This article was reviewed by Sara Harcharik Perkins, MD.
Key Takeaways:
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) supports healthy cell growth and red blood cell production, which makes it important for strong, healthy hair.
- A folate deficiency may contribute to issues like fatigue, anemia, and even premature graying. Correcting that deficiency can support hair growth.
- But there’s little evidence to suggest folic acid supplements help prevent hair loss or encourage growth in people with typical folate levels.
Does folic acid help with hair loss? The answer is not totally black and white. We’re here to help break down the link between folic acid and hair growth.
Folic acid (also called vitamin B9) is essential for cell growth, tissue repair, and the production of red blood cells. Hair follicles are rapidly dividing cells, so folic acid can affect hair growth — but it’s not a magic cure for hair loss.
Folic acid may help hair growth if you have a folate deficiency. But if your hair loss is not related to folate, taking folic acid will not stimulate new hair growth or have an effect on female pattern hair loss.
Below, we’ll dive into what folic acid is, how it’s involved in promoting the growth of strong, healthy hair, and what may happen to your hair if you develop folic acid deficiency anemia, a type of anemia caused by low folic acid levels.
What Is Folic Acid?
Folic acid, also called folate and folacin, is an important B vitamin.
Your body uses folic acid for many internal processes, including synthesizing DNA, modifying DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA), forming red blood cells, and building and maintaining new tissue.
Unlike certain other vitamins, folic acid can’t be stored in your body. Instead, excess folic acid is expelled from your body through urine. This means that you need to consume a healthy amount of folic acid on a regular basis, either through your diet or by taking supplements.
The National Institutes of Health recommends adults consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of dietary folate every day. But if you’re pregnant, you should aim to consume 600 mcg per day.
Folic acid is essential during pregnancy because it helps prevent neural tube defects. These are birth defects that can affect a baby’s brain or spine. An easy way to reach your target is to take a folic acid supplement in addition to eating a healthy, folate-rich diet.
Sources of Folic Acid
Like many other essential vitamins, folic acid is found naturally in many foods. It’s also added to some fortified foods.
The best way to reach the recommended daily intake for folic acid is to eat a balanced, nutritious diet.
Dietary sources of folic acid include:
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and mustard greens
- Fruits and fruit juices, such as fresh oranges and orange juice
- Peas, beans, and nuts, including kidney beans, black-eyed peas, and peanuts
- Fortified breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, flour, rice, and cornmeal
- Beef liver
- Chicken and turkey
Many breakfast cereals are fortified to contain the recommended daily intake of folic acid. When you’re comparing cereals, check the back of the pack for “folate” or “folic acid” on the list of ingredients.
Another way to get folic acid is by taking dietary supplements. Folic acid supplements can be found online or at your local pharmacy.
Many multivitamins also include folic acid as one of their active ingredients.
If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the near future, consider taking a prenatal vitamin supplement that contains folic acid. Most prenatal vitamins do contain folic acid, but it’s always good to double-check.
Our Multivitamin Gummies, which are formulated to support healthy hair and nails, contain folic acid and numerous other hair-friendly ingredients.
Folic Acid and Hair Growth
Your hair grows as part of a multi-phase hair growth cycle. During the first phase, called anagen or growth, the hair bulb — a part of the hair follicle located deep inside your skin — produces new cells that eventually form each hair shaft.
The anagen phase lasts for several years, after which the hair detaches from the follicle and sheds, allowing a new hair to take its place.
Around 90 percent of your hair follicles are in the anagen phase at any one time, meaning most of the hairs on your scalp are in a state of active growth.
Because folic acid plays a key role in promoting and regulating cell growth, it’s important to take in a healthy amount of folic acid to support the growth of your hair.
If you don’t get enough folic acid, you may develop folic acid deficiency anemia — a condition in which your body isn’t able to produce red blood cells. Red blood cells play a vital role in delivering oxygen to your tissues and organs, including your skin and hair follicles.
Symptoms of Folic Acid Deficiency
If you have folic acid deficiency anemia, you may experience symptoms of folic acid deficiency, including:
- Pale skin
- A smooth and tender tongue
- Reduced energy
- Weaker appetite
- Physical weakness
- Headaches
- Soreness that affects the tongue and mouth
Research has yet to find a definitive link between low levels of folic acid and hair loss. However, existing studies suggest that folic acid deficiency may be associated with a higher risk of developing gray hairs.
In a 2017 study, researchers found that a group of young people with premature gray hair had lower average levels of folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B12 than their peers.
The researchers noted an association between folic acid deficiency and gray hair, but noted that more research is necessary in order to reach a more definitive conclusion.
Does a Lack Of Folic Acid Cause Hair Loss?
According to research, it is not clear whether a deficiency in folic acid can lead to hair loss in women.
In a small 2024 study, researchers looked into a possible link between low levels of folate and alopecia areata, a form of hair loss.
They found that participants with alopecia areata had significantly lower folate levels than those with typical hair loss.
They also found that the people with alopecia areata who experienced the most severe hair loss had the lowest folate levels.
Alopecia areata only accounts for a small fraction of hair loss cases in women. And other studies of folic acid and alopecia areata have produced different findings.
Most hair loss in women is the result of female pattern baldness — a genetic and hormonal issue that’s largely unrelated to your intake of vitamins and minerals. Female pattern hair loss is also known as androgenic alopecia.
Folic acid is also unlikely to be related to other types of hair loss in women, including stress-related hair loss (called telogen effluvium) or postpartum hair loss.
While folic acid is important for proper cell growth and appears to be linked to hair graying, there is no definitive evidence that links folic acid deficiency and hair loss.
Who Is at Risk of Folic Acid Deficiency?
Folic acid deficiency anemia can affect anyone, although certain people may have a higher risk of developing this condition.
You may be at higher risk of developing a folic acid deficiency if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have alcohol use disorder
- Have hemolytic anemia
- Follow a restrictive diet for weight loss
- Eat a diet that’s lacking in folic acid-rich foods
- Have health issues that prevent you from absorbing nutrients, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Use certain prescription medications
- Frequently eat overcooked food
If you’re concerned that you may have a folic acid deficiency, it’s best to speak with a healthcare provider.
To diagnose folic acid deficiency anemia, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask you about your symptoms.
They may order tests to check your folic acid levels, such as a complete blood count (CBC) or red blood cell folate level test.
Treating Folic Acid Deficiency
Folic acid deficiency is treatable. If you have this condition, your healthcare provider may recommend one or several treatment options:
- Treat underlying medical conditions. If your folic acid deficiency is linked to an underlying health condition, such as hemolytic anemia or an alcohol use disorder, you’ll likely need to treat the underlying condition.
- Eat folate-rich foods. You may be able to increase your folic acid levels by following a diet that’s rich in natural sources of folate, such as green vegetables, fruits, beans, and lean, folate-rich cuts of meat.
- Add fortified foods to your diet. One way to take in more folic acid from dietary sources is by switching from regular breakfast cereals, bread, and other starches to fortified versions that contain extra folic acid.
- Take folic acid supplements. Your healthcare provider may suggest that you take a multivitamin or folic acid supplement. Look for products that contain at least 400 mcg of folic acid per serving, as these make it easy to reach your daily target.
In some cases, your healthcare provider may provide a folic acid injection into your muscle, or less commonly, into a vein.
Folic acid deficiency anemia usually begins to improve with treatment within 1 to 2 months.
The Bottom Line
Folic acid is essential for overall health and may impact your hair, nails, and skin if you’re not getting enough of it in your diet.
But it isn’t a miracle cure for common causes of hair loss. Evidence doesn’t support folic acid as a treatment for female pattern hair loss. When in doubt, testing your nutrient levels and speaking with a healthcare provider can help identify what’s behind your shedding or thinning.
FAQs
Can taking too much folic acid cause side effects?
Yes. While folic acid is generally considered safe, excessive supplementation may mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency or cause stomach issues.
How long does it take to see improvement in hair if folate deficiency was the cause?
If folate deficiency is contributing to hair issues, improvements typically begin several months after correcting the deficiency.
Is folic acid better than biotin for hair growth?
Not necessarily, because they play different roles. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, supports the production of keratin (a protein that makes up the hair shaft) while folic acid supports cell growth and red blood cell formation. Neither vitamin has strong evidence as a hair-loss treatment unless you’re not getting enough of it in your diet.
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This article originally appeared on ForHers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
