Best Supplements for Healthy Long Hair

If we’ve learned anything from Dolly Parton, we know that hair plays a large role in our appearance, so taking care of our mane is of utmost importance. Similarly to our skin cells, hair follicles fall prey to intrinsic and extrinsic factors of aging. Hair aging is characterized by graying of the hair and hair loss. While some of you might not be as concerned yet with gray hair you may just want to have the silkiest smooth, shiniest, healthiest hair as possible. You may even be looking for solutions to grow your hair. As much as our optimistic and gullible child-like self would wish to believe, not everyone is blessed with strong, soft, long hair like Rapunzel. 

The good news is that there are specific vitamins and mineral supplements to consume that will help you maintain a healthy head of hair. Some of your daily intake needs can be achieved through dietary means, but it doesn’t hurt to boost your shiny locks with a supplement or two.

Vitamin A

Not only is vitamin A a strong antioxidant that protects cells from damage, but cells also require vitamin A to grow including hair cells since severely low levels of vitamin A is associated with alopecia.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin A is 700 mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAE) for women and 900 mcg RAE for men. The upper limit is 3,000 mcg.

Dietary sources of vitamin A include organ meats, salmon, green leafy vegetables, broccoli and dairy products. Additionally, foods that contain beta-carotene will boost your vitamin A levels because the body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A. These foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, cantaloupe, apricots and mangos.

Get it: Vitamin A Supplements

Vitamin B7 – Biotin

Biotin, otherwise known as vitamin B7, or vitamin H is highly regarded as an effective vitamin for hair growth. Biotin is required to build keratin which is a protein found in the body that makes up skin, hair and nails. Since biotin helps produce keratin, it reinforces the strength of skin, hair and nails. In addition, B vitamins promote the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients to the scalp and hair follicles.

Studies have shown that biotin supplementation improves the health of hair and nails. However the subjects in each of the studies had an underlying pathology for poor hair or nail growth including either brittle nail syndrome or uncombable hair. One study showed that women experiencing thinning hair consumed a supplement containing biotin and significantly increased hair regrowth in areas affected by hair loss. However, there is currently not enough research on supplementation in healthy individuals to clearly assess biotins role.

Biotin deficiency is associated with hair loss and while it is not common yet there have been cases where consumption of high amounts of biotin improved a hair disorder and skin rash in children. 

The daily adequate intake (AI) is 30 mcg, which most people consume through diet, however you can take daily supplements up to 500-1,000 mcg.

There were even 3 studies that showed biotin supplementation of 2,500 or 3,000 mcg daily improved nail strength among individuals suffering from brittle nail syndrome. Based on these studies, taking higher doses of biotin has been shown to be safe although due to a lack of research, there is not currently recommended daily allowances of biotin.   

Dietary sources of biotin include meat, organ meat, fish, eggs, almonds, walnuts, seeds and some vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Get it: Biotin Supplements

Vitamin B9 – Folic Acid

Folate is a B vitamin sometimes referred to as vitamin B9. Folic acid is the oxidized form of folate that is added to fortified foods and made into supplemental form. 

Folic acid aids in cellular growth which promotes a healthy head of hair. Some research has shown that folic acid is associated with healthy hair full of colour. One study found that among 52 young subjects, gray hair was associated with significantly lower levels of vitamin B12, biotin and folic acid.

The current recommended intake for teenagers and adults is 400 mcg. Folate is present in many foods, and in the 90s, the FDA required 140 mcg of folate to be included in enriched cereals, breads, white rice and other grains. Depending on your diet, supplementing with folic acid could give your hair the boost that you need.

Other dietary sources of folate include dark leafy greens, spinach, asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, citrus fruits, peas, liver and meat.

Get it: Folic Acid Supplements

Vitamin C

Oxidative stress caused by free radicals can cause hair graying and age-related alopecia.

Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant that combats against the damaging effects of oxidative stress and free radicals. Vitamin C is a common skin care ingredient and works effectively to eliminate free radicals that can affect hair growth, hair graying and even alopecia. Additionally, vitamin C is a precursor to the production of collagen which is a key player in building the structure of the hair.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin C is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men and the upper limit is 2,000 mg.

Dietary sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits including oranges and grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe and vegetables including broccoli, red peppers and tomatoes.

Get it: Vitamin C Supplements

Vitamin E

Similarly to vitamin A and C, vitamin E is a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help to eliminate damage to healthy cells caused by free radicals, thereby promoting healthy hair growth. Research has shown that vitamin E is an effective nutrient for hair growth. 

One study from 2010 showed that supplementing with vitamin E increased hair strands in subjects by 35% over an 8 month period, whereas those who did not supplement with vitamin E decreased hair strands by 0.1%.

The researchers of this study concluded that the increase in hair strands was likely due to the antioxidant capacity of vitamin E since oxidative stress of the scalp is associated with hair loss and even alopecia.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin E is 15 mg for adult men and women.

Dietary sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, spinach, broccoli, tomato, mango and kiwi.  

Get it: Vitamin E Supplements

Iron

Iron is used to produce hemoglobin which is a protein found in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to different parts of the body. By providing oxygen to cells including hair cells, iron is a necessary mineral for hair growth. Due to this, a deficiency in iron can cause significant hair loss. 

The recommended intake of iron is 18 mg for women and 8 mg for men, however the upper limit intake is 45 mg.

Dietary sources of iron include lean meat, poultry, seafood, white beans, lentils, spinach and nuts. Keep in mind that iron from plant-based sources is more easily absorbed when it’s consumed with meat and foods that are rich in vitamin C.

Get it: Iron Supplements

Zinc

Zinc improves hair health by maintaining proper function of the oil glands around the follicles. Zinc deficiency is potentially a contributing factor to dandruff and is associated with alopecia. After supplementing with zinc, individuals suffering from hair loss have experienced hair regrowth.

However, other studies have mixed conclusions regarding the effectiveness of zinc, so it shouldn’t be considered the ultimate supplement for healthy hair.

The recommended intake of zinc is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men.

Dietary sources of zinc include oysters, red meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, beans, nuts and whole grains.

Get it: Zinc Supplements

Recommended Combination Supplements

If you’re not interested in taking a variety of different daily supplements, check out these combination supplements that can kill a couple of birds with one stone.

 Get it: Olly Undeniable Beauty Gummy Supplement

–   Biotin (2500 mcg)

–   Keratin (50 mg)

–   Vitamin C (15 mg)

Get it: Nature’s Bounty Hair Skin and Nails

–   Biotin (5000 mcg)

–   Vitamin A, C & E

–   Hyaluronic Acid

Get it: KERATINcaps Supplement

–   Keratin

–   Vitamin E, B6

–   Biotin, Zinc & Selenium