Prenatal Vitamins...but I'm not pregnant!

I still take them too and do not notice a differance in hair and nails but i did while preggo. i think its the preggo hormones than anything else. There are special "hair and Nail" vitamins. I have taken those. and saw NO differance either

Prenatals are perfectly safe for everyone - like others mentioned the only difference is increased folic acid and iron. My doc also mentioned to me years ago, before I had kids, that all women of childbearing age should be on a daily prenatal. Most young women lack folic acid and iron in their diets and prenatals are good to replenish that. The hair and nails are a nice benefit!! Compare the labels to your regular multivitamin and you'll see that there really isn't that much of a difference!

They really aren't different at all. They have more of the nutrients you need when you get pregnant like folic acid and iron, etc. In all honesty they are just a normal vitamin. They are totally ok to take. They won't make you gain any weight, if that is what your concerned with :-)

The extra iron in them can make you nauseous. Either take them right before bed, with milk, or with a small bit of food. :-) I believe they also have B vitamins that help with energy as well.

The extra iron can also cause issues in the bathroom... but they're perfectly safe. Make sure you read the directions, a lot of OTC prenatals are two per day as opposed to one.

This is a common belief, especially among black women because of the promise of healthy, long, think hair. A goal we all aspire to achieve. However, the hair results aren’t proven scientifically and can be easily accomplished by proper maintenance and care. The changes in hair and nail growth are typically found in those that take them and ARE pregnant and many believe this is as a result of hormonal changes due to the pregnancy rather than the vitamins themselves.

Contrary to what has been said, the vitamins are different from regular ones specifically in the levels of folic acid, iron and calcium found. The level of iron found in prenatal vitamins are of most concern. Too much iron can cause build up that may lead to diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. Long term effects (in rare circumstance) can cause this build up to be severe and sometimes cause death. The thing is, often black women are anemic and therefore aren’t as affected by this and miss the harm.

There are several opposing views on this (as you can see) so I strongly urge you to consult a physician before making any final decision. Each person’s body reacts differently supplements which is another reason for the varying responses. This is one topic, where “one size fits all” does not apply.

I know of a lot of people who have had good luck with using prenatals for hair growth. Biotin and MSM are also great vitamins for hair growth.

If you are not pregnant & you want your hair & nails to grow quickly you should take Kelp tablets, they are iodine so stimulate thyroid gland to speed metabolism up, they also prevent plaque sticking to your teeth lol. Can get them from Holland & Barratt.
But do not take if pregnant!!