Key Points at a Glance
- On average, each of us has about five million hairs on our bodies and as many as 100,000 on our heads.
- A whole range of vitamins helps keep our hair healthy and supple.
- After all, hair is constantly exposed to harmful external factors.
- But vitamin B, in particular, is a real boon for your hair.
What puts a strain on our hair? There are several factors to consider in this regard. For example, the effects our environment has on us—including poor air quality in cities as well as UV radiation. Both of these make our hair dry and brittle. On top of that, we often wash our hair too frequently or in the wrong way. Improper care can lead to hair loss. However, the right B vitamins help keep our hair in good condition.
An unhealthy lifestyle puts stress on your hair
Using the wrong shampoos or unhealthy styling products takes a bigger toll on our hair than we’d like. However, dry, brittle hair is often caused by hormonal factors—or it can be the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. Nicotine and alcohol, for example, are also harmful to our hair, and on top of that, there’s the stress we often subject ourselves to.
An iron deficiency is also often the reason why our hair becomes brittle or even falls out. If we constantly feel tired and drained, that’s often a warning sign from our body that we’re iron deficient. Our hair is usually affected later on. But vitamin deficiency is harmful as well. If we don’t get enough of the vitamins our hair needs, the consequences are similar to those of iron deficiency, stress, alcohol, and nicotine: our hair becomes dry, brittle, and falls out.
Vitamins for Hair
To keep our hair healthy and help it grow (on average, 0.3 millimeters per day), it needs not only minerals like iron and zinc, but also many vitamins. In addition to the B-complex vitamins, which we’ll discuss in more detail below, these include, above all, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.
While vitamin A strengthens the hair, makes it supple, and promotes growth, vitamin C is more responsible for the scalp and its blood circulation. It also works together with iron to ensure healthy metabolism at the hair roots. Vitamin D ensures that the hair follicle cycle runs smoothly, and vitamin E not only strengthens the hair but also promotes hair growth and protects against UV rays.
The Right B Vitamins for Your Hair
Now let’s turn to the B vitamins. Vitamin B5 stands out in particular. It helps strengthen hair, ensures normal sebum production, regulates metabolism in the hair follicle, and helps prevent scalp inflammation. Vitamins B3 and B6 work in very similar ways. Incidentally, vitamin B5 has a precursor, D-panthenol, which is used in shampoos and strengthens the hair structure.
Vitamin B7 (also known as vitamin H or biotin) protects the hair and gives it a healthy shine, while preventing inflammation of the hair follicles and split ends. Vitamin B9 (folic acid) promotes hair regrowth by stimulating cell division.
