The 15 Best Vitamins for Hair Growth
Hair health is an important way our bodies communicate that something might be wrong. How would you describe your scalp? What about your hairline?
Are you having trouble with dandruff and hair loss? Keep in mind that everything from genetic and hormonal imbalances to stress and nutritional deficiencies may be compromising your hair.
It’s important to remember that we lose an average of 80- 100 hairs each day. We may notice an increase in seasonal shedding in the coming fall months, especially if you live in a cold climate. This common phenomenon is called seasonal shedding.
At any rate, hair loss could be a sign of nutritional or lifestyle issues. For example, a dry scalp could mean that you aren't getting enough healthy fats in the foods you eat. Similarly, thinning could be caused by stress or a lack of protein in your diet.
The prevalence of hair loss is especially among males. Surprisingly, according to an American Academy of Dermatologists survey, 40 % of premenopausal women have visible hair thinning by the time they are 40 years old.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Vitamin deficiency: Hair — like anything that grows – needs the adequate levels of nutrients and conditions to thrive. And it starts with eating right.
Certain medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism and anemia, can negatively impact hair health and growth.
Genetics: About 60% to 70% of the population has the gene for male and/or female pattern hair loss.
Age: At any given time, we're always growing, resting, and shedding hair. But as we enter grow into our 30s, the percentage of hairs growing goes down.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. It has been linked to anemia, fatigue, and even hair loss. Factors for nutrient deficiency matters from a nutritional perspective. Certain foods—like avocado, egg, lentil, salmon, and seaweeds—can help your hair look its best.
Postpartum Hair Loss
For most women, the postpartum period is usually associated with hair loss. If you're in the thick of post-pregnancy hair loss, I'm right there with you. During pregnancy, the hormone levels rise, causing hair to grow at a faster rate. After giving birth, women may experience changes in hair thickness.
You don't need to worry about postpartum hair loss because it's both normal and temporary. It’s not related to breastfeeding. Most women will return to their normal hair cycle within 6-12 months after having a baby.
If you're a new mom and are seeing dramatic hair loss, that's also common. If you have any questions, ask your doctor. If you don't want to take any supplements, continue eating nutrient-dense foods and incorporating self-care into your life.
Hair Health Begins on the Inside
The role of nutrition is essential for hair wellness. Products can help you get healthier strong hair, but nothing can compare to a diet rich in essential vitamins and nutrients.
Unfortunately, there are micronutrient deficiencies in the the Standard Western Diet (SWD)-eating whole, minimally processed foods are ideal to help you establish healthy hair. Eating foods that promote hair growth and taking a daily supplement will help you achieve your hair growth goals.
Top Vitamins in Hair Growth Supplements
Hair growth vitamins can help nourishes your hair from the inside, resulting in a faster hair growth rate and thicker, healthier strands. A good supplement can improve the length, condition, and health of your hair, and it can also improve your dry skin and brittle nails.
When choosing the best supplementation on hair growth, you want to look out for these active ingredient:
Vitamin A: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and has retinoic acid, which are commonly used in cosmetics. Since hair has some of the fastest replicating cells in the body, hair needs sufficient amounts of vitamin A.
B vitamins: Vitamin B6, vitamin B7, and vitamin B12 are especially important to hair health. Biotin is a common B vitamin and probably one of the best known supplements for healthy hair. Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to hair loss. It may also be involved in the premature graying of hair.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects against oxidative damage. Vitamin C deficiency can cause hair loss. Hair need collagen, which is a protein for hair growth. Collagen is an important part of hair structure.
Vitamin D: You might already know the role of vitamin D supplements are important for bone health, muscle, and the absorption of calcium. But did you know there's an association between hair loss and low level of vitamin D?
Vitamin D is most commonly known as the "sun vitamin" because it is produced when your skin is exposed directly to sunlight, but not everyone gets enough from sunlight alone. If you have vitamin D deficiency, spend 10 to 15 minutes per day outside in natural sunlight.
Vitamin E: Like vitamin C, Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E helps prevent oxidative stress and hair follicle health, which may help growth of hair in the long run.
Iron is essential for hemoglobin production, which is needed for delivering oxygen to your hair follicles. Iron deficiency anemia can be caused by low iron levels in the blood. Dietary iron in foods include: leafy greens, red meat, and legumes.
Omega-3 fatty acids: It's important for cell health and is thought by some to make your scalp and hair healthier. It can also help dry, damaged hairs add luster, elasticity, and shine to dull locks.
Zinc: Research shows that zinc is a potential hair growth promoter, meaning that it plays an important role in hair health. Zinc is involved with protein synthesis and cell division which are both components of hair growth.
Protein: Hair is made up almost entirely of protein, essential amino acid in protein is a common ingredient in a daily supplement.
Here are 15 vitamins to consider for hair growth:
1. Shedavi Natural Hair Vitamins
It's no surprise that this was ranked #1. Each capsule contains a blend of vitamins and minerals necessary to promote hair growth from within. Shedavi collects botanical ingredients from around the world to produce a hair supplement that helps people grow long, healthy, and full hair.
It synergistically promotes healthy hair with herbs that contain B vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and protein-building nutrient ingredients. It also helps prevent dandruff and promotes skin elasticity.
2. Vegamour GRO Biotin Gummies
GRO Biotine Gummies feature a proprietary formula of vitamins and minerals to nourish the scalp and help keep hair looking healthy. These strawberry-flavored gummies contain blend of biotin to help the body produce keratin and collagen.
They also contain folic acid and B vitamins to support healthy skin. They also contain vitamins A, C, and E to help neutralize follicle-damaging radicals. Finally, they have zinc to help promote and maintain a healthy head of hair. One gummy vitamin per day will help to create healthier hair that glows and radiates.
3. HUM Hair Sweet Hair
Formulated with hair-loving active form of ingredients like biotin and folic acid, Hum Nutrition's vegan berry gummies help promote longer, stronger, healthier hair.
It also includes Fo-Ti, an herbal ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine for its ability to promote hair growth. This supplement is triple-tested for purity, formulated with proven nutrients sourced with intention. Every ingredient in Hum’s supplements is carefully tested to ensure they are pure, potent, safe, and effective.
4. Vital Proteins Hair Boost
This supplement contains key nutrients like vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and E, which support healthy hair. Their clinically-proven ingredients include organic ashwagandha root extract, a blend containing keratin support key amino acids, and saw palmetto. Customers report a variety of positive results, including hair regrowing fuller.
5. Act+Acre Plant-Based Hair Cleanse
This cutting-edge product is pioneering the scalp care market. Act+Acre, a clinically-approved Vegan formula. They use only clean and unique ingredients, including horsetail extract (which adds volume and shine).
The addition dose of biotin promotes a healthy and consistent hair growth cycle and the combination of plant extracts and vitamins promotes thicker strands, resilience, and visible length. It's one of the few hair products that work. They use a special method of manufacturing that uses 90 % less energy and more sustainability than traditional methods. Their bottles are made from the most recyclable materials.
6. Moon Juice SuperHair
SuperHair‘s clinical strength formula supports healthy hair with a range of powerful botanicals, micronutrients, and adaptogen herbs traditionally used in Chinese medicine.
Bioavailable vitamins A, BC, D, E, and K address many of these nutritional deficiencies that inhibit hair damage. Organic adaptogens (ashwaganda and ginseng) can help balance stress hormones that may be contributing to hair loss.
Finally, they add follicle-protecting ingredients (saw palmetto, pumpkin seed) to help block the hair-destroying hormone, DHT. Horsetail, kelp, and other micronutrients support hair health and internal hormone balance.
7. Ora Beyoutiful Skin, Hair, and Nails Support
With organic B vitamins, organic algan, and 1 billion probiotic cultures, this supplement packs a potent punch. It’s among the most unique, plant-derived, and organic hair products.
Beyoutiful is an organic beauty vitamin for healthy glowing skin, nails and strong hair. This supplement is especially helpful for those on a vegan diet who naturally have a hard time getting enough B vitamins.
Ora has created a superstar lineup of natural ingredients to help prevent skin pigmentation, the look of wrinkles, and hair loss. Astaxanthin, which is found in high concentrations in this supplement, has been proven to improve skin moisture levels and elasticity.
8. Hair La Vie Clinical Formula Hair Vitamins
Hair La Vie Clinical Formula contains ingredients designed to promote healthy hair by protecting and repairing its natural beauty. Each of these ingredients has been chosen because they offer a wide range of benefits to the scalp and hair.
They're a great way to get the most out of your hair care routine. They contain reishi mushroom (an anti-inflammatory), vitamin E, Amalaki (a powerful antioxidant), flaxseed, kombu seaweed, bamboo stem, saw palmetto, hydrolyzed collagen, and more.
9. Nutrafol Women’s Hair Growth Supplement
A unique product for postmenopausal women in their 40s and 50s who experience hair loss due to hormonal fluctuations. This product also helps fight the effects of emotional stress, environmental toxins, metabolism, and nutrition changes—all of which can affect hair growth.
Clinical evidence shows that 76% of women saw thickening of their hair after six months and that 100% of them saw an accelerated hair growth after 9 months. Results vary, but Nutrafol is trusted among over 2,500 doctors. They source their ingredients from all over the world but they're proud to be made in the USA.
10. Nutrafol Growth Activator Hair Serum
Unlike the other supplements in our lineup, this is a lightweight serum for women and men. It combats dry, thinning, damaged hair. It contains antioxidants and plant nutrients that improve hair strength and minimize breakages.
Applied directly to the head, this vegan, leave-in conditioner nourishes thinning hair, strengthens weaker strands, and adds body to hair. It also includes a patented active compound of botanicals that have been clinically shown to improve hair volume and density after 90 days.
11. FoliGROWTH Hair Growth Supplement
Made in Southern California by FoliGrowth, its patented ingredients contain 5,000 mcg of biotin, Saw Palmetto, Hyaluronic Acid, Choline, and more. Combining 28 herbs, the FoliGROwTH vitamin complex helps grow thicker, fuller hair.
This supplement is designed especially for people who have vitamin D deficiency; thyroid issues; scalp conditions; anemia; postpartum hair loss; and more. It also acts as a general multivitamin.
12. Olly Ultra Hair Softgels
Olly’d multi-benefit, the powerful mix works its magic with unique combinations. It also includes biotin, vitamin D, vitamin B 12, keratin to help strengthen hair, and silicon to help form collagen.
These vitamins are known for supporting fuller-looking, stronger hair from within. They can even help prevent hair loss and promote healthy hair growth. These soft gels contain no added sugar, and also delicious.
13. Advanced Trichology DHT Blocker
These supplements contain a unique formula that fights hair loss due to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a hormone imbalance involving androgen hormone (male sex hormones).
Studies show that DHT can cause the hair follicles to shrink, which contributes to androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). Advanced Trichology's DHT Blocker was created for the treatment of alopecia in their top-rated hair restoration clinics, scientifically tested with amazing results.
14. Sports Research Biotin
Biotin is a vitamin in the B complex group. It helps turn food into energy. As with other B vitamins, biotin is water-soluble; therefore, any excess vitamins you take will simply pass through your system. Between 30-and 100, mg per day of biotin (vitamin B7) is recommended. Most people get adequate amounts of biotin through a balanced diet, so there are no known side effects when taking a biotin supplement.
Most people get biotins from dietary sources. Foods such as meat, fish eggs, broccoli, spinach seeds, and many nuts are rich sources of biotin. Biotin deficiencies don't cause hair shedding, but they can cause hair thinning. However, biotin has no role in hormonal forms of alopecia, such as male pattern hair loss.
You can do a screening for deficiency with a simple blood test. Your doctor then can provide you with biotin supplementation advise.
15. Nutrafol Men Hair Growth Nutraceutical
This clinically effective hair supplement promotes visibly thicker, fuller and more scalp coverage using 21 medical-grade, natural ingredients without affecting sexual performance. In a clinical study, 83% of men showed improved hair after 6 months. Formulated to target multiple common root causes of thinning hair in men like DHT and environmental toxins.
Final Thoughts
Daily vitamins are essential for just about every aspect of your health, from cellular metabolism and immune protection to the growth and maintenance of your skin, hair, and nails.
If you're starting to lose your hair, it's important to act quickly to prevent it from worsening. The range of supplements for hair loss includes shampoos, and hair growth vitamins formulated to prevent shedding and promote healthy hair growth.