Best Vitamins for Hair Loss: What Actually Works for Women

If you’ve noticed hair thinning or shedding, you may be wondering whether a vitamin could help. Supplements are most likely to make a difference when low levels of a nutrient are contributing to your hair loss. Iron, zinc, vitamin D and biotin have the clearest links, while research into vitamin C and other B vitamins is more limited. If your hair loss is caused by genetics, hormonal changes or another health condition, vitamins alone are unlikely to address it. 

Here's how to know whether a deficiency could be playing a role, and what the evidence actually says about each one.

Do Vitamins Actually Help With Hair Loss?

Vitamins and minerals are needed for normal hair growth, but taking more does not automatically make your hair grow faster or thicker.

Vitamin supplement may help when you are not getting enough of a particular nutrient and this is contributing to your hair loss. When your levels are already stable, there is much less evidence that taking extra vitamins will improve growth.

Finding out why your hair is thinning is important. Otherwise, taking supplements could delay treatment for another cause, such as hormonal changes, stress, illness or female pattern hair loss.

The Vitamins and Minerals Most Linked to Hair Loss in Women

Several vitamins and minerals are involved in processes that support normal hair growth. However, the evidence connecting each one to hair loss is not equally strong.

The nutrients most often discussed in relation to hair health include:

1. Zinc

2. Vitamin D

3. Iron

4. Vitamin C

5. Biotin, or vitamin B7

6. Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5

7. Vitamin B6

8. Vitamin B12 and folate

This does not mean that taking all of them will improve hair growth. The evidence is strongest when a person has a deficiency, and some nutrients have a more direct connection to hair loss than others.

Zinc

People experiencing telogen effluvium (temporary hair loss with a range of physical and mental health causes) can have significantly lower levels of zinc in their blood and in their hair itself.* But even though zinc levels are lower in people with hair loss complaints, it’s not clear how relevant it is to treating hair loss.⁺

There are cases of people being treated for hair loss with zinc where they did see improvements, but the numbers are too small to draw conclusions from.ⱽ So, although there is evidence zinc deficiency is linked to hair loss, there is not enough evidence to support routinely testing for deficiency in hair loss patients or that supplements will be effective.

*Zufishan S, et al. (2024). Role of zinc in chronic telogen effluvium in serum and hair of patients with alopecia..

⁺Liran O, et al. (2025). Hair loss and zinc deficiency: a cross-sectional study.

ⱽKarashima T, et al. (2012). Oral zinc therapy for zinc deficiency-related telogen effluvium.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is found in around half of women with female pattern hair loss* and people with non-scarring hair loss are around 3 times more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than those without hair loss.⁺ This suggests a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and hair loss, which fits with what we know about vitamin D's role in the hair growth cycle.

Reviewing the evidence for the link between vitamin D and hair loss suggests it may be a good idea to test for vitamin D deficiency when a person has hair loss.* However, while there is some research supporting vitamin D supplements for hair loss, it’s not strong enough to draw firm conclusions.ⱽ

*Yongpisarn T, et al. (2024). Vitamin D deficiency in non-scarring and scarring alopecias: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

⁺Chen Y, et al. (2023). Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D in non-scarring alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ⱽDrake L, et al. (2023). Evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements for treating hair loss: a systematic review.

Iron

Women with non-scarring hair loss have significantly lower levels of ferritin (the protein that stores iron in the body).* There is also evidence that women with iron deficiency-related hair loss who receive iron supplements and show improvements to their hair loss have higher levels of ferritin.⁺

Correcting iron deficiency may reduce hair loss or support hair regrowth, but there’s not enough evidence to say for sure that iron supplements can definitely treat hair loss in people who are deficient.

*Treister-Goltzman Y, Yarza S, Peleg R. (2022). Iron deficiency and nonscarring alopecia in women: systematic review and meta-analysis.

⁺Lin CS, Chan LY, Wang JH, Chang CH. (2023). Diagnosis and treatment of female alopecia: focusing on the iron deficiency-related alopecia.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from plant-based foods. This may be relevant to hair health because iron deficiency is associated with hair loss in some women.

Severe vitamin C deficiency can also affect the hair, although this is uncommon. There is currently little evidence that taking vitamin C supplements improves hair growth when you already get enough through your diet.*

Vitamin C may therefore provide nutritional support, particularly where iron intake or absorption is a concern, but it is not considered a treatment for female pattern hair loss on its own.

*Almohanna HM, et al. (2019). The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review.

Biotin

There are cases where biotin deficiency was the cause of hair loss and receiving supplements helped their hair regrow.* However, there is also evidence showing that biotin supplements don’t improve hair loss in people who aren’t deficient.⁺

Further reviews explain that cases of biotin supplement treating hair loss in people who are deficient are uncommon and that they don’t support supplementation for healthy people.ⱽ

*Innis SM, Allardyce DB. (1983). Possible biotin deficiency in adults receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition.

⁺Moltó-Balado P, Simeó-Monzo A, del Barrio-Gonzalez A. (2026). Effectiveness of biotin supplementation for hair growth in patients with alopecia: a systematic review

ⱽPatel DP, Swink SM, Castelo-Soccio L. (2017). A review of the use of biotin for hair loss.

Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6

Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, and vitamin B6 support processes such as energy metabolism and the normal functioning of the body. Both are sometimes included in supplements intended to support hair health.

Research into their direct effects on hair loss is limited. One small study involving women with diffuse hair loss reported reduced shedding after vitamin B6 treatment, but the vitamin was given by injection. Oral vitamin B5 did not produce a clear improvement in the same study.*

Another small study found some improvement when vitamin B5 was combined with zinc, but it was not possible to determine which ingredient was responsible.⁺

These studies suggest that vitamins B5 and B6 may have a role worth investigating, but they do not show that routine supplementation improves hair loss in women who get enough through their diet.

*Dębowska RM. (2001). Evaluation of vitamin B6 and calcium pantothenate effectiveness on hair growth from clinical and trichographic aspects for treatment of diffuse alopecia in women.

⁺Said MA, et al. (2017). Comparing the effects of zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, their combination and minoxidil solution regimens on controlling hair loss in women.

Vitamin B12 and folate (vitamin B9)

One study shows that there is not a significant difference in vitamin B12 levels for people with temporary hair loss.* However, another larger study does show vitamin B12 deficiency in around 30% of people with temporary hair loss.⁺ Overall evidence for vitamin B12 supplementation for hair loss is limited.

For folate, the situation is similar, with some evidence suggesting a link between folate levels and hair loss, while other studies don’t.* For both folate and vitamin B12, there isn’t any strong evidence that supplements should be recommended for deficiency-related hair loss.

*Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A. (2019). The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review

⁺Yorulmaz A et al. (2022). Telogen effluvium in daily practice: patient characteristics, laboratory parameters, and treatment modalities of 3028 patients with telogen effluvium

Why Do Hair Supplements Contain Several Vitamins?

Hair supplements often combine nutrients such as biotin, zinc, vitamin C and different B vitamins. Each has a different role in the body, and including several nutrients can help cover a wider range of nutritional needs.

Some studies of supplements containing several vitamins and minerals have reported improvements in shedding or hair density. However, because the ingredients were tested together, researchers could not determine which ones produced the improvement.*

A combination of vitamins may provide useful nutritional support, particularly when someone has an inadequate intake or deficiency. It should not be assumed that every ingredient will stimulate hair growth or treat the underlying cause of hair loss.

*Addor FAS, et al. (2018). Comparative evaluation between two nutritional supplements in the improvement of telogen effluvium.

Vitamins for Specific Causes of Female Hair Loss

Specific causes of female hair loss, like postpartum hair loss, menopause-related hair loss and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS, previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS) are often linked to hormone change rather than vitamin deficiencies. 

Where hair loss is caused by hormone changes, vitamins alone aren’t likely to be an effective treatment. However, if these conditions have led to a vitamin or mineral deficiency then supplements could be considered.

Postpartum hair loss

Hair loss after giving birth is usually temporary and caused by hormonal changes that take place after pregnancy. During pregnancy, higher hormone levels keep more hair in its active growth phase and then after birth hormone levels drop and it shifts to the shedding phase, causing more to fall out.

Iron supplements may help if significant blood loss during childbirth has caused iron deficiency that contributes to hair loss. But, iron supplements won’t improve hair loss driven by hormonal changes alone.

Menopausal or perimenopausal hair thinning

Like with pregnancy, menopause causes hormonal changes that affect hair growth. Specifically, it can lead to hair thinning and widening of your hair crown or parting.

Iron may help in cases where irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding during perimenopause has led to iron deficiency that contributes to hair loss. As with postpartum hair loss, iron won’t prevent thinning caused by hormonal shifts alone. 

PMOS-related hair loss

PMOS can also cause hormone changes that result in hair thinning. Any existing nutritional deficiencies may be treated with supplements, but improvements in PMOS-related hair loss depends on treating the underlying hormonal imbalance.

Hair Loss and Vitamins After GLP-1’s Like Mounjaro or Wegovy

Temporary hair loss is a possible side effect of GLP-1 weight loss injections like Mounjaro® or Wegovy®.* Because they reduce your appetite, it can become hard to eat enough of the right foods to get the nutrients your body needs, especially if you don’t stick to a balanced diet plan. This could lead to deficiencies which cause hair loss or make it worse.

If a deficiency does develop during weight loss treatment, the right supplement could help reduce the effect and restore normal hair growth. 

*Piraccini BM, et al. (2026). Hair loss in patients on glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists: understanding risks and managing outcomes.

Should I Get Tested Before Taking Supplements?

If you’ve experienced new or significant hair loss or shedding, the best approach is to identify the cause first, then get appropriate treatment. Based on your symptoms and medical history, a healthcare professional might recommend a blood test to check if nutritional deficiencies are present.

This could include a ferritin test and a full blood count, along with tests for other vitamin deficiencies if you have symptoms beyond hair loss that are worth checking.

Testing before taking supplements is important to make sure they’re necessary or likely to help. It’s also worth getting your hair loss and any other symptoms assessed by a healthcare provider, to make sure any underlying causes can be identified and treated.

When Vitamins Aren't Enough: Other Causes of Hair Loss To Rule Out

Vitamin supplements may help when hair loss is related to nutritional deficiencies. However, not all hair loss is related to vitamin levels - there are several other causes worth ruling out. 

Female-pattern hair loss

Female-pattern hair loss results from the combination of genetic and hormonal factors, typically causing thinning across the scalp and a widening hair parting. Since it’s not the result of nutritional deficiencies, other hair loss treatments, like minoxidil, may help.

Hormonal changes

Hormonal changes can occur during and after pregnancy, during menopause, or because of hormone-related conditions like PMOS. Other signs that may point to hormonal hair loss include increased facial hair, acne or irregular periods.

Thyroid problems

Both an under- or over-active thyroid gland can cause hair loss. An overactive thyroid can cause weight loss, fast heartbeat and feelings of anxiety. An underactive thyroid can cause dry hair or hair loss, as well as coldness, tiredness, weight changes and irregular periods.

Telogen effluvium

Sudden hair shedding can be the result of telogen effluvium, which is temporary hair loss caused by a shock to your system, either physical or mental. This can be from stress, physical illness, sudden weight loss or a number of other causes. This temporary shedding is usually a symptom of something else rather than a standalone condition.

How to Choose a Hair Loss Supplement

Supplements should be chosen based on what your body needs nutritionally, and not as a direct treatment for hair loss. Hers clinicians have some advice on how to choose a supplement.

1. Start by considering why your hair is thinning

Supplements work best when they are addressing an underlying nutritional deficiency related to your hair loss. This means testing and exploring all potential causes of your hair loss before moving straight to supplements. Once you’ve checked for deficiencies, then you will know whether supplements could help and which one to choose.

2. Check that you know what you’re getting

A long list of ingredients doesn’t mean a better supplement. Supplements targeted for specific nutritional support may be more helpful. A supplement should help you meet a nutritional requirement, so going for the broadest multivitamin or higher dose may not be the right approach.

3. Be cautious with megadosing

More isn’t necessarily better when it comes to supplements. In some cases, high doses of supplements can cause side effects, while some like selenium might even cause hair loss. It’s also possible to take too much of a supplement if it’s present in more than one multivitamin you’re taking.

4. Don’t assume that a product marketed for hair loss will help

Many supplements are sold with claims that they support hair growth and thickness, or even prevent hair loss altogether. These claims often aren’t backed by evidence, so look for products supported by evidence or recommended by a healthcare professional. 

FAQs

Does the NHS recommend vitamins for hair loss?

Not routinely. The NHS won’t recommend vitamins for treating hair loss generally. An NHS healthcare professional may recommend vitamins when you have hair loss if they suspect vitamin deficiency, you get tested and they confirm deficiency as part of the cause.

Does vitamin D help with hair loss?

It may do, but only if you’re deficient. Low vitamin D is linked to hair loss, although it’s hard to say for sure that supplements improve hair loss where vitamin D is present. Taking vitamin D without knowing the cause of your hair loss may not be helpful. It’s best to get checked to understand the cause of your hair loss first.

Can low iron cause hair loss in women?

Like with vitamin D, low ferritin (a protein that stores iron) has been linked to hair loss. But also like vitamin D, it’s not proven that supplements will definitely improve hair loss in people with iron deficiency. Getting checked and tested for the underlying cause of hair loss is the right first step before starting iron supplements.