The health of your hair and scalp is affected by the presence of certain vitamins, each of which contributes to the scalp's overall health. Because of the effects on the scalp, certain vitamins are often components in medications and supplements that are marketed for the prevention of hair loss. These products can be topical or consumable. The same vitamins used to make these products also are found in a variety of foods.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A encourages the body to produce healthy scalp sebum, which is the oily fluid on the hair and scalp. Vitamin A can be found in liver, milk, egg yolks, mozzarella cheese as well as vegetables colored dark green, yellow or orange. These include sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe and apricots.
There also are vitamin supplements and commercial hair loss medications that boast high amounts of vitamin A, but these should be used cautiously, because too much vitamin A can be toxic. Extreme vitamin A overdoses can harm the skin and bones, causing weakness, brittleness, fatigue or vomiting. Before using supplements or increasing dietary levels of vitamin A beyond the U.S. recommended daily allowance, consult a physician.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C aids the scalp by preventing free radical oxidation of fair follicles and hair loss. Without vitamin C, hair becomes brittle and the scalp weakens. It can be applied topically by mixing citrus juice with shampoo, but is more effective when eaten regularly as part of a balanced diet. Foods rich in vitamin C include broccoli, tomatoes, papaya, mango and kiwi. Bell peppers also are a good source, with red, yellow and orange peppers having twice the vitamin C of green peppers.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that increases oxygen uptake within tissues, improving circulation to the scalp and increasing the health and growth rate of hair. Dietary sources of vitamin E include nuts, sunflower seeds, green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals and oils made from soybean, canola and corn, as well as other vegetable oils. Nuts high in vitamin E include peanuts, almonds, pine nuts and hazelnuts.
Niacin
Niacin is a colorless, water soluble organic compound that, like vitamin E, improves circulation to the scalp to improve the health of hair. Rich food sources for niacin include chicken, turkey, wheat germ and many types of fish. These include catfish, cod, pollock, orange roughy, snapper and halibut.
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