Iron is a mineral that's important for your hair growth game and Engelman says women are more susceptible to a deficiency. "Nutrient deficiencies can have an impact on overall health, but particularly on hair loss. Iron plays a key role in hair growth and we know women, in particular, can have iron deficiency or anemia due to our monthly blood loss. Since we're more at risk, we have to look for dietary sources of iron, which can be either green leafy vegetables or red meat when it comes to food or supplements like ferrous gluconate."

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There's a good amount of pressure out there to take biotin for hair growth but unless you actually have a biotin deficiency (which is rare in the Western world), the body will simply excrete what it doesn't need, which is sort of a waste of money. Engelman, who has always been very conservative when it comes to recommending hair growth supplements, is a fan of Nutrafol, $88 per bottle via subscription. "I was a little more skeptical as many doctors are about supplements; there are a lot out there, and you can put a claim on a bottle and most people will buy it without studies. But when I read the studies, talked to the formulators and creators, and saw the clinical trials — which were impressive, I started recommending it. The results are way beyond what I thought was possible from a 'non-pharmaco' drug intervention. I can tell you that not one of my patients that has started using it has discontinued it, which I cannot say for anything else I prescribe or suggest."

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For those of us addicted to tight hairstyles like ponytails, braids and updos, the constant pulling can cause long-term hair loss. "Tight hairstyles 100 percent can induce hair loss. It is slow, so you don't see it until later in life. All that pulling over time creates a condition called 'traction alopecia,' which causes a scar over the hair follicle where hair can't grow anymore. However, it takes years for that to occur and it would not be from one tight ponytail. Just be mindful of the long-term effects: if it pulls, gives you a headache or does not feel good when you are doing it, it is too tight." Try to wear hair down or loosen the styles to give your follicles a break.

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The hardest aspect of hair growth is the waiting game because even if you follow this advice, it will take time to see the results. Engelman suggests staying the course. "That's the worst part about hair: it's so slow to see results. All the actions aren't very reinforcing because everybody expects to see results immediately. It takes a while because of the hair growth cycle and all the action is at the follicle base under the skin's surface. Stay with it, though!"

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