Many times problems related to hair and skin are due to a nutritional or hormonal deficiency. There are several vitamins and minerals that play a role in healthy hair and skin so a good bet is to take a quality multivitamin mineral supplement, but which one? I'm going to share my personal experience with multivitamin supplements.

I've taken mega potency vitamins before, and they made me sick to my stomach. I usually have to make sure to eat a complete meal when I take one or I find myself feeling jittery and sick to my stomach.

About a year ago my eye doctor informed me I was developing holes in the bottom of my eye. He said it was relatively common but scheduled me for a checkup in six months. That was enough to set me on a course for a new multivitamin. About that time I saw an interview in which Gwyneth Paltrow was crediting New Chapter prenatal vitamins with keeping her healthy. She said you could take them without food and that they were easy on the stomach. So far so good. I was already eating a healthy diet so I didn't see the need to make major changes.

I took the vitamins daily for six months and when I went for my next eye checkup, the holes were gone. Now I can't say the vitamins are what did the trick, but that was the only thing I changed. I've been taking them ever since. My personal feeling is that the slightly higher doses of nutrients in prenatal vitamins is what did the trick. Keep in mind the many of the nutrient tables haven't been changed since the 1950s or 60s.

Let's take iodine as an example. Iodine deficiency is a big reason why women lose their hair. Your thyroid needs iodine to function properly. The thyroid gland, located at the base of the throat, plays a major role in metabolism, circulation, mood, temperature regulation, digestion, elimination, bone mass, elimination, cognitive function, and immune regulation.

In the early 1900s there was increased incidence of goiter in the western states. For this reason, iodine was added to salt, and the results were amazing. Goiter was significantly reduced. By 1951 less than .5 percent of school age children had goiter. Since that time, the amount of iodine needed to prevent goiter is the gold standard for iodine intake; however, the rest of the body's need for iodine was not considered. The recommended level for iodine stands at 150 mcg daily for men and women, 220 mcg daily during pregnancy, and 290 mcg daily during lactation.

By my count that's more than 40 years since there's been change in the recommended dosage of iodine, yet the incidence of thyroid-related illnesses (thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroid disorders such as breast, prostate, endometrial, and ovarian cancer) has increased.

While healthy hair, skin and nails are usually considered to be a beauty issue more than a health issue, the truth of the matter is bad hair, nails and skin are indicative of health problems. Be proactive and do a little research. You can probably solve your problem with better nutrition.

One caveat. Men will probably want to get a multivitamin supplement without iron. Guys don't often need the extra iron, and in fact may develop health problems if they take additional iron.