I’d be lying if I said I haven’t typed “Hair Growth Vitamins Supplements for Hair Loss in Females” into Google more than a couple of times. And if you’ve ever accidentally gotten a very extreme haircut, you probably have, too. (Maybe it's what brought you to this article.) For me, it was just that my hair grows really slowly.
Secondly, the minerals zinc and selenium hair growth vitamins can be especially beneficial. Zinc improves oil production (in a good way, to produce the necessary amounts of sebum), and is one of the best means of slowing hair loss. Selenium prevents and combats dandruff and dry, itchy scalps, which can hinder hair’s path to prominence. Find supplements that combine any and all of these vitamins and minerals for more proactive defense against hair loss.
Perhaps I'm genetically predisposed to have sluggish follicles, or maybe all those years of straightening finally caught up with me, but I noticed about a year ago that my hair no longer grew as steadily as it did when I was younger. It has always been on the thinner side, but it was staying on the shorter side, too. It didn't seem to get any longer, regardless of how much time passed, as if the ends just evaporated into thin air. For a while, I didn't even bother getting it cut anymore.
Like the Hair, Skin, and Nails pills you've probably already tried, Viviscal supplements contain Biotin. But there are other ingredients mixed in, like vitamin C, apple extract, and a marine complex they call AminoMar (there's more of this in the Viviscal Professional line than the Viviscal Extra Strength version).
Viviscal's literature says it's been clinically tested for 25 years, but the majority of its trials focus on older men who are balding, or women who experience hair loss and are looking to increase their number of hair strands. But even if that’s not your profile (it isn’t mine), the supplements should help existing hair, too. There are a lot of reasons for wanting to give your hair some help.
Do vitamins like bamboo extract for hair loss and supplements for hair loss—or for hair growth, however you want to look at it—actually work? The answer is complicated. Maybe not always in the way you intend. But in general, sure.
Vitamins A and C, Zinc, and Selenium
While Vitamins A and C both help the scalp to produce healthy amounts of sebum—which keeps hair healthy, nourished, and lustrous—they have their individual benefits as well. Vitamin A helps reduce breakage, while Vitamin C improves iron absorption and collagen production, both of which assist in the formation of strong hair.
We’ll explain more, and recommend some of our favorites, but first, let’s get one thing out of the way: If you’re thinking about taking supplements for hair loss, then know that they are exactly that—supplements.
Hair Growth Vitamins Supplements for Hair Loss in Females
Saw palmetto is often advertised as a DHT blocker in supplements, shampoos, conditioners, and the like. That’s because it is believed to block the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT (that is, dihydrotestosterone, an androgen that can lead to hair loss). So, it can slow hair loss by significantly inhibiting the main culprit. (As an added benefit, it promotes prostate health, too.)
They should not be your primary plan. For that, you need to visit your dermatologist and ask about hair loss remedies like finasteride, minoxidil, and PRP. Or, if you want to cut to the chase, then meet with a digital dermo and sign up for an at-home hair loss subscription from Hims or a similar provider. (Just be sure to monitor usage closely, per possible side effects. Your doctor’s expertise will be essential during the process, to make sure all is going as planned.)
Biotin, sometimes called vitamin H, is a B-complex and MSM for hair growth vitamin supplements that strengthens protein structure in your skin, hair, and nails. You probably know it as the supplement people take to grow out their hair faster. And that’s exactly what it does: It helps hair grow faster and stronger, though you’ll first notice the increased frequency with which you’re clipping your nails. As a solution to hair loss, well…it isn’t one.
Folic acid improves circulation and stimulates cell growth, while Niacin also boosts circulation. You may see folic acid listed as Vitamin B9, and Niacin as B3. Either way, they improve nutrient delivery to your hair follicles—meaning they also heighten the performance of all the other vitamins and minerals. I started noticing a difference around two and a half months into my twice-daily hair growth pills. When I would grab my hair to throw in a ponytail, it felt thicker to me. I also noticed it looked better after my usual morning shower and styling, like it was sturdier, or livelier. So I pressed on and continued to buy more supplements when I ran out.
This is the same approach that minoxidil drops or foams take (you may know minoxidil as Rogaine), though minoxidil one is far more effective as a tactic against hair loss. Folic acid and niacin are, once more, a supplement to those efforts.
But if you are taking the aforementioned hair loss prescriptions (like finasteride and minoxidil), then it will help expedite and fortify your hair regrowth. Similarly, it will strengthen the remaining hairs you have. So in that way, it could slow hair fall on the follicles that are withering away, but we won’t soon be endorsing it as a solution to the problem.
Take the Hims biotin sugar gummy on the daily, if you want to make it fun. They also include vitamins that benefit heart, nerve, and digestive health, in addition to many of the below nutrients, too.
Popular Hair Growth Vitamins Supplements for Hair Loss in Females
Risks and warnings
Adding more biotin-rich foods to your diet doesn’t carry any risks. However, you should always check with your doctor before adding a new supplement to your routine. Biotin doesn’t have any known interactions, but your doctor should still confirm supplement use alongside any other medications you may be taking. Your doctor can also provide more individual information about prenatal hair growth vitamins and biotin dosage and potential side effects.
One box of Viviscal Professional cost $60 in the salon, for a month's supply of twice-daily pills, and my stylist let me know that it would take at least three months to see results. The bottle promised to "nourish" my hair follicles and "promote growth from within." I wasn't convinced, but I knew I'd be back in the salon in six months for another trim (because this kind of maintenance is also crucial for healthy hair growth), and if the pills worked, I could have longer, thicker hair by then. The purchase was made and that was that.
When I'm extremely loyal to the pills, and focused on maintaining the twice-a-day regimen, my hair rewards me with some growth, a more bountiful feel and appearance — and I swear it's better behaved and better looking, too. I'm not sure if this means I have to keep taking them forever.
So did these supplements give me the mermaid-meets-Rapunzel hair of my dreams? No. Did they make a difference instantly, like before that big date you have coming up this weekend? Sadly, no.
Biotin Hair Growth Vitamins Supplements for Hair Loss in Females
Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so any extra biotin in your body will flush out through your urine. This makes a potential overdose unlikely. If you develop an unusual or unexpected skin rash after increasing your biotin intake, see your doctor. In rare cases, this is a sign of biotin overdose. SEE: Prenatal Vitamins supplements in Shampoo for Hair Growth
But if you are willing to make a big commitment, for a result that may only be noticeable to you, then go for it. Like I thought when I first swiped my credit card to buy a box: I'll be getting another hair trim in six months regardless; it would be cool if there was actually some more hair to trim. And, for me at least, there has been.