No MSM?

[Redbone]

A friend recently told me not to add MSM to my regime, which is quite puzzling since everyone here seems to be using it. He said his Doctor told him not to use it for hair growth. He never told me why.

Does anyone have the answer as to why he was advised not to use this product for hair growth?

 

[Lizzad]

Does anyone have the answer as to why he was advised not to use this product for hair growth?

I don't have an answer, but i don't use it, and don't see it as a necessity in a typical regimen.

 

[Guest]

Msm is one of the many, many, many vitamins that someone has added to their regimen on a whim. Then they go on these sites and mention they are taking it and next thing you know everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Here is what it is used for.

What is GNC MSM used for?
MSM is a source of dietary sulfur that has many appealing characteristics for maturing adults and athletes. Sulfur is found within connective tissues and joint cartilage. It's often combined with glucosamine and chondroitin.

Personally I don't take it and avoid all of these "helpful vitamins," except for a daily multi-vitamin. If you eat a balanced diet you are getting all these vitamins from the food you're eating, so you might as well save your money.

 

[funkster]

Msm is one of the many, many, many vitamins that someone has added to their regimen on a whim. Then they go on these sites and mention they are taking it and next thing you know everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

That's not true...

Here's a double-blind study on MSM describing increase in hair diameter and length.

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MSM (methyl-sulfonyl-methane)
A recent, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial, performed by Ronald M. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D., showed that 100% of the subjects on msm (methyl-sulfonyl-methane), a nutritional supplement that provides biologically active sulfur, showed increased hair growth compared to the group on placebo. Only one subject on placebo showed an increase in hair length. In addition, 30% of the subjects on msm showed improvement in hair brilliance, while none of the subjects on placebo showed such an improvement.

A second double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot trial, conducted simultaneously, showed that 50% of the subjects on msm showed increased nail length and nail thickness growth compared to the group on placebo. Approximately 10% of those on placebo showed increased nail length growth. None of the subjects on placebo showed an increase in nail thickness. Cathleen London, M.D., a Boston-based family practitioner, said “I have been prescribing msm for my patients experiencing pain from arthritis and fibromyalgia, and they kept saying how great their hair and nails looked. It’s good to see an efficacy study confirm that there are benefits in this area.†Pure msm was used in both studies.

Based on the results of the trials, Dr. Lawrence concluded: “Oral supplementation with msm is a valuable addition to hair and nail growth. Hair and nail health was significantly improved in a short term of six weeks. If the trials were continued for eight to sixteen weeks, the results would have been even better for those on msm.†The hair trial involved a total of 21 patients — 5 women and 16 men. Data was collected by certified cosmetologists under the direction of Dr. Lawrence. The trial parameters included hair length, brilliance, and diameter of the individual hair shafts using industry standard measurement scales. The nail trial involved a total of 11 subjects — 10 women and 1 man. Again, data was collected by certified cosmetologists. Trial parameters included nail length, thickness, luster and general appearance using industry standard measurement scales. “All subjects supplemented with msm were duly impressed with the changes in the health and appearance of their hair,†said Dr. Lawrence. “The cosmetologists literally could differentiate which participants were on msm by the appearance of the hair, alone, after six weeks.â€
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...and whilst we're on the subject, here's why you might want to take 2.5mg biotin daily


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An examination of the effect of biotin on alopecia and hair quality.

Floersheim GL, Dermatologie FMH, Rennweg 15,CH-4052 Basel; Switzerland.Zeitschrift fur Hautkrankheiten. Vol 67(3) (pp 246-252+255), 1992.

The effect of a daily oral dose of 2,5 mg biotin was studied in 93 patients with the symptoms hair-loss (mostly androgenetic alopecia) and reduced hair quality. The mean duration of treatment was 7,9 +/- 2,8 months.

An obvious improvement of hair-loss was reported in 64%, and a slight improvement in 9%. Hair quality was clearly improved in 70% and slightly in 12%. Brittle finger nails as an additional complaint were improved in 80%.

If alopecia, decreased hair quality and brittle finger nails occurred in combination, improvement was observed frequently collectively.

The study allows - as already shown in a previous investigation concerning brittle finger nails - to suggest biotin as an effective and well tolerated therapy in cases of alopecia and decreased hair quality.

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Hope that helps,

funkster

 

[kindabaldingontizop]

hey funkster, do you have any idea of what the most effective daily dosage of MSM would be? im currently taking 6000mg a day. 3000 in morn - 3000 at night.

 

[Guest]

Funkster, if you read these studies carefully, they do not indicate that increased hair shaft diameters were recorded. And the second study sounds like it was not a double blind study and very very subjective.

I use MSM but I dont see any science supporting thicker hair. It does grow faster though.

 

[Guest]

Lol those to studies prove nothing. I am sure if you looked long enough you could find a study supporting the claim of any vitamin, fruit, vegetable, shampoo, and cleaning supplies out there and its positive effects on hair loss. Hell anyone of us could do a case study and write a report on the positive effects and post it on the web. Doctors are the worst, they will write reports off of research and only have very few people in their case study, which makes it very easy to make the claim half the people using such and such vitamin showed an increase in their hair count. Then they bury the fact that these patients were also using Propecia and Minoxidil in their 30 page report.

Sorry about ranting there, but the point is the only reason I would see taking these "helpful vitamins" is for psychological reasons. If you believe these vitamins are helping you then more power to you and I hope you don't spend to much on them.

 

[Redbone]

Yes, perhaps your right about so called supplements. But I am sure there has to be a supplement out there that is good for the hair,like protein is for muscle, like vitamin A is for eyesite etc etc....

 

[Guest]

Yes, perhaps your right about so called supplements. But I am sure there has to be a supplement out there that is good for the hair,like protein is for muscle, like vitamin A is for eyesite etc etc....

There are plenty of supplements that promote healthy hair. The issue I think is are there any that can actually fight male pattern baldness? I dont know of any that have proven themselves in this context.

 

[Guest]

The thing about most of these supplements is that you get them from the food you eat. I think people would be better off if they went to a nutritionist instead of self medicating themselves with vitamins that could be making things worse.

 

[funkster]

Lol those to studies prove nothing..

I posted them not to prove anything, but to simply show that MSM is not "one of the many, many, many vitamins that someone has added to their regimen on a whim" - there is a reason for its inclusion in a regimen.

The very fact that it increases hair growth (for me my hair now grows an inch per month) means that it gives the 'impression' of a lengthened anagen stage i.e. you're increasing the potential length of a hair beyond where it would be without MSM for a given fixed period. For guys who've got very short anagen stages that's a *huge* plus.

 

[Redbone]

I believe these supplements in conjunction with things that are proven to re-grow i.e minoxidil, etc, will have a better effect than nothing at all. These supps do nothing on there own but in a regime with finasteride or minoxidil a good thing.

when you get into supps growing hair like advanced shen min that is a load of crap. Always see a dusty bottle of shen min in GNC, selling for $34. That sh*t sucks.....

 

[vodka by the gallon]

hey funkster, do you have any idea of what the most effective daily dosage of MSM would be? im currently taking 6000mg a day. 3000 in morn - 3000 at night.

i started to take 4000 a day then after a couple a weeks i moved it up to 6000 and then i said screw it and now i take 10000.

 

[Redbone]

At that rate why not take the whole bottle?