Vitamins, Minerals and Hair Loss
Hair is not essential tissue, so when the body is short of a nutrient it needs elsewhere, hair growth is one of the first processes to be scaled back. That is why a change in diet, a period of restrictive eating or an underlying deficiency can show up in hair thinning or shedding months later. Below, our Trichologists break down four nutrients most closely linked to hair health: vitamin C, vitamin B12, biotin and zinc. None of them is a cure for hair loss on its own, and supplementing without a confirmed deficiency will not thicken healthy hair. If you are concerned about hair loss or shedding, the most reliable next step is a consultation and, where appropriate, blood tests to check ferritin, vitamin D, B12 and thyroid function.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C supports collagen production, wound healing and iron absorption, and works as an antioxidant that helps protect scalp cells from free radical damage. Because it aids the absorption of dietary iron, a shortfall in vitamin C can compound an existing iron deficiency, one of the more common contributors to diffuse hair shedding in women.
VITAMIN B12
Vitamin B12 supports the rapid cell division that healthy hair growth depends on, and low levels are more common in people following a vegan or vegetarian diet, since B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. A blood test is the only reliable way to confirm a deficiency; supplementing without one will not benefit hair that is already growing normally.
BIOTIN
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, helps the body convert food into energy and is often marketed as a hair growth supplement. Genuine biotin deficiency is rare in people eating a varied diet, and current clinical evidence does not support biotin supplementation improving hair growth in the absence of a diagnosed deficiency.
ZINC
Zinc supports the enzyme reactions involved in tissue growth and repair, including hair follicle function, and also plays a role in hormone regulation. Both zinc deficiency and, less commonly, zinc excess have been associated with hair shedding, which is why supplementing should be guided by a blood test rather than taken speculatively.
FAQs
Rarely on their own. Vitamins and minerals only help hair growth where a genuine deficiency exists; most cases of hair thinning, including Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss, are hormonal or genetic and need a targeted treatment plan rather than supplementation.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional cause of diffuse hair shedding seen in our Clinics, followed by vitamin D and B12.