Around the age of 40, hair growth naturally begins to slow. New hair fails to replace lost strands as quickly, leading to a gradual decline in hair density. While aging and genetics play a significant role, factors such as nutrition and hormones also influence whether hair is replenished at a rate that sustains a full, healthy head of hair.

Many men and women may be able to improve hair health and slow down the thinning or loss of hair by using focused nutritional, antioxidant, and phytochemical dietary supplements for hair health.^1,2 

These strategies focus on improving the health of the dermal papilla, a key structure at the base of the hair follicle. Dermal papilla cells are the "command center" of hair follicles, relying on nutrients and antioxidants to support healthy hair growth. Improving the health of these cells is the real key to enhancing overall hair health.

Male And Female Pattern Hair Loss

While there are a variety of different reasons for hair loss, by far the most common are male and female pattern hair loss:^3,4

• Male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) typically begins with a receding hairline at the temples and thinning at the crown. Over time, these areas may expand and eventually meet, leading to partial or complete baldness. 
• Female pattern hair loss usually presents as a general thinning across the top of the scalp, often with widening of the part line. Unlike men, women rarely go completely bald. 

While it is well-known and visually obvious that many men experience male pattern hair loss by the time they are 50, it is less known that many women experience female pattern hair loss. Approximately 30% of women between the ages of 40 and 50 show some degree of female pattern hair loss, and by age 70, the number rises to over 50%. 

Although genetic and hormonal factors are clearly significant in both male and female pattern hair loss, there are important nutritional and lifestyle factors (e.g., obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption) to consider.^4-9

The Best Nutrients For Preventing Hair Loss

A deficiency of any number of nutrients can lead to impaired hair growth, thinning of the hair, and/or significant hair loss. B vitamins (especially vitamin B12, folate, thiamine, and biotin), vitamin A, D3, zinc, selenium, magnesium, silica, and iron are the most important.^5-8 

Typically, many men and women with noticeable generalized hair loss suffer from an apparent lack of sufficient intake for all these nutrients, any one of which can lead to thinning hair or acceleration of hair loss.

Taking a high potency, multiple vitamin and mineral formula designed specifically to supply these nutrients, along with additional antioxidant and phytochemical support, has been shown to be beneficial in promoting healthier hair growth in both male and female pattern hair loss.^10-12 

Specifically, studies show that nutritional supplementation can be effective in improving visible hair health, growth, volume, thickness, and fullness with less hair shedding in both men and women. 

Here’s a breakdown of the essential vitamins and minerals that play a vital role in supporting healthy hair, along with their specific benefits:^5-8

If you are looking for a comprehensive dietary supplement to provide targeted support for healthy hair growth, I recommend one containing the above ingredients.

How Iron Impacts Hair Loss

Iron deficiency can be a major factor in causing hair loss, especially in menstruating women. To determine iron levels in these women, a blood test called serum ferritin is recommended. 

There is a very strong association between low body iron stores and diffuse hair loss in women when serum ferritin levels are below 30 mg/L.^13-15 When serum ferritin levels fall below 30 mg/L, hair growth and regeneration are impaired as the body seeks to conserve the iron. Improvements in serum ferritin often correlate with improved health of the hair and the halting of excessive hair loss.

How Oxidative Stress Fuels Hair Loss

Both male and female pattern hair loss are primarily driven by genetics and hormonal influences (discussed below). However, oxidative stress, the accumulation of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the damage they produce, and nutritional antioxidant status play a significant amplifying role in these forms of hair loss.^8,16,17

• Hair follicle miniaturization: Oxidative stress damages cells within hair follicles, accelerating the shrinking of hair follicles in a process known as hair follicle miniaturization.
• Increased burden of old (senescent) cells: Inadequate replacement of old, senescent cells with new cells leads to increased susceptibility to hair follicle damage.
• Stem cell exhaustion: Hair follicle stem cells are responsible for creating new hair-producing cells. With oxidative stress, they can become depleted or “exhausted,
• Inflammation: ROS can activate inflammatory pathways (e.g., NF-κB), leading to inflammation around hair follicles, which further weakens their health.
• Reduced blood flow: Oxidative stress can impair the microcirculation to the hair follicle, thereby reducing oxygen and nutrient delivery to build hair.

Antioxidants neutralize ROS. And whether from diet, supplements, or topical applications, antioxidants can help interrupt this damaging cycle in several ways:^8,16-19

Top Antioxidants To Combat Hair Loss

Dietary antioxidant intake correlates with improved skin and scalp parameters in clinical research, suggesting a possible benefit for slowing hair thinning. 

Here are some of the dietary antioxidants that have been specifically studied for their role in protecting the scalp and hair follicles and promoting hair health^.7,8,16,18

• Vitamin C regenerates other antioxidants (like vitamin E) and supports collagen around hair follicles.
• Vitamin E is the primary fat-soluble antioxidant that protects follicle membranes from oxidative damage.
• Selenium is required for glutathione peroxidase, a major internal antioxidant defense system that is especially important in the skin and hair follicles.
• Zinc acts as an antioxidant, also supports immune function, and hormonal metabolism. 
• Polyphenols such as fisetin and extracts of green tea, apples, grape seed, and pine bark show specific antioxidant effects that may counter hormone-induced damage to hair follicles and stem cells.

The antioxidant fisetin has shown some interesting effects beneficial in supporting hair health in preclinical studies. In addition to reducing oxidative stress and inflammation around hair follicles, it has been shown to selectively remove damaged old cells to improve the regenerative environment around hair follicles, allowing hair follicle stem cells to maintain the hair growth cycle (anagen phase). Fisetin may also help balance the conversion of testosterone to DHT, as well as reduce the sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT damage in these preliminary studies.^18-21 

In addition, tocotrienols are important to mention. These compounds are members of the vitamin E family. Tocotrienols are similar to tocopherols, but with a slightly different chemical structure that makes them inactive in the functions of vitamin E, but more potent as antioxidants. Tocotrienols have shown a number of benefits to hair health beyond their antioxidant activity. For example, some research suggests tocotrienols can help maintain or prolong the growth phase of the hair cycle as well as improve the microcirculation to the hair follicle.²² 

These mechanisms may be responsible for the positive results in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.²³ In this 8-month trial, subjects were randomly selected to receive tocotrienol supplementation (100 mg mixed tocotrienols) or a placebo daily. Results showed that the tocotrienol group had a 34.5% increase in hair numbers compared to a slight decrease in the placebo group. Researchers attributed this effect primarily to the reduction of oxidative stress in the scalp environment.

Hormonal Considerations

In both male and female pattern hair loss, the chief hormonal aspect is the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The difference in women is that since testosterone levels are lower, so too is the level of DHT. In both men and women, it is not necessarily the level of testosterone and DHT in the blood but rather an increased sensitivity of hair follicles in the scalp to DHT. 

Declining estrogen and progesterone levels also play a role in female pattern hair loss. In general, estrogen supports scalp hair growth by prolonging the anagen phase (growth phase) of hair follicles. Estrogen and progesterone also counteract some of the effects of DHT on hair follicles. As a result, many women notice worsening of their hair thinning after menopause.

There are also a couple of other hormonal aspects that accelerate hair loss. Loss of sensitivity to insulin or insulin resistance and increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. While these two hormonal aspects do not cause male or female pattern hair loss directly, they do play a role in accelerating hair loss. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can also disrupt the hair growth cycle, leading to diffuse hair loss.

Botanical Support For Hormonal Metabolism

Perhaps the best-known herbal approach to male and female pattern hair loss is the fatty acid and sterol extract of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). This extract is also a popular recommendation for an aging prostate. As men age, even though testosterone levels drop, there is an increased conversion of testosterone to DHT. This conversion cannot only accelerate male pattern hair loss but also promote an enlarged prostate. 

Saw palmetto extract has shown some benefit in supporting prostate health and has also been shown to balance the action of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT. It also inhibits the transport of DHT to receptor sites on DNA. Saw palmetto extract is useful in reducing the effects of DHT in the scalp, as well as leading to improvements in hair health in both men and women. The active components of saw palmetto include beta-sitosterol, which has also shown beneficial effects on DHT metabolism and is often added to saw palmetto products to provide additional levels of this key compound.²⁴  

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study in 80 healthy male and female subjects between the ages of 18 to 50 years old those receiving an oral 400 mg dosage of saw palmetto extract (85% fatty acids and sterols) showed reduced hair fall by up to 29% and a  5.17% increase in hair density compared to baseline levels along with a significant reduction in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels compared to placebo.²⁵ However, there was no significant impact on new hair growth.

Perhaps superior to saw palmetto extract in promoting hair health, and specifically promoting new hair growth, is the combination of a black rice extract (Oryza sativa) and cactus flower extract (Opuntia cus indica). Earlier studies had shown that the cactus flower extract possessed more significant inhibition in the conversion of testosterone to DHT than saw palmetto extract while the extract of black rice is rich in polyphenol antioxidants known as anthocyanins that have shown an ability to enhance cells located at the base of the hair follicle that play a critical role in controlling hair growth. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 86 men with male pattern hair loss, the combination at a dosage of 250 mg per day produced significant benefits.²⁶ 

Results showed an increase of the total hair density of 9.5% at 6 months compared to 0.3% in the placebo group. The variation of the percentage of hair in the anagen (growth) phase was also increased significantly with this herbal approach, while also simultaneously reducing the telogen (resting) phase. 

Consequently, the ratio of the anagen to telogen phase was improved by 85.8% at 6 months, indicating a significant shift to new hair growth. The improvements were also maintained 1 month after supplementation was halted. These results showed quite clearly that this combination produces a significant benefit on hair health and supports hair growth.  

Lastly, rice ceramide supplementation may also be helpful. Rice ceramides are a source of a type of lipid (fat molecule) similar to the ceramides naturally found in the outer layers of the skin and scalp, including the hair cuticle (the outermost layer of the hair shaft). Ceramides are necessary to maintain healthy follicles and are also naturally incorporated into the hair shaft itself. Rice ceramides are highly absorbable when taken orally, and there is clinical evidence that rice ceramides are incorporated into the skin to promote improved hydration and skin cell function. These benefits may extend to the hair follicle to create a healthier environment to promote stronger, thicker, and more resilient hair growth. 

Final Comments

Hair loss can have a big emotional impact on both men and women because hair is so closely tied to identity and confidence. When hair starts to thin, many men and women can feel anxious, less attractive, and even depressed. All of which can lead to social isolation. Focusing on health and building positive self-esteem can help people navigate the emotional side of hair loss more effectively. 

Taking a comprehensive dietary supplement designed to support healthy hair growth can help enhance hair health while empowering individuals to feel more in control. Knowing they are providing essential nutrients for optimal results fosters both confidence and a proactive approach to hair care.

References:

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