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Vitamin E is an essential vitamin and antioxidant found in olives, almonds, pumpkins, and wheat germ oil. Two common forms of vitamin E are tocopherols and tocotrienols – both of which are often added to natural-based hair loss supplements and topicals.
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Key insights:
- Fewer than 1% of Americans are deficient in vitamin E.
- One clinical study suggests that vitamin E supplements improve hair loss – albeit in Malaysian patients (where vitamin E deficiencies are more common) who have nondescript hair loss (i.e., not necessarily androgenic alopecia).
- There are conflicting studies linking alopecia areata to vitamin E deficiencies.
- There are safety concerns for long-term use of vitamin E – including an increased association with certain cancers.
- Our experience tracking members is that vitamin E is not an effective hair loss treatment – at least as a mono therapy.
Additional links:
- Vitamin E: Evidence Quality (Rubric)
- Effects of Tocotrienol Supplementation on Hair Growth in Human Volunteers (2010 Study)
- The antioxidant role of paraoxonase 1 and vitamin E in three autoimmune diseases (2012 Study)
- Antioxidants and lipid peroxidation status in the blood of patients with alopecia (2000 Study)
- Vitamin E For Hair Loss: Fact Versus Fiction (Article)
- Vitamin E For Hair Loss: Fact Versus Fiction (Tocopherols & Tocotrienols)