Is your hair starving? How Hair Grows & How to Nourish it

Are you shedding so much hair during every shampoo that your shower plug is a write-off? Or are your temples creeping higher and your parting getting wider? Perhaps your hair keeps snapping before it reaches the length you want, or the curls you once loved have become limp waves that refuse to hold their shape. You might simply have less hair than you used to, with strong strands gradually giving way to soft, downy fluff.

Whatever change you recognise, understanding what is happening gives you a starting point for improving it. Different hair problems have different causes, and choosing the right approach can save you months of buying products that never address yours. Since visible hair is already dead, there’s nothing you can apply to your head that will change the way it grows. Instead, we’ll discuss root-cause ways to support faster hair growth, reduce damage and tackle many of the causes of thinning and shedding.

This article uses the science of the hair growth cycle to explain why hair sheds, thins, breaks and changes texture, and what you can do about each problem. We will explore the nutrients your follicles need, examine research into supplements and explain when a change deserves medical attention. You will come away with a clearer idea of what your hair needs, which steps could make a difference and how long to give them time to work.

The four stages of a hair’s life

Each hair grows from a follicle beneath your scalp, which cyclically moves through growth, transition and rest before releasing its old hair and starting again. A full cycle can be anything from two to seven years. Each hair follicle is at a different stage and follows its own schedule, which is a good thing. If all our follicles were synchronised, we would go completely bald every few years before growing new hair!

Anagen: the years spent growing

Anagen is the active growth phase, when cells at the base of the follicle divide and develop into a new hair strand. Scalp hairs commonly remain in this phase for around two to six years. The anagen phase doesn’t just vary from one person to the next, but also between different follicles on the same person’s head. The longer the anagen phase, the longer that hair strand can become. If the growth phase shortens, the hair has less time to reach its maximum length and will be a shorter hair.

Roughly 85 to 90% of scalp follicles are in anagen at any given time. Throughout this phase, they build the keratin structure of each growing strand and incorporate the pigment that gives it colour. The thickness and structure of the hair they produce help determine how much volume, strength and curl you see above the scalp.

Catagen: the short transition

Catagen marks the end of active growth and lasts approximately two to three weeks. Hair production stops, and the lower portion of the follicle shrinks as it prepares to rest. This is a normal part of the cycle: the follicle retains the structures needed to produce another hair when growth begins again. Only a small proportion of scalp follicles are in this transition at any one time.

Telogen: the resting period

During telogen, the fully formed hair remains held in the follicle but no longer grows. This resting phase typically lasts around three months, during which the strand still contributes to the fullness of your hair. Because the hair stays in place for a time after growth stops, a disruption to the cycle can remain invisible for weeks or months.

This delay explains why excessive shedding can seem to come out of nowhere. An illness, childbirth or marked weight loss may cause unusually large numbers of follicles to leave anagen around the same time, but the affected hairs are not released immediately. By the time shedding becomes noticeable, the event that triggered it may be two or three months behind you.

Exogen: releasing the old hair

Exogen is the release of the old hair from its follicle. It is often described as the fourth stage of the cycle, although shedding and replacement growth can overlap. The follicle remains in the scalp and can produce another strand, so losing an individual hair does not mean losing the ability to grow hair in that spot. Healthy follicles repeat this process throughout your life.

Some hair in your brush or shower is therefore a completely normal part of renewal. A sustained increase in shedding, or a visible change such as a smaller ponytail or widening parting, deserves closer attention because it can indicate that the balance between growth and loss has changed.

Anagen: where your hair’s length, strength and colour are made

Deep beneath the scalp, the bulb at the base of a growing follicle produces the cells that become your hair. Its blood supply delivers oxygen and nutrients to support this work, allowing the strand to lengthen by roughly a centimetre a month. Hair reaching your shoulders therefore represents years of production, with the oldest lengths having endured the most washing, brushing and styling.

Building strength with protein

Hair consists largely of keratin, a family of structural proteins made from amino acids. One of these amino acids, cysteine, helps form strong sulphur-containing links called disulphide bonds within the strand. These links contribute to the hair’s strength and its ability to withstand the bending and stretching that happen whenever you brush, tie or style it.

To manufacture keratin, your body needs enough dietary protein to supply its amino acids. It also needs sufficient energy to sustain growth, which is why restrictive eating and substantial weight loss can disrupt the hair cycle. If you are dieting, think about your protein intake. A lot of women take collagen supplements as a way to boost their daily protein but, in reality, a standard collagen portion is unlikely to be enough: a plate of scrambled eggs or a decent portion of meat will be equally important. 

Supplying the nutrients that support growth

Producing a strand of hair also requires the processes that keep living cells functioning and multiplying. Iron supports oxygen transport, zinc participates in protein production and cell division, and B12 and folate support DNA synthesis. A shortage of essential nutrients can interfere with normal growth, although the evidence connecting individual deficiencies to hair loss varies. The detailed nutrient guide later in this article will explain which links are best established and when supplementation is most likely to help.

Selenium is incorporated into specialised proteins involved in antioxidant defence and thyroid hormone metabolism. These are established biological functions, but they do not mean that increasing selenium intake will keep increasing hair growth. Getting the amount right matters: excessive selenium can itself cause brittle hair and hair loss. We will examine its role and the evidence behind its use in hair supplements in the main nutrient section.

Creating thickness and curl

The follicle shapes the strand as it grows, organising its cells and keratin into a structure that influences thickness, flexibility and curl. Studies comparing straight and curly human hair have found differences in the curvature of the follicles and in how cells develop on either side of the growing strand. Curl therefore begins beneath the scalp, where the hair’s structure is being formed.

A follicle’s output can change over successive cycles. In pattern hair loss, affected follicles progressively produce shorter, finer hairs, so the same area of scalp becomes covered by increasingly slender strands. This can leave your parting wider and your ponytail smaller even without a dramatic increase in the hair you find in your brush.

Adding natural colour

Specialised cells called melanocytes produce melanin during active growth and supply it to the developing strand. The type and amount of this pigment determine its natural colour. As the follicle’s pigment-producing system changes with age, it may add less melanin or stop adding it altogether, producing grey or white hair. The follicle can still build the strand even when pigment production declines, which is why a white hair can continue growing long and thick.

Once hair emerges from the scalp, its cells are hardened and no longer living. Dietary nutrients reach the follicle producing new growth; they cannot travel into existing lengths and rebuild damaged sections. Those lengths depend on gentle handling and protection from further wear, while any improvement in the hair being produced at the root takes time to grow into view.

When the growth cycle changes: shedding, thinning and receding hairlines

Hair can lose volume because more strands are being shed, because replacement hairs are growing finer, or because both processes are happening together. The pattern and timing of the change provide useful clues: sudden shedding across the scalp usually develops differently from a parting that gradually widens over several years.

Sudden shedding: when too many hairs stop growing together

If you suddenly find much more hair than usual in your brush, on your clothes or around the shower drain, you may be experiencing telogen effluvium. This happens when unusually large numbers of follicles leave the growing phase and move towards rest around the same time. After the resting period, those hairs are released in greater numbers than you are accustomed to seeing, often causing a noticeable loss of volume across the scalp.

The trigger frequently happened two or three months earlier. A significant illness, operation, childbirth, severe stress or rapid weight loss can disrupt the cycle, while iron deficiency and thyroid disorders are among the possible underlying causes that a clinician may investigate. Looking back over the months before shedding began can therefore be more useful than concentrating only on what has changed in the past week.

In uncomplicated telogen effluvium, the follicles remain capable of producing new hair. Shedding often settles after the trigger resolves, but restoring fullness takes longer because replacement strands must grow enough to contribute to the volume of your hair. Persistent or recurring shedding can mean that a trigger is still present, or that another form of hair loss is occurring alongside it.

Gradual thinning: when replacement hairs become smaller

Pattern hair loss changes what affected follicles produce over successive cycles. The growing phase becomes shorter and the follicles undergo miniaturisation, producing hairs that are progressively finer and shorter. As substantial strands are replaced by smaller ones, they provide less coverage, allowing more scalp to show through even if you have not noticed a dramatic increase in shedding.

In men, this commonly affects the temples, frontal hairline and crown. Women more often notice a widening central parting and reduced density over the top of the scalp, although thinning around the temples can also occur. Female pattern hair loss becomes more common with age and after menopause; genetic susceptibility and hormonal influences contribute, but it can develop without abnormally high androgen levels.

Nutritional deficiencies can coexist with pattern hair loss, so correcting them can remove an additional obstacle to healthy growth. However, a steadily widening parting or increasingly visible crown deserves an assessment of the follicles themselves. Normal nutrient levels do not rule out miniaturisation, and treating a deficiency alone may leave the underlying pattern loss progressing.

Receding hairlines: identifying what is happening at the edges

Repeated pulling from tight ponytails, buns, braids or extensions can damage follicles around the hairline, causing traction alopecia. Early signs may include broken hairs, tenderness and thinning where the tension is strongest. Removing that tension early gives the follicles a chance to recover, whereas years of continued pulling can cause permanent damage.

A receding hairline can also result from inflammation that damages and scars the follicles. Frontal fibrosing alopecia often affects the front and sides of the scalp and may cause eyebrow loss as well. It is particularly common in postmenopausal women, although other people can develop it. Progressive recession, especially alongside eyebrow loss, redness, scaling or discomfort, should be assessed promptly because follicles destroyed by scarring cannot regrow hair.

Why hair becomes brittle, fluffy or less curly

The amount of hair your follicles produce is only part of what determines fullness. Strands also need to survive long enough to retain their length and form a substantial head of hair. If they repeatedly snap, or become too fine to provide their previous volume, your hair can look thinner even while growth continues at the roots.

Brittle hair: when the strand cannot withstand everyday wear

The outer layer of a hair, called the cuticle, helps protect the structures beneath it. Repeated bleaching, chemical treatments, excessive heat and rough handling can damage that protection and weaken the strand. Hair may begin to feel rough, tangle more easily and develop split ends before breaking during brushing or styling. Conditioner and gentle detangling help reduce friction and further breakage, while reducing damaging treatments protects the hair that remains.

Breakage can create the impression that your hair has stopped growing. The roots may continue producing new hair, but the ends snap off fast enough to cancel out the gain in length. Numerous short pieces, uneven lengths and frayed ends suggest this kind of damage, although a close examination may be needed to distinguish it from shedding or a disorder affecting how the strand forms.

Nutrition supports the strength of newly forming hair, but it cannot rebuild an existing split end or replace sections that have already snapped. The practical approach is to support healthy production at the follicle while protecting the lengths with gentler handling. If newly emerging hair is unusually fragile, or breakage continues despite changes to your routine, the cause may need investigation beyond styling damage.

Fine, fluffy hair: regrowth, breakage or miniaturisation?

Short hairs can be encouraging when they represent replacement growth after a period of shedding. As those strands lengthen, they gradually contribute more to scalp coverage and the thickness of your ponytail. Broken hairs can create a similar halo of flyaways, however, and miniaturised follicles can produce persistently short, fine hairs that never acquire the substance of the strands they replaced.

The change over time helps distinguish these possibilities. Are the short hairs steadily gaining length, or does the same area remain wispy while the parting widens? Are the ends tapered, or visibly frayed and snapped? These observations provide clues, but naturally fine hair is also a normal inherited characteristic. A dermatologist can examine differences in strand diameter and follicle appearance when the cause is unclear.

Curls that lose their shape and fall flat

Curl begins with the way the follicle forms the hair, including the organisation of cells and keratin within the strand. Once the hair has grown, its structure can be altered by chemical processing and damaged by excessive heat. A change in curl pattern may therefore begin in newly produced hair, develop along treated lengths, or involve both processes. Comparing the texture near the roots with the older lengths can help establish where the change is occurring.

Hair can also look flatter without losing its natural curl pattern. Reduced density means fewer strands contributing to the overall shape, while product build-up, heavy conditioners and the weight of longer hair can affect how curls sit. Losing curl definition is not a recognised sign of one particular nutrient deficiency, and there is no established supplement that reliably restores a previous curl pattern. The first step is to identify whether the change involves growth, damage or the way the hair is being conditioned and styled.

Why hair loses its colour

Your natural hair colour is produced while the strand grows inside the follicle. Melanocytes supply melanin to the developing hair, and changes in the activity and maintenance of this pigment-producing system can leave new growth with less colour. As more follicles produce unpigmented strands, the mixture of coloured and white hairs gives the overall appearance of greying.

Ageing and the follicle’s pigment supply

Genetics strongly influences when greying begins, which is why some people notice white hairs in their twenties while others retain much of their colour for decades longer. Ageing affects pigment-producing cells and the stem cells that help replenish them, reducing the follicle’s ability to colour new hair. Hair growth can continue throughout this process, so loss of pigment does not necessarily mean the follicle is producing a weaker or thinner strand.

Where nutrients fit into the picture

Copper participates directly in pigment production through tyrosinase, an enzyme needed to make melanin. B12 and folate support normal cell production, and studies of people with premature greying have found associations with lower levels of these nutrients. These findings give researchers reasons to investigate nutritional contributions, but they do not establish that taking extra vitamins will restore colour in someone whose intake is already adequate.

Unusually early or rapidly developing greying may justify looking for a treatable underlying problem, particularly when other symptoms suggest a deficiency or thyroid disorder. Correcting an identified problem supports normal follicle function, but ordinary age-related greying cannot currently be reliably prevented or reversed with nutritional supplements. The distinction matters when assessing products that promise to “restore your natural colour”.

Fading along the lengths of hair

Hair that grows with its usual colour but becomes lighter towards the ends is undergoing a different process. Sunlight and chemical treatments can alter pigment in the existing strand, so older lengths may appear paler or duller than newer growth. Protecting those lengths from further damage can help preserve their appearance, while a change in the colour emerging at the roots points to a change in pigment production within the follicle.

Summary: What could be behind your hair changes?

What could be leaving your hair short of nutrients?

This really hits at the reason we all want beautiful hair. It’s not just a case of being bombarded with hair-product advertising telling us that we should have a marvellous mane. There’s something deep inside us that knows great looking hair makes us look more appealing, more sexy, more like one of life’s winners. 

And there’s a real biological reason for that. Before modern medicine, we evolved an important survival instinct to want a mate in great health, since they would be more likely to look after us properly, to produce healthy children and not to give us any disease that’s contagious. For similar reasons, we’re also born with a deep instinct to see healthy people as more suited to leadership. 

Your hair is such an obvious barometer of general health. Sure, it’s not quite like a blood test result page hanging off your head! But if a nutritional deficiency persists, your hair will start showing the effects in the form of thinning, heavy shedding, snapping or lowing bounce. Ultimately, hair problems are a visual prompt telling you to look at your diet, lifestyle and general health, and evaluate whether there are problems you need to fix. 

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. A lot of hair issues can be addressed with lifestyle changes. Deeper seated health issues can often be addressed with nutritional supplements, even if they would be too difficult to rectify with food alone. 

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why your hair might be starving:

• If you are dieting (with or without GLP-1 inhibitors) or losing weight quickly, you may be getting less protein and fewer nutrients than your follicles need. Smaller portions and skipped meals can reduce your intake of iron, zinc, folate and other vitamins, particularly if you have cut out whole food groups. Rapid weight loss can also trigger shedding through changes in the hair cycle, making adequate nutrition especially important while you lose weight.

• If you eat the same limited range of foods most days, you could be missing nutrients despite getting plenty of calories. A diet with little fruit and vegetables may provide too little vitamin C or folate, while meals that regularly lack protein-rich foods can leave gaps in protein, iron or zinc. Convenience matters, but variety helps you cover more of your hair’s nutritional needs.

• If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you need reliable replacements for the nutrients supplied by the foods you exclude. B12 deserves particular attention: if you are vegan, fortified foods or a supplement provide a dependable source. Plant-based diets can also require more deliberate planning for iron, zinc, protein and omega-3 fats.

• If allergies, intolerances or digestive symptoms have led you to exclude several foods, check what has replaced them. Removing dairy products, eggs, fish, wheat or other major food sources can narrow your nutrient intake. The more restrictions you follow, the more useful it becomes to review the overall balance of your diet.

• If stress, depression, bereavement or illness has reduced your appetite, your nutrient intake may have fallen without you noticing. Smaller meals, missed lunches and losing interest in cooking can gradually reduce your supply of protein and micronutrients. Stress can also trigger shedding independently, so supporting your diet addresses one part of the problem.

• If shopping, cooking or eating has become difficult, maintaining good nutrition can take extra planning. Caring responsibilities, financial pressure, limited mobility, dental problems or difficulty swallowing can all make it harder to eat a varied diet. Practical help with meals and suitable nutritional support can make a substantial difference.

• If your periods are heavy or prolonged, you may be losing iron faster than you replace it. Iron stores can become depleted before obvious anaemia develops. This is particularly worth investigating if increased shedding comes with tiredness or reduced stamina, or if your periods have become heavier during perimenopause.

• If you are pregnant, your body needs more of several nutrients, including iron and folate. At the same time, nausea, vomiting and food aversions can make eating well unusually difficult. A supplement designed for pregnancy can help meet specific needs; a general hair formula should not automatically replace it.

• If you have recently given birth, you may still be replenishing nutrients used during pregnancy. Blood loss during delivery can further reduce iron stores, while disrupted meals can make recovery harder. Postpartum shedding is commonly caused by hormonal changes, but identifying and correcting a nutritional shortfall supports your recovery alongside the natural renewal of your hair.

• If you are breastfeeding, your requirements for several nutrients remain higher. Producing milk while coping with broken sleep and irregular meals can make meeting those needs challenging. Regular nourishing meals and appropriate supplementation can help you maintain your own nutritional intake during this demanding period.

• If you donate blood regularly, your iron stores may need attention. Each donation removes iron, and replenishing it can take time. If you also menstruate or eat little iron-rich food, a blood test can help establish whether supplementation would be useful.

• If you are going through menopause, consider the changes happening around it as well as the hormonal changes themselves. Heavier perimenopausal periods can deplete iron, while dieting or changes in appetite may reduce other nutrients. Menopause can affect hair growth even when your nutrition is good, so any supplement should address your actual needs; once periods stop, your iron requirements generally fall.

• As you get older, you may absorb less B12 from food even if your diet has barely changed. Changes in the stomach can make it harder to release food-bound B12, while a smaller appetite can reduce your overall nutrient intake. Spending less time outdoors may also leave you with less vitamin D.

• If you take acid-suppressing medicines such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, you may absorb less B12 and other nutrients from your food. These proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, reduce stomach acid, which helps release B12 during digestion. With long-term use, it can be worth discussing your B12 status with your pharmacist or GP.

• If you take metformin, your B12 levels can fall over time. The risk increases with higher doses and longer treatment, particularly if you already have another reason for low B12. Checking your levels can identify whether you need replacement while continuing your prescribed medicine.

• If you take certain anticonvulsants, sulfasalazine or methotrexate, your folate needs may require specific attention. These medicines can affect folate absorption or metabolism, and supplementation needs to fit your treatment. Your prescriber can advise on the appropriate form, amount and timing.

• If you have coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease or another condition that causes malabsorption, eating enough may not guarantee that you absorb enough. Iron, B12, folate and zinc can be affected, depending on the condition and the area of the digestive tract involved. Identifying the specific shortfalls allows supplementation to be targeted.

• If you have had weight-loss surgery or surgery involving your stomach or bowel, you may need ongoing nutritional support. Smaller food intake and changes in absorption can affect several nutrients at once. Your recommended monitoring and supplement programme help protect against deficiencies as your weight and eating habits change.

• If you have autoimmune gastritis or pernicious anaemia, B12 absorption can be impaired despite a good diet. In this situation, the route and dose of replacement matter. An appropriate B12 treatment plan addresses an absorption problem that simply eating more B12-rich foods may not overcome.

• If you regularly drink heavily, alcohol can affect both what you eat and how your body handles nutrients. It may displace nutritious meals and interfere with absorption and metabolism, with folate and zinc among the nutrients that can become depleted. Reducing alcohol intake and rebuilding a varied diet help address the causes of those shortfalls.

• If you smoke, your vitamin C requirements are higher. Smoking increases oxidative stress, and smokers tend to have lower vitamin C levels. Ensuring an adequate intake supports the body’s antioxidant defences and helps with the absorption of iron from plant foods. This established finding relates to smoking; vaping has not been shown to cause the same nutritional shortfalls.

• If you spend most of your time indoors, you may produce too little vitamin D. Being housebound or covering most of your skin reduces sunlight exposure, while darker skin produces less vitamin D from the same exposure. In the UK, autumn and winter sunlight is also insufficient for reliable vitamin D production, which is why a daily supplement is recommended for consideration during those months.

Ok, now let’s go through what feeds your hair, nutrient by nutrient. 

Feed your follicles: the nutrients that support healthy hair

Every growing follicle needs a steady supply of nutrients to produce new cells, build keratin and maintain the processes that keep hair growing. A well-chosen supplement provides a convenient way to improve that supply when your diet falls short, and clinical research has also recorded improvements in hair density, shedding and strand strength with particular supplement formulations. The most useful choice depends on what has changed about your hair and which ingredients, forms and amounts have evidence behind them.

Protein and amino acids: supplying the material your hair is made from

Your hair is made largely of keratin, a protein your body builds from amino acids. Cysteine helps form the strong bonds that hold the hair’s structure together, while methionine can contribute to your body’s supply of cysteine. If you eat too little protein, particularly while dieting or losing weight quickly, you may struggle to supply the materials needed to maintain normal hair growth.

Make sure your meals regularly include protein-rich foods such as eggs, fish, meat, dairy products, soya, beans or lentils. Amino acids also feature in hair supplements: a six-month clinical trial found that a formula containing L-cystine, botanical extracts, vitamins and minerals improved hair density and overall volume compared with placebo. The results support that combination of ingredients, which supplied several forms of support in one daily capsule.

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Iron: addresses a shortage that can accompany shedding

Iron supports oxygen transport and the activity of rapidly dividing cells. Low iron stores will have a bad effect on your hair over time, and this problem is especially common in women with heavy periods, vegans and vegetarians, and people with low dietary iron intake for other reasons. If you are prone to iron deficiency, food alone may not be enough to replenish depleted stores. 

If you are seeing hair changes occur alongside tiredness, breathlessness or reduced stamina, see your GP to discuss symptoms and consider a blood test. If you are anaemic, you may need prescription strength iron. 

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Zinc: helps your follicles build new hair

Zinc supports cell division and protein production, allowing your follicles to produce the cells and keratin needed for growing hair. A deficiency can cause hair loss, and you are more likely to fall short if your diet is restrictive or you have a digestive condition that affects absorption. Zinc from plant foods is also less readily absorbed, so vegans and vegetarians need to plan their sources carefully.

Meat, shellfish, dairy products, beans, nuts and seeds all supply zinc, and a supplement can help if your intake is consistently low. Choose a balanced amount rather than combining several high-dose products, because too much zinc over time can reduce copper absorption and create another nutritional problem.

Selenium: maintains healthy hair and protecting cells

Selenium helps maintain normal hair and is used to make proteins involved in protecting cells from oxidative damage. It also supports thyroid hormone metabolism, which matters because thyroid disorders can disrupt the hair growth cycle. Its contribution to normal hair maintenance has been recognised in an EFSA scientific assessment, giving it a clear purpose in a hair supplement.

Fish, meat, eggs and other foods supply selenium, but the amount in plant foods varies with the soil in which they were grown. A supplement provides a consistent, measured dose when your diet does not supply enough. Check the total if you take several supplements, because excessive selenium can itself cause brittle hair and shedding.

Biotin: supports the metabolism that healthy hair depends on

Biotin, or vitamin B7, helps your body process fats, carbohydrates and amino acids. A deficiency can cause thinning hair, so getting enough supports the metabolic processes behind normal growth. Deficiency is uncommon, but it can occur in certain medical conditions or after prolonged inadequate nutrition.

Biotin can be a useful part of a balanced hair formula, especially when it helps correct a shortfall. A very high dose is not a guarantee of better growth if you already have enough, so look at the whole formulation when choosing a product. If you have a blood test booked, tell your GP or the person taking the sample that you use biotin, as high doses can interfere with some results.

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Vitamin B12 and folate: support the production of new cells

Your follicles need to produce new cells continually while your hair grows, and B12 and folate support the DNA synthesis that makes this possible. Both also help your body produce normal red blood cells. You may be short of B12 if you follow a vegan diet, take metformin or acid-suppressing medicines, or have difficulty absorbing it. Low folate intake is more likely if you eat few vegetables, beans and lentils, or regularly drink heavily.

Supplements can provide a reliable supply when your diet falls short, although an absorption problem may need a specific treatment plan. If hair changes occur alongside persistent tiredness, a sore tongue, tingling or numbness, see your GP to discuss your symptoms and whether testing is needed. B12 and folate deficiencies are treatable, and identifying which nutrient is missing helps you get the right replacement.

Vitamin D: helps regulate follicle activity

Vitamin D takes part in the signalling that regulates hair follicle activity, and studies have found low levels in people with several forms of hair loss. You are more likely to have low vitamin D if you spend little time outdoors, cover most of your skin or have darker skin. In the UK, autumn and winter sunlight is also insufficient for reliable vitamin D production.

A supplement is a practical way to maintain your supply during those months, and some people need one throughout the year. Correcting low vitamin D supports normal body function, including the processes in which it participates within the follicle. Research is still establishing how much supplementation improves particular hair-loss conditions, so the clearest reason to take it is to meet your needs and correct a shortfall.

Vitamin C: helps you get more iron from your food

Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant foods, including beans, lentils and leafy vegetables. This makes it especially useful if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, or eat little meat. Adding peppers, citrus fruit or another vitamin-C-rich food to an iron-containing meal helps your body absorb more of that iron.

Vitamin C also supports collagen production and helps protect cells from oxidative damage. You may need to pay more attention to your intake if you eat little fruit and vegetables or smoke, because smoking increases vitamin C requirements. A supplement can help close that gap and complements a diet supplying enough iron.

Copper: helps your hair produce its natural pigment

Copper is needed by tyrosinase, an enzyme your follicles use to make melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its colour. Getting enough copper therefore supports normal pigment production. Shellfish, nuts, seeds and wholegrains all contribute to your intake, while a balanced supplement can help if your diet supplies too little.

Copper deficiency can develop when absorption is impaired or when high-dose zinc is taken for a long time. If you take zinc regularly, check the amount and whether your overall diet or supplement routine also supplies copper. Maintaining adequate copper supports normal pigmentation, although taking extra has not been shown to reverse ordinary age-related greying.

Omega-3 and omega-6: promising results for fuller hair

Omega-3 and omega-6 fats form part of cell membranes and support normal cell function. If you rarely eat oily fish, your intake of the long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA may be low. Fish oil or an appropriate algae-based supplement can provide these fats consistently, while nuts, seeds and vegetable oils supply other essential fatty acids.

Hair research has produced encouraging results with fatty acids combined with antioxidants. In a six-month study involving 120 women, the tested combination improved hair density and reduced the proportion of resting hairs compared with the control group. Almost 90% of women taking it reported less hair loss, and around 87% reported improved density. These results show the potential of the combination studied to improve both measured hair growth and the changes women notice themselves.

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Silicon: supporting thicker, stronger strands

If your hair is naturally fine or feels fragile, silicon is worth looking at because a particular form has been studied for its effects on strand thickness and strength. In a nine-month placebo-controlled trial involving 48 women with fine hair, choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid helped preserve the hair’s mechanical strength and elasticity. Researchers also recorded an increase in the cross-sectional area of strands in the supplemented group.

These findings give that form of silicon a positive place in the discussion of hair quality. Check the ingredient on the label, because the study tested choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid specifically; a product described simply as “silica” may contain a different preparation.

Vitamin E: antioxidant support with encouraging hair research

Vitamin E helps protect cells from oxidative damage and occurs in several forms, including tocopherols and tocotrienols. Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils supply vitamin E, although people with conditions that impair fat absorption can struggle to absorb enough.

Tocotrienols have also produced promising results in a small placebo-controlled hair study. After eight months, the supplemented group recorded an average 34.5% increase in hair count within the measured scalp area, while the placebo group remained essentially unchanged. The result supports further interest in this particular form of vitamin E, so check which form a supplement provides when comparing it with the research.

Vitamin A: supports normal cell growth

Vitamin A supports normal cell growth and differentiation, the process through which cells develop their specialised functions. Eggs and dairy products supply preformed vitamin A, while carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy green vegetables provide carotenoids that your body can convert into it. A varied diet usually provides enough, although conditions affecting fat absorption can increase the risk of deficiency.

The amount matters because excessive preformed vitamin A can cause hair loss. If you take a multivitamin, cod liver oil or several beauty supplements, check for overlapping vitamin A before adding another product. Eating enough vitamin A is good, but too much can do harm instead. For everyday use in the UK, the NHS advises keeping your total vitamin A intake from food and supplements to no more than 1,500 micrograms (1.5 mg) a day. This is particularly important after menopause and for older men because prolonged high intake may increase fracture risk. It is a total-intake limit, not a recommended supplement dose. 

Summary Table: What to Feed your Hair

VitaBright Marine Collagen Complex for Hair

This formula brings together a long list of vitamins and minerals that your hair needs to keep it looking great. In one convenient supplement you get zinc and biotin, alongside copper for normal pigmentation, vitamins C, E and B2, marine collagen and hyaluronic acid. It helps you top up several nutrients without buying each separately. 

It is designed to complement a varied diet, rather than supply every hair nutrient on its own. Remember that healthy eating and healthy living are the foundations, not an optional extra!

Some people may benefit from more targeted support alongside it. 

• Iron is worth investigating if you have heavy periods or notice increased shedding alongside tiredness, breathlessness or reduced stamina; a blood test can establish whether you need it. 

• Vitamin B12 deserves attention if you follow a vegan diet, take metformin or long-term acid-suppressing medicines, or experience persistent fatigue, tingling or numbness. These symptoms should prompt a conversation with your GP rather than a guess about which supplement to buy.

• Vitamin D is another addition to consider, particularly during autumn and winter or throughout the year if you get little sunlight. 

• If you rarely eat oily fish, an omega-3 supplement can help supply EPA and DHA. 

• Finally, if dieting or poor appetite means you eat little protein, focus on increasing protein-rich foods or consider a protein supplement: the collagen in this formula is a top up, not enough to replace your daily protein needs.

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Marine Kollagen Kapseln

• Der ultimative Schönheitskomplex für nachweisbare Ergebnisse: hydrolysiertes Meereskollagen (2000 Dalton) für eine optimale Aufnahme und Hyaluronsäure für einen zusätzlichen Schub

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Give your new hair time to grow

The results of supporting hair with nutrition are very encouraging! Nutritional support works on a biological process that unfolds over months. At an average growth rate of around one centimetre a month, three months produces only a few centimetres of new length, and those strands need longer to contribute to a substantial ponytail or fuller ends. A reduction in excessive shedding may become noticeable before a visible improvement in overall volume.

In a six-month, placebo-controlled study involving 80 people with pattern hair loss or chronic telogen effluvium, a supplement combining L-cystine, botanical extracts, vitamins and micronutrients increased hair density by an average of 12.3 hairs per square centimetre from baseline. The improvement was "statistically significant" compared with placebo - in other words, it made a worthwhile difference, not just a tiny one - and researchers also recorded better overall hair volume. These findings demonstrate what the tested combination achieved and give a practical reason to look closely at the formulation when choosing a supplement.

The clinical studies discussed above measured changes over periods ranging from 3 to 9 months. That gives a more useful perspective than judging a supplement after a single bottle is finished. Monthly photographs of your parting and hairline, taken in the same lighting and position, may help you track gradual changes that are hard to spot from day to day.

If shedding persists, your hairline continues to recede or your scalp becomes sore or inflamed, an assessment can identify whether you also need treatment for an underlying condition. Begin by asking your hairdresser or barber for advice, and for an honest opinion on whether to see your doctor. Finding the cause helps you choose nutritional support more intelligently and gives you the best chance of addressing all the factors affecting your hair.

If you wish you had started taking a hair supplement 9 months ago, remember that your next stretch of hair is being made right now. Regular protein-rich meals, a well-chosen supplement that meets your needs and gentle care of your existing hair lengths are practical steps you can begin today for better hair in the future.