- It was able to strengthen hair,
- Replace fine hair with thicker, more voluminous strands, and
- Curb hair thinning out.
However, the supplement used for the experiment also featured other essential nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, zinc, and iron, and the changes could be attributed to the collective efforts of these hair vitamins and not biotin alone. While biotin was not shown to support hair growth from scratch, it was able to prevent hair loss.
The consensus is that biotin can only make a marked difference if you suffer from a biotin deficiency to begin with. While biotin use has no harm, when used on its own, biotin has little to no benefit.
The Folexin Formula
Folexin uses a combination of essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E, biotin, zinc, and others. The supplement also includes a proprietary blend of herbs that supports all factors related to hair. The formula used is a lot simpler than that of the Nutrafol supplements. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Folexin uses fewer but more potent additions. Components exclusively used by Folexin are as follows.
Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folate, and vitamin B12 all work to improve nutrient absorption into the hair follicle and scalp, boost energy production, and fight inflammation and oxidative stress. These vitamins also help with neurotransmitter production which indirectly helps to neutralize stress hormones – a known cause of hair fall.
Calcium is vital, especially for postmenopausal women. As calcium levels in the body drop, there is a significant decline in hair growth, hair volume, and the obvious loss of color. Calcium helps to keep such issues at bay.
Iron plays an indirect role in hair growth. Iron is required for the production of hemoglobin, which improves the circulation of oxygen to the body, including the scalp. Better circulation translates to improved hair texture.
Magnesium, along with biotin, is needed for protein synthesis that results in keratin. Magnesium is also believed to play a part in the maintenance of the hair growth cycles.
Manganese is required for the production of collagen, which, along with keratin, adds to the hair strands’ elasticity. This helps to avoid breakage and frizz from showing up.
Potassium supports the body’s natural cell rejuvenating system and this includes cells on the surface of your head. It can improve hair follicle health, which results in improved hair growth and quality.
The Proprietary Blend includes PABA, Horsetail extract, Fo-Ti, Bamboo extract, Stinging Nettle, Chinese Peony, Spirulina, Saw Palmetto, plant sterols from Soy Bean, Alfalfa, and Barley grass. These ingredients are mostly borrowed from traditional medicinal cultures. These ingredients are still used as hair remedies.
Where Can You Buy These Supplements?
The best way to get supplements is to order them directly from the website. This would assure quality, and you would also be able to take advantage of discounts, offers, and refund policies that are not available to you elsewhere.
Buy Nutrafol
Nutrafol can be bought from Amazon, Walmart, or official website. You have the option to navigate the website based on your gender, but apart from a difference in the color of the pack, the supplement formula and usage for men and women are exactly the same.
- The brand does offer a one-time purchase where a bottle costs $88.00 plus $6.95 for shipping.
- It also offers a 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month subscriptions. These cost $79, $224, and $422, respectively.
Free shipping is available with the subscription only, which can be canceled at any time. The subscription also includes an appointment with a naturopathic healthcare professional, a hair mineral analysis, and a subscription to Headspace. There is no clear-cut refund policy, so if you do have any issues, it is best if you get in touch with customer service.
Buy Folexin
You can purchase Folexin from the authorized Official Website by clicking on this link!
- Each bottle of the hair supplement would cost $24.95.
- When you purchase 2 bottles at once, you pay $44.96.
- You save more when you buy 4 bottles for $89.92 and you get an extra bottle free.
Also, if you are unhappy with the product, you are free to return any unopened products within 5 months of purchase. Shipping fees apply.
So, Which Hair Supplement is Best?
Technically, any move towards hair health is better than nothing at all. However, if you are going to spend the money and the time, you might as well make a wise investment. Let’s start with Biotin.
Verdict on Biotin
Biotin isn’t bad for you, but it doesn’t do much for hair loss or thickness unless you have a biotin deficiency to begin with. Yes, using a biotin supplement is a lot cheaper than hair transplants, but why use a supplement that may not work for you? Also, biotin alone does not have a lasting effect; it has to be used with other hair vitamins. That is an extra cost you have to incur. Choosing a hair supplement that includes Biotin and other essential hair growth vitamins seems like a smarter move.
Verdict on Nutrafol
Nutrafol supplements work. It uses a patented formula that is clinically tested and physician-formulated. The formula does have the potential to correct issues with hair, and the purchase of the supplements also provides you with a medically reviewed analysis. However, there are a few issues we have with the supplements.
- Firstly, the same formula is separately marketed for men and women. Nutrafol Women features a white pack, while the one for men features blue packaging. Hence, it’s not clear why there is a need to market separately when the formula is identical.
- The Nutrafol products are expensive – no two ways about it. It may come with a doctor’s consult and analysis, but $88 plus for a hair tonic is pricey and not a long-term solution.
- Nutrafol also claims to correct the genetic tendency to lose hair – the increased sensitivity to DHT; this is entirely correct. No supplement, however good, can change the genetic tendency for anything. Nutrafol at max. could improve the hair quality of the existing hair coverage but cannot grow hair if there is a genetic reason for hair loss.
Verdict on Folexin
Folexin is the more honest brand when compared to the rest. It never mentions male or female pattern baldness but states clearly that it can help you with your natural hair growth process and can improve the quality of hair. The key ingredients used here may not be as many as those of Nutrafol, but what it uses has been vetted by a third-party company. It states that the hair cycle and the nutrients required for hair are the same for men and women and, therefore, have just one product for both genders. What makes Folexin a popular choice is the price. Compared to Nutrafol, Folexin is a lot more affordable and can be used long-term without putting too much stress on your purse strings.
To make the decision-making process easier, here is a side-by-side comparison of the three hair growth remedies.
| Nutrafol | Biotin | Folexin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Ingredients | 8, plus 2 proprietary blends | 1 | 16, plus one proprietary blend. |
| Audience | Separate products for men & women. | All adults over 18 | All adults over the age of 18. |
| Reviews | Positive | NA | Positive |
| Dosage | Take 4 capsules a day | Should not exceed 30mcg per day. | Take 2 capsules a day. |
| Price | $88 plus shipping | Depends on brand. | $24.95 plus shipping |
| Refund Policy | No set return policy. | Depends on brand. | 5-month return window. |
Summary & Verdict
Deteriorating hair health is concerning especially when there aren’t many lifestyle changes that you can make to accommodate measures. Using a hair supplement is an excellent way to ensure that your scalp and hair receive nutrition and they are pretty easy to fit into a busy schedule. We compared Nutrafol, Biotin, and Folexin for efficacy, and it was found that of the three, Folexin was the better product. With easy dosage, affordable prices, and a clinically tested formula, Folexin has the potential to help with hair thinning, hair loss, and scalp health. Folexin is the hair supplement we would recommend.
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