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Hair Loss and Nutrition: Can Supplements Actually Help?

Esme Thomas
Updated

There are many factors that can contribute to hair loss. 

From postpartum hormonal shifts to diet, illness, and stress, estimates suggest that up to fifty percent of women and men will experience progressive hair loss during their lifetime.¹ Despite being so common, the social impact of alopecia can lead to self-consciousness and low self-esteem, rendering it a cause of significant psychological stress for many.²

Whilst some instances of alopecia are genetically influenced, nutrition and diet have a key role to play in healthy hair. Nutritional deficiencies are major, reversible causes of hair loss.

 

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is simply an umbrella term for hair loss. 

There are several different types, the most common being Alopecia Areata, Androgenetic Alopecia, and Telogen Effluvium. 

  1. Alopecia Areata

Ranging from small patches of baldness to alopecia universalis (complete loss of hair including eyebrows and lashes), this is an organ specific, autoimmune attack on hair follicles.⁵

Its mechanisms consist of hair follicles being pushed into the regression and rest phases of the hair loss cycle, rather than re-entering the normal phase of growth. 

However, with alopecia areata the follicle is not permanently destroyed. Regrowth can occur unpredictably; because the regenerative mechanisms are preserved, this type of hair loss is often reversible since the root system is still intact.

  1. Androgenetic Alopecia 

Commonly known as male or female pattern hair loss, androgenetic alopecia is influenced by both genetic and hormonal factors.

Here, the growth phase of the hair loss cycle progressively shortens, as well as individual hairs begin to thin.⁶

  1. Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss that occurs due to stressors on the body. These can include, but are not limited to:

  • Illness
  • Childbirth 
  • Surgery
  • Medication
  • Nutritional deficiency
  • Severe stress

It presents as diffuse shedding, looking like widespread thinning of the hair that occurs two to three months after the trigger.⁷

Generally, telogen effluvium is a temporary and fully reversible condition, clearing up once the underlying stressor has been addressed. Regrowth will then start three to six months after the trigger resolves.⁷

 

The hair growth cycle

There are several particularly beneficial nutrients for supporting full, healthy hair, but before delving into these, it can be helpful to understand what happens during typical hair loss and growth.

A normal hair growth cycle consists of four phases: anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen.³⁴

Broadly speaking, anagen is the hair's active growth phase, which is followed by catagen: a brief regression of the hair follicles. Next is telogen, a resting phase, and then the cycle concludes with exogen, where hair is released from its follicle and sheds. For more detail on the mechanisms of this, take a look at the section 'For the sciencey people' below.

 

What nutrients does my hair need?

Whether or not a person is experiencing hair loss, proper nutritional foundations from diet or supplements are crucial for anyone wanting hair that is thick, healthy, and always looking its best.

 

Vitamin D⁹¹⁰

Vitamin D helps control how hair grows, as vitamin D receptor signalling regulates re-entry into anagen, the growth phase of the hair cycle. Essentially, these signals enable hair to start growing again after it has shed.

It also plays a role in modulating immune responses. Vitamin D can, therefore, provide crucial support for conditions like alopecia areata, where the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. 

There's a large amount of clinical evidence linking vitamin D levels to hair loss, with both meta-analyses and case-control studies showing lower 25-OH-D(the primary, circulating form of vitamin D) in patients with alopecia areata and other, nonscarring alopecias than controls.⁹

Although randomised control trial evidence for non-deficient participants is minimal, when a vitamin D deficiency is present, supplementation has been found to improve outcomes of hair loss.⁹ 

 

Zinc¹¹

Zinc supports healthy hair growth and repair. A cofactor for DNA polymerases and antioxidant enzymes, it is necessary for hair-shaft formation: the creation of new cells.

Zinc also aids the production of keratin, which is the protein that makes up our hair and helps protect cells from damage. 

Case-control studies show lower levels of zinc in participants with alopecia areata than in those without; older, randomised control trials and recent observational studies both suggest there is a potential hair-growth benefit with zinc supplementation in selected patients.¹¹ However, more recent, high-quality data is limited. 

 

Biotin¹²¹³

Current evidence supports biotin supplementation when there is a deficiency, as adequate levels can reduce thinning and brittle hair.¹³ Biotin is important for thick, strong hair; being deficient in this B vitamin can lead to increased shedding and slowed regrowth.

Like zinc, biotin is relevant to keratin production. It is a coenzyme for carboxylases involved in fatty-acid synthesis, gluconeogenesis and amino-acid catabolism. Simply put, it helps your body make and use the building blocks needed to grow and maintain healthy hair.

 

Iron⁸

Iron is required for DNA synthesis during anagen, and an iron shortage can prematurely shift follicles into telogen, causing undue shedding.

There are multiple case-control studies, meta-analyses and cohort studies that show lower levels of iron in women with nonscarring alopecia and telogen effluvium than in controls.⁸ Systematic reviews conclude that iron deficiency may, therefore contribute to hair loss.

Interventional, randomised control trials, specifically for iron repletion on hair, are limited, but clinical guidance commonly recommends testing ferritin (the protein that stores iron in cells), and treating the deficiency if proven.

Mighty Kids supplements do not include iron; it can cause unpleasant, digestive side effects, and our supplements are formulated to be gentle and well-tolerated by all. The Mighty Multivitamin does, however, include vitamin A and zinc, and we offer a vitamin C supplement too, with all three nutrients supporting the proper absorption and distribution of iron in the body.

 

Omega¹⁴

Omega-3 helps to modulate scalp and follicle inflammation, contributing to healthy hair. Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress, which can lead to disruptions in the hair cycle.

The positive impact of omega-3 on hair growth has been demonstrated in clinical studies: a randomised, six month, double-blind trial of omega-3 and 6 with antioxidants resulted in improved hair density and reduced telogen percentage, compared to a placebo group where no additional omega was consumed.

 

In summary

Oftentimes, our hair health can be a great indicator for our overall health.

 When deficiencies and underlying triggers are recognised and addressed, for many people, hair loss can be reversible. By ensuring strong, nutritional foundations, you can give your cells the proper support they need, and the best chance to grow and maintain thick, and most importantly, healthy hair.

If you're not sure where to start, Mighty Kids' vegan omega-3, multivitamin, and vitamin D3 & K2 supplements provide vitamin D, zinc, biotin and omega for the strongest, all-round hair support, encapsulated with liposomal technology that allows the nutrients to be most effectively absorbed.

 

 

For the sciencey people

The hair growth cycle (expanded)

Anagen is the active growth phase when hair matrix keratinocytes rapidly divide. In the typical person, about eighty-five to ninety percent of scalp hairs are in anagen at any given time. It requires high levels of cellular energy, iron-dependent enzymes, amino acids, and proper microvasculature. Disturbances such as nutrient deficiency, inflammation, or hormones may prematurely force follicles out of anagen.

Catagen is a brief involution phase, lasting around two to three weeks. In catagen, the lower follicle undergoes controlled apoptosis and shrinks by up to seventy percent.

The "rest phase", telogen, typically lasts two to four months, with ten to fifteen percent of scalp hairs in this phase at any given time. As mentioned, stressors like illness, iron deficiency, childbirth and rapid weight loss can increase telogen percentage sharply, leading to telogen effluvium.

Exogen is the phase when telogen hairs are released from the follicle and shed. It is triggered by proteolytic activity weakening the hair shaft’s attachment to the follicle; shedding increases when exogen is dysregulated. Dysregulation can occur for several reasons, including stress, postpartum and acute telogen effluvium.

Terminology

Stem bulge:

The region of the hair follicle containing the stem cells responsible for regenerating new hair.

Dermal papillae:

These are a cluster of specialised cells that form at the base of the hair follicle, regulating the hair growth cycle and receiving essential nutrients through blood vessels.

Follicular miniaturization:

This process is the progressive shortening of anagen and thinning of individual hairs. It occurs in androgenetic alopecia, and is triggered by a genetic sensitivity of the dermal papilla to DHT.⁶

 

References

  1. Ho CH, Sood T, Zito PM. Androgenetic Alopecia. [Updated 2024 Jan 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430924/
  2. Dhami L. Psychology of Hair Loss Patients and Importance of Counseling. Indian J Plast Surg. 2021 Dec 31;54(4):411-415. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1741037. PMID: 34984078; PMCID: PMC8719979.
  3. Botchkarev, V. A., & Paus, R. (2003). Molecular biology of hair morphogenesis: development and cycling. Journal of experimental zoology. Part B, Molecular and developmental evolution, 298(1), 164–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.33
  4. Paus, R., & Cotsarelis, G. (1999). The biology of hair follicles. The New England journal of medicine, 341(7), 491–497. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199908123410706
  5. Sibbald C. (2023). Alopecia Areata: An Updated Review for 2023. Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery, 27(3), 241–259. https://doi.org/10.1177/12034754231168839
  6. Nestor, M. S., Ablon, G., Gade, A., Han, H., & Fischer, D. L. (2021). Treatment options for androgenetic alopecia: Efficacy, side effects, compliance, financial considerations, and ethics. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 20(12), 3759–3781. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.14537
  7. Bedair, N. I., Abdelaziz, A. S., Abdelrazik, F. S., El-Kassas, M., & AbouHadeed, M. H. (2024). Post Covid telogen effluvium: the diagnostic value of serum ferritin biomarker and the preventive value of dietary supplements. a case control study. Archives of dermatological research, 316(6), 336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-024-03004-1
  8. Treister-Goltzman, Y., Yarza, S., & Peleg, R. (2022). Iron Deficiency and Nonscarring Alopecia in Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Skin appendage disorders, 8(2), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000519952
  9. Liu, Y., Li, J., Liang, G., Cheng, C., Li, Y., & Wu, X. (2020). Association of Alopecia Areata with Vitamin D and Calcium Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Dermatology and therapy, 10(5), 967–983. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-020-00433-4
  10. Jiménez-Herrera, E. A., López-Zenteno, B. E., Corona-Rodarte, E., Parra-Guerra, R., Zubirán, R., Cano-Aguilar, L. E., Barrera-Ochoa, C., & Asz-Sigall, D. (2025). Vitamin D and Alopecia Areata: From Mechanism to Therapeutic Implications. Skin appendage disorders, 1–11. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1159/000545711
  11. Lalosevic, J., Gajic-Veljic, M., Lalosevic Misovic, J., & Nikolic, M. (2023). Serum Zinc Concentration in Patients with Alopecia Areata. Acta dermato-venereologica, 103, adv13358. https://doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v103.13358
  12. Patel, D. P., Swink, S. M., & Castelo-Soccio, L. (2017). A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss. Skin appendage disorders, 3(3), 166–169. https://doi.org/10.1159/000462981
  13. Soleymani, T., Lo Sicco, K., & Shapiro, J. (2017). The Infatuation With Biotin Supplementation: Is There Truth Behind Its Rising Popularity? A Comparative Analysis of Clinical Efficacy versus Social Popularity. Journal of drugs in dermatology : JDD, 16(5), 496–500.
  14. Le Floc'h, C., Cheniti, A., Connétable, S., Piccardi, N., Vincenzi, C., & Tosti, A. (2015). Effect of a nutritional supplement on hair loss in women. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 14(1), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12127

 

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