Zinc and Hair Loss: Too Little, and Too Much
Last reviewed on 4 August 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
Zinc and hair loss come up together for a good reason, but the honest answer has two sides. Zinc is an essential trace mineral, which means your body needs a small amount of it to grow hair normally but cannot store or make it for itself. A genuine zinc deficiency is a recognised cause of hair loss, so yes, a lack of zinc can make you shed. At the same time, taking too much zinc can also cause hair loss, because high doses interfere with copper and a copper shortfall triggers shedding of its own. In other words, with zinc more is not better, and this page answers both questions people actually ask: can zinc deficiency cause hair loss, and can too much zinc cause hair loss.
For a plain, independently maintained overview of what zinc does, how much you need and what happens if you take too much, the NHS page on zinc and other minerals is the best starting point. Hair loss has many causes, so please treat this as general information and speak to your GP or a pharmacist about your own situation before starting any supplement.
The principle to hold on to is the same one that runs through our guides to selenium and vitamin A. Correcting a real deficiency can help hair, because the shortfall was holding it back. Taking more once you already have enough does not push growth higher, and in zinc's case a sustained excess can cause the very problem you were trying to fix.
What zinc does for hair
Zinc is involved in hundreds of processes in the body, from immune function to the DNA repair and protein building that dividing cells rely on. Hair follicles are among the most active, fast-dividing tissues you have, so they need a steady supply of the raw materials that keep the growth cycle turning, zinc included. That is why a real shortage can show up in the hair. It is also why the mere fact that follicles use zinc does not mean extra zinc grows more hair, any more than topping up a full tank makes a car go faster.
Can zinc deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes, if you are genuinely deficient. A review of diet and hair loss notes that zinc deficiency can cause a diffuse shedding known as telogen effluvium, along with brittle hair, and that people with several hair-loss conditions have been found to have lower zinc levels than healthy controls. In severe acquired zinc deficiency, dermatologists describe a classic triad of a rash around the mouth and hands, diarrhoea and hair loss; DermNet notes that in these cases normal hair growth is usually seen within about a month of replacing the zinc.
The important word is genuine. Zinc-related shedding is a diffuse thinning across the whole scalp, not the patchy loss of alopecia areata or the receding pattern of male and female pattern baldness, which is genetically driven and separate. So a real deficiency is worth correcting, but it is not the usual explanation for most everyday hair thinning.
Who is most likely to be short of zinc
Zinc deficiency is uncommon in the UK, because a normal mixed diet supplies enough. It is more likely in certain groups:
- People eating very little zinc, for example a limited or poor diet, or long-standing heavy alcohol use.
- Vegetarians and vegans, because the zinc in plant foods is less easily absorbed than the zinc in meat and shellfish, so more is needed from the diet.
- People with conditions that reduce absorption, such as inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease or after some bowel surgery.
- People with a much higher requirement or greater losses through certain long-term illnesses.
If any of these apply and you are shedding, the sensible step is a chat with your GP, who can test rather than leaving you to guess. Low zinc is only one of several nutritional possibilities; our guide to iron deficiency and hair loss covers another common one.
Can too much zinc cause hair loss?
Yes, and this is the part that catches people out. Reaching for a high-dose zinc supplement to fix hair loss can quietly make it worse. The NHS is clear that taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb, which it links to anaemia and a weakening of the bones. Copper is itself needed for healthy hair, so a zinc-induced copper deficiency can cause its own shedding. That is the mechanism behind the warnings, and it is why loading up on zinc is counterproductive: past the point of correcting a real shortfall, more zinc does not add benefit and can tip the balance the wrong way.
The practical guardrail is simple. The NHS advises not taking more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless a doctor tells you to. High doses can also cause more immediate problems such as nausea, stomach pain and diarrhoea. If you are taking a multivitamin, a separate zinc tablet and perhaps a hair supplement on top, it is easy to stack up more than you realise, which is another reason to check with a pharmacist rather than self-prescribe.
Does zinc help hair grow, or regrow?
Only where there is a deficiency to correct. Where hair loss is driven by a real zinc shortfall, restoring zinc can allow the hair to recover, and there are documented cases of shedding settling once the deficiency is treated. But in people who are not deficient, there is only limited evidence that taking zinc does anything for hair growth at all. The review of diet and hair loss is explicit that information on zinc supplementation in people without a documented deficiency is limited. So zinc is not a general hair-growth tonic. If your levels are already normal, a zinc tablet is far more likely to sit at the top of your intake, edging towards the copper problem above, than to thicken your hair. This is the same trap as taking a handful of hair gummies in the hope that more must mean better.
Does zinc block DHT?
Zinc inhibited the DHT-making enzyme only in a laboratory test tube at high concentrations, so there is no good evidence it lowers DHT in people.
This one has a kernel of truth that gets badly overstated. Male and female pattern hair loss is driven by a hormone called DHT, made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, so anything that blocks that enzyme is of interest. A 1988 laboratory study did find that zinc could inhibit 5-alpha-reductase in human skin samples, and at high enough concentrations block it almost completely. The catch is that this was done in a test tube at concentrations far higher than anything a supplement puts into your scalp. There is no good evidence that swallowing zinc lowers DHT or slows pattern hair loss in real people, so zinc is not a proven DHT blocker and should not be relied on as one. If that is what you are looking for, our guide to DHT blocker foods takes the same honest look at the wider claims.
How much zinc do you need?
UK adults need about 9.5mg of zinc a day for men and 7mg for women, which the NHS says most people get from their diet.
These are national reference figures, not a prescription for your hair. In the UK the NHS puts the amount of zinc adults need at about 9.5mg a day for men aged 19 to 64 and 7mg a day for women. That is a small quantity, and the NHS says you should be able to get all the zinc you need from your daily diet. On safety, the guidance is not to take more than 25mg a day from supplements unless a doctor advises it, because of the effect on copper described above.
Zinc-rich foods
Getting zinc from food is the safest way to keep your levels topped up, and it comes with no risk of overdoing it. Good sources listed by the NHS include:
- meat
- shellfish, with oysters being especially rich
- dairy foods such as cheese
- bread and cereal products such as wheatgerm
Plant foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and pumpkin seeds also contain zinc, though it is less easily absorbed than the zinc in meat and shellfish, which is why people on entirely plant-based diets need to pay a little more attention to it.
Should you get tested before supplementing?
If your hair is thinning and you suspect zinc, the useful move is to ask your GP rather than to start a supplement on spec. Because too much zinc causes its own problems, taking it when you do not need it has a real downside and no upside for your hair. A doctor can look at the whole picture, since low iron, thyroid problems and genetic pattern hair loss are all far more common reasons for shedding than a zinc shortfall, and can decide whether testing or treatment makes sense. That is a better first step than any commercial hair clinic, because the right approach depends entirely on the cause.
Frequently asked questions
Can zinc deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes, if you are genuinely deficient. Low zinc can cause a diffuse shedding known as telogen effluvium and, in severe deficiency, more marked hair loss alongside skin and gut symptoms. Correcting a real deficiency usually allows the hair to recover. Zinc deficiency is uncommon in the UK, though, so it is worth having a blood test through your GP rather than assuming zinc is the cause.
Can too much zinc cause hair loss?
Yes. High-dose zinc reduces how much copper your body can absorb, and a copper deficiency can itself cause hair loss, so megadosing zinc can backfire. The NHS advises not taking more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless a doctor tells you to. High doses can also cause nausea, stomach pain and diarrhoea. This is why more zinc is not better once your levels are already normal.
Does zinc block DHT?
Not in any practical sense. A 1988 laboratory study found zinc could inhibit the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that makes DHT, but only in a test tube and at concentrations far higher than a supplement produces in the body. There is no good evidence that taking zinc lowers DHT or slows pattern hair loss in real people, so it is not a reliable DHT blocker.
Will taking zinc regrow my hair?
Only if a zinc deficiency was causing the loss in the first place. Where hair loss is driven by a real shortfall, restoring zinc can let the hair recover. In people who are not deficient, there is only limited evidence that zinc does anything for hair growth, so it is not a general hair-growth supplement.
What is the best form of zinc for hair loss?
There is no single best form proven for hair. Zinc supplements come as gluconate, sulphate, citrate, picolinate and others, and they differ mainly in how much elemental zinc they contain and how they sit on the stomach. Far more important than the form is whether you actually need zinc at all, and staying within the 25mg-a-day supplement limit. If a test shows you are low, your GP or pharmacist can advise on a suitable product and dose.
How much zinc should I take for my hair?
In the UK adults need about 9.5mg a day for men and 7mg a day for women, and the NHS says most people can get all of that from their diet. There is no separate, higher hair-growth dose. If you do supplement, keep to 25mg a day or less unless a doctor advises more, because higher intakes interfere with copper.
What foods are high in zinc?
The NHS lists meat, shellfish (oysters are especially rich), dairy foods such as cheese, and bread and cereal products such as wheatgerm. Beans, lentils, nuts and pumpkin seeds also provide zinc, though it is absorbed less well from plant sources, so vegetarians and vegans may need to be a little more deliberate about it.
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