The Best Vitamins for Hair Growth

While there are many external remedies to help with preventing hair loss and encouraging new growth, there are also internal remedies that can and should be done in tandem to see maximum results. Adding supplements or vitamin-rich food to your diet is an easy way to see new growth so we’ve compiled a list of the best vitamins for hair growth, try one or all of these today!

How to Choose the Best Supplements for Hair Growth

Before we get into what vitamins you should take, it’s important to know what to look for when choosing a supplement. Always read the ingredients, a high-quality supplement is not going to promise miraculous results. Skip the supplements claiming new hair in a week, that’s just not going to happen with one multivitamin.
Always read the ingredient list, research any words you don’t understand on the list. A high-quality supplement won’t have any strange additives and should be free from things like gluten, wheat, lactose, eggs, soy, nuts and preservatives.
Find a supplement that is made in the US and specializes in nutrition that receives good reviews for their products.

Vitamin B

Nutrient deficiency can play a role in hair loss, so boosting up on a Complex B vitamin can help restore hair growth. If you are already eating a balanced diet then you are likely getting a sufficient amount of B vitamins. If you’re hectic lifestyle has you eating fast food and freezer meals more often than not then you may be dealing with low levels of B vitamins.
Your body does not create it’s own B12 or other B vitamins so it’s essential that we get our daily intake from our food first, and a supplement second, if needed.

Foods to Eat for Vitamin B:

Vitamin B is best absorbed when it comes from food such as fish, sheep or chicken. Whole eggs are a good source of biotin which is a B vitamin that is important for hair, skin and nail health. A study in 2016 found that 38% of women who had hair loss were also deficient in biotin.

Iron

Iron is a mineral that is important for hair growth and lack of iron has been linked to hair loss. Iron helps to boost circulation which is always key with encouraging new hair growth. Iron also moves oxygen to your cells more efficiently which may also help boost hair growth.

There are a few forms of bioavailable iron, the most common you’ll come across are ferrous and ferric iron salts, this includes ferric sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate and ferric citrate.

Whether you are taking a supplement or getting your iron intake from food, you’ll want to enhance your body’s ability to absorb the iron by drinking orange juice or eating a vitamin C rich food at the same time.

Foods High in Iron

Red meats are highest in iron as are sardines and oysters. Chicken, beans and spinach are all foods to eat to naturally boost iron in your diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a good vitamin choice for making hair stronger and is essential for healthy hair growth. Vitamin C also helps target circulation and increased blood circulation to your scalp is key to hair growth.

Foods High in Vitamin C

Fruits such as berries, cherries, apricots, grapes and oranges are all high in vitamin C. Remember that Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron and helps your body make collagen which is one of the proteins that build hair! So don’t skip out on the vitamin C rich foods to see more hair growth.

Vitamin D

If you have a deficiency in vitamin D then you will notice hair loss. Vitamin D is metabolized in your skin cells that produce keratin. If your body doesn’t have enough vitamin D then those skin cells in your hair follicles can’t help hair growth and you’ll lose more hair.

Foods High in Vitamin D

Foods high in vitamin D include fishes such as tuna, mackerel, salmon and herring. These fatty fishes have the bonus of also being high in essential fatty acids like omega-3’s and they are also a good source of protein and B vitamins! Fish is a nutrient-packed food for boosting hair growth.

Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral, meaning you only need small amounts in your body, but if you’re lacking in those small amounts you will notice it. Zinc helps with cell growth and DNA creation and a low level of zinc is associated with hair loss.

Foods High in Zinc

Foods high in zinc include meat, beans, nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, flax seeds and chia seeds are also a good source of selenium, another trace mineral that promotes hair growth.

Keratin and Vitamin A

Keratin and Vitamin A are getting lumped together because in both of these cases you want to avoid using a supplement and instead only get these nutrients from food! Both of these nutrients are harmful if over-supplemented so getting these nutrients from your food is your best best for encouraging hair growth in a safe way.

Foods High in Keratin

Keratin is a protein that makes up your hair, skin and nails and is actually produced in the body. If you eat keratin rich foods such as eggs, beans, fish and meats then you’ll get all the keratin that you need from your diet.

Foods High in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is known to activate hair follicle stem cells and odds are good you are actually getting adequate amounts of this vitamin if you live in the U.S. Foods that are rich in vitamin A include kale, spinach and broccoli and carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.