12 Best Vitamins for Hair Growth, According to Dermatologists

Dr. Engelman favors this supplement to target hair thinning. “This uses highly concentrated botanicals to address every stage of the growth cycle,” she says, such as vitamin E, ashwagandha (a type of herb), anti-inflammatory biocurcumin, and others. “It has excellent clinical studies to support its efficacy. I recommend it daily to my patients.”

One peer-reviewed study (which was funded by Nutrafol) published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, found that women who said their hair was thinning reported improved growth and thickness after taking it for six months. The researchers also found an increase in hair density after three months.

This B vitamin is an ingredient in many different hair supplements—for good reason. “Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that supports the growth of hair, skin, and nails by helping to break down fats and carbohydrates,” says Dr. Engelman. Run low and you may notice your hair is weak, or you may start to lose it.

You can expect the vitamin to increase the speed of hair growth, but it won’t increase thickness, she says. However, it is far cheaper than other supplements, making it a good starting point. For one good biotin supplement, Debra Jaliman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and the author of Skin Rules, recommends Nature’s Bounty Biotin.

Enriched with biotin, vitamins C and E, as well as other must-have nutrients like zinc and folate, these gummies not only claim to improve the look and growth of hair, but reviewers rave about the noticeable difference it makes in brittle nails, too.“This stuff enhances my curl pattern and puts a stop to breakage and split ends and knots,” one happy Amazon reviewer wrote. “I’ve noticed that my hair is thicker and a little longer, too.”

Plus, these “beauty” gummies also contain vitamin A (what retinol is derived from) to help contribute to healthy skin. One small 2023 study found that oral supplementation of vitamin A combined with topical retinol application showed greater skin improvement than topical application alone. However, more research is needed on vitamin A for hair growth.

Biotin, zinc, B12, PABA, and folic acid are all packed into these adorable little chews. They’re vegan and free of synthetic colors and artificial sweeteners. The chews are clinically proven to result in improvements in hair growth. All you have to do is take two gummies a day and let the vitamins get to work.

“I have noticed my hair is stronger, and I lose way less each day during styling,” said one reviewer. “These little hair gummies not only taste amazing but actually WORK when it comes to helping my hair grow + strengthen my strands!” another wrote. “I’ve noticed a difference in my hair finally growing for first time in 10 years.”

Containing a marine complex, as well as biotin, zinc, vitamin C, iron, and horsetail extract, Viviscal “uses vitamins to extend the anagen (growth) phase of the hair growth cycle,” says Dr. Engelman. In a 2015 study published in Dermatology Research and Practice found that after 90 days, adult women taking Viviscal had an increase in hair volume and lost significantly fewer hairs after washing compared to a placebo.

“This works! My hair is growing way faster and my hair is falling less than it ever did,” one reviewer wrote. “Since taking Viviscal hair growth supplements for the past six weeks my hairline has filled in and I have inch-long hair growing throughout my hair on the top and along the sides of my head,” another added.

A good basic multivitamin can go a long way in encouraging hair growth, says Dr. Friedler. That’s because multis contain your mane needs: biotin, vitamins C and D, zinc, and iron. This one from Nature Made is well-priced, is USP-verified for safety, and is in a softgel form, making it easy to swallow.

“Lifesavers! It’s been about two months and my hair is definitely growing fuller and thicker, I feel less tired and fatigued (this I noticed within days), and overall my mood has been the best it’s been in months!” one reviewer wrote.

This supplement packs a range of B vitamins to help the body break down nutrients to nourish hair growth, plus zinc, antioxidant curcuminoids, and amino acids like L-cysteine. “Cystine (which is formed by two cysteine molecules) is an amino acid, which is a protein building block that helps to maintain the structure of proteins in the body—and is one of the most crucial amino acids for hair growth,” says Dr. Jaliman.

“After covid, I was having problems with the health of my hair, and losing it too. This product has restored my hair's thickness and gotten me back on track to healthy hair!” one reviewer wrote. “My hair was thinning and falling out after having three children so I thought I would try Keranique and my hair is thicker and longer and not falling out anymore!” another wrote.

Whether you’re pregnant or not (and even if you don’t intend to be!), your hair can benefit from a prenatal, says Suzanne Friedler, M.D., board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC and clinical instructor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in NYC. “A prenatal vitamin has the nutrients you need to support hair growth in high enough concentrations,” she says. Prenatals are specifically often packed with iron. “Many of my patients whose hair is thinning are missing iron,” she says. The beauty of this One A Day is that it contains biotin as well as iron—28 mg (156% of your daily need).

“I like these a lot. They make my skin and hair so healthy (I’m not pregnant.. I’m taking them in preparation) and I feel more energized when I take them regularly,” one reviewer wrote.

This supplement contains pea sprout extract to promote thicker hair and prevent shedding. Biotin helps speed growth, while the multivitamin complex protects your scalp, resulting in healthier and faster hair growth, per the brand. To top it off, you can refill you jar for a more sustainable packaging option.

One shopper who’s been using the product for about six months said, “[I] have had some new hair growth up around my temple area and my hair feels and looks thicker.” Another shopper added: “I was experiencing pretty severe postpartum hair loss and I saw amazing results after only 30 days of taking these supplements. The decreased shedding and regrowth were both pretty significant!”

Telogen effluvium (TE) is the medical term for when you shed more hair than normal. It often shows up a few months after a stressful event, like childbirth or significant psychological stress. That’s where vitamin D comes in. “The number one vitamin that’s not respected enough as a serious cause of hair not growing back in TE is a vitamin D deficiency,” says Sapna Palep, M.D., founder of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City.

Vitamin D is involved in the production of new hair follicles, so Dr. Palep recommends taking a hair growth vitamin (her pick is Nutrafol) and then supplementing with additional D. These berry flavored gummies from Nordic Naturals provide 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 (an easily absorbable form of vitamin D) in each serving.

People like Ritual’s multi because it’s vegan, GMO-free, and leaves out dyes and fillers. What’s more, this one is packed with nine specially chosen nutrients designed to fill common shortfalls while not giving you more than you need.

Most importantly for hair, it contains vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and iron (8 mg, which is 44% of your daily need), the two nutrients that Dr. Friedler flags as two of the more fairly common culprits of thinning. Conveniently, Ritual is a subscription vitamin service—so you never have to worry about running out (and you may be more likely to take them).

This supplement combines the practicality of a multivitamin with vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, plus ashwagandha and ginseng, adaptogenic herbs that help buffer your body’s stress response. Since stress is implicated in hair thinning and loss, these may help you hold onto the strands you have. Happy users say that they notice they lose less hair in the shower and benefit from noticeable hair regrowth.

“This multivitamin makes my hair stronger and overall healthier,” one reviewer wrote. “I’ve noticed my hair has decreased in breakage significantly since taking this consistently. This gives me all the nutrients that my diet is lacking to grow my hair! No more thinning and coarse texture.”