Hair loss is also known as alopaecia, alopecia and baldness that happens in men, women and children. Hair loss refers to the loss of hair due to an increase in the rate of hair falling out and its not being replaced by new hair growth. Seeking natural treatment is the best remedy and vitamins, minerals and other supplements may or may not be taken safely as a hair loss solution. Many of the hair loss drugs on the market today require a daily dose for a lifetime. Besides being expensive, they all come with side effects and the benefits may not outweigh the risks.

It's important to get diagnosed and know what is causing your hair loss. If you're an older man, chances are it may be male pattern baldness. You can also have your testosterone levels checked to see if they may be implicated. Decreasing them may not be possible though or advisable.

If the hair follicles are still alive and functioning then it may be worth a try to take some supplements that you may be missing in your diet to help stop losing your hair. Two things to remember though - a natural healthy diet of living foods (raw foods - fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds) and lots of them is the best approach; wherein you have plenty of vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients naturally available to help you grow your hair back and return yourself to your optimum state - it's the best hair loss diet.

Secondly, it's not known if vitamins, minerals and other supplements work if they're not working in conjunction with nature's natural chemicals - those that are a part of the living foods that the vitamins and minerals are also a part of. And the quality of the supplements is important also.

Cheap supplements may not be of the best quality and may not do you any good and may do you more harm as your body needs to get rid of them.

Keeping this all in mind I'm going to list the vitamins and minerals that are reported to be the best for enhancing or stimulating hair growth, again if the hair follicles are still alive. Make sure to get advice from your hair loss doctor or naturopathic doctor before you start taking any supplements. Some supplements can be harmful if you're taking certain drugs or medications for example.

Take the following information with a grain of salt. New studies and research come out often and any new study or report can refute what has been reported in the past.

First of all the amino acids, arginine, cysteine, lysine and tyrosine, are used in hair loss treatment.

Arginine deficiency has been reported as one reason for hair loss.

Cysteine at dosages of 1,000 mg. to 2,000 mg. per day has been reported to spur hair growth and help stop hair loss. It's supposed to help prevent free radical damage to the hair follicles. Some reports show that cysteine causes a noticeable improvement in hair growth. Eight percent of human hair is made up of cysteine. Many people who have thin or slow growing hair have reported they've noticed considerable improvement in their hair growth when they used 3,000 mg. to 5,000 mg. of cysteine per day.

Lysine deficiency can result in hair loss. Lysine is often used for herpes-related infections or prevention.

Tyrosine - when hair loss is caused by a low thyroid condition, called hypothyroid, tyrosine has been known to alleviate it.

Other supplements -

Enzymes in the form of superoxide dismutase (SOD) are supposed to decrease hair loss by inhibiting superoxide free radicals on nitric oxide.

A linoleic acid deficiency may result in hair loss, research suggests.

Minerals -

The important minerals to consider are copper, iron, silicon and zinc. Minerals need to be in balance with each other. Too much of one mineral in some cases can cause an imbalance in another. Make sure to get help from an informed health professional.

Copper can help stimulate hair growth if a copper deficiency is present and is involved in the prevention and possibly treatment of hair loss. Too much copper can actually cause hair loss. I have wondered whether the copper bracelets that used to be in vogue and may still be, for arthritis, would be worth a try.

Recently there have been good studies on iron deficiency as a possible cause of hair loss. Taking iron supplements is not a good idea though. Getting iron naturally in food would be a better choice. Too much iron can cause some serious health problems.

Potassium deficiency can be a cause of hair loss it's thought.

Silicon is supposed to be able to stimulate hair growth. Silicon is present in cucumbers among other foods.

Early or premature hair loss may be a result of zinc deficiency so says some research. Again zinc can cause hair loss.

The sulfuric compound methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) may help hair growth due to its sulfur content.

Vitamins -

Many vitamins may be involved in hair loss. Research suggests that hair loss or hair growth may be a result of deficiencies of these vitamins - biotin, folic acid, inositol and PABA (para aminobenzoic acid) and PABA may help to prevent hair loss due to its antioxidant properties.

The nicotinic acid form of vitamin B3, which is applied to the scalp, may help to improve blood circulation to the scalp (and may help stop the loss of hair) - you must have live hair follicles present. The suggested dose has been about 35 mg. of nicotinic acid daily.

Vitamin B5 deficiency causes hair loss in animals but hasn't been proven in humans.

Vitamin C may help hair growth by improving the circulation of blood to the scalp.

Taking too much vitamin A can cause temporary and reversible hair loss it's reported.

These are the vitamins and minerals and other supplements that have been researched, reviewed, studied or reported on in various medical journals. Before starting any hair loss treatment or remedy to help stimulate your living hair follicles and/or to prevent further loss, make sure you see your doctor first. If your hair follicles are not alive than it is unknown today what will help them short of hair transplant. Some cases of hair loss are reversed once the cause is known. Some cannot be reversed with what we know today. And be patient for whatever method you may decide to use.