Do hair vitamins work?

I RECEIVED THIS QUESTION  ON FACEBOOK

"I am currently taking

Hair skin and nail vitamins, collagen,

Gelatin, garlic oil, and using regular castor oil sweet almond oil, shea butter and vics vapor rub in my hair and it's working. My hair is getting. Thicker but no length yet. Am I on the right track?"

WHAT MAKES HAIR THICK?
None of the items she mentions can make your hair thicker. Hair thickness is determined in the womb. We are born with a set amount of hair follicles. We can lose hair follicles but we cannot grow more. Hair thickness is also determined by how wide your individual hair strands are. The size of your hair strands and the number of hair follicles you have are established at birth based on genetics.  

Let's breakdown what she is using

Hair vitamins
Vitamins do not give you larger strands or additional hair follicles. They do help feed the body nutrients, you might be lacking. By taking up the slack from your diet, vitamins make the hair grow better and stronger. 

One of the vitamins I take. You can buy this HERE

Another vitamin I take. Buy HERE

Castor oil 
Castor oil coats the hair and makes it appear to be thicker. So applying castor oil often for weeks builds up on the hair. Once you wash the castor oil off, you are left with your normal thickness. Castor oil is anti fungal. It prevents fungus and eliminates fungus off the scalp. Once that issue is removed the hair grows and flourishes. Keep in mind that you may not have a fungus. Cold pressed castor oil is still an excellent oil for the hair. It is an awesome conditioner for the hair. 

Vick's vapor rub
This product is made up of petroleum. It also coats the hair and makes it "appear" thicker. However it cannot make your hair thicker. The clove, eucalyptus oils stimulate better blood flow and this leads to increased hair growth. It is possible that Vick's can also increase hair growth by eliminating certain scalp issues that hinder hair growth. I am not endorsing this product for hair growth. This is simply my response to her question.

Side note:
The properties of the Vick's healed my scalp quickly. I developed some scabs on my scalp. I could not pinpoint the cause of the scabs. I will say this happens to my scalp every few years or so. I decided to give the Vicks a go. The scabs cleared up within 3 days. quickly. 

So why is she "only" seeing thickness with her hair growing regimen?

When Afro hair grows from the scalp it makes all the hair look thicker. She sees thickness due to the new growth. Since Afro hair grows curly, it grows up not down. Thus you will notice fullness before you notice length. You cannot have an increase in fullness without gaining new growth. 

Tracking your growth to remain motivated
Would you like to know how well your growth aids are working? Before you begin, measure your hair in 3 areas. Use a tape measure. Note the condition of your hair, so you can have your hair in the same state when you measure for results.  Write the measurements on a calendar. Measure again in 40 days.  Continue to measure your length every 30 days. Tracking your growth will give you confidence to stay consistent with your journey.