Published on November 1, 2021. Last Updated on December 2, 2021.
What is Vitamin E: Discovered in 1922, vitamin E, also known as tocopherol or tocotrienol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored within the fatty tissue and liver. It can be consumed regularly as part of foods high in vitamin E or taken in oral supplements. Vitamin E helps keep the immune system strong against viruses and bacteria and other functions that involve the body’s utilization of vitamin K, red blood cell production, and the widening of blood vessels to ensure a healthy and robust flow of blood throughout the body. Essentially, enough levels of vitamin E are necessary for the body to function normally, including hair growth and health. Today, vitamin E, as well as vitamin E oil for hair and its benefits are being studied for hair health and hair maintenance with some significant results.
Is vitamin E or is vitamin E oil good for hair? To answer that we must look at vitamin E’s role as an antioxidant – a molecule that protects the body and its cells, tissues from damage caused by substances known as “free radicals.” Oxidative damage, or stress caused by free radicals, is the primary reason why our hair and skin age. In order to reduce the body’s aging effects on skin and hair, it is essential to reduce oxidative stress and damage through antioxidative-rich substances such as vitamin E. Let us take a look at important information regarding vitamin E, or vitamin E oil, for hair growth and hair health.
Health Benefits of Vitamin E
As noted previously, vitamin E is an antioxidant that has several essential functions throughout the human body:
- Helps reduce oxidative stress
- Protects cells and tissues from damage done by aging
- Keeps immune system strong against viruses and bacteria
- Helps the body utilize vitamin K
- Helps cellular communication throughout the body
If the body does not have enough vitamin E within its system, it may become more prone to infections, experience impaired eyesight, or suffer from muscle weakness.
Due to its oxidative nature and its ability to help widen blood cells, vitamin E can also possibly help hair growth due to these properties. These properties help ensure enough nutrition goes to the scalp and hair for optimal hair health and hair growth.
Vitamin E for Hair: Health Benefits, Hair Benefits & More
Vitamin E or tocopherol is a critically important ingredient for a healthy scalp and healthy hair. Many studies report that people dealing with hair loss have lower levels of antioxidants within their scalp, and vitamin E’s richness in antioxidants can certainly help with that. Some benefits of vitamin E for hair growth or hair health and possible hair restoration include:
- Helps repair damaged hair
- Nourishes scalp
- Reduce hair breakage
- Improve hair elasticity
- Improve hair shine
- Help protect hair and scalp against UV damage
More so, due to vitamin E’s red blood cell production and its widening of blood vessels, vitamin E can also help stimulate capillaries to increase blood flow and nutrition to the scalp and hair follicles, encouraging hair growth.
Vitamin E, throughout several different processes and pathways, contributes to the hair’s overall health. Due to this, it is essential to have enough vitamin E within your system by following a diet high in vitamin E, or through the use of vitamin E oral supplements for hair health.
2010 Study on Vitamin E for Hair Growth
As noted before, vitamin E is known as a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are needed to help reduce damage to skin and hair due to aging. To further explore the relationship between vitamin E, hair loss, and its possible use for hair growth in hair loss patients, scientists in 2010 published a study in Tropical Life Sciences Research to study the association between “oxidative stress and alopecia.”
As a background, “patients with alopecia generally exhibit lower levels of antioxidants in their scalp area, as well as a higher lipid peroxidation index. Tocotrienols belong to the vitamin E family and are known to be potent antioxidants. Hence, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of tocotrienol supplementation on hair growth in volunteers suffering from hair loss.”
The procedure consisted of 21 volunteers randomly assigned to “orally receive 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols daily while 17 volunteers were assigned to a placebo capsule orally.
2010 Study Results on Vitamin E for Hair Growth in Alopecia Patients
At the end of the 8-month study, the number of hairs of the volunteers in the tocotrienol (vitamin E) increased significantly compared to the placebo group.
Specifically, the tocotrienol (vitamin E) group increased an average of 34.5% in the number of hairs, while the control group (no vitamin E) had only a 0.1% decrease.
In conclusion, this trial demonstrates that supplementation with tocotrienol (vitamin E) capsules increases hair number in volunteers “suffering from hair loss.”
More so, the study further states that the observed effect of hair growth “was most likely due to the antioxidant activity of tocotrienols that helped reduce lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the scalp,” which are all associated with alopecia.
Additionally, it is important to note this study found that “tocotrienols also possess more potent antioxidant property – that tocotrienol was 40-60-fold more potent than tocopherol against lipid peroxidation in liver membranes.” More so, it seems that “tocotrienols have been shown to afford protection to the skin against UV light and ozone-induced oxidative stress.”
Due to these findings, it is important to make sure that your vitamin E supplement contains tocotrienol to maximize its hair-growing properties. More so, due to its UV-protection qualities, adding an oral supplementation of tocotrienol-based vitamin E supplement, or using a tocotrienol-based vitamin E topical, can be helpful in shielding the hair from the aging effects of UV radiation.
Vitamin E: Recommended Dosage for Hair Health
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin E or tocopherol for adults aged 14 and older is 15 mg/day (22.4 IU).
The maximum safe level of vitamin E supplements for adults is 1,500 IU/day for natural forms of vitamin E or 1,100 IU/day for the manufactured or synthetic form of vitamin E.
Foods High in Vitamin E
Due to vitamin E or tocopherol’s many health and hair-related benefits, having enough vitamin E as part of your natural diet is a great way to optimize hair health. Foods that are high in vitamin E include:
- Vegetable oils (wheat germ, sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean oils)
- Nuts oils (hazelnut, almond)
- Nuts (almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts)
- Seeds (sunflower seeds)
- Green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli)
- Turnip greens
- Red sweet pepper
- Kiwifruit
- Mango
- Mamey sapote
- Avocado
- Abalone
- Goose meat
- Atlantic salmon
- Rainbow trout
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Margarine
Out of these options, seeds and nuts and certain oils such as wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are all considered high in vitamin E and healthy for the body to have. Some of these seeds and nuts are also high in alternative forms of vitamin E, such as gamma-tocopherol.
Possible Side Effects of Vitamin E
When eaten as part of a regular diet from natural foods, vitamin E is not risky or harmful.
Yet, it is essential to note that high doses of vitamin E from vitamin E supplements (alpha-tocopherol supplements) may have a different effect than vitamin E naturally found in foods.
Excessive intake of vitamin E from supplements may increase the risk of bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). High dosage above the recommended dosages of vitamin E can also result in vitamin E overload, which can lead to disruption in thyroid hormone, increased risk of prostate cancer, and weak bones.
More so, high levels of vitamin E may increase the risk of birth defects, but more research is needed to support this.
Additionally, vitamin E supplements can possibly interfere with chemotherapy.
Vitamin E Safety Profile
According to the EWG, vitamin E or tocopherol scored a 1 on their safety score sheet, which states that vitamin E does not pose any risk of cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, nor allergies, or immunotoxicity.
Due to vitamin E’s significant benefits for both hair and skin, vitamin E can be commonly found across hundreds if not thousands of cosmetic and beauty products for the hair and skin and is widely regarded as safe.
Vitamin E for Hair: Shampoos, Conditioners, Oils, Topicals, Supplements, Differences Explained
Vitamin E or tocopherol for hair can be seen in many products from shampoos, oils, conditioners, topicals, supplements, and more. Due to the many options available, you may ask: what is the best way to take vitamin E for hair growth?
To break it down easily, we can divide vitamin E products into two categories: topicals (what you put on your hair and/or scalp) and oral supplements.
Vitamin E Topicals vs. Vitamin E Oral Supplements
The main difference between applying a vitamin E topical versus a vitamin E oral supplement is that the supplement will give your whole body the benefits of vitamin E.
Therefore, if you take a vitamin E oral supplement, vitamin E’s antioxidative and anti-aging beauty effects may be seen in more than just your hair. By taking vitamin E oral supplements, you will likely find vitamin E’s health benefits affecting your skin as well.
This is due to the body’s digestion, taking the vitamin E you just ingested, and moving its particles, molecules, nutrients, antioxidants, and more all throughout the body. In doing so, you will receive a more holistic, whole-body effect if you take vitamin E supplements versus using the topical (shampoos, creams, conditioners, leave on oils, and more).
On the other hand, the advantage of using a vitamin E topical (cream, shampoo, conditioner, oil) is that you can put it on select areas of your body for a focused effect. For example, if you have a balding spot or patch on your scalp, you can easily use a topical cream or oil to apply on it directly so that you can focus the effects of scalp and hair healing on that specific spot.
Harness The Vitamin E Infused Power of Dr.UGro All-Natural GASHEE Oral Hair Supplements
Vitamin E, in both its tocopherol and tocotrienol forms, as well as a range of other natural ingredients essential to hair growth, are among the many powerful plant-based ingredients found in Dr.UGro Gashee Oral Hair Supplements. Gashee Oral Supplements have been carefully formulated with the most effective dosage of vitamin E and other vitamins, minerals, and ingredients to help maximize vitamin E’s effects on your hair growth and hair health. To help increase the feel and appearance of hair density, thickness, and volume, or to help regrow hair loss or aid hair growth, take 4 capsules a day.
VIDEO: Dr. UGro Gashee: Before & After Results; Another Happy User!
Bernadette came in for a consultation because she wanted to change. For years previous to her consultation with Dr. U, Bernadette noticed that her hair was falling out almost everywhere. Eventually, falling hair began to turn to bald patches on the rear back of her head. After trying many products and prescribed medicine that did not work, the condition of her hair continued to deteriorate, with her reporting that she saw “chunks of hair” that fell whenever she combed her hair or after a shower. Fortunately, after trying hair growth products that did not work, Bernadette tried Dr.UGro Gashee’s natural hair care products – with powerful results!
Through several months of daily usage of Gashee all-natural hair growth oral supplements as prescribed by Dr. U, Bernadette was able to grow back her hair and now reports that she is completely “thrilled” to finally see “results” for her hair, as shown below. Out of all those “hair health,” “hair growth,” or “hair restoration” products that she tried before and did not work, only Dr. U’s UGRO GASHEE specially-formulated hair health natural oral supplements seem to have given her the results she wanted.
And today, Bernadette is happier than ever, completely “elated” that she is now able to enjoy her “natural, God-given hair” yet again, filling in her hair with a natural thickness and new sheen that she had before.
UGRO Gashee: Before & After Pictures – Hair Health Improvement Results
In the picture below, you can see firsthand Dr. UGro Gashee’s all-natural hair health improvement results: before and after several months of consistent usage.
Note that there is now an improved fullness, length, texture, sheen, and shine of her overall hair health. Today, her hair looks more happy and healthy than ever, stronger and more consistent in volume. If you are interested in improving your hair health, with hopes of possibly restoring lost or damaged hair, or to help bring out the natural beauty and sheen of your hair, try the vitamin-E infused Dr.UGRO’s GASHEE Oral Supplements today!
Related Articles on Hair Loss & Hair Health Ingredients
For additional information regarding hair loss and hair health optimization ingredients that you may find useful, check out the articles below.
References
- Healthline. 2021. 20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin E. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-e#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1> [Accessed 1 November 2021].
- Encyclopedia, M. and E, V., 2021. Vitamin E: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. [online] Medlineplus.gov. Available at: <https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002406.htm> [Accessed 1 November 2021].
- Lim Ai Beoy, Y., 2021. Effects of Tocotrienol Supplementation on Hair Growth in Human Volunteers. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3819075/> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
- EWG. 2021. EWG Skin Deep® | What is TOCOPHEROL. [online] Available at: <https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706564-TOCOPHEROL/> [Accessed 1 November 2021].