The 20 Best Supplements For Hair Growth, According To Dermatologists (2024)

Thinning hair is something almost everyone will go through at some point, no matter how luscious and full your locks have always been. And, for the most part, you can chalk all of this up to genes.

"At a certain point, our hair begins to thin,” explains Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine. "This can happen early during the teen years or twenties, but mostly occurs in our late thirties.” And much like spotting gray hairs—if it happened to your parents at a certain age, it'll probably happen to you at around the same time.

Meet the experts: Mona Gohara, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and associate clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Debra Jaliman, MD is a dermatologist based in New York City. Erin Palinsky-Wade, RD is a registered dietitian and author of Walking The Weight Off For Dummies. Hope Mitchell, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Perrysburg, OH. Nianda Reid, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Doylestown, PA. Oma Agbai, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Sacramento, CA and health sciences clinical professor at The University of California, Davis department of dermatology. Noelani González, MD is a dermatologist at Mount Sinai in New York City. Vandana Sheth, RDN is a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.

Your hair can also start thinning due to a handful of other reasons like stress, tension on your scalp, and disease, to name a few. One of the other most notorious culprits for hair loss, though? Vitamin deficiencies. Luckily, there are tons of vitamins and hair growth supplements on the market that can help. Here, picks that have been pre-screened by our pros.

Biotin is well-known for being able to support hair health and growth, which is why you can't wrong with taking the supplement at least once a day. “Biotin (a form of vitamin B) is important for the energy production that many enzymes need,” New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD says.

A social media celebrity of sorts, these vitamins are great for your hair and scalp. They're packed with vitamin A, which decreases oil production, vitamin D, which helps prevent shedding, and vitamin B12, which keeps the scalp and follicles nourishes in order to retain growth.

These gummy vitamins feature an all-star blend of vitamins A and C, as well as biotin and zinc to support all of your beauty needs—including healthy hair growth. The chewables boast a sweet strawberry flavor that's easy to stomach, too.

Dr. Gohara's a fan of Nutrafol, because it's chock-full of antioxidants, including resveratrol, collagen [the primary building block of hair], curcumin, Vitamin E, and kelp. "This combo of antioxidants and vitamins helps to reduce the hormone DHT, which is responsible for hair follicle shrinkage and thinning," she says. Plus, it wards off environmental damage that can put your locks through the wringer.

Like Nutrafol, Viviscal is backed by peer reviews from dermatologists and clinical studies, says Dr. González. Its blend of ingredients (vitamin C, flax seed extract, and zinc, to name a few) help hair remain in its growth phase, called anagen.

Somehow, some way, it's always easier to remember to take gummies than tablets. And these gummies are packed with bennies. "They combine B vitamins with zinc, folic acid, and biotin," says Dr. Gohara. Plus, "this is a vegan product that can benefit those who are deficient in these particular nutrients."

"The addition of blood orange to this liquid supplement provides a boost of vitamin C, along with a delicious and refreshing citrus flavor that you can enjoy alone or mixed into a beverage like a smoothie," says Erin Palinsky-Wade, RD, a registered dietitian and author. In addition to tasting good, it's also made with silica, "which supports the body’s ability to produce collagen and maintain glossy, strong hair, along with radiant skin," she adds. When it comes to strong strands, collagen is a must, and the right vitamins can help increase production. The body uses the amino acids it's packing to build hair proteins and strengthen strands at the root while protecting the follicle from damage.

If an iron deficiency is the reason your locks aren't looking as good as they used to, this is the supp for you, says Palinksy-Wade, who explains that it's packing a ton. Tricho is also loaded with biotin and amino acids like lysine. "Improving your nutritional intake of these nutrients may protect against hair loss and support hair growth and strength," Palinksy-Wade adds.

With biotin, vitamin C, and folic acid, these gummies (that you've probably seen all over Instagram) might just be what your hair is missing. Plus, this supplement can act as a multivitamin, says Palinksy-Wade.

"This great formulation promotes hair growth through a balanced ingredient list which also contains a DHT blocker," says Hope Mitchell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Perrysburg. DHT is the hormone responsible for hair thinning. It shrinks hair follicles and shortens the hair growth cycle, Dr. Mitchell explains. So, by blocking it, you can help "prevent thinning and promote follicular growth," she adds.

Dr. Mitchell is also a fan of the Elon Matrix Complete formula. "It can serve as a multivitamin," she says. Plus, it's made with vitamins B3 and E, which are major game changers when it comes to increasing blood flow in the scalp. They create the optimal environment for nutrients to make their way to the hair follicle and decrease stress on the strands themselves.

Ritual's ingredients, which include vitamin E, boron, vitamin D3, magnesium, omega-3, iron, vitamin K2, vitamin B12, and folate, "efficiently and effectively address hormone and mineral deficiencies along with inflammation that can lead to disease states that stress the body and cause many problems, including hair loss," Dr. Mitchell says. And since it's formulated for women over the age of 50, Dr. Mitchell says the vitamin also supports healthy aging all-around in postmenopausal women.

In addition to the biotin, vitamin C, and vitamin E this grapefruit-flavored supplement's packing, it's also loaded up with keratin—the protective and structural protein that keeps skin, hair, and nails looking their best, says Nianda Reid, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Doylestown. "Patients also like that it’s available in a chewy, tasty gummy vitamin which makes for improved compliance," she adds.

Dr. Reid includes Hair Hero among her top picks because its formula contains zinc and iron, which are biggies for hair. Meanwhile, its doses of collagen and vitamins A, B, C are putting in work too. These vitamins and proteins protect the shafts of each strand and improve strength and volume.

HairAnew's vegan formula contains biotin, vitamin B, vitamin C, and zinc. "These boost its ability to nourish the hair follicles," explains Dr. Reid. "I like it for my patients with sensitivities, as HairAnew is sugar-free and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives."

This is another favorite among dermatologists because the combo of keratin, flaxseed, biotin, and zinc optimizes scalp health, says Dr. Reid. And a healthy scalp makes for happy hair follicles and thick hair shafts—and ups the survival rate of your strands.

Movita is totally organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and allergen-free—and packed with superfoods including maca root and hemp seeds, says Dr. Reid. The pill contains Q10, "a coenzyme that's been shown to stimulate the expression of different hair keratin proteins, thereby promoting hair growth," she adds. Plus, the turmeric powder inside is a biggie add-in for its anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant effects.

If you've tried meditation, better sleep, and exercise routines and your stress levels are still sky-high, Palinksy-Wade recommends the Phytophanère supplement. "In addition to providing a good source of biotin and vitamin C to promote hair growth, this supplement also provides essential fatty acids that may help to strengthen hair while reducing stress-induced inflammation, which could accelerate hair loss," she says.

Containing an array of ingredients used in Ayurvedic medicine, experts like Manish Shah, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon, say this natural, vegan hair vitamin is a must-have. It doesn't contain any fillers, only pure, herbal ingredients like kelp, licorice root and a whopping 1,000+ times the daily recommended value of biotin. You do have to take these vitamins twice per day, but on the upside, the brand says you'll have no trouble doing so on an empty stomach.