3 "Anti-Aging" Supplements That Are Actually Good For Hair Growth Too 

With age, two common beauty complaints become more and more common: loss of skin firmness and loss of hair thickness. Both concerns stem from similar root causes, which are the loss of structural proteins like collagen, elastin, and keratin in the skin and scalp. (Granted, with differences and nuances for each issue.) This loss occurs naturally with time, and due to a variety of factors like UV exposure, oxidative stress, and environmental stressors. 

But you can target loss of firmness and thickness with supplements, as many ingredients help enhance your body's ability to produce these vital structural proteins. Just browse the supplement section at any beauty retailer and you'll see dozens of herbs, botanicals, amino acids, minerals, and nutrients that support your hair, skin, or nails in some way. 

You most often hear ceramides as they relate to the skin, as these lipids help make up the skin barrier and help keep the skin supple. In fact, ingesting ceramides has been shown to improve skin hydration1, smoothness, and elasticity2. 

But did you know that they're beneficial for hair health too? 

A pilot clinical study looked into the efficacy of a wheat polar lipid complex (WPLC, Ceramosides™) on hair characteristics, such as density and reduced shedding. The study included 66 women—including 10 postmenopausal women—who were experiencing acute shedding. 

The participants' hair was assessed after 56 and 84 days. The researchers looked at a variety of metrics, including the percentage of hair that was in the shedding phase, hair shedding susceptibility via the hair pull test, hair diameter and length at breakpoint, sebum production, and finally, overall hair growth. 

This beloved beauty vitamin is recommended by dermatologists and technologists alike. 

For the skin, vitamin C can help boost overall radiance, reduce dark spots, improve fine lines, and address sagging and loss of firmness. One way it does so is by acting as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals in the body3, thereby easing oxidative stress. But the other reason it's so important for skin health is that it plays an important role in the collagen synthesis process4, thereby helping your natural production of the firming protein. 

It can also help with hair growth. How? Not only does it support scalp health by improving dermal thickness, but it aids in iron absorption. 

Both hair and skin cells are made up of the protein keratin. And amino acids are the "building blocks" of protein—meaning our body uses them to create protein throughout the body. We get amino acids from our diet, like through meats, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, and grains. But we can also get them through targeted supplementation, such as protein powders, collagen, or specific amino acid supplements.

Collagen, for example, can help improve skin health, with research showing it can enhance firmness, elasticity, and quality5. 

But it can also provide the body with amino acids used in hair production. The primary amino acid that is most helpful is called proline6. Many collagen supplements are transparent about the amino acid profile within their formula, so you can even find options that contain this amino acid and are likely better suited for hair health.