An A-Z Guide To The Ingredients In Hair Vitamins

Popping a daily hair vitamin is our favourite hack for hair that grows longer, thicker, and glossier, and the before and after’s are testament to the fact that hair growth vitamins and supplements really do work. But the one question we always get asked is how do hair vitamins actually work? The answer is in the ingredients. Whether taken as a dissolvable powder or a chewy sweet, the majority of the hair vitamins all contain a cocktail of the below vitamins and minerals – everything you need for healthy hair and scalp. 

From biotin to zinc, here’s everything you need to know about the key ingredients in your hair vitamins. 

One of the most popular vitamins for hair health, biotin triggers the production of fatty acids which help to keep the scalp healthy – it can help to prevent flakiness, dandruff, and eczema. Healthy scalp = healthy hair. 

Folic acid helps to support healthy cortisol levels – which is essential to maintaining the hair growth cycle. When we’re stressed and cortisol levels are high this keeps hair in the shedding stage of the hair cycle and prevents it from entering the growth phase. 

Also known as vitamin B5, pantothenic acid supports hair’s natural keratin production in order to stimulate hair growth. It can really help to get hair back on track if you’ve experienced hair loss or breakage. 

Vitamin A stimulates blood’s oxygen circulation, helping to deliver vital nutrients that your hair needs to grow longer, faster, and thicker. It also has antioxidant and moisturising properties that can help to prevent shedding and a dry scalp. 

By helping to stimulate new cell production and deliver nutrients to the scalp, vitamin B6 helps hair follicles to produce healthier hair. What’s more, when combined with zinc (see below!) it can also help to prevent hair loss. 

Hair cells are some of the fastest growing cells in the body but are also amongst the first to suffer if there’s imbalance in the body – since they’re not essential. Vitamin B12 is a vital part of the production of new hair cells as it keeps red blood cells, which carry oxygen to your cells, healthy. 

As any skincare obsessives will know, vitamin C helps the body to produce collagen, which helps hair to grow strong and healthy from the inside out. Its antioxidant benefits also help to protect the scalp from free radical damage that can cause hair loss over time. 

Like vitamin B12, vitamin D also plays a role in the creation of new hair follicles. New follicles help hair to feel and appear thick and prevents existing hair from falling out prematurely. 

Thanks to its antioxidant properties, vitamin E helps to support a healthy scalp in order to maintain hair growth, while reducing the oxidative stress and free radical damage that can cause hair follicle cells on the scalp to break down. 

Zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, so this is an important one to ensure you’re getting the right dose of. It plays an important role in hair tissue growth and repair and keeps the oil glands on the scalp functioning properly.