Can diet help against baldness?
A trichologist and nutritionists explain the relationship between diet and hair health – and which foods can help with certain cases of hair loss
If you’re feeling abandoned by your hair, you’re not alone. Over 80% of men and almost half of women experience significant hair loss in their lifetime, with thinning or balding often starting before middle age.
What we typically think of as baldness (known as male and female pattern baldness) is largely genetic. It’s often maternally inherited, because our androgen receptor genes – which influence genetic hair loss – are located on X chromosomes. Everyone gets one set of X chromosomes from their mother, and females get a second set from their father. So, if you have male pattern baldness, the credit goes to your mother’s line – and if you have female pattern baldness, you might have either parent to thank. X marks the bald spot.
Other types of hair loss, including a common kind called telogen effluvium, are often influenced by what we eat. It’s important to understand the cause of your hair loss (which usually requires diagnosis by a trichologist) before you can know whether a dietary change could reduce the issue.
We spoke to a trichologist and nutritionists to learn how diet interacts with hair loss, which foods could help alleviate the issue in specific cases, and how you can easily tweak your diet for better hair health overall.
What can cause hair loss?
People lose hair for various reasons, as certified trichologist and CliniHair founder, Marta Teixeira, explains:
● Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), commonly referred to as male or female pattern baldness, is characterised by a progressive thinning of hair follicles, leading to hair loss. This condition is primarily driven by genetic factors and the influence of hormones including DHT (dihydrotestosterone).
● Telogen effluvium (TE), also known as diffuse hair loss, is characterised by a diffuse shedding of hair due to a disruption in the hair growth cycle. It can be triggered by various factors, including physical or emotional stress, major illness, hormonal changes, medication and nutritional deficiencies.
● Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder that leads to non-scarring hair loss, often presenting as well-defined patches on the scalp or other hair-bearing areas. It is believed to involve a complex interplay of genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers, such as stress or viral infections.
● Scarring alopecias, such as lichen planopilaris and frontal fibrosing alopecia, involve inflammation that leads to the destruction of hair follicles and permanent hair loss. These conditions are less common but can be particularly distressing due to their irreversible nature.
According to Teixeira, nutritional factors can also play a crucial role in hair health and the prevention of hair loss. “A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is essential for preventing hair loss and promoting overall hair health,” she says.
The best nutrients for hair loss
Iron
Upping your intake of certain nutrients may limit your hair loss, especially if a deficiency is contributing to the issue. For example, iron deficiency has been linked to telogen effluvium – and those with low iron might be able to combat their diffuse hair loss by increasing their iron intake, as directed by their GP.
“Iron deficiency anaemia is a well-recognised cause of hair loss, as iron is essential for the proper functioning of hair follicles,” Teixeira notes.
Good sources of iron include liver, beef, lamb, spinach and kidney beans.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency has been linked to AGA and TE hair loss, so getting your RDA of this nutrient could do some good for your hair (and for your immune function).
“It’s found in many foodstuffs, particularly shellfish, and tends to be better absorbed from animal-based sources,” says Holly Dunn, a registered nutritionist and member of the Nutritionist Resource network.
“The most concentrated source is oysters, which have zinc levels well above any other food. If you don’t eat meat and fish, the most concentrated source is pumpkin seeds.”
Vitamin D
Vitamin D regulates hormones related to hair growth and has been established as playing a role in the hair growth cycle.
“It’s difficult to get this vitamin in your diet, but oily fish is a natural source, and the plant form (vitamin D-2) is found in mushrooms,” says Dunn.
“Between October and March we should all be taking at least 400 IU per day of Vitamin D in supplement form. Your exact dosage will depend on factors including your age, skin colour and body weight, but most people will need a higher intake, up to 2,000 IU daily.”
Easy diet tweaks for healthy hair
1. Give your hair energy
“Hair cells are the second-fastest-growing cells in the body, so they are energy-intensive,” says Dunn. “Sufficient energy intake from proteins, carbohydrates and fats is essential to hair health. With low-energy diets, crash diets or a sudden energy intake change, the body prioritises essential functions over hair growth.”
So, eating enough, and eating well, is a simple step you can take to look after your hair health.
Energy-boosting foods include slow-release carbs such as wholegrains, and the healthy fats found in foods like nuts, seeds and avocados.
Read our guide: How to eat to feel more energetic
2. Help your body absorb hair-healthy nutrients
Successful absorption of nutrients that help with hair health is dependent on a healthy gut.
“A good, healthy digestive tract helps absorb nutrients and blocks out things that shouldn’t cross over, whereas an imbalance can cause inflammation that affects other parts of the body, including hair,” says Claire Barnes of The Happy Nutrition Co., a certified nutritionist and Nutritionist Resource member.
“Diversity in your diet is the main thing for gut health. In particular, your gut bacteria are fed by things like fruit, veg, grains, legumes and pulses,” says Barnes.
“Fermented foods including sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kombucha contain probiotics, so they increase the level of good bacteria in the gut. The bacteria increase acidity as they go through, improving the gut lining and reducing inflammation.”
3. Make sure you’re getting enough protein
“Protein performs a crucial role in creating hair structure, and a low intake can cause hair loss,” says Dunn.
“In the UK, most people get enough protein, but the official RDA of 0.75 grams per kilogram of your body weight is very low. The World Health Organization guidance is higher, and most dieticians think that for optimal health you need 1-1.2 grams. If you’re really active, I’d recommend a higher intake, rising to 1.8-2 grams for athletes,” she says.
Barnes adds: “The hair shaft is mostly made of the protein keratin. We can’t absorb keratin itself, but we can eat the amino acids that may be built into it. Try to eat plenty of good-quality proteins, particularly ones containing cysteine, which you can get from chicken, beef, eggs and wholegrains,” she says.
Check out our high-protein recipes.
How important is diet to hair health?
A healthy, balanced intake of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals plays a role in promoting good hair health. But, while diet undoubtedly makes a difference to your hair, it’s not the whole story.
“Despite the established link between dietary factors and hair loss, there are often other factors involved,” says Teixeira.
“Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to hair loss, but they can also interact with genetic and environmental factors. Diet is significant, but it should be viewed as part of a wider set of influences.”
Some people with hair loss use dietary supplements such as biotin and pumpkin seed oil in an attempt to reverse or alleviate the condition. Again, Teixeira urges caution: “There’s a lot of marketing around supplements, and while they may seem like an easy solution, they are often a strategy to target consumers suffering from hair loss rather than a clinically proven treatment,” she says. “The best approach is to see a qualified clinical trichologist or dermatologist who can assess your case and determine whether nutritional support is necessary.”
With that said, if you are very keen to try a supplement that may help with androgenetic alopecia hair loss – and you do not wish to take a medication such as finasteride or minoxidil – then you’ll find that some options have a stronger basis in research than others.
“Regarding supplements, people are always looking for that magical answer, because our hair is part of our identity,” says Dunn. “If you’re going down that route, you could look into saw palmetto. It’s a botanical extract with anti-androgenic properties, and it’s backed by a systematic review that showed improvement in hair quality, count and density.”
Stress is another hair loss factor that we have some degree of control over, linked particularly to telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.
“You can try making lifestyle changes to reduce stress, as well as adding in antioxidants, containing Vitamins C and E, and selenium which is found in fruit, veg and especially Brazil nuts,” says Barnes.
Before taking any form or hair loss supplement or making a significant dietary change, check in with your healthcare provider. As we’ve seen, hair loss is diverse. If you’re concerned about your hair loss, it’s best to see a qualified expert such as a trichologist who can diagnose the cause. In cases where diet seems to be a key factor, you can work with a nutritionist to identify a dietary solution.
Further reading:
The best biotin supplements 2025 – for dry skin, hair loss and more
What to eat for healthy hair
Vitamins and minerals
What is bulking and how to build muscle healthily
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