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Dealing with hair loss can be a real hassle and quite embarrassing too. Most folks consider their hair as a sort of crown or a way to show off their style. It’s said that losing about 50 to 100 hairs every day is normal. But when you’re seeing clumps of hair fall out regularly, it’s a signal that something bigger might be going on. Things like health problems, stress, and not getting enough vitamins can mess with your hair.
One trick to fight hair loss is to think about what you eat. A healthy lifestyle is like a superhero for having the thick, long, and lovely hair you dream about. Keep reading to learn about easy and natural ways to get the vitamins that your hair needs to grow healthy and strong.
Which vitamins are good for making hair grow? Vitamins do a bunch of cool stuff for your hair: they help your hair cells grow, they stop bad stuff called free radicals from messing up your hair, they keep your hair from turning gray too soon, and they feed the roots that help your hair grow.
Here are the top vitamins to help your hair grow and get thick:
Biotin
Biotin is also called vitamin B7, and it’s like a helper that makes keratin to help your hair grow strong. Usually, people don’t lack biotin, except for those with a condition called Biotinidase Deficiency. You can find biotin in foods like eggs, meat, fish, nuts, sweet potatoes, and seeds. For grown-ups, around 30 micrograms of biotin every day is good.
Vitamin A
Hair cells grow super fast in your body. So, it makes sense that vitamin A is like fuel for that growth. When you get vitamin A into your body, it makes something oily called sebum. This oily stuff helps keep your scalp and hair roots healthy. If you’re not getting enough vitamin A, your hair might fall out. Foods high in a vitamin called beta-carotene can give you more vitamin A. Eat things like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, and kale. Cod liver oil, eggs, yogurt, and milk also have vitamin A. For guys, up to 900 micrograms of vitamin A each day is good, and for ladies, it’s about 700 micrograms.
Vitamin C
Stress on your hair can happen because of something called oxidative stress. This is when there’s a kind of unbalance between bad things called free radicals and good things called antioxidants in your body. It can make your hair fall out. To fix this, eat foods with vitamin C. Your body has antioxidants that stop free radicals from hurting your hair by balancing them out. Vitamin C also helps your body make collagen (this stops your hair from going gray too soon) and use iron (which helps hair grow). Smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol, and having a bad diet can leave you short on vitamin C. You’ll find vitamin C in fruits like oranges, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, and guavas. Since your body can’t make it, you need to eat foods with vitamin C or take a vitamin C pill. Grown-up guys can have up to 90 milligrams of vitamin C each day, while for grown-up ladies, it’s about 75 milligrams. But be careful not to have too much, or you might get a tummy ache, muscle cramps, feel tired, get red skin, or even kidney stones.
Vitamin D
Not having enough vitamin D can lead to hair loss problems like alopecia, where you lose hair in patches, and female pattern hair loss. Usually, this is seen more in people over 65. To get more vitamin D, eat fatty fish, use cod liver oil, eat foods that have extra vitamin D (like cereal, eggs, bread, yogurt), or get some sun in the middle of the day. For grown-ups, around 600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D is good.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is like a superhero that fights oxidative stress, just like vitamin C does. It can balance out the bad stuff that free radicals do to your hair. People who are more likely to need more vitamin E are those with health conditions like Crohn’s disease or cystic fibrosis. Vitamin E can also help with hair loss. A small study showed that people who took vitamin E for eight months had 34.5% more hair growth. You can find vitamin E in sunflower seeds, spinach, avocados, and almonds. If you’re thinking about taking vitamin E as a pill, about 15 milligrams a day is good.
Iron
Iron helps make something called hemoglobin, which is in your red blood cells. These red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of your body, and that helps them grow and repair. If you don’t have enough iron, your hair might fall out. Ladies are usually more at risk for this. Iron is in foods like eggs, red meat, lentils, spinach, oysters, and clams. If your doctor says it’s okay, you can take iron pills. For grown-ups, about 45 milligrams of iron a day is good. But don’t take too much, or you might have a hard time going to the bathroom, get a sore tummy, or even throw up.
Zinc
Zinc is like a friend to your hair – it helps it grow and keeps the oils around your hair roots working great. If you’re not getting enough zinc, your hair could fall out. People who are more likely to need more zinc are those who drink lots of alcohol, have Crohn’s disease, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have kidney problems. You can find zinc in everyday foods like beef, spinach, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, oysters, and lentils. For guys, around 11 milligrams of zinc a day is good, and for ladies, it’s about 8 milligrams. But don’t overdo it, or you might lose your appetite, get cramps, headaches, and even lower your good cholesterol.
How long does it take for hair vitamins to work? These hair vitamins aren’t like magic potions. It might take months before you see a difference in your hair. Remember, how well they work depends on why you’re losing hair, your diet, your family genes, and other stuff.
To sum it up, vitamins can be like hair heroes. They can fix damaged hair, keep it from getting old too soon, stop hair from falling out, and help it grow more. But they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. If your hair is falling out because of stress, health issues, or your family genes, it’s best to talk to your doctor. They can help you come up with a plan that might include vitamins to keep your hair looking great.