11 best hair vitamins that support hair growth and enhance strength and shine

Leading hair loss consultant and trichologist, Simone Thomas, who knows everything there is to know about getting healthy hair and the overall nutrition your hair craves, has created not one, but two, incredible hair care plans.

The first, “The Biotin Hair Care Plan”, is best for those looking to brighten dull locks, have shinier and stronger hair. While the Ginkgo plan is better suited to those with fine hair and suffering from hair loss. Both are vegan-friendly, completely natural, easy to swallow, have clear instructions and no horrible after taste.

Each plan contains three supplements that feed your hair with essential vitamins. Our testers tried both plans and were astounded by the results though overall the Gingko plan (£90, simonethomaswellness.com) was the most impressive. Results were consistent and noticeable within four weeks. If you’ve been neglecting your hair, stick to this plan to restart and refresh your tresses.

If you’re someone that struggles to swallow pills and take supplements, these make a great choice. They’re chewable (without getting stuck in your teeth), easy-to-digest and taste delicious too. In fact, you’ll be tempted to take a few more of the apple-flavoured gummies.

Proven to stimulate hair growth by up to 78 per cent, using a patent ingredient that bizarrely comes from organic pea shoot. This powerful punch of biotin and zinc stimulates cells and follicles to kick-start growth. Although our testers didn’t report on significant hair growth, they did notice their hair was shinier and looked fuller after just four weeks, and all agreed they would return to this supplement time and time again. And unlike most gummy supplements on the market these don’t contain gelatine, making them vegan-friendly and gluten-free and guilt-free too (just 15 calories per two gummies).

Making waves on the other side of the Atlantic, this LA-born supplement range is now available in the UK and it’s already receiving rave reviews. Inspired by co-founder Walter Faulstroh’s continuous struggle with breakouts, the range is rooted in science and the strong link between nutrition and health. This haircare supplement is a cocktail of B vitamins, zinc, folic acid and biotin – basically all the ingredients you need for stronger, healthier looking locks.

These are a great choice for vegans who are usually deficient in B vitamins, so this allows them to get a speedy no-nonsense fix. They taste great, but we recommend eating them with food because they contain zinc. And lastly, they’re reasonably priced especially for a supplement with consistent and loyal happy customers.

While the Hum nutrition hair sweet hair vitamins are currently unavailable, you can sign up to be noticed once they’re back in stock.

Trinny Woodall swears by this award-winning all-round supplement for improving the state of her hair. Specifically formulated for women, this easy-to-swallow capsule has been clinically proven to help our bodies generate collagen, re-hydrate cells and improve their performance for a more youthful appearance, lustrous hair and stronger nails. Thanks to its quick absorption, testers were reporting a difference in their hair in as little as three weeks.

Legendary hairdresser and trichologist, Philip Kingsley, is one of the most trusted names in the hair industry, so we were expecting hair worthy of a shampoo advert after a few weeks of taking these.

The supplement, Tricho Complex, contains 100 per cent of your daily iron intake and biotin. Both vital for strong hair and encouraging growth. A particularly good choice for anyone that is particularly concerned about hair loss and thinning.

However, if you’re someone that often forgets to take their supplements, then this is probably not for you as you need to take two in the morning and two again in the evening, which our testers found a little too much to maintain.

While they’re currently out of stock, add Phillip Kingsley’s vitamins to your wishlist for when they become available again.

Although these capsules are not primarily for hair, originally designed to improve the health and vitality of the skin, its ingredients read just like a hair supplement.

Rich in antioxidants, this supplement encourages turnover of cells and a healthy dose of a potent blend of ingredients (Vitamins A, C, E, Q10) that help repair and restore your hair, skin and nails simultaneously, with the extra benefits of improving your gut health too.

It does come with a price though, and quite a hefty one, but if you can afford it and want a multi-tasking hardworking supplement in-one, then it’s absolutely worth the money. Plus, the frosted jar will encourage you to leave it on show which in turn will remind you to take it daily.

While the 111 Skin reparative beauty dose is out of stock at the moment, you can sign up to be notified once its back.

If you’re over 35, you may have noticed your hair beginning to thin, looking a little duller and just in need of help. If so, these hair supplements can help! They’re super rich in both collagen and iron, both of which are crucial to maintaining great skin and hair as you grow older.

While we can’t promise these supplements will turn back the clock, our testers were impressed with how much shinier their hair looked and they had significantly less hair loss when washing and combing their hair since taking the supplement.

This brand has built its good reputation on a stellar haircare line that gives thicker and fuller hair, so we were expecting equally rave reviews from these supplements. However, our testers found the tablets difficult to swallow, the packaging was tricky to open and it took weeks before they noticed results. If you have bags of patience, then in time, you will eventually benefit from hair regrowth thanks to this multi-nutrient being packed with biotin, zinc and iron to support the hair and encourage a glossy new mane.

When Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon reveal their secret to fuller and healthier looking hair, we listen. Backed by 25 years of research and development, this hair supplement has been feeding nutrients to thinning and dull hair for centuries – and still gets top results. It’s the crème de la crème of hair supplements, but you need to fully commit to taking the small pills every single day for at least three months to see a difference.

Formulated with biotin, zinc and vitamin C to improve the overall health of hair, skin and nails in addition to AminoMar C; a unique marine protein complex. The pills proved easy to swallow but tasted a little chalky. 

For best results, it’s encouraged to take one tablet in the morning and another in the evening, which our testers found inconvenient. It’s also worth noting that the supplement contains fish and shellfish, so if you’re a strict vegan, keep kosher or have a fish allergy, these are a no-go. Plus, you can’t take Viviscal if you’re breastfeeding, but don’t fret, your body will be helping to look after your hair during this time.

This unique hair supplement is well-thought out and deserves a big shout out. It is created to keep the hair in its’ growing phrase, both by the keratinising ingredients and the extra blood flow to the scalp. When the hair stays in its growing phase, it doesn’t fall out, so your hair instantly looks fuller.

These supplements are packed with 30+ pure and potent ingredients that are minimally processed, which is why they have a distinct smell (E numbers are often used to mask smells), which makes the taste harder to swallow. They’re also quite large in size compared to other tablets, so have a glass of water handy. That said, our testers really noticed a difference to their lack of hair loss and said they’re nails were stronger and longer too!