Everybody wants a head of bountiful, healthy hair, and if you have been on a quest to combat thinning hair, you are not alone. Many factors can affect hair growth. Stress, age, products, environment, lifestyle choices, and diet changes can affect hair health. While things like environment and age might be out of our control, focusing on the things that are within our control can guide us to optimal hair growth. Social media ads may suggest that the key to gorgeous hair lies in expensive services, but the real path to long-lasting results might exist within a vitamin bottle. Thus began Shape’s mission to find the best vitamins for hair growth.
Nutrition is a fundamental ingredient for healthy hair. A diet rich in protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and loads of antioxidants from a variety of plants is paramount to healthy hair; however, for some, meeting the body’s needs from food alone can be a challenge. Shape always recommends food first, but taking supplemental vitamins may make a profound difference in hair growth. It’s important to note that not all vitamins for hair growth or hair supplements are a solution. In general, when it comes to the best vitamins for hair growth, you are more likely to see changes if you are deficient in a nutrient that helps hair such as iron, zinc, selenium, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E and resolve the deficiency.
With all that said, read on below for the best vitamins for hair growth, according to a dietitian who carefully analyzed ingredient lists to ensure the options are as beneficial as possible.
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NSF Certified for sport and approved by Consumer Lab
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Contains a good amount of vitamin D
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Affordable, less than $1 per serving
The best thing you can do for healthy hair is to make sure you cover all of your nutrient needs and for that reason, a high-quality multivitamin like Thorne’s Basics 2/Day is the best option. It might seem confusing that a multivitamin would be our top choice for hair growth but multivitamins are one of the easiest ways to cover all of your vitamin and mineral needs. Except for iron, this multivitamin includes all of the nutrients important for hair growth like zinc, selenium, vitamins A, C, D, E, and all of the b vitamins. Unlike many other multivitamins, this multi contains 2,000 IU of vitamin D. Roughly 41 percent of the US population is vitamin D insufficient (AKA they have a mild lack) and low Vitamin D can affect the hair growth cycle, so this is a major win in regards to ingredients. This product is also our top choice because it is NSF Certified For Sport, third party-tested and approved by Consumer Lab.
Form: Capsule | Dose: 2 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Zinc, selenium, vitamins A, C, D, and E | Third Party Tested: yes
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Ingredients are non-gmo
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The product is free of gluten, dairy, soy, hormones, and artificial ingredients
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Includes clinically tested ingredients
Nutrafol has captured the hair growth and thickening corner of the beauty supplement market— and for good reason. The company features five different hair growth supplements for women of different stages of life as well as one product for men. Nutrafol’s original product, Nutrafol Women is physician-designed and includes clinically tested ingredients to target root causes of thinning, such as stress, lifestyle, and nutrition. One small, randomized control trial showed that women with self-perceived hair thinning had hair growth after taking Nutrafol over a six-month period. This supplement contains key vitamins and minerals for hair growth as well as a patented blend of ingredients including collagen, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, turmeric extract, and amino acids to support hair growth and thickening.
Side note: One Shape editor tested and reviewed Nutrafol’s vegan option and experienced great results. “Toward the end of my three months, I noticed hair regrowth—those telltale postpartum tufts were growing in on my hairline and the nape of my neck,” they wrote. “One of the best surprises has been that my eyelashes and eyebrows look fuller, and my nails seem stronger too.”
Form: Capsule | Dose: 4 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Collagen, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, turmeric extract, and amino acids | Third Party Tested: No
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Capsules are better tolerated than tablets
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Product is free of common allergens
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Includes bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals
Yes, this is a roundup of the best vitamins for hair growth, not the best vitamins for those looking to conceive, but prenatal vitamins tend to be some of the most potent and well-designed supplements on the market. SFI Health’s multivitamin prenatal and nursing formula is packed with nutrition, so if you have nutrient deficiencies contributing to hair loss or thinning, this product might help. It features the activated form of vitamin B12 and folate as well as chelated iron for optimal absorption.
Since it’s designed for women who are pregnant or lactating, it has high amounts of B and E vitamins as well as iron, so if you’re not in either of those two categories, you might want to take one or two capsules instead of the full serving (three capsules). Consult with a healthcare team to determine the best course of action.
Form: capsule | Dose: 3 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin | Third Party Tested: no
Wellbel is one of a handful of drug-free hair growth products currently available for men. It’s essentially a mini multivitamin with a handful of additional hair-conscious ingredients sprinkled in. Vitamins like A, D, B12, folate, and biotin are included as well as the minerals zinc, selenium, and copper.
Compared to some other hair-growth vitamins on the market that include super high doses of nutrients, Wellbel is slightly more conservative with nutrient amounts which is positive because it can prevent toxicity. In addition to the vitamins and minerals, Wellbel includes a proprietary blend of ingredients known to support hair including saw palmetto, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and lycopene. Wellbel’s products are produced in a facility that meets Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) and the company states that their products are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
Form: Capsule | Dose: 3 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Vitamins A, D, B12, folate, biotin, zinc, selenium, and copper. | Third Party Tested: No
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Hypoallergenic and appropriate for those with dietary restrictions
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Includes collagen, polyphenols and CoQ10
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Certified gluten free
Many of the supplements geared toward hair health are also targeted toward skin (and nail) health because many of the nutrients needed for healthy hair are also needed to strengthen nails. Pure Encapsulations is one of our editors’ favorite supplement brands because its products are free of top allergens, gluten, GMOs, preservatives, and fillers.
This is the best vitamin for hair growth and skin health because it includes vitamin C, biotin, folate, zinc, and specialized ingredients such as a collagen complex that has been shown to help diminish wrinkles, polyphenols, and CoQ10 which acts as an antioxidant. One note about this supplement is that it provides 20,000 percent of the daily value of Biotin in one serving. Although there is no known upper limit of biotin, the intake of a high amount of biotin can interfere with certain laboratory tests so always make sure you let your healthcare team know if you are on a supplement.
Form: Capsule | Dose: 2 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, biotin, folate, zinc, and collagen | Third Party Tested: No
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Hypoallergenic non-GMO verified
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Drug-free alternative to hair loss
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Supports overall health and well-being in addition to hair loss
Postpartum hair loss can be incredibly frustrating. “While pregnant, many women notice their hair looks shinier and longer than ever thanks to hormone changes, especially an increase in estrogen. But in the 3-6 month postpartum window, these hormones return to their pre-pregnancy levels, estrogen drops, and you’ll notice a whole lot more shedding,” says Carolyn Brown, MS, RD. “Women normally lose 100 hairs per day but in the postpartum phase it can be ~300 hairs lost per day.”
While supporting hair growth during this time will vary depending on different factors, in addition to eating well, trying adaptogenic herbs that can help with the stress of being a new momma might be helpful. Needed’s stress support is a clinical-strength blend of six potent adaptogenic and nervine botanicals traditionally used in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and herbalism to nourish and support the central nervous system.
Form: Capsule | Dose: 4 capsules/day | Key Ingredients: Shatavari, Holy Basil, Milky Oat Straw, Rhodiola, Ashwaghanda, Schizandra berry | Third Party Tested: No
Some vegans might struggle with consuming vitamins and minerals, specifically iron, while following their diet. Since iron is needed for proper blood flow and oxygen production for hair follicles, a deficiency can lead to hair thinning, according to Claire Rifkin, RD. For this reason, editors like Phytomulti with Iron by Metagenics to cover someone’s iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and vitamin D needs. It’s certified gluten-free, USP-verified, and contains additional phytonutrients to support overall health and well-being, so it’s another home run option, specifically for those following a vegan diet.
Form: Tablet | Dose: 2 tablets/day | Key Ingredients: Iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and vitamin D | Third Party Tested: Yes
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