Supplements · Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins for Hair Growth: Hair Growth Supplements That Work

The vitamins, minerals and other hair growth supplements behind thicker hair, ranked, from iron, vitamin D and zinc to protein and collagen, with the root causes of thinning, the tests to ask for first and the foods that carry each one.

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Evidence-based60 sources citedUpdated October 30, 2026
Published Oct 26, 2026Last updated Oct 30, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy
Vitamins for hair growth
Vitamins for hair growth at a glance

The best vitamins for hair growth are the ones your follicles are short on, and the place to start is stored iron, vitamin D, zinc and protein, followed by collagen, omega-3s and B vitamins.123

  • What they do: they supply the raw materials your follicles use to build every strand; in a case-control study of 60 women, those with diffuse shedding had about a quarter of the stored iron of women without hair loss23
  • What the trials show: 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil a day raised hair counts 40% over 24 weeks in a placebo-controlled trial of 76 men with pattern thinning, against 10% on placebo, and in a 24-week placebo-controlled trial of 114 women, more showed measurable hair thickening on 1 gram a day of fish collagen peptides than on a placebo45
  • How much: 15 to 30 mg of zinc with food, 10 to 20 grams of collagen peptides a day, and iron with vitamin C when ferritin is low6
  • How to use them: test ferritin, vitamin D, a thyroid panel and zinc first, eat the foods that carry these nutrients, add the supplements your labs point to, and give your hair about three months76

Your hair is built by some of the busiest cells in your body. The matrix cells at the root of each follicle divide faster than almost any others, so they need a steady supply of iron, protein, zinc and vitamins every day.21 When stored iron, vitamin D, thyroid hormone or stress hormones run short or run high, your hair is one of the places it shows.

If your hair is thinning, the way forward is to find the root cause, refill what's missing with food first, and give your follicles about three months to answer.6 I've worked with thousands of patients on helping them naturally thicken their hair,8 and below you'll find what to look for, what to test, what to eat, and which vitamins and hair growth supplements have the research behind them.

Dr. Josh Axe Vitamin Advisor · 4–5 questions

Which supplements belong in your top 5?

What's your biggest goal right now?

You've got to know what is at the root cause of your hair thinning.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom How To Get Thicker Hair Naturally, Dr. Josh Axe on YouTube (2017), at 6:34

Get the free 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers guide

Many of the drivers behind thinning hair show up on a blood test. This free guide lays out:

  • Ferritin, vitamin D, the full thyroid panel and red blood cell zinc, the markers this page leans on
  • Optimal ranges for the 25 markers that matter most, beside the conventional lab ranges
  • The root causes behind an off result, and the actions to take

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Did you know?

  • About 50% of men have pattern hair loss by age 50, and nearly 50% of women are affected too.9

  • More than 60 years ago, a study by a researcher named Hård found that iron supplements helped women with hair loss who were low in iron but not anemic.10

  • Diffuse hair loss is sometimes the first sign of an underactive thyroid.11

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What your hair is telling you: the root causes of thinning hair

Quick answer

The main drivers of thinning hair are low stored iron, low vitamin D, low zinc, too little protein, a slow thyroid, stress hormones and, in pattern thinning, the hormone DHT. Several can run at once, which is why the next step is testing, not guessing.1268

On my show, I've named three big causes of thinning hair: too much of the hormone DHT, a lack of nutrients such as B vitamins, zinc and collagen, and emotional stress that pushes cortisol too high.8 Two more belong on that list, starting with a slow thyroid, which thins hair and gets its own section below.611 The other is absorption, because what you absorb matters as much as what you eat: poor digestion and fermentation reduce how much protein you absorb, and thinning hair is one of the signs that you're not absorbing enough.12

Inflammation ties several of these together, and as I've explained, eating too many carbohydrates, sugars and grains causes inflammation that raises DHT and, over time, thins your hair.13

For women, stored iron is the first nutrient to check. In case-control studies of 60 women in Iran and 120 in Egypt, women with shedding or pattern thinning had lower ferritin, the measure of stored iron, than women without hair loss, and the Egyptian study found lower vitamin D too.314 Iron deficiency can reach your hair while a basic anemia test still reads normal.15 Crash diets and low-protein eating can set off shedding as well, and the Thyroid Reset in my Hypothyroidism Protocol puts both on its avoid list.16

Traditional Chinese medicine reads thinning hair as one sign of blood deficiency, a pattern in which, as I've explained it, your blood isn't nourished enough and doesn't carry enough iron, oxygen and nutrients to the rest of your body. Pale lips and nails, poor sleep, dizziness when you stand up and a pale tongue fill out the picture.15 The traditional answer is to build the blood, and to do that, I recommend some iron, often every other day, and the herb dong quai, a traditional Chinese blood tonic, along with beets, lean red meat, steamed leafy greens and warming foods such as soups.1516 Red meat and leafy greens bring the iron, and ferritin is the test that shows whether your stores are filling.

Two of my five traditional prescriptions for hair loss are Chinese herbs as well: fo-ti, historically known for stopping hair loss, at 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day, and Panax ginseng, to stimulate the follicles, at 500 mg twice a day. Rehmannia, another Chinese herb, is among the other remedies I list.17

How hair growth works in your body

Each hair grows from a follicle that cycles through growing, resting and shedding, and the growing phase is when the root needs its raw materials most.1

1Your follicles run on a tight budget

Your scalp holds about 100,000 hair follicles, and about 90% of them are in the growing phase at any time. Matrix cells at the root of each one divide rapidly to build the strand.12

2They need raw materials every day

Iron runs the enzyme that sets the pace of DNA building in those dividing cells, and protein, zinc and B vitamins feed the same constant turnover.21

3Low signals put growth on pause

Thyroid hormone keeps the cycle moving, so a slow thyroid thins hair.611 In mice, chronic stress hormones held follicle stem cells in their resting phase until a growth signal called GAS6 was restored.18

4The shedding shows up months later

Each follicle runs on a long cycle, so a shortfall that starts today can show up as shedding months from now, as it did for the crash dieters in the protein card below.1

5Refill the tank and growth restarts

On my Thyroid Reset, hair regrowth shows over 8 to 12 weeks as iron, selenium, zinc and vitamin D come up, and the collagen and pumpkin seed oil trials on this page measured their gains at 12 to 24 weeks.6954

Your hair depends on your nutrient stores, your thyroid and your stress hormones, so that's where thicker hair starts.

The tests to ask for first

Quick answer

Ask for ferritin with a full iron panel, vitamin D, a full thyroid panel with antibodies, and zinc, ideally red blood cell zinc. Your results show which nutrients your hair is short on, so you're not left guessing.719

Ask your doctor or practitioner for these four, and read them against optimal ranges, which are narrower than standard lab ranges.7 Taking biotin? Pause it before your draw (the safety section gives the timing).

TestWhat it tells youOptimal range

Ferritin, with a full iron panel

The iron you have in storage, the reserve your follicles draw on

Women 50 to 150 ng/mL; men 75 to 150 ng/mL7

Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D)

Your vitamin D status

50 to 80 ng/mL7

Full thyroid panel: TSH, free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies

Whether a slow or autoimmune thyroid sits behind the thinning

Read the markers together, beyond TSH alone6

Red blood cell zinc

Zinc inside your cells, a truer read than serum zinc

Read it beside copper, since the two balance each other7

Testing matters because the gaps differ from person to person. In a 2024 Turkish case-control study of 90 women with chronic shedding and 90 without, zinc ran lower in the women who were shedding, while ferritin, B12, vitamin D and thyroid tests came out similar, and the researchers called for testing each woman for what her history suggests and building her treatment around the results.20

Already have bloodwork?

Ferritin, vitamin D, the thyroid panel and zinc are the numbers that matter most for your hair. Upload your results and get a plain-English read of where they sit against functional ranges.

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Food first: the best foods for hair growth

Quick answer

The best foods for hair growth carry iron, zinc, protein, vitamin D and selenium: beef liver once a week, grass-fed beef and lamb, wild salmon and sardines, pasture-raised eggs, pumpkin seeds, lentils, Brazil nuts and bone broth.67

My Thyroid Reset restores nutrients from food first and supplements second, and that's the right order for your hair too.6 The table shows what a realistic serving of each food brings.

FoodServingWhat it brings for your hair

Beef liver, pan-fried

3 ounces

5.24 mg iron, 4.45 mg zinc, 70.6 µg B12, 22.5 g protein21

Lentils, boiled

1 cup

6.59 mg iron, 2.51 mg zinc, 358 µg folate, 17.9 g protein22

Pumpkin seeds, dried

1 ounce

2.50 mg iron, 2.21 mg zinc, 8.6 g protein23

Sardines, canned in oil, with bones

3 ounces

4.08 µg vitamin D, 7.60 µg B12, 2.48 mg iron, 44.8 µg selenium24

Wild Atlantic salmon, cooked

3 ounces

21.6 g protein, 39.8 µg selenium, 2.59 µg B1225

Eggs, hard-boiled

2 large

12.6 g protein, 30.8 µg selenium, 2.2 µg vitamin D26

Brazil nuts

1 nut

About 96 µg selenium in USDA data, though nuts vary widely2728

I recommend about 3 ounces of beef liver once a week unless your bloodwork shows vitamin A running high, since it's one of the richest foods in B vitamins and iron.6 Eat iron-rich foods with a vitamin C food alongside, because vitamin C helps you absorb the iron,15 and I'd rather you get that vitamin C from a whole orange or red pepper than from a tablet.16 And when you eat eggs, eat them whole, yolks included.

For iron and zinc, I also recommend grass-fed beef and lamb.67 The World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen and red meat as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans.29 In my view, the studies that link red meat to poor health mostly reflect grain-fed and processed meat, not the fresh, grass-fed red meat I recommend.30

What you take out matters as much as what you add. These are the foods I tell people to avoid for their hair: trans fats, which cause inflammation that throws off your hormones and raises DHT; sugar, which feeds inflammation and Candida, a yeast whose overgrowth cuts how much zinc and vitamin D you absorb; processed and fried foods; and too much caffeine and alcohol.8 One cup of coffee a day is fine for most people, but three or more can make cortisol skyrocket, and too much alcohol drains the B vitamins your hair needs.8 For more ideas, see our list of the best foods for your hair.

The best vitamins and hair growth supplements, ranked

The list starts with the nutrients you can test for and rebuild with food, and each card's badge shows the strength of the human research behind it.

1

Iron: refills the stores your follicles draw on

Moderate evidenceHuman studyCase-control studies of 60 and 120 women · cross-sectional study of 117 women

Iron carries oxygen through your blood, and when ferritin, your stored iron, runs low, it causes fatigue, hair loss and restless legs.157

Studies in women point the same way, starting with a case-control study of 60 women aged 15 to 45 in Tehran. There, the 30 with diffuse shedding had an average ferritin of 16.3 ng/mL, against 60.3 in the 30 without hair loss, and a ferritin of 30 or lower came with 21 times the odds of shedding.3 In an Egyptian case-control study of 120 women, ferritin averaged 14.7 ng/mL in women with chronic shedding and 23.9 in women with pattern thinning, against 43.5 in women without hair loss, and it fell further as hair loss grew more severe.14 In a cross-sectional study of 117 women in Philadelphia, ferritin averaged 37.3 ng/mL with pattern thinning and 24.9 with alopecia areata, against 59.5 in women without hair loss; in the 30 women with telogen shedding, it wasn't significantly lower.31

In my clinic, we read the blood work, and depending on which markers are off, sometimes we have patients take iron every day, sometimes every other day.15 Our guide to iron-rich foods lists plenty of options, but when ferritin is low, I recommend iron bisglycinate with vitamin C, and food alongside it: beef liver, red meat and sardines with a vitamin C food.67

Study takeaway: women with diffuse shedding had about a quarter of the stored iron of women without hair loss.

For decades, here was the rule: if you're not anemic, iron isn't your problem, don't take it. The rule is wrong.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom The Real Reason You Wake Up Tired Every Morning, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2026), at 10:53
2

Vitamin D: support for the growing phase

Emerging evidenceHuman studyCross-sectional study of 188 people · case-control study of 120 women · study of 40 women with no comparison group

Vitamin D supports the growing phase of your hair: its receptor is most active in follicles during that phase, in animal research, and low vitamin D shows up in studies of people losing hair.1 In a Turkish cross-sectional study of 86 people with alopecia areata, 44 with vitiligo and 58 healthy controls, 91% of those with alopecia areata were low in vitamin D, against 33% of the controls, and the lower the level, the more severe the hair loss.32 In the Egyptian case-control study of 120 women, vitamin D (measured as D2) in women with chronic shedding or pattern thinning ran about a quarter of the level in women without hair loss, 28.8 and 29.1 nmol/L against 118.2.14 If you wonder whether you're running low, our guide to the signs of low vitamin D walks you through them.

In a study of 40 women with telogen shedding and no comparison group, taking high-dose vitamin D3 by mouth every two weeks for 3 months improved hair growth in 34 of them (85%),33 though that was a high, short-term trial dose. I pair vitamin D3 with K2, at 2,000 to 5,000 IU a day dosed to your labs, taken with a meal that has some fat and alongside magnesium, which your body needs to activate vitamin D.67 Twenty to 30 minutes of midday sun on bare skin, plus sardines and pasture-raised eggs, add more.72426

Study takeaway: 91% of people with alopecia areata were low in vitamin D, against 33% of healthy controls.

3

Zinc: less shedding, more regrowth

Moderate evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 48 women · case-control study of 334 people · study of 15 people with no comparison group

Zinc helps your body make thyroid hormone, and low zinc also thins hair.19 In a Korean case-control study, 302 people with alopecia areata, pattern thinning or telogen shedding had lower average blood zinc than 32 people without hair loss, 84.3 against 97.9 µg/dL.34

Zinc supplements have helped in trials as well. In a placebo-controlled trial of 48 women with PCOS, where neither the women nor the researchers knew who got what, 50 mg of zinc a day for 8 weeks reduced hair loss compared with placebo and eased the excess facial and body hair that PCOS brings.35 In a study of 15 people with alopecia areata and low zinc, 50 mg of zinc gluconate a day for 12 weeks raised their zinc levels, and 9 of them regrew hair. There was no comparison group, and the regrowth rate fell short of statistical significance, but the people whose zinc rose most did best.36

I recommend 15 to 30 mg of zinc a day with food, taken apart from calcium and iron and paired with 1 to 2 mg of copper if you take it long term.87 The 50 mg in those trials was a short-term trial dose, and if you think you're running low, our page on zinc deficiency lists the signs. Either way, food comes first: pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef and lamb.723

Study takeaway: in a placebo-controlled trial of 48 women with PCOS, 50 mg of zinc a day reduced hair loss in 8 weeks.

People with hair loss ran lower in zinc

People with hair loss ran lower in zinc334 people · case-control study · 302 with hair loss, 32 without. People with hair loss: 84.3 µg/dL serum zinc, average; People without hair loss: 97.9 µg/dL serum zinc, average334 people · case-control study · 302 with hair loss, 32without
84.3 µg/dL serum zinc, average
PEOPLE WITH HAIR LOSS
97.9 µg/dL serum zinc, average
PEOPLE WITHOUT HAIR LOSS
Source: Kil et al. · Annals of Dermatology, 2013 [34]Average serum zinc. Each hair-loss group in the study, from alopecia areata to pattern thinning and telogen shedding, ran lower than the people without hair loss.
4

Protein: the raw material for every strand

Emerging evidenceHuman studyCase series of 9 crash dieters · reviews of nutrition and hair loss

Every structure and process in your body depends on protein, and it builds and maintains every tissue, your hair included.16 Women in their thirties to fifties often under-eat it while following plant-heavy or low-calorie diets they consider healthy.16 When protein runs short, your hair shows it: in one report, nine people who lost 11.7 to 24 kilograms (about 26 to 53 pounds) on a vigorous weight-loss program began shedding 2 to 5 months after they started.1

I recommend 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day, closer to 1 gram if you're over 40, spread across meals of 30 to 40 grams.3738 Our list of high-protein foods has the numbers, but animal foods come first, such as eggs, wild fish and grass-fed meat, with lentils, beans and seeds adding more.

Study takeaway: nine people on a crash diet began shedding 2 to 5 months after they started.

5

Collagen and bone broth: thicker hair strands

Emerging evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 114 women · randomized trial of 83 adults

Collagen is rich in proline, hydroxyproline and glycine, amino acids you don't get much of from muscle meat, and a protein powder made from bone broth or a collagen powder is what I prescribe and recommend my patients use.13 My own sister emailed me after she started using collagen powder: her hairdresser asked what she was doing, because she'd never seen her hair so thick.13

A trial of fish collagen peptides on their own points the same way. In a 2026 placebo-controlled trial, 114 women aged 20 to 50 with self-reported thinning hair took 1,000 mg a day of fish-skin collagen peptides or a placebo for 24 weeks, and collagen increased hair diameter, with more women showing measurable thickening.5 A combined formula helped too: in a randomized trial of 83 adults with pattern hair loss or chronic shedding, adding a supplement of fish collagen with amino acids, iron and selenium to their usual hair-loss treatment for 12 weeks raised the share rated improved or better to 50%, against 23% on treatment alone. The supplement's seller helped run that trial, and people knew which treatment they got, though the rater didn't.9

Bone broth brings collagen in food form, and I've called daily bone broth great for its collagen, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin.8 It's also one of the five traditional hair-loss prescriptions in my book Ancient Remedies, at 2 cups a day, for its collagen and hair-building amino acids.17 I recommend about 20 to 30 grams of collagen a day for most people, from a bone broth protein or a collagen powder, and my Thyroid Reset uses 10 to 20 grams of collagen peptides a day, while vitamin C, zinc and copper help your body build its own.396

Study takeaway: more women showed measurable hair thickening on fish collagen peptides than on placebo over 24 weeks.

Half improved when a fish collagen, amino acid, iron and selenium supplement joined their treatment

Half improved when a fish collagen, amino acid, iron and selenium supplement joined their treatment83 adults with pattern hair loss or chronic shedding · 12 weeks · the rater didn't know who took the supplement. Supplement plus hair-loss treatment: 50 % rated improved or better; Hair-loss treatment alone: 23 % rated improved or better83 adults with pattern hair loss or chronic shedding · 12weeks · the rater didn't know who took the supplement
50 % rated improved or better
SUPPLEMENT PLUS HAIR-LOSS TREATMENT
23 % rated improved or better
HAIR-LOSS TREATMENT ALONE
Source: Milani et al. · Skin Research and Technology, 2023 [9]Share of people whose hair an assessor rated improved or better after 12 weeks, with the supplement added to their usual hair-loss treatment.
Of all the things here, I've noticed the biggest difference in people thickening their hair when they consume collagen.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom How To Get Thicker Hair Naturally, Dr. Josh Axe on YouTube (2017), at 2:24
6

Omega-3s: denser hair, less shedding

Emerging evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial of 120 women

Omega-3 fats help calm inflammation, and wild fatty fish puts them on your plate before any capsule does.640 In a randomized trial of 120 healthy women, 6 months of an oral supplement that combined omega-3 and omega-6 fats with antioxidants improved hair density on standardized photos and lowered the share of resting-phase hairs, compared with a control group, and 89.9% of the women reported less hair loss.41

I recommend wild salmon and sardines, 4 to 6 ounces three times a week, and on days without fatty fish, 2 to 3 grams of EPA and DHA a day with food.406

Study takeaway: a combined omega-3, omega-6 and antioxidant supplement improved hair density in 120 women over 6 months.

7

Biotin and B vitamins: fill a B-vitamin gap

Emerging evidenceHuman studyClinic records of 541 women tested (75 already taking biotin excluded) · pilot trial of 60 women (scalp lotion)

Biotin and the other B vitamins help your hair most when you're low in one of them. A 2019 review found that only riboflavin, biotin, folate and B12 deficiencies have been linked to hair loss.1 Biotin gaps turn up more often than you'd expect: in a review of records from a Swiss hair clinic, biotin was measured in 541 women with hair loss, and after setting aside the 75 already taking biotin, 38% of the rest had low levels.42 The reports of biotin helping hair involve a deficiency or an underlying condition, so check your level, then use biotin to close the gap.4342

Food covers the rest of the B family: three ounces of beef liver has 70.6 µg of B12 and 3 ounces of sardines 7.60 µg, and a cup of lentils has 358 µg of folate.212422 On the scalp, a lotion made from niacin compounds improved hair fullness more than a placebo lotion in a 6-month pilot trial of 60 women with pattern thinning.44

Study takeaway: 38% of women tested for hair loss in one Swiss clinic, not counting those already taking biotin, had low biotin.

8

Tocotrienols (vitamin E): more hairs on the scalp

Emerging evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 38 volunteers

Tocotrienols are antioxidant members of the vitamin E family, and people with hair loss tend to carry fewer antioxidants and more fat oxidation in the scalp.45 In a placebo-controlled trial of 38 volunteers with hair loss, 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols a day for 8 months raised hair counts 34.5%, while the placebo group's dipped 0.1%. The weight of their hair strands didn't change in either group.45

If you try them, choose mixed tocotrienols, the form the trial used.

Study takeaway: 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols a day raised hair counts 34.5% over 8 months, against a 0.1% dip on placebo.

9

Pumpkin seed oil: more hair for men with pattern thinning

Emerging evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 76 men

I've recommended a tablespoon of pumpkin seed oil to help thicken hair,8 and the research behind it comes from men with pattern thinning. In a placebo-controlled trial of 76 Korean men with mild to moderate pattern thinning (64 finished), 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil a day in capsules for 24 weeks raised average hair counts 40%, against 10% on placebo, while hair thickness changed the same amount in both groups. The men didn't know who was taking the oil, and the researchers didn't either.4

Drizzle the oil over salads and cooked vegetables, or take capsules at the trial's 400 mg a day.

Study takeaway: pumpkin seed oil raised hair counts 40% in 24 weeks, against 10% on placebo.

Pumpkin seed oil raised hair counts 40% in 24 weeks

Pumpkin seed oil raised hair counts 40% in 24 weeks76 men with mild to moderate pattern thinning · 400 mg a day · 24 weeks · placebo-controlled. Pumpkin seed oil, 400 mg a day: 40 % increase in hair count; Placebo: 10 % increase in hair count76 men with mild to moderate pattern thinning · 400 mg a day· 24 weeks · placebo-controlled
40 % increase in hair count
PUMPKIN SEED OIL, 400 MG A DAY
10 % increase in hair count
PLACEBO
Source: Cho et al. · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014 [4]Average rise in hair count from the start of the trial.
10

Saw palmetto: slows the hormone behind pattern thinning

Emerging evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 80 adults

Saw palmetto is a small palm whose berries were a food and medicine for the Seminole people. It slows the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the hormone that enlarges the prostate and thins hair, and it's one of my traditional prescriptions for male pattern hair loss.4617 In Native American energetics, it's a warming herb with a sweet, pungent taste.46

In a placebo-controlled trial of 80 adults aged 18 to 50 (73 finished) with mild to moderate pattern thinning, a daily capsule holding 100 mg of a standardized saw palmetto oil, taken for 16 weeks, cut hair fall 29% from where it started and raised hair density 5.17%, while density fell 3.23% on placebo. It also lowered DHT in the blood compared with placebo, and the researchers, like the participants, didn't know who was taking what. A 20% saw palmetto lotion applied to the scalp cut hair fall 22.19%.47

I recommend 320 mg of extract a day, taken with food, and choose your extract carefully, since results depend heavily on it.46 When DHT is behind the thinning, saw palmetto, pygeum, a very similar herb, and pumpkin seed oil are the supplements I point to.8

Study takeaway: oral saw palmetto oil cut hair fall 29% from baseline in 16 weeks and lowered DHT compared with placebo.

11

Ashwagandha: calms the stress side of shedding

Emerging evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial of 68 adults (scalp serum)

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb from Ayurvedic medicine, meaning it helps your body adapt to and handle stress, and it's the adaptogen my thyroid protocol uses to calm cortisol.86 It's also one of my traditional prescriptions for hair loss, for balancing cortisol and promoting hair growth.17

In a placebo-controlled trial of 68 adults with mild to moderate hair loss (61 finished), a serum made from ashwagandha root and applied to the scalp for 75 days raised hair density by 7.3 hairs per square centimeter, against 2.81 with a placebo serum, and reduced shedding on a 60-second comb test. The participants didn't know which serum they had, nor did the researchers.48

To take it by mouth for stress, I recommend 600 mg a day, as 300 mg twice a day.49

Study takeaway: an ashwagandha scalp serum raised hair density by 7.3 hairs per square centimeter in 75 days, against 2.81 with placebo.

Thyroid hair loss: what to check

Quick answer

Yes, a slow thyroid can thin your hair: when thyroid hormone is low, everything slows at once, including hair and skin.6 Ask for a full thyroid panel with antibodies, and refill the nutrients the gland runs on: selenium, iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin D.19

Over the years I've sat across from thousands of people, most of them women, with the same story: bone-deep fatigue, cold hands, thinning hair, brain fog, low mood, and a lab report that says everything is normal.6 My Hypothyroidism Protocol lists seven drivers of a slow thyroid, from a leaky gut and autoimmunity to nutrient depletion and chronic stress, and most patients I see have several of these running at once.6

The same link shows up when researchers look at large groups. In a descriptive study of 1,232 people with hair loss in Kerala, India, with no comparison group, all tested for TSH and thyroid antibodies, thyroid problems became more common with age across every pattern of hair loss.11

Like your follicles, the thyroid needs raw materials to make and activate its hormone. Selenium runs the enzymes that turn T4 into active T3, and my protocol supplies it as 200 mcg a day or as 2 Brazil nuts.619 Brazil nuts really do the job: in a 12-week randomized trial of 59 adults, two a day raised blood selenium as much as a 100 mcg selenium supplement, though their selenium varied from nut to nut, about 53 mcg a day on average.28 Get iodine from food, such as sea vegetables, wild fish and eggs: enough, not mega.6 Iron and vitamin D matter here as much as anywhere. On my Thyroid Reset, low iron and vitamin D are the two most common reasons hair, energy and thyroid conversion don't improve, so test them, correct them and retest.6

Stress hair loss: how to calm cortisol

If you've been under physical or emotional stress, it can thin your hair.13 Stress hormones can hold follicles in their resting phase, as the mouse research in the cascade above showed,18 and high cortisol also blocks the conversion of thyroid hormone into its active form.6

If emotional stress is what you're dealing with, the supplements I point to are ashwagandha, rhodiola and B vitamins,8 and our list of natural stress relievers has more ideas. My tip goes past supplements, though: write down everything that's stressing you, work out how to deal with each one better or get it off your plate, then write down the five things you love doing most that you can do locally, and make regular time for them.8

Worry about thinning hair can feed the very stress behind it, and Jesus reminded His followers how closely God cares for them: "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7).50

Rosemary oil for regrowth on the scalp

For the scalp itself, rosemary oil is one of the best oils out there for naturally thickening your hair, and its evidence for regrowth is good.846 In a randomized trial of 100 adults with pattern hair loss, rosemary oil regrew hair about as well as the drug minoxidil 2% over 6 months, with less scalp itching. Neither group's hair count changed at 3 months, so give it the full six.51

Mix 3 to 5 drops into a tablespoon of a carrier oil such as olive oil and massage it into your scalp 2 to 3 times a week.468 My homemade hair thickener goes further: rosemary, cedarwood and sage oils, 30 drops of each, in a jojoba and grapeseed oil base, rubbed into your scalp three times a week for 20 minutes before you shower.8 Our guide to hair loss remedies has more scalp treatments.

Building your own hair plan?

Ask Dr. Axe AI. Its answers draw on this library and show their sources.

A 90-day plan for thicker hair

Your 90-day plan

Hair answers slowly, so plan for about three months and judge your progress at the end of it.

1
Week 1: test

Get ferritin with a full iron panel, vitamin D, a full thyroid panel with antibodies and red blood cell zinc, and read them against optimal ranges.7 If you take biotin, pause it before the draw (timing in the safety section).

2
Every day: eat for your hair

Build each meal around 30 to 40 grams of protein, with iron and zinc foods such as grass-fed beef, sardines, eggs, pumpkin seeds and lentils, a vitamin C food alongside, and beef liver once a week.386

3
Every day: add collagen

Drink bone broth, or stir 10 to 20 grams of collagen peptides into coffee, a smoothie or soup.86

4
Fill the gaps your labs show

Iron bisglycinate with vitamin C if ferritin is low, vitamin D3 with K2 dosed to your level, zinc at 15 to 30 mg with food, and omega-3s on days without fatty fish.6

5
Calm the stress

Use the stress steps above every day, and add ashwagandha if stress is one of your drivers.8

6
Day 90: retest

Retest ferritin and vitamin D at 90 days to confirm you've refilled the tank.6

Hair vitamin side effects and who should be careful

Interaction check: Moderate. Thyroid medication, such as levothyroxine: take iron and calcium at least 4 hours apart from it, and ask first before adding ashwagandha, which may raise thyroid hormone.646 Blood thinners, such as warfarin: omega-3s, saw palmetto and dong quai can add to their effect, while vitamin K2 can blunt that effect even at low doses, so check with your prescriber before combining any of them.40465253 Quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin: zinc binds them in the gut, so take the antibiotic at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after zinc.54

Biotin and lab tests. The FDA warns that biotin can cause incorrect lab results that may go undetected, including falsely low troponin, a heart-attack marker.55 In a study of 6 healthy adults, each tested before and after a week of 10 mg of biotin a day, biotin skewed 9 of 23 lab tests that rely on biotin in their chemistry, among them thyroid and vitamin D tests.56 Stop biotin 2 to 3 days before testing.19

Too much vitamin A or selenium. Too much of either can contribute to hair loss.1 Three ounces of beef liver holds 6,579 µg of vitamin A, more than twice the adult upper limit for preformed vitamin A, 3,000 µg a day, which is why once a week is the amount I recommend.2157 If you're pregnant or might be, skip vitamin A supplements above 3,000 µg a day, and confirm liver with your OB.57 When a liquid supplement turned out to hold 200 times its labeled selenium, 72% of the 201 people who took it lost hair, so keep supplemental selenium at or under 200 mcg a day.5819

Iron. Take iron only when ferritin is low, then retest, since too much iron is harmful; with hereditary hemochromatosis or a high ferritin, skip it.759 Men and postmenopausal women with low iron need a doctor's check for hidden blood loss, often from the gut.59

Zinc. Stay within 15 to 30 mg a day. The adult upper limit is 40 mg,54 and for long-term use, pair zinc with 1 to 2 mg of copper.7

Fo-ti. Fo-ti has been used safely for hundreds of years, but high doses may harm the liver, so stay at the traditional dose.17 In a review of 450 reported cases of fo-ti liver injury, most tied to long-term or high-dose use, yellowing skin or eyes, fatigue, poor appetite and dark urine showed up about a month in, and 98% recovered or improved after stopping, so stop it and get your liver checked if you notice any of these.60

Pregnancy, seizures and Hashimoto's. Skip saw palmetto while pregnant, and skip rosemary oil while pregnant or if you have a seizure disorder.46 While pregnant or nursing, avoid other concentrated herbs, such as dong quai, fo-ti, ginseng and ashwagandha, unless your practitioner approves.46 With Hashimoto's or high thyroid antibodies, avoid kelp and high-dose iodine unless you've been tested and advised.19

When to see a doctor. Patchy bald spots, hair loss with scalp pain, redness or scarring, and shedding that comes with weight change, exhaustion or other new symptoms all need a diagnosis, since thyroid disease, iron loss and autoimmune conditions such as alopecia areata can sit behind them.1159

The bottom line

What are the best vitamins for hair growth?

The best vitamins for hair growth are the ones your follicles are missing. Start with stored iron, vitamin D, zinc and protein, then add collagen, omega-3s and B vitamins, and for pattern thinning, pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto. Traditional Chinese medicine has long read thinning hair as a sign of what's happening in the blood, and a ferritin test now measures part of that picture. Low iron, vitamin D and zinc have the clearest links to hair loss, which makes them the first gaps to close, and in the trials, collagen brought thicker strands and pumpkin seed oil brought more hair.

Test first, eat the foods that carry these nutrients every day, add the supplements your labs point to, and give it three months before you judge it. Your body was designed to heal, and your hair will show you when it has what it needs.

Get the free 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers guide

Ferritin, vitamin D, the full thyroid panel and red blood cell zinc, with optimal ranges, root causes and the actions to take for the 25 markers that matter most. Have recent bloodwork? Analyze it free. Free with your Dr. Axe account (email or Google). You'll also get the protocol's short email series and the Dr. Axe newsletter; unsubscribe anytime.

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Vitamins for hair growth: frequently asked questions

What vitamins are good for hair growth?

Iron, vitamin D, zinc and protein are the place to start, because low levels of each are linked to hair loss, followed by collagen, omega-3s and B vitamins such as biotin.133234 For pattern thinning, pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto have placebo-controlled trials behind them.447

What deficiency causes hair loss?

Low stored iron is the first deficiency to check if you're shedding. In a case-control study of 60 women, those with diffuse shedding had about a quarter of the ferritin of women without hair loss.3 Low vitamin D, zinc and protein are linked to hair loss too, and of the B vitamins, low riboflavin, biotin, folate and B12.32341

Can low iron cause hair loss?

Yes. In a case-control study of 60 women, a ferritin of 30 ng/mL or lower came with 21 times the odds of diffuse shedding, and stored iron can run that low while a basic anemia test still reads normal.315 Test ferritin with a full iron panel, and take iron with vitamin C when ferritin is low.6

Does biotin help hair growth?

Biotin helps when you're low in it, and that's more common than you might think. In a review of records from a Swiss hair clinic, biotin was measured in 541 women with hair loss, and after setting aside the 75 already taking it, 38% had low levels.42 The reports of biotin helping hair involve a deficiency or an underlying condition, so check your level and use it to close the gap.43

Does vitamin D help hair growth?

Yes, especially when you're low. In a study of 40 women with telogen shedding and no comparison group, high-dose vitamin D3 improved hair growth in 34 of them, and in a cross-sectional study of 188 people, 91% of those with alopecia areata were low in vitamin D, against 33% of healthy controls.3332 Test your level and dose vitamin D3 with K2 to it.6

Does collagen help hair grow?

Yes, it helped hair grow thicker in a placebo-controlled trial in which 114 women aged 20 to 50 with thinning hair took 1,000 mg of fish collagen peptides a day for 24 weeks. Their hair diameter increased, and more of them showed measurable thickening than on the placebo.5 I recommend about 20 to 30 grams of collagen a day for most people, from a bone broth protein or a collagen powder.39

Is zinc good for hair growth?

Yes. In a placebo-controlled trial of 48 women with PCOS, 50 mg of zinc a day for 8 weeks reduced hair loss compared with placebo, and in 15 people with alopecia areata and low zinc, with no comparison group, 9 regrew hair as their zinc came up.3536 I recommend 15 to 30 mg a day with food, paired with 1 to 2 mg of copper for long-term use.87

What are the best vitamins for hair growth for women?

For women, start with iron and vitamin D. In an Egyptian case-control study of 120 women, both ran lower in women with chronic shedding or pattern thinning than in women without hair loss.14 Add zinc, protein and collagen, which thickened hair in a placebo-controlled trial of 114 women, and have your thyroid checked.56

What is the best hair growth supplement for men?

For pattern thinning in men, pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto have the trials. In 76 men, 400 mg of pumpkin seed oil a day raised hair counts 40% over 24 weeks, against 10% on placebo, and oral saw palmetto oil lowered DHT, the hormone behind pattern thinning, in a 16-week placebo-controlled trial of 80 adults.447

How long does it take for hair vitamins to work?

Plan on about three months. On my Thyroid Reset, hair regrowth shows over 8 to 12 weeks, and the collagen and pumpkin seed oil trials measured their gains at 12 to 24 weeks.6954 Hair grows in long cycles, so both shedding and regrowth lag behind the change you make.1

Can stress cause hair loss?

Yes. Physical and emotional stress can thin your hair, and high cortisol also blocks the conversion of thyroid hormone into its active form.136 When emotional stress is the driver, the supplements I point to are ashwagandha, rhodiola and B vitamins.8

Can thyroid problems cause hair loss?

Yes, a slow thyroid can thin your hair, and diffuse hair loss is sometimes the first sign of an underactive thyroid.611 Ask for a full thyroid panel with antibodies, and refill the selenium, iron, zinc and vitamin D the gland runs on.19

What foods help hair grow?

Foods rich in iron, zinc, protein, vitamin D and selenium help hair grow: beef liver once a week, grass-fed beef and lamb, wild salmon, sardines, pasture-raised eggs, pumpkin seeds, lentils, Brazil nuts and bone broth.67 Three ounces of beef liver carries 5.24 mg of iron and 4.45 mg of zinc.21

Can too many vitamins cause hair loss?

Yes, too much vitamin A or selenium can contribute to hair loss.1 Get vitamin A from food, with liver once a week, and keep supplemental selenium at or under 200 mcg a day.619

How much protein do I need for hair growth?

I recommend 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day, closer to 1 gram if you're over 40, in meals of 30 to 40 grams.3738 Protein builds and maintains every tissue in your body, your hair included.16

Freshness & method note

October 30, 2026 — Edited for readability.

October 26, 2026 — Rebuilt around the root causes of thinning hair, with the tests to ask for, a food-first table and Dr. Axe's own doses. Kept at their evidence level, with their studies re-checked: iron, vitamin D, zinc, omega-3s, collagen, protein, B vitamins and niacin, tocotrienols, saw palmetto and ashwagandha; added trials of zinc, pumpkin seed oil, fish collagen peptides and oral vitamin D, plus thyroid and stress sections, Dr. Axe's foods to avoid for hair, and the traditional herbs from his own record: dong quai, fo-ti, Panax ginseng, rehmannia and pygeum. Corrected: the ashwagandha trial used a scalp serum; ferritin is measured in ng/mL; the collagen, amino acid, iron and selenium formula now sits under collagen. Removed: magnesium as a hair nutrient (its trial found no difference from placebo), a 2022 vitamin B12 study we couldn't find, an unsourced sun-exposure figure, a five-ingredient cosmetic cited for vitamin B5, and a curcumin skin patch tested only in cells and animals.

References

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Dr. Josh Axe

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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