Which Vitamin Is Good For Hair?

Do you want your hair to look like it just stepped out of a shampoo commercial? Achieving that glossy and voluminous hair isn’t just about those commercial products; you need nourishment from within, too. 

One key ingredient for good hair is a well-maintained, balanced diet. Vitamin and mineral intake plays a crucial role in maintaining hair. 

Many surveys and expert reports say losing 50-100 hair is normal but losing more than that can be a sign of hair fall. To reduce this, start taking vitamins in your diet. 

The market is cluttered with options for supplements, products, vitamins, and nutrition, making it difficult to find the ultimate solution. If you want to know which vitamin is good for hair, continue reading.

Before moving ahead, let’s understand what exactly vitamin is. 

A Vitamin is an organic substance present in small amounts in natural food.

There are 13 vitamins present which include vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E, and K. 

Some are fat-soluble vitamins, while others are water-soluble vitamins. 

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. These can stay in the body for days and sometimes months.

Water-soluble vitamins include Vitamin C and all the B vitamins. They don’t stay in the body for long. To keep these vitamins longer, people need a regular supply of water-soluble vitamins. 

Each vitamin has a crucial role in the body, and any vitamin deficiency can cause health issues. 

But how do you know which vitamin is good for hair? Stay with us, and you will find your answer. 

Vitamins	Benefits	Sources
Vitamin A	Vitamin A is beneficial for the immune system, growth, reproduction, heart, lungs, and other organs.	Red palm oil  Fruits and vegetables Dairy Products
Vitamin B	Vitamin B is beneficial for the body because it helps it get energy from the food you eat.	Fish & Poultry  Dairy Products  Leafy green vegetables
Vitamin C	Vitamin C is beneficial for protecting and keeping cells strong.	Thyme  Orange Chilli peppers
Vitamin D	Vitamin D is beneficial for growing follicles and functioning properly.	Sunlight  Red meat  Cereals
Vitamin E	Vitamin E is beneficial for improving vision, reproduction, and the health of the skin, brain, and blood.	Cooking oils  Fish  Vegetables & Fruits

Key Vitamins That Are Good For Hair

One of the common reasons for hair loss is a lack of vitamins. Among the 13 vitamins present, a few help in maintaining hair growth. While no vitamin, supplement, or nutrition was a miracle, the right one can make a difference. However, every vitamin has its impact on hair.

No study claims that vitamins can halt hair loss completely, but it is believed that lack of vitamins causes hair loss. 

You can take vitamins like vitamins A, B, C, and D in a well-maintained, balanced diet. This can reduce your hair fall and increase growth. Now, let’s understand the benefits of vitamins for hair. 

Vitamin A 

Vitamin A helps create new hair cells and helps the body produce sebum. You can find them in food and dietary supplements. Deficiency of vitamin A can cause hair loss and blindness. It is also beneficial for the immune system—vitamin A benefits almost all the cells in the body. 

Impact of Vitamin A on Hair

Vitamin A is good for hair growth. All body cells need vitamin A to grow. Along with hair growth, this vitamin helps moisturize the scalp and maintain hair health. However, the intake should be controlled. In a 2018 study, researchers claimed that “consuming too much or over-supplementing vitamin A can cause hair loss.” 

The right amount of vitamin A intake is 900 mcg for men, 700 mcg for women, and 300-600 mcg for children and adolescents. 

There are two types of Vitamin A: Vitamin A1 (Retinol) and Provitamin A (Carotenoids). Vitamin A1 (Retinol) can be found in animal-based sources, while Provitamin A (Carotenoids) can be found in plant-based sources. 

The main source of Vitamin A: 

• For Retinol (vitamin A1) 
• Beef liver 
• Butter 
• Blue cheese 
• Cheddar 
• Cream cheese 
• Caviar 
• Hard-boiled eggs. 
• For Cartenoids (Provitamin A) 
• Sweet potato 
• Pink or red grapefruit 
• Spinach 
• Collards 
• Carrots 
• Sweet red pepper

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B is essential for enhancing metabolism and nervous system function. The Vitamin B complex helps regulate metabolism and maintain the nervous system. Vitamins B7, B3, and B12 are good for hair. The rest of the vitamin B complex is also beneficial, but these have slightly better results on hair.

Impact of Vitamin B Complex on Hair

Vitamin B complex helps enzymes in our bodies to function properly while also encouraging the reincarnation of healthy new cells. The B vitamins promote healthy red blood cells, naturally supporting hair follicles. 

These vitamins support hair, as well as reducing stress, depression, and anxiety, speedy hair growth, and sustained energy levels.

Although all B vitamins are water-soluble, there is a limit to their consumption. Here is a table that will help you understand better. 

Vitamins	Men	Women
Thiamine (B1)	1.2 mg	1.1 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	1.3 mg	1.1 mg
Niacin (B3)	16 mg	14 mg
Pantothenic Acid (B5)	5 mg	5 mg
Pyridoxine (B6)	1.3 mg	1.3 mg
Biotin (B7)	30 mg	30 mg
Folate (B9)	400 mg	400 mg
Cobalamin (B12)	2.4 mg	2.4 mg

The main sources of B complex vitamins are 

• Whole grains
• Leafy green vegetables 
• Whole eggs
• Beans, nuts, and avocados 
• Seeds and cereals
• Dairy products
• lean meat, poultry, and fish

If you are old, pregnant, taking medications, or following a plant-based diet, you are more likely to develop vitamin B deficiency. 

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is responsible for creating collagen, “the glue that holds the body together.” It is also popularly known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C works on multiple fronts, like strengthening blood vessels, providing anti-aging effects, and giving skin elasticity and strength. In addition to skin, vitamin C is good for hair, too.

Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means the body can’t store it. So, make sure you add vitamin C to your daily diet. 

Impact of Vitamin C 

Vitamin C helps our immune system to protect against bacteria, viruses, and sickness. It can prevent the common cold, heal a wound faster, maintain blood pressure, provide healthy and glowing skin, improve skin texture and quality, reduce bad cholesterol, and support bone health and tissues. 

This was for the body. Vitamin C is good for hair as it improves hair growth, reduces dandruff, prevents hair greying, thickens hair, reduces hair loss, increases hair shine and brightness, and fights hair disorders. A vitamin C deficiency can result in split ends and dry hair. 

The maximum amount of vitamin C intake is 90 mg per day for adults and children above the age of 4 and 2,000 mg per day for adults, but it is recommended that 1000 mg is more than enough. 

The main sources of vitamin C are: 

• Orange 
• Lychees
• Kakadu palms
• Kiwi 
• Red and green peppers 
• Chilli peppers
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes 
• Papayas
• Thyme 
• Broccoli 

Vitamin D

Not only is sunlight the source of vitamin D, but it can also be found in dietary supplements and other foods. This vitamin is beneficial for human health and hair growth. 

But how can you detect vitamin D deficiency? Worry not! We've got you covered. 

There are several symptoms through which you can detect, like fatigue, increased hair loss, muscle weakness, slow wound healing, fractures, mood swings, impaired memory, and depression. 

If you have any of these symptoms, you have low vitamin D. 

To grow your hair back, start with a balanced diet, reduce stress, start taking the right vitamins, treat scalp disorders like dandruff, and stimulate blood flow. 

Impact of Vitamin D

Vitamin D keeps hair roots healthy. It regulates the hair growth root cycle making continuous growth and reducing hair fall. 

Vitamin D helps create follicles. This growth of new follicles is the tiny pores from which new hair grows. With the right amount of vitamin D, you can reduce hair fall.

Experts have researched and found the right amount of vitamin D for children to 12 months is 400 international units (IU), 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.

The main source of vitamin D: 

• Sunlight 
• Fatty fish like salmon and swordfish 
• Mushrooms
• Dairy products and egg yolks
• Fortified orange juice 
• Fortified milk 
• Beef liver 

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has antioxidant properties. It is good for vision, reproduction, blood health, the brain, and the skin. Vitamin E helps fight against various diseases, such as oxidative stress, cancer, cataracts, AD, and atherosclerosis. 

Impact of Vitamin E on Hair

Vitamin E can reduce cell damage and improve hair growth. It can also support a healthy scalp and maintain hair growth.

It can also help prevent hair loss. Research has shown that vitamin E has improved hair growth.

Vitamin E is also beneficial for increasing shine. It is found in many shampoos and other hair care products. 

Along with this, these are other sources of vitamin E: 

• Leafy green vegetables 
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetable oil
• Breakfast cereal
• Certain vitamin E oils 
• Kiwi 
• Almonds 
• Eggs 

The Bottom Line

Vitamins hold our bodies and save us from several diseases. 

The right balance of vitamin intake can help maintain a healthy body, reduce hair loss, improve growth, and prevent aging prematurely. Start adding vitamins to your daily diet and add a hair care routine so as not to find any deficiencies. 

Even after this, if you see a huge hair fall, it may be because of a medical condition. You should seek a health checkup to identify the root cause and consult a clinician to find the appropriate solution. 

Lastly, healthy eating, exercise, less stress, and an active lifestyle can make hair shine and strong.