True beauty comes from the inside out—and there’s no area of your body where that’s truer than for hair growth!
While other factors, such as stress and various lifestyle choices like smoking, do impact hair growth, making sure you get the vitamins your hair needs to flourish is a key part of nurturing healthier, stronger strands.
In fact, vitamin deficiencies of various kinds are strongly linked to hair loss, so if you’re not getting the nutrients you need, your hair might be the first thing to suffer.
Here are the top five most important vitamins to stock up on to support hair growth, and the best ways for you to consume them to keep your hair (and whole body) happy, healthy, and thriving.
Vitamin A
Fun fact: hair is the fastest growing tissue in your body. And since Vitamin A is one of the vitamins responsible for cellular growth throughout the body, you need to make sure you’re consuming enough of it to supply new production of hair cells.
As a bonus, vitamin A also keeps skin (and scalp!) glands healthy by producing a substance called sebum that keeps hair soft and conditioned by moisturizing follicles as hair grows.
To make sure you’re getting enough vitamin A, consume foods that are high in beta-carotene, which your body turns into this essential vitamin. Pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens like spinach and kale all fit the bill.
Vitamin C
Your body uses vitamin C to create a protein called collagen, which is a critical part of your hair’s structure. So it’s definitely important to make sure you’re getting enough! Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that can protect your strands from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which can block growth, and helps your body absorb iron, which is necessary for hair growth.
Boost your vitamin C intake by increasing your consumption of fruits such as citrus, strawberries, and guavas, as well as peppers.
Vitamin B-7
Vitamin B-7, which is more commonly known as biotin, is strongly linked to healthy hair growth. Individuals with biotin deficiency commonly experience hair loss, so if you’re shedding strands or struggling to grow new hair, biotin might be the culprit.
One of the best ways to combat a biotin deficiency is to take daily biotin gummies designed to support hair health by pairing biotin with other essential nutrients that encourage hair to grow. You can also increase your consumption of whole grains, almonds, and of course, dark, leafy greens.
Vitamin E
Just like vitamin C, vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that can fight off free radical damage and prevent oxidative stress. And since free radicals can slow hair growth, while potentially prematurely aging your strands, fighting them off is definitely a good thing.
Add vitamin E to your diet with those beloved leafy greens, especially spinach. Avocados and nuts like sunflower seeds are also excellent choices.
Vitamin D
Last but not least, there’s vitamin D, which is the vitamin most people are deficient in. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to alopecia (the scientific term for hair loss), so it’s always a good idea to increase your intake.
Your body naturally produces vitamin D through contact with sunlight, so taking a daily walk in the afternoon is a great way to support production. You can also increase your intake of fortified foods, as well as some mushrooms which are high in this essential vitamin.
By increasing your intake of these essential vitamins For Hair Growth, either by taking a daily gummy or changing up your diet, you’re creating the nutritional support you need to support hair growth.