Those who have dealt with hair loss at some point in their lives understand how frustrating it can be to deal with this condition. The underlying issue is often not obvious, and even when the cause has been successfully identified, hair loss can be difficult to reverse.

Amino acids are a vital component to hair growth. They are even more than that, they are the building blocks from which the body creates the proteins necessary for life. They link together to form short chains, otherwise known as peptides which then form larger structures called proteins.

Essential amino acids cannot be formed by the body therefore they must be obtained through diet. Amino acids can be found in a number of high protein foods. Meat, fish and eggs are great protein sources and therefore excellent sources of amino acids. You can also find essential amino acids in a number of supplements. In general, healthy eating habits will ensure that you get all essential amino acids required by the body. Extreme dieting on the other hand rob the body of many essential nutrients and often result in brittle hair, hair loss and an overall unhealthy physical appearance.

L-Cysteine and L-Methionine are the sulfur amino acids that form “keratin,” which is the protein structure of hair. Hair is composed of approximately 8 percent L-Cysteine. L-Methionine is a precursor of L-Cysteine and is essential for the synthesis of L-Cysteine. According to some available clinical evidence supplementing with L-Cysteine may prevent hair loss, as well as increase the diameter of the hair shaft, leading to the appearance of a fuller, healthier hair. The idea is that by giving your body more of what it needs to form new hair can increase hair growth. Some studies show an increase of as much as 100% as a result of supplementation.

You must be careful however, because taking high doses of L-Cysteine may lead to kidney stones. To reduce the likelihood of this undesirable side effect, you should combine any L-Cysteine supplement with a vitamin C supplement that includes bioflavinoids, to improve absorption.