Does Zinc Help With Hair Loss? What the Studies Measured

Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, and alopecia is a recognised sign of severe zinc deficiency, which is treated by correcting the deficiency. Beyond that, across 34 studies and 4,931 people, blood zinc was lower in alopecia areata than in people without it, and no placebo-controlled trial has tested zinc on its own for any kind of hair loss.^{1, 2, 3} The NHS puts daily needs at "9.5mg a day for men (aged 19 to 64 years)" and "7mg a day for women", and says: "Do not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor."⁴ This page sits beneath the Wellgard zinc guide and the vitamins and minerals guide.

Does zinc help with hair loss?

It depends on why the hair is falling. The cells at the base of a hair follicle are among the fastest-dividing in the body, and zinc is needed by dividing cells; the authorised wording in Great Britain is "Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair".⁵ In the classic description of zinc deficiency, alopecia sits among the signs of severe deficiency, alongside a blistering rash, diarrhoea and recurrent infections; the treatment is to correct the deficiency.³ For everyone else the question is whether taking zinc changes hair loss when zinc is normal or slightly low, and no trial has answered it.

Is low zinc linked to hair loss?

Yes, in the sense that people with hair loss, and alopecia areata in particular, tend to have lower blood zinc than people without it. Whether the low zinc causes the hair loss, follows from it, or reflects the inflammation of an autoimmune condition, these studies cannot say.

What happened when people with hair loss took zinc?

One study has given zinc on its own. In 2009, 15 people with alopecia areata and a low blood zinc took 50 mg of zinc a day as zinc gluconate for 12 weeks, with no other treatment and no control group. Blood zinc rose from 56.9 to 84.5 micrograms per decilitre; hair improved in 9 of the 15, which the authors reported as "not statistically significant".⁹ The 2019 review most hair pages cite calls for "large double-blind placebo-controlled trials" in people with both a deficiency and hair loss, because none has been done.² The 50 mg was a treatment dose for a measured deficiency, twice the NHS supplement line; neither is a guide for someone whose zinc is normal.

Which kind of hair loss do you have?

The NHS hair-loss page sets the baseline: "It's normal to lose hair. We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing." Hair loss "is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition." Some types are permanent, "like male and female pattern baldness", which "usually runs in the family". Others "may be temporary" and "can be caused by: an illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss, iron deficiency." See a GP if "you're worried about your hair loss".¹⁰

Zinc is not on that list. In telogen effluvium the hairs fall three to four months after the trigger, and more shed hairs do not tell you the cause; that takes a history and blood tests.¹¹ Patchy loss, a sore or scaly scalp, loss alongside tiredness, weight change or heavy periods, or shedding that does not settle, are reasons to see a GP first. Hair loss on Mounjaro covers shedding after fast weight loss.

Which blood tests should you ask about first?

Iron, thyroid and vitamin D, then zinc. Iron deficiency anaemia lists "hair loss – you notice more hair coming out when brushing or washing it" among its less common symptoms, checked with a full blood count.¹² An underactive thyroid lists "dry skin, dry hair or hair loss"; an overactive one lists "patchy hair loss or thinning".^{13, 14} The 2026 telogen effluvium analysis puts ferritin and vitamin D first.⁷

Serum zinc is the test a GP can order, with a caveat the researchers attach: it "may not be a reliable indicator of individual zinc status", because it falls during infection and inflammation and moves with the time of day and the last meal.¹⁵ A low result in someone at risk is worth acting on; a normal result does not rule out a mild shortfall. Signs of zinc deficiency sets out who runs short in the UK.

How much zinc for hair?

There is no hair dose, because no trial has established one. The figures that exist are the NHS amounts above, with the NHS adding "You should be able to get all the zinc you need from your daily diet", and the 25 mg supplement line. The reason is copper: "Taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb. This can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones."⁴

A supplement at its label amount closes a dietary gap, and zinc at that level contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, skin and nails (is zinc good for your skin).⁵ Count the total across products; two together can pass 25 mg. Take it with food if it makes you feel sick. For iron, calcium and zinc supplements the NHS says: "Leave 2 hours in between taking supplements and your dose of ciprofloxacin tablets or liquid"; with doxycycline, lymecycline or penicillamine, ask your pharmacist.¹⁶ How much zinc a day and Can you take too much zinc? go further.

Does zinc deficiency show in your nails?

Not as white spots. White flecks are almost always small knocks to the nail bed that grew out weeks later; no study links them to zinc, and the classic description of deficiency does not include them.³ "Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal nails" is the authorised wording; brittle or ridged nails have many causes, iron deficiency, thyroid disease, detergent and age among them, and zinc rarely.⁵ A nail change worth checking arrives with other signs: hair thinning, a rash around the mouth, cuts that are slow to mend.

Zinc, biotin, iron and hair: how do they compare?

Zinc and biotin both carry the register wording for hair: "Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair" and "Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair".⁵ For both, the measured improvements were in people short of the nutrient, and neither has a placebo-controlled trial in people with normal levels, so neither ranks above the other; Is biotin good for hair growth has biotin's evidence. Iron is the nutrient the NHS names as a cause of temporary hair loss, which is why it is tested first.¹⁰ Collagen has a placebo-controlled trial in which hair shaft diameter increased, and carries no authorised claim in Great Britain; Collagen for hair and nails has the detail. Omega-3 carries no hair wording; Does omega 3-6-9 help with hair growth explains why.

What we don't know

• Whether zinc changes hair loss in people whose zinc is normal. No placebo-controlled trial has tested it.²
• Whether the lower zinc seen in alopecia areata is a cause or a consequence. The studies measure blood zinc at one moment.¹

Frequently asked questions

Can a zinc deficiency cause hair loss?

Yes. Alopecia is a sign of severe zinc deficiency, and correcting the deficiency is the treatment.³ Deficiency of that degree is uncommon on a mixed UK diet.

How long does zinc take to make a difference to hair?

Only where low zinc is the cause, and over months: the one study ran 12 weeks, and a follicle that has stopped shedding needs a growth cycle before the difference shows.⁹ Shedding from a trigger three to four months ago settles on its own timetable.¹¹

Should I take zinc if my hair is falling out?

Ask a GP about iron, thyroid and vitamin D first, and about zinc if you are in a risk group. A supplement within the NHS amounts covers a narrow diet, and zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair; it is not a treatment for a hair-loss condition.^{4, 5}

What is the best type of zinc for hair?

No form has been tested for hair against another; the alopecia areata study used zinc gluconate and compared nothing.⁹ Read the label for zinc per serving and keep the total within the NHS line.

Which foods are high in zinc?

The NHS names meat, shellfish, dairy such as cheese, bread and wheatgerm.⁴ Foods high in zinc gives UK portions.

Sources

1. Wu R, et al. Serum trace elements and alopecia areata: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025. PubMed 39739356.
2. Almohanna HM, et al. The role of vitamins and minerals in hair loss: a review. Dermatology and Therapy, 2019. PubMed 30547302.
3. Prasad AS. Clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency. Annual Review of Nutrition, 1985. PubMed 3896271.
4. NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (zinc). nhs.uk.
5. Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (assimilated GB law), Annex of permitted health claims. legislation.gov.uk.
6. Kil MS, et al. Serum zinc and copper concentrations in hair loss. Annals of Dermatology, 2013. PubMed 24371385.
7. Ahmed A, et al. Serum trace elements and telogen effluvium: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Skin Appendage Disorders, 2026. PubMed 42077991.
8. Wang R, et al. Micronutrients and androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2024. PubMed 39440586.
9. Park H, et al. Zinc supplementation in alopecia areata patients with a low serum zinc level. Annals of Dermatology, 2009. PubMed 20523772.
10. NHS. Hair loss. nhs.uk.
11. Malkud S. Telogen effluvium: a review. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2015. PubMed 26500992.
12. NHS. Iron deficiency anaemia. nhs.uk.
13. NHS. Underactive thyroid: symptoms. nhs.uk.
14. NHS. Overactive thyroid: symptoms. nhs.uk.
15. Hess SY, et al. Serum zinc concentration as an indicator of population zinc status. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 2007. PubMed 17988005.
16. NHS. Taking or using ciprofloxacin with other medicines and herbal supplements. nhs.uk.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Hair loss that is patchy, sore, persistent or comes with other symptoms needs a GP.