Hair Growth Vitamins

The Overstimulated Girl: A Better Head of Hair

Who needs Rogaine when you've got cod-liver oil? Three herbal supplements to help enhance whatever hair you've got left.

When I wrecked my knee skiing, I expected surgery, limping, frustration -- but I didn't expect to lose 20 percent of my hair. Turns out it's a common response to trauma. Despite its mellifluous name, telogen effluvium, the condition is a horror, and I pulled out every trick in the O.G. book to fortify what strands remained. After months of experimenting, three things rose to the top. I'm not sure which worked best or whether it was the combination that did it, but within three weeks my hair began to rebound. None of this will reverse male pattern baldness, but it will help make the most of what you've got.

Biotin

Technically biotin, available at any decent health-food store, is vitamin B7. Scientists claim there's no proof it actually bolsters hair; I'm here to tell you it does. (And they can't deny that a defining feature of biotin-deficient people is the scraggly wisps sprouting from their heads.)

Warning: Don't take it on an empty stomach, unless you enjoy projectile vomiting.

Adrenal Supplements

One big cause of weak hair is stress -- specifically, overtaxed adrenal glands, which kick in when we feel the "fight or flight" impulse. Problem is, we're evolved to respond to occasional big challenges, not the hum of small anxieties that make up modern life. When something truly threatening does happen -- misplacing a kneecap, say -- the resulting rush can blow the circuit.

Warning: Be picky. I chose NutriCology, made from "range-fed animals, raised in New Zealand without hormones or antibiotics." In other words, highly unstressed cows.

Cod-Liver Oil

The cocktail's final ingredient came from my mother: good old-fashioned cod-liver oil, a prime source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, plus vitamins A, D, and E. These days it comes flavored with lemon or mint, so it's even palatable.

Warning: Given the putrid state of the global seas, fish livers can be loaded with PCBs, mercury, and other toxins, so buy a molecularly distilled brand.