By the time you’ve blown out your fiftieth birthday candles, odds are your scalp’s done some shedding of its own.
Around 85% of men and 40% of women experience hair loss by age 50, making it one of the most common—and quietly agonising—cosmetic battles of adulthood.
While culprits like stress, ageing, and family genes are the usual suspects, a new analysis from Masumi Headwear highlights a sneakier villain in the mix: vitamin overdose. That’s right—your innocent-looking wellness routine might just be the very cause of hair thinning and loss.
According to Masumi’s deep dive into the data, four of the most popular vitamins—often found lining bathroom cabinets in bulk—can sabotage your follicles if taken in excess.
“These vitamins are important for your health, but they certainly become problematic when consumed in excess,” says Ali Nowroozi, Director of Masumi Headwear.
“Many people prefer to self-diagnose and take multiple vitamin supplements without professional consultation.”
Let’s take a closer look at the usual suspects:
Vitamin A: Too Much of a Good Thing
Essential for vision, immunity and skin health, vitamin A becomes a hair’s worst nightmare when daily intake surpasses 3,000 mcg—a level easily reached by just two or three supplement pills. Overdosing this fat-soluble vitamin can disrupt the hair growth cycle, damaging follicles and triggering shedding.
Safe dose: 700–900 mcg
Eat instead of pill-popping: Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and eggs. (A single medium sweet potato packs double your daily needs.)
Selenium: The Silent Saboteur
Selenium may support your thyroid and immunity, but once your intake breaches 400 mcg daily, it flips the script and starts weakening your locks. You can hit that upper limit with just a few pills—and the fallout can be literal.
Safe dose: 55 mcg
Natural fix: Just two Brazil nuts meet your daily requirement. Seafood, whole grains and mushrooms are also worthy allies.
Zinc: A Balancing Act
Both too little and too much zinc can lead to hair loss—think of it as the Goldilocks mineral. While commonly taken to ward off colds or boost testosterone, going over 40 mg a day can backfire on your follicles.
Safe dose: 8–11 mg
On your plate: Oysters (a single serving can exceed your daily need), beef, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.
Vitamin E: The Beauty Supplement That Bites Back
Often marketed for its skin and hair benefits, vitamin E has a dark side. Surpassing 1,000 mg daily—a threshold that can be crossed with just 3–4 pills—can actually lead to substantial shedding. What was meant to protect your strands might end up costing you them.
Safe dose: 15 mg
Smart sources: Sunflower seeds and almonds (a handful goes halfway), plus spinach and avocados.
So, what’s the takeaway? According to Nowroozi, the problem isn’t the vitamins themselves—it’s the megadoses. “Our bodies need specific levels of nutrients, and when we go overboard thinking more will make us better, it often produces the opposite effect,” he explains.
“A better approach is getting nutrients primarily from whole foods, using supplements only for confirmed deficiencies, and understanding that with vitamins, more isn’t better—it can actually work against your health goals.”
In a wellness culture obsessed with ‘more is more,’ Masumi’s findings offer a sobering reminder: moderation isn’t just wise—it’s follicle-friendly.
So before you reach for that next gummy, ask yourself: is it doing your hair a favour, or sending it down the plughole?
Because in the quest for vitality, the cause of hair thinning and loss might just be hiding in plain sight—right next to your toothpaste.
