Are you struggling with hair loss? It could be a vitamin deficiency.

Throughout the worst of the pandemic, doctors reported an uptick in stress-related hair loss. COVID-19 brought about death and illness, shuddered schools and businesses, and put people's lives on pause. The resulting emotional stress had significant repercussions, among them unprecedented hair loss for many people.

While stress is certainly one contributing factor to the loss or thinning of one's hair, it's far from the only one. Preventable vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss as well.

Hair loss is a common disorder defined as an interruption in the body’s cycle of hair production. It can happen to anyone, but is more common in men. Male or female pattern baldness is thought to affect some 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States, though some research shows that as many as 50% of all men are afflicted with the disorder by age 50.

What else causes hair loss?

Hair loss, also called alopecia, has many causes including aging, hormones, genetics, intense physical or emotional stress, hairstyles, drugs and chronic illness – though heredity is the most common contributing factor. And while male or female pattern baldness can be managed with medication or surgery, other causes of hair loss can be prevented, in part, with proper nutrition and maintenance.

"Much like mental fitness, hair health is partly the result of overall diet and lifestyle choices," says Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and the author of “This is Your Brain on Food."

Which vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss?

Indeed, multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been associated with hair loss and even premature graying. "While hair loss and its causes and treatments are complex, we can look at what’s possible from the viewpoint of nutrients," says Naidoo.

The most important vitamins and minerals "noted to promote long, strong, thick hair," she says, include the following: