A woman seen from behind, combing glossy brown hair with a wooden wide-tooth comb. — Image: Guide to Growing Hair

Hair health

Hair health and nutrition

Food, rest and how you treat the scalp. Useful, ordinary, and not a substitute for a diagnosis.

Guide to Growing Hair Updated 17 October 2026

Written in the UK, for women and men.

Hair is made from the food you already eat. The NHS balanced diet includes protein foods, and iron-rich foods matter if you are low in iron. No eating plan on the NHS is a cure for pattern hair loss. Stress and illness can trigger a temporary shed.

See a GP if hair loss is sudden, patchy, or comes with illness, a rash, or other symptoms. The NHS asks for that conversation before a private clinic.

Hair health is the unglamorous layer under the products: enough protein, enough iron if you are low, a scalp that is not inflamed, and a life that is not a prolonged physical stress.

What belongs in this section?

Topic	The NHS-shaped version
Food	A balance of vegetables, starchy foods, dairy or alternatives, and protein foods.
Protein	Meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses. The body uses protein to grow and repair.
Iron	Leafy greens, fortified cereals, meat, dried fruit, pulses, if a clinician has said iron is the issue.
Stress and illness	The NHS lists both among causes of temporary hair loss.
Washing and heat	Keep the scalp comfortable. Tight styles and harsh processing are a traction problem, not a vitamin problem.

Read foods for hair growth before you buy a powder, and stress, sleep, washing and heat before you blame the shampoo.

In this section

Common questions

Can diet reverse male or female pattern hair loss?

The NHS does not describe pattern hair loss as a diet problem. Diet matters when a shortage, weight loss or illness is driving a shed.

How much vitamin D should I take for my hair?

The NHS vitamin D advice is about bones: 10 micrograms a day in autumn and winter for most adults. It is not a hair-growth dose.

Does washing too often cause hair loss?

The NHS says dandruff is not caused by poor hygiene. It does not set a universal wash schedule. Wash for your scalp, and get flakes checked if they persist.