All experts agree: healthy hair starts from within. If the body lacks certain nutrients, the hair’s condition is likely to deteriorate over time—it’s proved by science that a nutritional deficiency weakens the hair follicles. Also, everyday stress, hormonal changes, collagen decrease, menopause, post-pregnancy, medication, and over-styling can also negatively impact hair quality and lead to breakage. While we don’t have full control over some of these factors, we can at least ensure our body receives the necessary nutrients to grow healthy and thick hair. This is where supplements can come in useful—they’re an easy way to get your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to feed your hair and give it what it needs to grow strong. Although they don’t replace a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, fatty acids, minerals, and proteins, supplements are a great addition to your haircare regimen.
Can supplements improve hair growth?
To some extent, supplements can help improve hair growth and thickness by supplying the body with targeted nourishment to feed hair follicles. They can deliver vitamins and minerals such as Iron, zinc, vitamins A, D, and E, fatty acids, selenium, biotin, and proteins, which strengthen hair and whose deficiency is often linked to thinning hair.[1]
Yet, keep in mind that supplements work best and are more likely to give results when your body suffers from a lack of nutrients which results in thin hair. Some supplements, particularly curcumin, piperine, ashwagandha, and saw palmetto, have also been found effective in treating androgenic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss.[2]
However, there’s no study actually proving that taking vitamins can make hair grow faster if there’s no deficiency or underlying condition involved. So set realistic expectations, advise your doctor to confirm if you really need supplements, and plan according to your specific needs.
What are the best vitamins and supplements for hair?
- Iron: Iron deficiency is a well-known cause of hair loss.[3] Iron is an essential mineral that your body stores in the form of ferritin. Ferritin can be found in many body parts, including hair follicles. When your body lacks Iron, it can borrow ferritin from your hair follicles, weakening them. Also, without Iron, the body cannot produce enough red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen around the body, which also affects the hair.
- Zinc: A lack of zinc can damage the existing hair, causing it to break. A study found that out of 312 people suffering from alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia, all of them presented lower zinc concentrations in the body.[4] They also found zinc supplementation to restore hair condition in most cases.
- Niacin: Niacin, or vitamin B3, is needed for our bodies to convert carbohydrates into energy. It improves blood flow and brings oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicle. It’s believed that a deficiency of this vitamin may weaken hair follicles and cause them to produce thin hair.
- Fatty acids: Essential fatty acids moisturize the hair from within and inhibit 5α-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT—a hormone known to cause hair follicles to miniaturize, contributing to pattern hair loss.
- Vitamins A, D, E, and biotin (vitamin H): All these vitamins play a key role in hair health and are essential for hair growth.
- Antioxidants: Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize oxidative stress and prevent it from damaging the hair follicles. Some of them include zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E.
If you decided supplements are what you need to help your hair get in a better shape and encourage its growth, here are the best to consider.
Phyto Phytophanère Dietary Supplement
Each dose of Phyto’s supplements contains vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants, all necessary for healthy hair growth. With just two capsules per day, your hair will appear fuller, thicker, shinier, and healthier—the high potency formula with vitamins B, C, E, pro-vitamin A, and omega 3 and 6 has the building blocks to make that happen. They are a lifesaver for weak, thinning, and damaged hair.
Kiierr DHT Blocking Hair Growth Vitamins
Kiierr offers one of the best DHT-blocking vitamins out there. Made with natural ingredients, these supplements block DHT, improve blood flow in the scalp, and help promote hair growth. Briefly, they are powered by horsetail extract, folic acid, vitamin B, and saw palmetto, some of the most well-known compounds that help with hair growth. For maximum hair-strengthening effects, pair these vitamins with one of Kiierr’s hair growth devices, touted for delivering hair-transforming results.
Nutrafol
These supplements include Synergen Complex, a proprietary blend of clinically active ingredients that promote hair growth.[5] The ashwagandha extract balances stress hormones to boost the hair growth cycle, while the Tocotrienol Complex improves hair density by lowering oxidative stress at the follicles. At the same time, marine collagen provides amino acids as building blocks proteins needed for thick hair. Better still, the whole diet contains 120 capsules, so with the suggested four capsules per day, it’s enough for an entire month of treatment.
Viviscal Advanced Hair Health
These are other hair growth supplements that have raked in thousands of Amazon reviews. Each tablet contains the exclusive marine complex AminoMar, plus vitamin C, biotin, zinc, iron, and horsetail extract, to nourish hair from the roots to the ends. Ideally, take one tablet twice a day for 3 to 6 months to see visible improvements in your hair quality.
Hairgenics Propidren
Hairgenics Propidren’s supplements contain DHT blockers along with a powerful combo of clinically proven ingredients, such as nettle extract, horsetail, pygeum bark powder, and green tea extract to regenerate damaged hair follicles. Moreover, they’re made with saw palmetto extract and biotin—a vitamin that produces keratin.
Sports Research Biotin Supplements
Packed with 5000 mcg of biotin and infused with cold-pressed organic coconut oil, Sports Research’s pills will do all the work to make your hair look fabulous again. These supplements sell so much because they work and can help a lot if you have a biotin deficiency. People worldwide love them, which is why they’ve got almost 91,000 5-star reviews and are often out of stock.
Vital Vitamins Multi Collagen Pills
These supplements include five types of collagen to help restore your hair to its prime condition. It’s an all-in-one supplement with a potent blend of hydrolyzed collagen peptides, collagen from eggshell, chicken bone broth collagen, and X collagen in a convenient small capsule form. They are ethically sourced from pure, non-GMO, grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone-free, and cruelty-free sources. Not only that, but they are free of gluten, wheat, yeast, artificial ingredients, and preservatives.
SugarBear Hair Vitamins
One pack of these supplements assures a three months diet to support hair growth from within. You’ll even get a gift: a professional bamboo hairbrush! These supplements are for you if you don’t like to swallow pills — they’re actually gummies made with real berries for a deliciously sweet flavor, coconut oil, and a dash of sugar. Vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, B-12, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid, iodine, and zinc work as active ingredients to get your hair back to normal.
