You may well remember chewing on chalky, brightly-colored multivitamins as a kid. Back then it was considered a treat more than a health measure. As a kid it didn’t really matter what they were for, you just did what your mom told you.

It still may not matter to you what vitamins you get or if the B vitamins are included, but it should. Especially if you want healthy hair!

It’s important to understand the role vitamins play when it comes to your health, so you can make sure you get what you need. The B-complex vitamins are essential for many important functions in your body, specifically keeping your hair strong and healthy.

Getting older makes us all a little nervous and losing or thinning hair is a large part of this. Just like every other cell in your body, your hair follicles are living entities and need vitamins to keep them alive and healthy.

The B-vitamin family helps to create structure, provide nutrition, prevent toxicity damage, reduce stress placed on your hair, and provide essential oxygen to every strand.

All the B-Vitamins

This is a group of eight vitamins that your body requires, but only in small amounts. The B-vitamins you need can be easily obtained through food, but if you are worried about not getting enough, there are supplements you can try. The good news is that even though they have separate benefits, the eight B vitamins are often found together.

When it comes to your hair, you only need to focus on a few of the B vitamins. Here’s what you need to know:

Your hair is made from two proteins, keratin and collagen, and vitamin B2 is responsible for holding the beads of proteins together.

Just like a pearl necklace would fall apart without those tiny connecting strings, your hair strands will be brittle without the B2 holding proteins together.

Vitamin B3, or niacin, provides nutrition for your hair by dilating your blood vessels. This allows more nutrients to reach your hair. If each strand of hair was like a multi-lane freeway, wouldn’t you want all lanes open and full?

In terms of hair health, this is a traffic jam you can get on board with. You can reverse hair loss and support new hair growth with regular applications.

Stress and environmental exposures can damage your hair, which is where B5, B6, and B9 come into play. Vitamins B5 and B9 regulate the stress hormone cortisol, preventing it from damaging your hair follicles. Vitamin B6 supports healthy liver function, which promotes detoxification in your body, thus removing the harmful substances that can damage your health and you hair.

The B Family for Hair Growth

While vitamin B deficiencies are not common, they do happen and your hair can pay the price. Because they are often found together, when you are deficient in one, you are generally deficient in others.

A lack of B vitamins in your diet can cause hair to weaken and fall out prematurely. To support the growth of your hair, you need to avoid deficiencies.

Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, builds your hair strong from the inside out, preventing it from dryness and breakage. Your hair cannot grow if it keeps breaking, and vitamin B2 keeps the bond between hair proteins strong.

Get your daily dose of B2 from eggs, leafy greens, enriched grains, lentils and chickpeas and prevent premature hair loss.

Biotin (B7) is made within your small intestine so you should not ever be deficient. In the event you are, one of the first things you will notice is hair thinning and loss.

If this happens, start increasing your B7 intake to reverse your hair loss and encourage more healthy growth. If you eat plenty of eggs, vegetables, and cereals, then a B7 deficiency is something you will never have to worry about.

Vitamin B6 helps to protect your hair too, which encourages healthy growth. B6 helps indirectly, by supporting your liver as previously stated.

As an external feature, your hair is exposed to harsh environmental pollutants as well as styling chemicals. Getting enough B6 ensures that your liver can process toxins out of your body much faster, leaving your hair more resistant to the damages of the environment.

Our Final Thoughts

B-complex vitamins are important for your overall health, and they play a key role in the health of your hair. With all the stress, toxins, and styling your hair endures, these vitamins will be your greatest ally.

A good dose of all B vitamins can be obtained through a balanced diet and you can avoid early hair thinning or loss. Promote the growth of strong and healthy hair by having the B-vitamin family over for dinner every day!