Can vitamins really prevent hair loss?

What causes hair loss?

For most of us, hair does much more than protect us from the sun and regulate our temperature. As hair plays a significant part in our physical appearance, it can help to give us confidence and make us feel good about ourselves. As a result, hair loss may be a big source of stress and despair.

These changes can be temporary or permanent. It all depends on the type of hair loss you're experiencing. There are many types of hair loss.

The health of your hair follicles is crucial in both forms of hair loss. This is where micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals come into the picture.

Dermatologist Julie Van Onselen explains that vitamins and minerals have a role in normal hair follicle development.

"Deficiency of these nutrients may be associated with alopecia, which may be permanent or temporary hair loss," she says.

Your scalp contains around 100,000 hair follicles.¹ Of these, 90% require vitamins, minerals, and other essential micronutrients in order to produce healthy hair.

This is why experts believe that vitamin deficiency may lead to hair loss. According to Van Onselen, there is strong evidence linking two specific vitamin deficiencies with hair loss.

"Current evidence indicates that when a person is vitamin D-deficient, supplementing vitamin D may help with AGA hair loss," she says.

"Iron deficiency may also be a cause of this type of hair loss in women. Vitamin C is important for hair loss associated with iron deficiency, so supplementation of this vitamin may be helpful," she adds.

Before you splash the cash on the huge range of hair growth supplements now widely available, Van Onselen cautions that there is limited medical evidence on the role of vitamins for preventing hair loss that's not directly caused by a vitamin deficiency.

What's more, while you can buy many different vitamins and supplements for hair loss, it's important to know that there is evidence that some vitamins work better for hair loss than others.

Van Onselen says that the strongest evidence is for vitamins D and E, and for the mineral iron.

She explains: "There is currently limited evidence for the supplementation of other vitamins to prevent hair loss."

Vitamin D for hair loss

Role in hair: vitamin D is important for keratinocytes - skin cells that produce keratin, a protein found in hair, skin, and nails. When you don't have enough vitamin D, keratinocytes in hair follicles can't regulate hair growth properly. This is why low vitamin D levels have been linked with temporary hair loss.²

Vitamin C and iron for hair loss

Role in hair: your body needs vitamin C in order to absorb iron, a mineral that plays a key role in the red blood cells that transport oxygen around your body. When you don't have enough iron, less oxygen can be used for the growth and repair of the cells that stimulate hair growth.

Vitamin A for hair loss

Role in hair: this vitamin is needed for healthy cell growth, including your hair cells. It also supports the production of sebum, a substance which keeps hair hydrated and prevents hair breakage.

Vitamin B7 (biotin) for hair loss

Role in hair: biotin helps to activate the proteins that contribute to healthy hair growth. This vitamin can also stimulate the production of keratin.³

Vitamin B12 for hair loss

Role in hair: vitamin B12 helps in the production of red blood cells, which transport all-important oxygen to the hair follicles.¹

Vitamin E for hair loss

Role in hair: this vitamin supports your scalp health, preserving your skin barrier (lipid layer), keeping a healthy balance of oxidants and antioxidants, and helping to protect against free-radical damage - unstable atoms that can damage skin and hair cells. A healthy scalp means your hair has a strong base to grow from.

If you have noticed your hair receding from your temples, becoming thinner, or bald patterns forming, it may be tempting to spend money on vitamins claiming to treat hair loss.

Before you do, you should first look at your diet - your main and most important source of vitamins. It is important to ask yourself whether you're eating enough of the right things. Vitamin supplements should only ever be taken in addition to - not in replacement of - a nutrient-rich diet.

There is a trend for using rosemary oil to boost your hair, but there is little evidence this actually works.

Remember, your hair loss may not be linked to a vitamin deficiency at all. In many cases, it's a natural part of ageing. In others, there are other culprits you need to address, such as stress or medicine that's triggering an adverse reaction.

Any medicinal treatments you may wish to try will depend on the type of hair loss you're experiencing. If you're unsure of what to try, a doctor will be able to advise.

Depending on the type of hair loss, or if you have any other symptoms, you may want to find out the cause of your hair loss. In itself, hair loss alone is not a health concern, and the choice to try and treat it is entirely your own.

Many people choose not to treat male pattern baldness or female permanent hair loss. While it can be upsetting, this type of hair loss is natural and need not affect your wellbeing.

If it's a temporary hair loss, the hair can take several months to regrow. You may wish to wait and see if this recovers by itself before considering vitamin supplements or any other treatment method.