Vitamin C Can Make Your Hair Super Shiny—Here’s Ho…

Abundant in fresh fruits and vegetables and known for boosting the immune system, vitamin C is famous in the beauty community for its brightening and glow-enhancing skin benefits. But here’s a surprise: It isn’t just an ingredient for your face and body. As a powerful antioxidant and natural collagen booster, vitamin C is a great addition to your hair and scalp routine, too.

From promoting new hair growth to enhancing shine, vitamin C is worth seeking out the next time you peruse the haircare aisle. To explore its full benefits, we enlisted board-certified dermatologists Brendan Camp, MD, FAAD, and Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, for their expert opinions.

Keep reading to learn more about vitamin C for hair, including how to incorporate it into your existing regimen.

What Is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient necessary to the human body. It can be found in many fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, strawberries, cantaloupe, green peppers, guava, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, and leafy greens, as well as supplements. 

In skincare, vitamin C is popular for brightening skin dull skin and promoting collagen production. As one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin, vitamin C has been shown to protect against photoaging and to have an anti-aging effect by increasing collagen synthesis. Typically, vitamin C is applied topically to the skin through serums or moisturizers.

Benefits of Vitamin C for Hair

When applied to the scalp, vitamin C can provide similar benefits as it does in skincare. “Vitamin C works as an antioxidant to help neutralize free radical damage, which can help maintain scalp health,” Garshick explains. Camp agrees, adding that vitamin C neutralizes free oxygen radicals that develop during the day due to normal metabolism and UV exposure. “Free oxygen radicals [damage] cellular structures like DNA, lipids, and proteins,” Camp explains. Vitamin C can also help boost collagen production in the scalp and hair, which Garshick says can, in turn, help to strengthen and promote hair health.

• Neutralizes free radical damage: Vitamin C works as an antioxidant to help neutralize free radical damage, which, according to Garshick, can help maintain scalp health. These antioxidant properties of vitamin C are beneficial topically and when orally ingested.
• Strengthens the hair: Vitamin C is a known collagen booster, and collagen is a key component of strong hair. “Vitamin C can help to boost collagen production, which can also help to strengthen and promote hair health,” says Garshick.
• Boosts shine: Garshick shares that vitamin C can also brighten and improve the overall shine of the hair. Vitamin C also contributes to a healthy scalp environment, which can influence the appearance of the hair overall.
• May prevent hair loss: Camp says vitamin C may interact with DHT, a hormone that contributes to hair loss. “DHT causes miniaturization and shrinkage of the hair follicle. Vitamin C reduces the formation of DHT.” Research has shown vitamin C’s ability to repress DHT, meaning it may help prevent hair loss.
• May help promote new hair growth: Garshick shares that “by boosting collagen, vitamin C may help to promote hair regrowth.” Camp adds that vitamin C allows for improved hair growth by reducing the formation of DHT.

Hair Type Considerations

Our experts agree that vitamin C is safe for all hair types, though it may have more benefits for some types than others. Those with color-treated or damaged hair may benefit from the collagen-boosting powers of vitamin C. “It can be used by all hair types but is especially helpful for those with dull hair and hair that is susceptible to breakage,” says Garshick. Camp adds that vitamin C can be used on most hair types and textures but that people with dry hair may want to exercise more caution, as some hair products remove more oils from the hair shaft and contribute to dryness.

While all hair types can use vitamin C, Garshick says it is always good to consult a medical professional to determine the underlying cause of hair concerns.

Potential Side Effects

While rare, allergic reactions with vitamin C can occur. Additionally, though someone may not have an allergy to vitamin C itself, the other ingredients in a vitamin C product may irritate. “Someone with an allergy to an ingredient in the hair product should avoid it, and those with more sensitive skin may want to apply the product to a test spot on the inside of the elbow for a few days before using it on their scalp,” advises Camp.

If you experience adverse side effects such as redness, irritation, rashes, itching, tingling, or breakouts, discontinue using the vitamin C product and consult a board-certified dermatologist.

How to Use Vitamin C for Hair

There are many benefits to taking vitamin C orally and using it topically. Vitamin C is an essential supplement for overall health, but unlike most animals, humans cannot synthesize vitamin C due to a missing enzyme. This means that we must depend on dietary sources of vitamin C, like citrus fruits or vitamin supplements, to meet our physiological need for vitamin C.

In using vitamin C for hair, topical application is most effective for observing the benefits to the scalp and hair follicles. Both experts recommend using pre-formulated products containing vitamin C specifically intended for use on the hair and scalp. Products that are intended for use on the face may contain other ingredients that can damage hair or be too heavy in consistency. Camp suggests closely reading the directions on the product you’re using and following them to a T: “Overzealous application can sometimes lead to scalp or hair irritation, and too little of the product may not [yield] beneficial results.”

The Final Takeaway

Vitamin C—found in various fruits and vegetables—is not only an essential nutrient that helps the body function but also an ingredient used in hair care. When applied topically to the hair and scalp, vitamin C provides numerous benefits, such as neutralizing free radical damage, strengthening hair, boosting shine, preventing hair loss, and promoting hair growth. Vitamin C is safe for all hair types and can be found as a supplement and in haircare products such as serums and oils. Allergic reactions to vitamin C are rare, but they can happen. If you experience redness, inflammation, irritation, rashes, breakouts, or burning symptoms, stop using vitamin C haircare products and consult a board-certified dermatologist.