Don’t know where to turn in the vast world of supplementation? Well, experts say these seven nutritional ingredients (peptides, nutrients, etc.) have strong, sound research to support their role in healthy hair growth.* One way of the best ways to get more amino acids in your diet is through collagen.* It is the most abundant protein in your body that can strengthen hair and buffer against hair follicle damage.* “As collagen is digested by your gut, it is broken down into its individual amino acids that circulate throughout the body,” Zeichner says. Those amino acids can then be turned into keratin to form healthy hair at the follicle.* Biotin is thought to support healthy hair growth because it is involved in the production of keratin1, the main component of hair.* In one small study, women reported hair growth when supplementing with biotin (as part of a multi-ingredient supplement) when compared to those given a placebo.* Additionally, biotin is a common addition to other hair and beauty supplements, such as collagen. “Silicon supplements have been shown3 to promote hair strength, brightness, and thickness and decrease hair breakage,” says California-based holistic dermatologist Cynthia Bailey, M.D., a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology.* While it’s not entirely clear why this can happen, Bailey says that one theory is that it may interact with keratin, the protein found naturally in hair, which gives hair its structure.* Keep in mind that it can take a little time for vitamin E to work on your hair: In Bailey’s experience, it takes a week for the vitamin to help balance the sebum and oily secretions that help keep your hair and skin moisturized.* In the meantime, look for hair products with the vitamin along with supplementation, because “when applied topically, vitamin E helps produce collagen and healthier skin cells for your scalp,” Reslan adds. In the beauty realm, Zeichner says, some research suggests5 that omega-3 fatty acids can support your skin and hair health when they’re taken along with other antioxidant supplements.*
