What Vitamins Help to Reduce Facial Hair?
Facial hair is normal. Everyone has it, yet many women struggle with the hair on their faces anyways and are looking for solutions to remove or reduce it or stop the growth altogether.
How much hair is normal, depends on many different factors. It can be genetic but also sometimes the result of a medical condition like hirsutism, that causes male pattern hair growth in women. For women with hirsutism, chin hair can be darker, and coarser. Also, there may be increased amounts of hair on the chest, arms and legs, back and buttocks. Hirsutism is usually caused by a hormone imbalance, and it can be very demoralizing, embarrassing and traumatizing.
There are a few treatment and medications that will help treat the underlying cause of hirsutism, but many women want to know about the effects of Vitamins. In this article we will talk about which vitamins can help with unwanted hair growth on the face.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is one of the most important vitamins for skin care. It’s a fat soluble vitamin, and can be found in foods, vitamin supplements, and in skin care products. It is said to have anti-oxidant properties, however there currently is only very limited scientific evidence for this effect.
Skin Care
Vitamin E in skin care is thought to have many benefits. When applied topically, it can help repair skin damage, and it’s very moisturizing, so it’s often used on dry, damaged skin. It’s also recommended for applying to scars as it can help to reduce their appearance.
Vitamin Supplements
There’s a wide range of supplements that include vitamin E. They come in various forms such as an oil, a capsule, or a softgel tablet. There is a recommended daily allowance, and it’s really important not to go above this allowance. For an adult, the daily recommended amount of Vitamin E is 15mg.
Food
A natural way of adding vitamin E is to incorporate more vitamin E rich foods in the diet. There’s a number of foods that are rich in vitamins, including mangoes, broccoli, tofu, almond, turnip and peanut butter.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A can help to regulate the testosterone in the body. It can be taken as a supplement, with a daily allowance of 700 mcg RAE for women between 19 – 50 years. It’s also found in many different foods. It’s often found in orange colored foods, such as carrots, sweet potato, squash, and apricots. It’s also found in spinach, kale, and collard greens.
Vitamin A can also be found in some skincare products. When applied topically, it is said to have moisturizing, anti-aging and skin rejuvenating properties. It can be found in many over the counter products, as well as in prescription skin creams. It can be very beneficial to use a vitamin A skin care product after a traditional method of hair removal, such as shaving, or waxing.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is a water soluble B vitamin, and it is often mentioned to help with hormone levels. It helps slow down the production of Prolactin. Prolactin helps the body absorb testosterone, which means that it can affect your overall testosterone levels.
Vitamin B6 can be taken as a supplement. However, it should be taken carefully and should not exceed 1.3 mg per day for an adult.
Vitamin B6 can be found in foods as well. Chickpeas, fish, turkey and chicken are all rich in vitamin B6. Chicken is also full of protein and other B vitamins, so it’s a great idea to incorporate chicken into the diet.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the vitamins which can help with hormone levels in your body. It has many other health benefits as well. Most experts believe that people aren’t getting enough magnesium in their diets. The recommended daily allowance for a woman between 19 – 30 years is around 310mg of magnesium per day, and 320mg per day between 31 – 50 years. But this counts for both food intake and as a supplement combined. Foods that are high in magnesium include spinach, beans, nuts, and whole grain cereals.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that has many potential health benefits. It can help the immune system, it promotes wound healing, it’s good for the skin. It also can help regulate hormones within the body. The recommended daily allowance of zinc is 8mg for a woman. Most people can get most of their zinc requirements from their diet, eating foods like oysters, beef, beans, nuts, pork and rice.
Copper
Copper is another mineral that is known for helping to regulate hormones. However, very few people will need a copper supplement. It’s found in many different foods, such as meats, seafood and vegetables. It’s also found in some waters. It is possible to have too much copper in the system, so it’s never a good idea to take a copper supplement without supervision from a physician.
Conclusion
Dietary changes and vitamins are an important part of controlling excess body hair and hirsutism, especially if there is no underlying cause. For hirsutism with an underlying cause, then it’s important to incorporate a healthy, vitamin filled diet along with any prescription medications. In fact, the simplest way to add the appropriate vitamins and minerals is by adjusting the diet.
In some cases, if your vitamin levels are lower than they should be, a supplement may be a good idea. However, make sure to always check in first with your doctor and discuss before starting a new supplement, as they can interact with other medication you may be taking. It’s also very important to stick with the recommended daily allowances, as it is possible for an overdose of some vitamins to cause other health problems.
If you would like to find out more about natural remedies known to help with hirsutism symptoms like excess body hair, check out our in-depth article on the 12 best supplements.
