You’re brushing your hair and notice way too many strands caught in the bristles. Then there’s the shower drain, clogged again. And suddenly every ponytail looks thinner than it used to. Sound familiar?
Hair loss and thinning can feel unsettling, but rest assured, it's more common than you think! Stress, hormones and even your lifestyle play a role, but often the secret comes down to something simple, nutrition.
Because while serums and shampoos can help on the surface, the real magic happens deep beneath your skin, inside each tiny hair follicle. That’s where vitamins and minerals can fuel growth, strength and shine.
Hair Anatomy: Where Growth Begins
Hair may look simple, but every strand is built from a complex structure beneath the skin:
- Hair Follicle: The pocket in the scalp where each strand begins.
- Dermal Papilla: Found at the base, packed with blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients.
- Matrix Cells: The “builders” that rapidly divide to create the hair shaft.
- Hair Shaft: What you see above the scalp, made mostly of keratin protein.
- Sebaceous Glands: Tiny glands that add natural oils to keep hair soft.
What grows out is technically dead protein, but its strength, thickness and shine are all decided by what happens inside the follicle.
Hair Growth Cycle
Hair grows in cycles, starting in the follicle and pushing outwards as the cells harden into keratin.
That means everything your hair needs for strength, shine and thickness must be supplied from the inside out.
Hair doesn’t grow in one straight shot. It moves through phases:
On average, you lose 50–100 hairs a day, totally normal. But when more hairs shift into the resting or shedding stage than usual, that’s when thinning becomes noticeable.
Why Hair Loss Happens
So what causes excess hair loss? Common culprits include:
- Nutrient deficiencies: low levels of biotin, zinc, vitamin C or other essentials
- Hormonal changes: postpartum, thyroid issues or PCOS
- Stress: high cortisol can push follicles into rest mode
- Lifestyle factors: crash diets, lack of sleep, smoking, tight hairstyles
Understanding the root cause is key, but for many, it starts with addressing nutrition and lifestyle.
Follicle Fuel: Where Nutrients Go to Work
Your hair follicle is more than just a root, it’s a living, layered structure where growth, strength and colour are decided. Here’s how the anatomy works, and the nutrients that fuel each part:
1. Dermal Papilla & Dermic Sheath (the engine room)
- Where: At the very base of the follicle, surrounded by blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients.
- Needs: Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Iron
- Why: Provides energy and building blocks to kickstart hair growth.
2. Internal & External Root Sheath (the scaffolding)
- Where: Protective layers that guide the growing hair shaft upward.
- Needs: Vitamin C, Collagen, Zinc
- Why: Keep the follicle stable and resilient, reducing breakage.
3. Cortex & Medulla (the strand’s structure)
- Where: Cortex gives hair strength, colour and texture; medulla is the innermost core.
- Needs: Biotin, Zinc, Copper
- Why: Build keratin fibres and maintain natural colour.
4. Cuticle (the outer shell)
- Where: Overlapping cells that protect the inner layers.
- Needs: Vitamin E & Selenium
- Why: Antioxidant defence against stress and external damage.
5. Perionyx (protective edge near follicles and nails)
- Where: Thin tissue around nails and hair structures that protects against infection.
- Needs: Selenium & Vitamin E
- Why: Keeps the follicle environment healthy.
Whole foods are always the foundation of good nutrition. Nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals that your hair depends on.
Food vs Supplements: Bridging the Gap
Here’s the reality:
- Soil depletion: modern crops often contain fewer minerals.
- Busy lifestyles: hard to eat enough of the right foods daily.
- Absorption matters: sometimes higher or more bioavailable forms are needed.
That’s where supplements come in. They can help bridge the gap, ensuring follicles get nutrients for strong, shiny hair.
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Why You’ll Love Them
- Supports Hair & Nails: biotin, zinc and selenium for strong strands and nails.
- Skin Support: Vitamin A, Vitamin E and blueberry extract.
- Collagen Formation: Vitamin C for elasticity in skin and scalp.
- Pigmentation Support: Copper to help maintain natural colour.
- Antioxidant Defence: Vitamin E and selenium to protect cells.
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TL;DR: Hair Loss & Nutrients at a Glance
- 🔍 Why it happens: nutrient gaps, stress, hormones, lifestyle.
- 🧬 Hair biology: growth happens in cycles — nutrients fuel each stage.
- 💡 Key nutrients: Biotin, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, copper.
- 🥗 Food sources: nuts, seeds, citrus fruits, wholegrains, berries, lentils, dark chocolate.
- 💊 Supplements: help bridge gaps when diet falls short.
- 🍊 Novomins Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies: daily support with 12 vitamins, minerals and botanicals.