Walk through the beauty aisle of any store, and you’ll find shelves full of products that promise longer, stronger, healthier hair. But healthy hair growth starts from within. Your hair needs certain vitamins and nutrients to help it grow and thrive.
Along with a balanced diet, a daily multivitamin with an additional biotin vitamin can help to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need to nourish your locks and protect against hair loss caused by vitamin deficiencies. At Perelel, we take care of that for you. Our Women’s Daily Vitamin Trio bundles our Beauty Blend complete with biotin and collagen peptides to support healthy hair, skin, and nails. Plus, our Mom Multi Support Pack is formulate to combat that pesky postpartum hair loss.
If you’re expecting, a prenatal vitamin supplement may also support hair health. Many of the same vitamins and nutrients that are essential for healthy fetal development also play a role in hair growth—so you can take full advantage of the strong and shiny “pregnancy hair” many women experience as a result of increased hormones during pregnancy.1
Ready to build fuller, shinier tresses from the inside out? Here are six of the best vitamins and nutrients for hair growth.
1. Biotin
Also known as vitamin B7, biotin plays a role in protein synthesis—including keratin, the main protein in hair.2 Biotin may be beneficial for people with certain hair disorders, and biotin deficiency has been linked with hair loss.3
For men and women ages 19 and older, the adequate intake (AI) level for biotin is 30 micrograms per day. Biotin can be found in salmon, avocados, sweet potatoes, and nuts, and a daily vitamin supplement with biotin can help to ensure you’re getting enough of this B vitamin.
2. Protein
Made up of building blocks called amino acids, this macronutrient is vital for cell growth and repair, including the cells that form each strand of hair. Hair is primarily made up of keratin proteins,4 and insufficient protein intake has been linked to hair thinning and hair loss5—so it’s important to make sure you’re consuming an adequate amount each day.
3. Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a key role in cell growth, including the cells that make up your hair and follicles.6 Some of the best sources of vitamin A are eggs, fish, and dairy products—so if you follow a vegetarian diet, a daily multivitamin can help you ensure you’re getting the recommended daily amount.
Just be aware that an excess of vitamin A has been linked to hair loss,7 so it’s important to find a multivitamin that provides an optimal amount.
4. Zinc
Zinc may be best known for its role in supporting the immune system—it’s a common ingredient in lozenges and cold remedies. But this essential element is also necessary for protein synthesis and cell division,8 which makes it one of the best nutrients for hair growth.
Zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, and pregnant women are at an increased risk for deficiency.9 The best sources of zinc include red meat, poultry, and certain types of seafood, and a daily multivitamin (or, if you’re expecting, a prenatal vitamin that includes zinc) can help to fill in any gaps in your diet.
5. Vitamin C
The antioxidant properties of vitamin C may help to protect cells against oxidative stress from free radicals, which can play a major role in the aging process of hair.10 Vitamin C also helps with iron absorption, which can help protect against hair loss caused by iron deficiency.11
6. Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a key role in the growth of hair follicles and the regulation of keratinocytes (a skin cell that produces keratin). Research suggests vitamin D deficiency may be linked to hair loss and certain hair disorders, though more studies are needed to show how whether vitamin D supplementation may be an effective treatment option for these conditions.12
When to Seek Professional Help for Hair Loss
If you recently had a baby, you may notice you’re shedding more hair than usual. Don’t panic—as estrogen levels subside postpartum, it’s normal (albeit a bummer) to lose some of that full and lustrous “pregnancy hair.” According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, this is considered hair shedding, not true hair loss.13
However, if you notice signs of hair loss—such as a wider part, a thinner ponytail, or receding hair around your temples—schedule an appointment with a dermatologist who can help to pinpoint the cause and offer medical advice and treatment options.
Read more clean beauty tips for new and expectant mothers now. Plus, shop OB/GYN-founded vitamins for your exact reproductive lifestage now.
1 Medline Plus: Skin and hair changes during pregnancy
3 Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials: Is Biotin as Good as Advertised for Your Hair Loss?; Sept 2019
4 Fei-Chi Yang, Yuchen Zhang, and Maikel C. Rheinstädter; The structure of people’s hair; Oct 2014
6 National Institutes of Health; Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
7 Hind M Almohanna, et al; The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review; Mar 2019
8 National Institutes of Health; Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
9 Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; The Nutrition Source: Zinc
10 Ralph M Trüeb; Oxidative Stress in Ageing of Hair; Jun 2009
11 Hind M Almohanna, et al; The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review; Mar 2019
12 Kriteeka Saini and Venkataram Mysore; Role of vitamin D in hair loss: A short review; Nov 2021
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and we recommend that you always consult with your healthcare provider. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Perelel.