Can Vitamins Restore Hair Color?

Many factors, such as stress, aging and genetics can cause your hair to lose its color and turn gray or white. Low levels of certain vitamins and minerals can also have a role in hair color loss. By increasing your intake of certain vitamins, you may be able to prevent hair color loss and even restore some of the color to your hair.

Vitamin B-5

Vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid, has a role in maintaining the health and color of your hair 1. MayoClinic.com explains that low vitamin B-5 is associated with graying of the hair 1. By increasing your B-5 levels, you may be able to bring some color back to your hair. According to the University of Alabama, B vitamins such as B-5 also play a part in your response to stress. As you become more stressed, your vitamin B levels may drop to promote hair color loss. If you are experiencing unusual amounts of stress, taking an extra B-5 supplement may help to restore hair color and prevent hair graying.

PABA

PABA is a B vitamin-like nutrient that is often found in hair health supplements. VitaminsToHealth.com, an independent online vitamin resource, lists PABA as a hair health nutrient and explains that PABA has been shown to restore hair color in some of the first studies of vitamins and hair color restoration. While PABA is important for the overall health of hair, some health experts, such as those at Health-Care-Clinic.org, question the true efficacy of PABA supplements in restoring hair color or hair growth.

Biotin

Vitamin H, more commonly known as biotin, is important to hair health. Biotin deficincies are often associated with premature hair loss and hair graying. According to the "Nutrition Almanac," biotin is found in many hair health supplements that help to restore hair color 3. To maximize the color-restoring potential of biotin and other supplements, VitaminsToHealth.com recommends using biotin in combination with other hair color supplements such as vitamin B-5 and inositol.