11 Best Vitamins for Hair Growth That Our Testers Say Actually Work

Hair growth is influenced by a number of different factors, says board-certified dermatologist Azadeh Shirazi, MD, FAAD, but genetics is one of the most significant. “Some people just have strong hair genes,” she says. “They determine your natural growth rate and density.”

However, it’s not all predetermined—lifestyle matters too. For example, diet and nutrition play an important role in hair health, says Dr. Shirazi. “When the body is low on certain nutrients, hair growth can slow as the body prioritizes other functions,” she says. Similarly, chronic stress can also negatively impact hair growth.

Hormonal changes, such as those seen with pregnancy, menopause, and thyroid disease, also affect hair growth and density, says Dr. Shirazi. And board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, adds that certain infections and autoimmune diseases can also take a toll on your locks.

Finally, your hair health may change as you age, says Dr. Zeichner. “On average, hair grows about half an inch per month, but growth rates slow with age. Individual hairs become finer, and overall density decreases as some follicles go dormant,” he says.

According to certified trichologist William Gaunitz, FWTS, the answer is yes, as long as you have addressed the underlying cause, such as male- or female-pattern hair loss or inflammatory loss.

There are a bunch of vitamins and dietary supplements that can promote healthy locks. Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in NYC, suggests products with B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin D, iron, and zinc, since these ingredients “have been proven to aid in hair growth, retention, and health.” To that end, taking a comprehensive multivitamin that addresses potential nutritional gaps can help boost your overall health and may indirectly support hair health, says Danilo Del Campo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and partner at Chicago Skin Clinic.

You can also take a more targeted approach, depending on where and why you’re losing hair, says Dr. Gaunitz. “For hair loss on the top of the scalp, you should be using herbs and supplements specifically for male- or female-pattern hair loss,” he says. “This will typically include saw palmetto, green tea extract, nettle, pygeum, L-lysine, or zinc.” For “diffuse thinning” that also affects the scalp above the ears, Dr. Gaunitz says you should be looking at vitamin D₃, iron, zinc, B₁₂, and folate. And for hair loss related to conditions like flaking and itching, he recommends zinc, vitamin D₃, omega-3, essential fatty acids, probiotics, and grapefruit seed extract.

“Supplements can make hair grow faster if any of your primary core nutrients are out of optimal range or if there’s subtle inflammation,” says Dr. Gaunitz. “By addressing the inflammation or optimizing each nutritional area in the blood, you will increase the rate of speed of hair growth and density.”

There’s no one secret vitamin or ingredient for hair growth, but rather many that may be helpful. Dr. Del Campo suggests looking for products with the following:

• Vitamins A, C, D, and E, which help with scalp health and strengthen hair.
• Iron, since a deficiency can spur hair shedding and cause poor hair growth.
• Zinc, which has some evidence that it might be helpful, particularly if you have a type of hair loss caused by an immune attack on the hairs, called alopecia areata, explains Steve Daveluy, MD, an associate professor and program director of dermatology at Wayne State University in Detroit.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, which boost hair density and lessen hair loss.
• Saw palmetto, a plant-derived supplement that helps block DHT, a hormone associated with hair loss.
• Turmeric, a spice high in curcumin, which may reduce scalp inflammation and bolster hair growth.
• Antioxidants, as they combat oxidative stress, which can cause hair follicles to deteriorate.

Additionally, some research suggests that taking supplements with capsaicin (a chili pepper extract) and isoflavone (a plant compound) can decrease hair loss, and that oral tablets of pumpkin seed oil can be useful for men with male-pattern hair loss, Dr. Daveluy says. Dr. Gaunitz also likes green tea extra, nettle, pygeum, L-lysine, and folate for hair loss at the top of the scalp, as well as grapefruit seed extract and essential fatty acids specifically for hair loss related to itching and flaking.

With all of this said, Dr. Shirazi notes that supplements of any kind may not significantly impact hair growth if you’re getting all the nutrients you need through a well-balanced diet. If this is the case, you may need to look at adjusting other lifestyle factors instead. “Your body has everything it needs to make the hair, but ultimately your overall health and wellbeing, genetics, and stress play major roles,” she says. “If you are constantly under mental or physical stress, your body decides to dedicate its time and energy to more important organs.”

Hair is protein, and in order to make protein, your body needs all the amino acids as well as vitamins, which are important coenzymes in protein synthesis, says Dr. Davis. That’s why Dr. Zeichner also recommends making sure you’re getting an adequate amount of high-quality protein in your diet. What’s more, vitamin D helps stabilize the hair follicle, so not having enough of it can impact hair health. Vitamin D deficiency affects about one-third of American adults, according to the Cleveland Clinic—especially those who avoid dairy products, Dr. Davis says. So for people worried about their hair health, he recommends a vitamin D₃ supplement as “pretty much essential.”

Iron deficiency and B₁₂ deficiency can also impact your tresses, Dr. Davis says, and so can too low levels of zinc, adds Dr. Del Campo. On the flip side, having too much vitamin A or selenium can cause hair loss as well, according to Dr. Del Campo.

Some reassuring news: Typically, there aren’t any side effects of taking vitamins or supplements for hair growth so long as you consume them as directed, Dr. Green says.

This means following dosing instructions so that you don’t ingest too much of a certain vitamin, which can lead to toxicity. As we mentioned, having extra vitamin A and selenium can spur hair loss (literally the opposite effect of what you’re going for), and downing high doses of vitamin E can increase your chances of issues like hemorrhagic strokes, according to Dr. Del Campo. “If you are overdosing on iron, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D₃, zinc, or B complex, you could have a host of side effects, including digestive problems, yellow urination, joint pain, hair loss, and headaches,” says Dr. Gaunitz.

Additionally, some supplements, such as saw palmetto, may interact with certain medications and cause harmful outcomes, he adds. Biotin can also affect your medical lab results (more on that, below).

Experts are split on whether biotin (vitamin B₇) is actually effective in bolstering hair health. Biotin has been widely advertised as a solution to hair loss because it is involved in keratin production, and it’s found in many hair-growth supplements. “I think, frankly, most of the reason it’s placed in there is public perception and marketing, but it’s not really based on much reality,” Spencer Hawkins, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and micrographic dermatologic surgeon in Atlanta, says.

Sharon Wong, MD, a consultant dermatologist in London, adds that there is some data on biotin helping nail growth, “but there’s really very little data for biotin helping hair growth if you’re not deficient in the first place,” she says. And biotin deficiency in developed countries like the United States is extremely rare.

Still, some hair growth supplements contain major amounts of biotin—Nutrafol Women has 10,000% of the daily recommended amount. Be aware that this can interfere with blood tests, including a thyroid test, sex hormone test, and one used to detect heart attacks. “You could get a wrong diagnosis,” Dr. Wong warns. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against biotin supplements due to its risks. Dr. Daveluy says if you do take biotin, be sure to tell all your health care providers.

Dr. Del Campo urges people to first consult with a board-certified dermatologist and then to follow recommended dosages. Also, keep in mind the FDA doesn’t vet supplements before they go to market, which is why it’s important to do your own research to understand whether a product is safe and effective. “The best vitamins or supplements for hair growth will undergo clinical studies or market research to confirm whether they have been shown to increase hair growth,” Dr. Green says.

Unfortunately, hair growth and thickness isn’t entirely under your control. “Your genetics and your hormones play the biggest role in governing how well your hair grows, especially as you get older,” Dr. Wong says. But there are some other things that will influence how well hair grows, including stress, diet, and medications you’re taking. “Stress management is very important because a lot of stress for a prolonged period of time can disturb the hair cycle and cause you to shed more hair,” Dr. Wong says.

Those with thinner hair will also want to pay attention to their styling choices. “In terms of making the most of the hair that’s on your head already, we know heat and dyes will damage the hair fiber—it can lead to hair loss and breakage,” Dr. Wong says, as can extensions or tight buns that really pull on your hair. Taking proper care of your scalp, which includes cleansing regularly, can also make a difference. Massaging your scalp can also help, adds Shereene Idriss, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in NYC, since it increases blood flow to your hair follicles so they can get better nutrition.

Also, make sure you’re eating a well-balanced diet—if you can get all the best vitamins for hair growth through what you eat, you won’t need an extra supplement.

While vitamins and supplements can help bolster your tresses, they often are not effective enough on their own to fully grow and retain hair, Dr. Green says. Some people, she explains, may need to add in other hair care treatment options to really decrease hair follicle miniaturization, and elevate hair growth and retention. This is where topical or oral medications, like Propecia and Minoxidil, may come into play. “You would be hard-pressed to find studies that compare any hair vitamins to standard medical treatment,” Dr. Hawkins says. “And if you did, the traditional medical therapy would really blow them out of the water.”

That’s why Dr. Green suggests consulting with a board-certified dermatologist to get personalized recommendations for the treatment that will help bring you closest to your hair dreams.

“Typically a topical application and a well-balanced shampoo for hair growth would be a very powerful adjunct to any nutritional supplement regimen for hair growth or hair loss,” says Dr. Gaunitz. And Dr. Shirazi reiterates that lifestyle factors play a huge role in hair growth, so you’ll want to make sure you’re mitigating stress and eating a balanced diet.

• Steve Daveluy, MD, associate professor and program director of dermatology at Wayne State University, in Detroit
• Joyce Davis, MD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in NYC
• Michele Green, MD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in NYC
• Danilo Del Campo, MD, board-certified dermatologist and partner at Chicago Skin Clinic
• Spencer Hawkins, MD, double board-certified dermatologist and micrographic dermatologic surgeon in Atlanta
• Shereene Idriss, MD, board-certified dermatologist in NYC
• Sharon Wong, MD, consultant dermatologist in London