Does Omega 3-6-9 Help With Hair Growth and Skin? What the Trials Show

No trial has tested omega-3, omega-6 or a triple omega on its own for hair growth, so nobody can say from evidence that it grows hair, and nobody can say it does not. The one study that is quoted everywhere, run by the supplement's maker, followed 120 women with female-pattern hair loss for six months on a mixed supplement of omega-3, omega-6 and antioxidants, compared with no treatment at all. Hair density on standardised photographs improved and the share of resting (telogen) hairs fell, but there was no placebo, so the women knew what they were taking, and the design cannot separate the oils from the antioxidants.¹ The GB register of health claims permits no hair wording for omega-3 or omega-6; biotin, zinc and selenium carry "contributes to the maintenance of normal hair".² Most hair shedding has a cause worth finding first: a shock to the hair cycle three months earlier, low iron stores, a thyroid that has drifted, or pattern hair loss, and each has its own answer.^{3, 4, 5}

• Omega-3 and hair: one randomised but unblinded six-month study of a mixed supplement; no trial of omega-3 alone
• Register position: no omega hair claim; biotin, zinc and selenium carry the normal-hair wording
• Check first: telogen effluvium, ferritin, thyroid function, pattern hair loss
• Skin: eczema trials weak; two small flaxseed-oil trials improved hydration and roughness in 12 weeks; psoriasis benefit only alongside treatment
• Timescale: whatever you change, the hair cycle means three to six months before anything shows

Sources checked on 29 October 2026.

Can a triple omega help with hair growth?

There is no trial of an omega 3-6-9 supplement on hair; what a triple omega can do is stated on its label. A typical omega 3-6-9 is a flaxseed-oil capsule supplying ALA (omega-3), linoleic acid (omega-6) and oleic acid (omega-9), often with vitamin E, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; it contains no EPA or DHA and carries no authorised hair claim.² ALA and linoleic acid are the two fatty acids the body cannot make, and a true shortage of them does show in the skin and hair, as dryness and scaling, though that shortage is rare in the UK because both are plentiful in ordinary food.⁶ Is it better to take omega-3 or omega 3-6-9 sets out what each type of product supplies, and the Wellgard omega-3 guide what EPA, DHA and ALA do.

Which omega is best for hair growth?

None has been tested alone, so none can be called best. The study above combined omega-3 from fish oil with omega-6 from blackcurrant seed oil and added vitamin E and lycopene, and its authors reported the package, not the parts.¹ Online summaries have turned that into "89.9% less hair loss", a self-assessment figure from women who knew what they were taking, not a result against placebo.

How does omega-3 affect hair?

The claimed mechanism is that EPA and DHA settle inflammation around the follicle and that the scalp's barrier lipids need essential fatty acids. The second part is standard biochemistry; the first has not been shown to change hair counts in people. Scalp inflammation is a feature of some scarring hair-loss conditions, which need a dermatologist, and is not the cause of the diffuse shedding or gradual thinning most people ask about.³ So "omega-3 nourishes the follicle" is a hypothesis with one unblinded study behind it.

Does omega-3 help hair grow quicker?

No food or supplement speeds up hair growth in a well-nourished person. Growth rate is set by the follicle's cycle, not by extra nutrients. What nutrition can do is remove a brake: if shedding is driven by iron deficiency or a thyroid problem, correcting it lets the normal cycle resume.^{4, 5} That is why the checks below matter more than the choice of oil.

How long does it take omega-3 to work for hair growth?

If anything is going to show, it takes three to six months, because that is how the hair cycle works. A hair that stops growing today rests for about three months before it sheds, so any change you make shows up in the mirror a season later.³ The one omega study measured at six months.¹ Should omega-3 be taken daily covers what omega-3 does over weeks and months.

What actually causes hair shedding, and what should you check?

• Telogen effluvium. The commonest cause of diffuse shedding. A trigger (a fever or illness, surgery, childbirth, rapid weight loss or a very low-calorie diet, severe stress, starting or stopping some medicines) pushes many follicles into rest at once, and the shedding arrives three to four months later, usually after the trigger has been forgotten.^{3, 6, 7} It stops on its own once the cause has passed.
• Ferritin. Iron deficiency is common in women, and most hair clinics check ferritin. In a study of 381 women with hair loss, low ferritin was no more frequent than in women without hair loss, so it is not the explanation for most, but a low level is worth correcting for its own sake.⁴
• Thyroid. Both an underactive and an overactive thyroid are linked to diffuse shedding and to pattern hair loss, and a simple blood test settles it.⁵
• Pattern hair loss. Gradual thinning at the crown or parting, often with a family history, has licensed treatments your GP or pharmacist can discuss.⁷

The NHS hair-loss page is the right starting point, and a GP visit is sensible if shedding is sudden, patchy, itchy or accompanied by tiredness or weight change.⁷

Is omega-3 good for skin?

The evidence is thin and specific. For established eczema, the Cochrane review found two small fish-oil trials suggesting a possible modest benefit and concluded there is no convincing evidence for any dietary supplement.⁸ For ordinary dry or sensitive skin, two small trials gave women about 2.2 g of flaxseed oil a day for twelve weeks and recorded higher skin hydration, less roughness and scaling, and less water loss through the skin than at the start, with 13 to 15 women per group, so they are early results rather than settled ones.^{9, 10} For psoriasis, fish oil on its own did not change the disease score across 18 trials, but added to conventional treatment it did.¹¹ The register rejected omega-3 skin and UV-protection claims, so no product can make them.²

Does omega-3 make skin glow?

No trial has measured "glow", or wrinkles or skin ageing with oral omega-3, in a way that would allow a yes. The flaxseed-oil findings above are about hydration and roughness in sensitive skin over twelve weeks.^{9, 10} Does flaxseed oil contain omega-3, 6 and 9 explains what flaxseed oil supplies, and what is the benefit of omega 3-6-9 covers the triple omega.

Which is better, biotin or omega-3?

Neither has a placebo-controlled trial showing hair growth in people who are not deficient. A review of biotin found 18 published cases of improvement, every one in someone with an underlying deficiency or a hair-shaft disorder, and concluded the evidence for healthy people is lacking.¹² Biotin, zinc and selenium carry the authorised normal-hair wording; omega-3 does not.² One practical point: high-dose biotin can interfere with some laboratory blood tests, including thyroid tests, so tell your GP you take it before any bloods, especially the thyroid check above.¹³

What we don't know

No placebo-controlled trial of omega-3, omega-6 or a triple omega on hair exists, so the one unblinded study can be neither confirmed nor ruled out.¹ The two flaxseed-oil skin trials have not been repeated at scale.^{9, 10} Whether correcting a low ferritin regrows hair is untested; the ferritin study's authors call that effect unknown.⁴

Frequently asked questions

Does omega-3 make your hair grow faster?

No. Growth rate is set by the follicle. The one study found more hairs and less shedding after six months of a mixed supplement, not faster growth.¹

Is omega-3 good for hair?

A true essential fatty acid shortage shows as dry, scaling skin and brittle hair, but it is rare in the UK, and extra omega-3 above adequacy has not been shown to grow hair.⁶

What is the best vitamin for hair growth?

The one you are short of. Reviews of vitamins and minerals in hair loss find that correcting a deficiency of iron, zinc, vitamin D or biotin can help, and that supplementing them without a deficiency has no trial support.^{6, 12} Does zinc help with hair loss sets out the zinc studies.

Does flaxseed oil help hair?

It has not been tested on hair. The two flaxseed-oil trials that exist measured skin hydration and roughness.^{9, 10}

Can omega-3 cause hair loss?

No trial or case series links omega-3 supplements to hair loss. Rapid weight loss, whatever its cause, is a recognised trigger of telogen effluvium.^{6, 7}

Sources

1. Le Floc'h C, et al. Effect of a nutritional supplement on hair loss in women. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2015. Randomised comparative study, no placebo, 120 women, 6 months; manufacturer-run. PubMed 25573272.
2. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. Page last updated 19 May 2026. gov.uk.
3. Malkud S. Telogen effluvium: a review. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2015. Review; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 26500992.
4. Olsen EA, et al. Iron deficiency in female pattern hair loss and chronic telogen effluvium. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010. Controlled study, 381 women with hair loss and 76 without; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 20947203.
5. Owecka B, et al. The hormonal background of hair loss in non-scarring alopecias. Biomedicines, 2024. Review; no conflicts declared. PubMed 38540126.
6. Almohanna HM, et al. The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss. Dermatology and Therapy, 2019. Review; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 30547302.
7. NHS. Hair loss. Page last reviewed 24 January 2024. nhs.uk.
8. Bath-Hextall FJ, et al. Dietary supplements for established atopic eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012. 11 trials, 596 people; no conflicts declared. PubMed 22336810.
9. Neukam K, et al. Supplementation of flaxseed oil diminishes skin sensitivity and improves skin barrier function. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2011. Randomised double-blind trial, two groups of 13 women, 12 weeks; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 21088453.
10. De Spirt S, et al. Intervention with flaxseed and borage oil supplements modulates skin condition in women. British Journal of Nutrition, 2009. Randomised placebo-controlled trial, about 15 women per group, 12 weeks; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 18761778.
11. Chen X, et al. Efficacy of fish oil and its components in the management of psoriasis. Nutrition Reviews, 2020. Systematic review, 18 trials, 927 people; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 31995220.
12. Patel DP, et al. A review of the use of biotin for hair loss. Skin Appendage Disorders, 2017. Review of 18 case reports; funding not stated on PubMed. PubMed 28879195.
13. MHRA. Levothyroxine containing products: biotin interference with laboratory tests. Letter to healthcare professionals, May 2023. gov.uk.

Spotted something out of date? Email support@wellgard.co.uk with the page address and the sentence.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Sudden, patchy or persistent hair loss is a reason to see your GP.