Let's be honest. This whole idea of having a full head of hair, that somehow bald is bad, is fueled largely by vanity. There are simple, low-cost, dietary solutions to attack hair loss, but, you do know that it's a good idea to consult a healthcare professional before you make any drastic changes in your diet, right? You do not want to create or exacerbate health problems just for the sake of a full head of hair.

Let me begin with 3 cases examining cases that focus on attitudes about hair loss.

A friend of mine has spent $25,000.00 and many months having hair plugs inserted into his forehead area. I do not want to seem unkind, but, at first it looked like a forest missing some trees. Eventually, they made it fuller and fuller, but, to me, it still looks fake. I do not tell him that, of course.

I have another friend who is bald as a cue ball. He has a full wig. It looks pretty good on him actually. Without it he looks like Howie Mandel (Deal or No deal?). He has a little bit of real hair so he has to shave his head so the wig fits properly. It's made of human hair and cost him about $500.00.

I have a cousin who is thinning too. Jimmy is a real character. He says he doesn't have friends, he has aquaintances because friends are too much work! His answer to his thinning hair? Jimmy says" Who am I going to impress? I'm married!".

That's three ways of attacking the problem from the expensive to the comical. Well, here are some simple and cost effective alternatives to try before you go the money route taken by my first two friends. I'll deal with cousin Jimmy in a minute.

There a number of different specific hair vitamins and minerals that can play a major role in helping you have a healthy head of hair. If you are not getting sufficient hair vitamins, the deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness in the most severe cases. The fact is that the state of your hair could be reflecting the overall condition of your body. Extra hair vitamins are likely to be needed if you are generally unwell or are undernourished. Your hair will show damage and may even stop growing.

Some of the most important hair vitamins that you may need to have healthy hair include B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid. A good balanced diet is the absolute best way to protect the health of your hair. Failing that, the second best way to ensure that you get enough of these essential hair vitamins is to take vitamin supplements. It is not just hair vitamins that are necessary for healthy hair. There are a number of minerals that are essential as well, including magnesium, sulphur, silica and zinc.

The most essential hair vitamin is Vitamin A and the best form of this is beta-carotene. This is because Vitamin A can be toxic if consumed in large quantities. Beta-carotene has no such problems and is converted easily by your body into vitamin A to promote healthy hair. Of course, vitamin A is not just a hair vitamin, it is also needed for a number of other functions including normal growth of bones, skin, nails and the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres.

Protein is another essential hair vitamin. This is because hair itself is essentially protein. The amount of this hair vitamin that you consume in your diet can affect the hair directly. If a lot of protein is included in your diet then this hair vitamin will lead to improved hair growth and a far fuller head of hair. However, a person who has a diet that is lacking in this hair vitamin will suffer from thinning hair and slow hair growth.

There are many ways to get protein. Meat and eggs are good sources. You can also purchase protein supplements. Always be watchful of what you add to your body however. You do not want the cure to be worse than the disease!

Of course, it is not just hair vitamins and minerals that are needed to ensure that a person has healthy, strong hair. There are a number of researchers who have found that there are direct links between the overall health of a person and the condition of their hair.

If a person is under a lot of stress or suffers from a lack of sleep then their hair is also likely to suffer and it is likely that their diet will not provide enough hair vitamins to counter these effects. Smoking is also a factor as it restricts blood flow to hair follicles and causes hair to die and fall out.

Vitamin and mineral supplements for hair health just might be the solution to your weak and damaged hair. They are a relatively cheap alternative worth trying before you have that forest planted on your head.

As for my cousin Jimmy, I wonder if he will still be cracking jokes when most of his hair falls out?

Yours for Success in Life!

Jim DeSantis

P.S. - Please forward this article to someone who may benefit from it.