Imagine your hair follicles as an agile startup: high growth rates, limited resources, and sensitivity to any supply disruptions. If the "funding" – that is, nutrients – is not consistently provided, the project halts: hair transitions earlier into the resting phase, and new strands emerge later. The good news: you control the resource allocation daily with knife and fork.

Hair loss is not a singular issue but a spectrum of shortened growth phases, nutrient deficiencies, and inflammatory stress. The hair cycle consists of anagen phaseactive growth phase, catagen phasetransitional phase, telogen phaseresting phase, and exogenshedding of old hairs. Follicle cells have a high division rate – they quickly respond to deficiencies in proteins, iron, zinc, vitamins, and antioxidants. Ferritiniron storage protein in the blood reflects the iron status and helps assess whether follicles are adequately supplied. Oxidative stressimbalance between free radicals and defenses and mild low-grade inflammationchronically low inflammation also disrupt growth signals. Nutrition is thus not a peripheral matter but a central regulator for density, quality, and regeneration.

Nutrient deficiencies show early signs in the hair. With insufficient protein intake, the body reduces the production of keratin, the structural protein of hair – opening the door wide for diffuse hair loss ^[1][2]. Iron deficiency – even without pronounced anemia – is linked to increased hair loss; ferritin serves as a clinically useful marker to identify hidden deficiencies ^[3]. Studies on women with hair loss found lower hemoglobin, iron, and ferritin levels, as well as lower levels of several micronutrients, underscoring the role of systemic supply ^[4]. Zinc is frequently tested, yet large cross-sectional data show only minimally lower zinc levels in affected individuals, without clear clinical relevance – a hint that blanket lab tests and untargeted supplementation yield little benefit ^[5]. Concurrently, oxidative stress can disrupt follicle programs; antioxidant signals stabilize growth pathways and may promote regeneration ^[6].

A large-scale, retrospective cross-sectional project with nearly 24,000 datasets compared zinc levels of people with and without hair loss. The result: those affected had slightly lower values, but without clinical relevance; the authors advise against routine zinc testing and call for focused intervention studies on supplementation ^[5]. This leads to an important principle: not every "low-normal" value justifies pills – nutrition first, targeted diagnostics with suspicion. Additionally, a lab-animal translational study on antioxidant modulation shows that activating the NRF2 system and dampening inflammatory NF-κB signals in dermal papilla cells stabilize growth factors like IGF-1 and Wnt signaling pathways; in vivo, the number of follicles and anagen phases increased under the intervention ^[6]. The mechanistic core: less oxidative stress, more regeneration signal. Finally, the clinical literature on iron supply emphasizes the importance of ferritin as a sensitive marker in diffuse hair loss and provides practical relevance for investigating latent deficiencies ^[3].

- Consume protein-rich foods daily (about 1.2–1.6 g/kg body weight) and focus on high-quality sources like eggs, fish, legumes, and yogurt. This secures keratin building blocks and mitigates diffuse hair loss due to malnutrition ^[1][2].
- Incorporate biotin-rich foods like eggs, almonds, and sweet potatoes multiple times a week. Prioritize food over blind supplementation – the evidence for biotin pills in healthy individuals is weak; benefits exist primarily in cases of true deficiency ^[7].
- Increase zinc intake through natural sources: oysters, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas. Avoid routine tests or high-dose supplements without indication – nutrition first, supplements only with medically confirmed deficiency ^[5].
- Monitor your iron status: combine spinach, lentils, and red meat (2–3 times/week, individually) with vitamin C sources to improve absorption. Check ferritin levels in cases of diffuse hair loss and address deficiencies specifically ^[3][4].
- Charge your antioxidant system: consume berries and citrus fruits daily, along with 1–2 cups of green tea. The goal is to reduce oxidative stress at the hair root and stabilize growth signaling pathways ^[6].
- Limit alcohol: reduce intake to a minimum, as ethanol interferes with the absorption of essential micro and macronutrients (including iron, zinc, B vitamins) and can exacerbate hair loss ^[8].

Hair growth follows biological logic: give follicles a stable nutrient supply and oxidative calmness, and they deliver performance. Start this week with a simple protocol: more protein, more sources of iron and antioxidants, zinc from foods – and have ferritin and relevant markers checked by a doctor if hair loss persists.