Hair loss can be troublesome to deal with, but luckily, there are many remedies to treat it — like adding essential vitamins for hair loss to your daily regimen. While you should always try to consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods as your primary source of vitamins, supplements can be a great source if you’re not getting enough of certain nutrients.
Eating a diet heavy in nourishing nutrients is always a great start to healthier, thicker hair, but being choosy with vitamins for hair growth can ensure you’re getting enough of the correct hair health-boosters, too.
So what are the essential ingredients you should be looking out for? Iron and Vitamin B12 and play a crucial role in hair growth. At the same time, amino acids, found in collagen and protein-dense supplements help the body produce substance keratin (which is a vital component of your hair rejuvenation). Biotin and selenium are also essential for healthy hair.
We’ve picked out some of the most excellent vital supplements to give your barnet a nice boost from the inside out.
Using Vitamins to Stop Hair Loss
Hair loss vitamins can be an incredibly simple and inexpensive solution for thinning locks. If your hair is no longer your crowning glory, it’s time to use vitamins for combating the problem. Micronutrients such as vitamins are the critical factor for healthy hair follicle cycles.
They influence cellular turnover in the matrix cells of the follicle bulb that divides rapidly. This means that vitamins play a role in boosting hair health. Management of conditions like alopecia requires sufficient intake of vitamins B, C, A. D, and E.
Vitamins also play a definite role in healthy hair follicle development and immune cell functioning(1). Deficiency of micronutrients an impact not just the hair cycle, but immunity, which then plays a role in warding off hair loss conditions.
After all, healthy hair is a sign of well-being and proper hair care practices. Most healthy individuals have an appropriate intake of vitamins in their diet. The best vitamins for hair loss have a significant role to play in general health and well being, as well. Individuals with medical conditions or nutritional deficiency face hair loss daily.
Malnutrition, heart disease, neuromuscular disorders, malignancy, alcoholism, advanced age, and chronic illnesses can all be triggered and further intensify vitamin-deficiency and hair loss.
[Also Read: Natural Remedies For Hair Loss ]
Best Vitamins for Hair Loss
1. Vitamin A
When it comes to vitamins for men’s hair loss or female-pattern baldness, vitamin A is the top micronutrient that often comes to mind. All human cells require vitamin A for growth. Hair cells, the quickest growing tissue in the human body, is no exception to this rule.
Vitamin A comprises a group of compounds such as provitamin A carotenoids, retinoic acid, retinal, retinol, and many more. Vitamin A has also been shown to activate hair follicle stem cells and spur thick and healthy hair growth.
Another reason why vitamin A works well, among different hair loss vitamins, is that sebum is secreted through adequate intake of this vitamin(2). Skin glands make this oily substance which moisturizes the hair and keeps the scalp healthy.
Vitamin A deficiency can be a significant trigger for hair loss(3). Natural sources of vitamin A include vegetables like sweet potatoes and pumpkins, besides greens, milk, eggs, and even yogurt.
2. Vitamin B Complex
Among the best vitamins for hair loss, are the B-vitamin. This, in turn, comprises eight water-soluble vitamin substances – B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B2 (riboflavin), B7 (biotin), folate, B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, and B12. Studies have linked the deficiency of many of these vitamins(4) with hair loss in humans. However, a lack of vitamin B is rare, as this occurs in a wide array of foods.
Biotin itself along with riboflavin, folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies are linked to hair loss.
Biotin rebuilds hair shingles lost due to chemical hair care treatments like ironing or excessive usage of shampoo. B5, on the other hand, is counted among vitamins for men’s hair loss, as it supports your adrenal glands to stimulate hair growth and carries oxygen and nutrients to the scalp.
Treatment with B5 raises the diameter of existing terminal scalp fibers, thickening the hair and increasing the resilience of individual hair strands.
Riboflavin or B2 is crucial in burning fat and generating fuel for the body. Riboflavin deficiency can lead to hair loss. Biotin (also called vitamin B7 or H) plays a role in regulating genes and signaling to cells. Adequate biotin intake for adults is 30 mcg/day. Signs of biotin deficiency include losing hair. Studies show individuals treated with biotin supplements report elimination of hair loss issues.
Another hair loss vitamin is folate, which is found in many foods. It is a coenzyme involved in the nucleic acid synthesis and amino acid metabolism. The recommended intake of folate is 400 mcg per day for adults. Folate deficiency can also trigger hair loss.
Vitamin B12 is essential for DNA synthesis, and at least 2.4 mcg of this vitamin must be consumed by adults daily. Folate and B12 are vitamins to stop hair loss. They play a role in the proliferation of hair follicles. Specifically, B12 deficiency is associated with TE, both chronic and acute.
Vitamin B helps in the creation of erythrocytes or red blood cells, which supply the scalp with nutrients and oxygen besides stimulating hair follicle growth. These are the reasons why vitamin B is essential for hair growth. Some of the top sources of vitamin B include meat, seafood, almonds, whole grains, and dark, leafy green vegetables.
[ Read: Biotin for Hair Growth ]
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another high vitamin for hair loss. Free radical damage induced by oxidative stress can come in the way of healthy hair growth in multiple ways. Aging and disease associated with hair thinning are due to this damage. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that guards against oxidative stress(5).
The body also needs vitamin C to create proteins called collagen, which influence hair growth. Collagen is also a part of the hair structure. For absorbing critical nutrients and minerals required for active hair growth, vitamin C again comes to your rescue. Both hair graying and hair loss are staved off through vitamin C as it fights oxidative stress and boosts collagen growth.
Around 500-1000 mg of vitamin C supplements should be taken if the diet is deficient in natural sources of this vitamin. Excellent sources of vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, other citrus fruits, peppers, and guavas.
[Also Read: Home Remedies for Hair Loss]
4. Vitamin D
A lot of people don’t realize how a lack of vitamin D can impact hair growth. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to different types of alopecia(6) or baldness in men and women. This is because this vitamin creates new hair follicles. Hair follicles refer to the scalp pores where new hair growth is experienced.
Vitamin D production of hair. Another common misconception is that people are getting enough vitamin D through the sun’s rays. You also need to focus on dietary sources of vitamin D, including fatty fish, mushrooms and cod liver oil.
Healthy hair growth is the outcome of a balanced diet fortified with vitamin D. Data from animal studies(7) also provides support for the fact that vitamin D is essential for hair follicle cycles. Research has also shown an increase in Vitamin D receptors expressions(8) in the external root sheath of keratinocytes during hair growth.
Hair follicles are sensitive to hormones. Vitamin D impacts cell growth differentiation, immune regulation, calcium balance, and hormonal levels in the body. Women suffering from AA are known to have vitamin D receptor genetic mutation or vitamin E deficiency. AA is just one of the many autoimmune disorders where vitamin D deficiency is noted. Besides hair cell growth, vitamin D also helps to create new hair follicles.
[Also Read: Essential Oils for Hair Loss]
5. Vitamin E
Vitamin E deficiency is rare yet it can take place due to malnutrition or malabsorption of nutrients. Lack of this critical vitamin result in anemia and skin dryness. Tocotrienols and tocopherols are some of the micronutrients belonging to this class of vitamins, and they are also potent antioxidants.
So hair growth receives a boost when you stock up on vitamin E, because it undoes free radical damage, and improves hair health, besides general immunity.
A study also showed vitamin E supplements thicken hair growth(9). Another study found 34.5 percent greater hair growth(10) in individuals facing alopecia, who took vitamin E supplements. Spinach, avocados, and almonds are just some of the many sources of vitamin E. Other good sources include sunflower seeds and legumes.
Research shows that hair loss can be hindered by using vitamins. Thus, the value of vitamins in stimulating hair growth cannot be stressed enough. So, if your tresses are distressed, and can hardly be called a healthy, stock up on these vitamins for hair loss and rejuvenate or revitalize your hair.
Get thick, lustrous, healthy hair which can cope with pollution, breakage, and damage on an everyday basis by trying these best vitamins for hair loss.
[Also Read: Vitamin E For Hair Growth]
FAQs
1. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?
Lack of vitamins B, C, A, D, and E are linked to hair loss, and thinning hair, along with conditions like TE and alopecia.
2. Which Vitamins Help With Hair Loss?
Top vitamins for thick, lustrous hair include vitamin D and A. Both of these impact the hair follicle cycle and enrich the scalp, leading to more abundant hair growth.
3. What Precautions Should Be Observed when Taking Vitamin Hair Supplements?
Vitamin hair supplements are directly linked to hair growth, but excessive or over-consumption of vitamins can also trigger hair loss. So, make sure you eat supplements or monitor vitamin intake to prevent over-ingestion of these micronutrients.
