Do hair, skin and nail vitamins work?
Mainly if you’re short of something. Most people should get enough from food. Many of these products hold far more of one vitamin than you need. At high doses, it can skew some blood tests.
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Do hair, skin and nail vitamins work?
Mostly when you lack something. The NHS says most people should get all the nutrients they need from a varied, balanced diet. Some people may need extra.
Think of feeding a plant. If the soil is poor, feed helps. If the soil is already good, more feed isn’t proven to help.
So the real question is whether you’re low.
| Ingredient | What the evidence says | NHS daily limit from supplements |
|---|---|---|
| Biotin | A lack causes hair loss. No good proof that extra helps hair grow. | 0.9mg or less is unlikely to harm. |
| Zinc | A lack causes hair loss. Hair regrew once zinc was topped up. | No more than 25mg, unless a doctor advises it. |
| Selenium | Too much can make hair and nails fall out. | 350 micrograms or less is unlikely to harm. |
| Vitamin A | Helps keep skin healthy. Too much causes hair loss. | No more than 1.5mg, from food and supplements together. |
| Vitamin C | Helps keep skin healthy and heal wounds. | Less than 1,000mg is unlikely to harm. |
| Vitamin E | Helps keep skin healthy. | 540mg or less is unlikely to harm. |
Sources: NHS biotin; NHS zinc and selenium; NHS vitamin A; NHS vitamin C; NHS vitamin E; Almohanna 2019
If you’re not low, the proof for any of them is thin. A review of biotin found 18 cases where it helped hair or nails. Every person had an underlying cause.
Hair or nails changed lately? Ask your GP whether a blood test for low iron is worth it before you buy anything.
How much biotin is in hair and nail vitamins?
Often far more than you need. That one vitamin from the top of the page is biotin. A large review found many hair, skin and nail products far exceed the daily amount people need.
Your gut bacteria make some biotin, and food has a little. The NHS says you should get all you need from a varied diet. A severe lack in healthy people eating normally has never been reported.
High doses can make some lab test results read falsely high or falsely low. Our biotin guide covers which tests, and how long to stop first.
Check the label before you buy
- Keep biotin from supplements to 0.9mg a day or less. On a label, 0.9mg may show as 900 micrograms.
- Don’t take more than 25mg of zinc from supplements a day, unless a doctor advises it.
- Keep selenium from supplements to 350 micrograms a day or less.
- Add up vitamin A across every product. Keep food and supplements to no more than 1.5mg a day.
- If you eat liver every week, don’t take supplements that contain vitamin A.
- Tell whoever takes your blood that you take biotin.
Sources: NHS biotin; NHS zinc and selenium; NHS vitamin A; Almohanna 2019
Too much selenium can cause loss of hair and nails, the very thing you’re buying for. Many multivitamins contain vitamin A too, so count those. More on selenium in our selenium guide.
Do hair and nail vitamins help weak nails?
Biotin might, but the proof is small. In one study, the nails of 8 women with brittle nails got 25% thicker on biotin.
A review found trials showed firmer, harder and thicker brittle nails with biotin. It says larger trials with a comparison group are still needed.
Most nail problems aren’t serious. Common causes are injuries, biting, hands often in water or cleaning products, and fungal infections. Nails also get more brittle as you get older.
| Nail change | Can be a sign of |
|---|---|
| Brittle, breaks easily | Often normal with age or in pregnancy. |
| Spoon-shaped, curving inwards | Iron deficiency anaemia (too few red blood cells because iron is low). |
| Small dents or pits | Nail psoriasis, eczema or alopecia (a condition that causes hair loss). |
| Deep lines across the nail | Being ill. They should grow out. |
| Nails curving over rounded fingertips | Many serious, long-term conditions. |
Source: NHS nail problems
Before a supplement, try the NHS basics. Wear rubber gloves for wet jobs, rub hand cream into your nails and fingertips, and don’t bite or pick them.
Do hair and skin vitamins help your skin?
The NHS says vitamins A, C and E help keep skin healthy. It also says you should get enough of each from your diet. It doesn’t say extra helps if you’re not low.
Many skin products add collagen, a protein found in your skin. The trials disagree.
One review of 19 trials found collagen helped skin moisture, stretch and wrinkles. Nearly all the people in them were women.
A 2025 review of 23 trials found the same overall. But trials not paid for by drug companies showed no effect, and nor did the best-run trials. Its authors say there’s no clinical evidence collagen prevents or treats skin ageing.
So any skin benefit is uncertain. If you’re still tempted, read our collagen evidence guide first.
What are the best hair, skin and nail vitamins?
The one you’re low in. We don’t rank brands, because the useful pick depends on your cause. So find that first.
Find the cause before you buy
- 1
Name the problem
Thinning hair, weak nails or skin changes. Each has its own causes.
- 2
Check what’s normal
50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. Nails get more brittle with age.
- 3
See a GP
They may tell the cause of hair loss by looking. A blood test can check for anaemia.
- 4
Fix what’s low
Take what your GP advises.
Sources: NHS hair loss; NHS nail problems; NHS anaemia
Low iron is one cause worth ruling out. It can show as more hair in your brush or spoon-shaped nails. More common signs are tiredness, shortness of breath and paler skin.
Our hair loss blood test guide covers what to ask for.
For hair alone, see vitamins for hair growth. Wondering about an all-in-one? See do I need a multivitamin.
When to speak to a GP
Most hair loss doesn’t need treatment. See a GP if:
- You’re worried about your hair loss. The NHS says to see a GP about the cause before you pay a hair clinic.
- A nail has changed shape, changed colour or fallen off and you don’t know why.
- The skin around a nail is sore, red, swollen and warm. This can be a sign of an infection or an ingrown toenail.
- You also feel tired, short of breath or paler, or have headaches or a heartbeat you can feel. These can be signs of iron deficiency anaemia.
Bring the labels of any supplements you take to the appointment.