{"id":212260,"date":"2025-09-09T07:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T07:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/212260\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T07:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T07:38:11","slug":"can-eating-more-protein-make-hair-thicker-experts-sound-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/212260\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Eating More Protein Make Hair Thicker? Experts Sound Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like many millennial women in their late thirties, I’ve been dealing with hair loss<\/a> and shedding for a while now. I’m not exactly sure why my hair suddenly started getting thinner<\/a>, but I do know that my strands are a shadow of the thick, lush curls on display in photos of my post-college years. It’s a bummer\u2014and, what’s worse, is that I’ve noticed it’s also taking much longer for my hair to grow than it used to. <\/p>\n

It’s a lose-lose, as they say.<\/p>\n

I’ve tried various so-called solutions promising to boost hair growth, from shampoos and conditioners<\/a> claiming to prevent breakage and promote fullness to over-the-counter hair growth vitamins<\/a> like Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin, and Nails Gummies<\/a> and Nutrafol Women’s Vegan Hair Growth Nutraceutical<\/a>, which I took for a full year to no avail (for my hair, anyway\u2014my nails grew like crazy).<\/p>\n

And while I still take a women’s daily multivitamin<\/a> and use shampoos and conditioners designed for thinning hair, I’d pretty much given up on restoring my strands to their once-lush state. Instead, I focused on other changes\u2014like making a conscious effort to increase my protein intake<\/a> to help promote recovery, prevent injury, and build more muscle as an endurance athlete. (I’m a long-distance runner who runs several half marathons and usually one marathon per year). It worked and, after a few months, I noticed something else: My hair was finally looking thicker and shedding less in the shower.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

Turns out, that’s no coincidence: There’s growing evidence supporting the role of dietary protein in hair health, says Hannah Kopelman<\/a>, DO, a New York City-based dermatologist who specializes in hair loss. In fact, a 2021 review<\/a> in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology emphasized the link between protein malnutrition and telogen effluvium, a type of sudden hair shedding often seen in patients with low protein intake. “While we still need larger controlled trials, this is promising, and consistent with what I observe in my practice,” Dr. Kopelman says.<\/p>\n

How protein helps hair grow.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It should come as no surprise that increasing protein intake can help with hair growth\u2014after all, hair is made up almost entirely of a protein called keratin, explains New York City-based registered dietician Vanessa Rissetto<\/a>, RD, CDN, co-founder of Culina Health<\/a>. In fact, a 2024 research review<\/a> in the International Journal of Trichology highlighted that hair shafts are nearly 100% keratin, making dietary protein essential for healthy hair growth.<\/p>\n

According to Rissetto, making protein a priority ensures the body has enough amino acids to support keratin production and fuel follicle cells during the anagen, or growth, phase of a hair’s life cycle. “It also prevents a premature shift into the shedding, or telogen, phase,” she says. If your body doesn\u2019t have enough protein to go around, it prioritizes vital organs and systems\u2014and hair is one of the first things to take a hit, which can mean weaker strands, slower growth, and more shedding, says Dr. Kopelman. “By increasing your protein intake, especially if you were under-consuming it before, you’re essentially giving your follicles the raw materials they need to grow healthier, stronger strands,” she explains.<\/p>\n

Additionally, this demonstrates why hair growth vitamins and supplements often aren’t the quick fix they claim to be, Dr. Kopelman says (some have even been linked to health risks<\/a>). “If a person\u2019s hair loss is being driven by something like chronic stress, a hormonal shift, or a nutrient deficiency, a multivitamin alone may not make a dent,” she says. “But fixing a dietary gap\u2014like low protein\u2014can have a real impact if that was the underlying problem.”<\/p>\n

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“If a person\u2019s hair loss is being driven by something like chronic stress, a hormonal shift, or a nutrient deficiency, a multivitamin alone may not make a dent.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On top of that, my experience with the vitamins and supplements only providing a boost to my nails is a common one, she adds. Your nails generally grow faster to begin with and tend to respond more quickly to nutritional changes\u2014hair growth is complex and more hormonally and genetically regulated. “Many supplements deliver biotin or other nutrients that strengthen keratin-rich nails faster than hair,” Rissetto adds. “Dietary changes ensure a full spectrum of nutrients reaches hair follicles, not just isolated vitamins.”<\/p>\n

How to optimize protein intake for the benefit of your own hair<\/strong><\/p>\n

It didn’t take long for me to reap the benefits of my concerted effort\u2014a few weeks in, I started to notice less hair shedding, particularly in how much I was losing in the shower after shampooing. I also noticed more volume in thinning areas framing my face when wearing my hair down. I still haven’t seen a huge improvement in length, but that’s a common dilemma for those of us with curly hair<\/a> versus straight or wavy, especially if you live in a humid climate, as I do here in Houston. <\/p>\n

And though it wasn’t hard to do, I did have a plan in place to transform my diet for the benefit of my hair. Here’s how I made it work\u2014and how you can too: <\/p>\n

Create a protein goal<\/strong><\/p>\n

I calculated a protein intake target<\/a> to hit based on individual factors like my height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. The recommended daily amount of dietary protein for sedentary adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, says Dr. Kopelman, while athletes or highly active individuals often need closer to 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram daily to truly support tissue recovery and growth. For me, that came out to about 100 grams of protein per day. <\/p>\n

Identify gaps in your diet<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was room for me to add protein-rich foods to certain meals, and I zeroed in on those opportunities. In addition to having a protein-rich dinner<\/a> such as salmon with rice, I focused on eating high-protein breakfast foods<\/a> such as a burrito with eggs and chicken sausage and snacks like Greek yogurt with pumpkin seeds or dried meat sticks. Some of Dr. Kopelman’s favorite protein-rich foods include eggs, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, lentils, beans, tofu, and tempeh, which also tend to be rich in other hair-supportive nutrients like biotin, zinc, and iron.<\/p>\n

Take shortcuts when needed<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ll admit that I also drink a pre-made shake with 30 grams of protein most days to hit that target<\/a>, especially when I’m staring down a hard-speed workout or long run, and both Dr. Kopelman and Rissetto agree these convenience products can have a place in a well-rounded diet (though they shouldn’t replace whole foods). “Ideally, your protein comes from food because you’re also getting important nutrients like iron, zinc, B vitamins, and healthy fats,” Dr. Kopelman says. “That said, high-quality powders and shakes\u2014like whey or plant-based blends\u2014can absolutely be part of a balanced diet and provide the same amino acids your hair needs.”<\/p>\n

You can also incorporate collagen peptide supplements, which may help prevent hair loss, according to a 2024 study<\/a> in the Journal of Functional Foods.
<\/p>\n

The bottom line: What’s inside is usually reflected on the outside<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hair health is typically an indicator of overall health, and if your sleep, diet, stress, and nutrient intake are dialed in, your hair usually follows, Dr. Kopelman says. That said, it’s important to note that getting lusher locks the way I did will only work if you’re not getting enough protein to begin with and this deficiency is contributing to your problems, Dr. Kopelman says. “If someone\u2019s already meeting their protein needs and still shedding, we have to look deeper\u2014stress, hormones, genetics, and even autoimmune issues can all play a role,” Dr. Kopelman says. <\/p>\n

To find out if this is you, Dr. Kopelman suggests tracking your food intake for a few days. Rissetto also recommends keeping an eye out for symptoms of deficiencies<\/a>, such as brittle hair and nails, fatigue, or slow healing, which are all signs of low protein. And expect to give it time: Hair grows at about 1\u20131.5\u202f centimeters per month and changes may take three to six months to appear, Rissetto says. Additionally, “if hair loss is sudden or patchy, consult a doctor\u2014nutrient tweaks may not suffice for autoimmune or hormonal causes,” she adds.<\/p>\n

The encouraging part is that both Rissetto and Dr. Kopelman say that simple lifestyle changes can yield a significant difference. And while my mane may not be back to its post-college photo days, the improvements are picture-perfect to me.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner’s World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women’s Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like many millennial women in their late thirties, I’ve been dealing with hair loss and shedding for a…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":212261,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[116197,1265,27244,94265,111246,4633,116200,116198,36100,116199,210,53276,1182,1929,116196,67,132,68,15649],"class_list":{"0":"post-212260","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-dermatologists","9":"tag-diet","10":"tag-hair-care","11":"tag-hair-growth","12":"tag-hair-health","13":"tag-hair-loss","14":"tag-hair-science","15":"tag-hair-tips","16":"tag-hair-transformation","17":"tag-hair-volume","18":"tag-health","19":"tag-high-protein-diet","20":"tag-nutrition","21":"tag-protein","22":"tag-thicker-hair","23":"tag-united-states","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-womens-health"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115173203010732647","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}