Does Drinking Water Help Your Hair Grow?

You’ve undoubtedly heard that drinking water can help your skin glow, but what about when it comes to making your hair grow?

Drinking lots of water offers countless benefits, from improving your cardiovascular function to supporting your joints, skin and internal organs. However, while staying hydrated does provide some hair-related benefits, there isn’t much evidence that it stimulates hair growth.

That’s not to say you should stash your water bottle, however.

Below, we’ve explored the relationship between water consumption and the health of your hair, as well as possible hair-related benefits of keeping yourself properly hydrated.

We’ve also shared a few science-based tips you can use to stimulate healthy hair growth so you can enjoy thicker, smoother and healthier hair. 

Does drinking water help your hair grow? Let’s dive in. 

Water absolutely plays a role in your hair’s health. For example, retaining moisture helps hair strands maintain luster, texture, strength, and elasticity.

But when it comes to ways drinking water improves hair growth, there isn’t much research showing a direct connection between water intake and increased hair growth.

Hair grows as part of a natural, multi-phase process referred to as the hair growth cycle. Throughout this process, stem cells develop into keratinized cells, which make up the hair that grows from your scalp.

The hair growth cycle can be divided into three main phases:

• Anagen phase. In the anagen phase, hair actively grows out of the follicle, reaching its full length over the course of several years.

• Catagen phase. In the catagen phase, hair transitions from growth to inactivity (when it “rests” and neither grows nor sheds).

• Telogen phase. Finally, in the telogen phase, the hair follicle becomes dormant. Over time, hairs in the telogen phase shed and are replaced by newer anagen hairs.

Throughout the growth process, hair depends on numerous micronutrients (vitamins and minerals, like zinc, iron, and biotin) and macronutrients (protein and healthy fats) to stay strong and healthy.

If you’re deficient in these nutrients, it may lead to reduced hair growth or hair shedding.

Hydration and Hair: Why It Matters

Drinking water — as in, the water you drink, not the act of drinking water — contains trace amounts of iron and zinc. (The exact amounts can vary based on location and water source.) However, there’s no evidence that drinking large amounts of water has any real impact on the hair growth cycle.

The effect of water on hair growth is more indirect. Just like other parts of the body, hair follicles call for adequate blood flow to stay healthy.

Maintaining good blood flow is essential for the tissues in your body to both receive nutrients and get rid of waste. Hydration can improve circulation throughout the body, including to hair follicles. This helps ensure they continue to produce healthy hairs.

That said, drinking plenty of water definitely helps maintain a healthy scalp. Water makes up roughly 60 percent of the total weight of the human body, after all, making healthy water intake important for keeping it hydrated and able to grow.

Another common belief is that drinking water helps prevent hair loss. While staying hydrated is an essential aspect of growing healthy hair, most hair loss happens due to factors unrelated to how much water you drink.

In women, two common causes of hair loss include female pattern hair loss (also called androgenetic alopecia) and telogen effluvium.

Female pattern hair loss develops due to a mix of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Meanwhile, telogen effluvium is a type of temporary hair shedding that can happen because of stress, illness, trauma, nutritional deficiencies, or medication.

Though drinking a reasonable amount of water is good for hair health, it doesn’t have any effect on the genes and hormone levels involved in pattern hair loss.

Drinking extra water also won’t minimize stress or treat hair loss caused by the use of medication. Side note: If you’re feeling stressed, of course, staying hydrated can help you feel better in general.

Drinking Water to Prevent Dry Hair, Skin, and Scalp

All that said, a healthy water intake can indirectly prevent some types of hair loss. For instance, just as dehydration makes your skin and mouth feel dry, it can also lead to dry hair. This can make it brittle and more prone to split ends and breaking. 

Speaking of dry skin, a dry scalp can become irritated and itchy. Repeated scratching at an itchy scalp can lead to hair loss. There’s also some evidence that untreated scalp conditions can impact healthy hair growth.

So, even though water doesn’t really boost hair growth by itself, proper hydration can absolutely help hair and scalp health and reduce problems caused by dryness.

Though your water intake doesn’t have much of a direct effect on hair growth, there are real benefits to keeping yourself hydrated. Some benefits of drinking water include:

• Maintaining a normal body temperature

• Protecting and cushioning your joints

• Removing waste through sweat, urine, and bowel movements

• Maintaining electrolyte balance

• Normalizing blood pressure and heart function

Put simply, even though drinking lots of water doesn’t have much of an effect on hair growth, it’s still a good thing to do for overall health and well-being.

If you’ve ever looked up how much water you should drink daily, you’ve probably come across a range of answers, from four to six cups to eight cups or more.

The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Everyone’s personal needs are slightly different, meaning the right amount of water for one person may not be adequate for another.

For example, water intake recommendations can vary based on things like age, sex, how active you are, and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

The National Academies of Medicine recommends women consume six to nine cups of water daily while men drink eight to twelve cups.

You may also want to drink more water if you:

• Live in a hot, humid region where the weather causes you to sweat often

• Have a high physical activity level and need to keep hydrated after exercising or working

• Are sick with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Experience signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth and lips or dark, strong-smelling urine

On the other hand, you may need to drink slightly less water if you have certain types of kidney or heart disease or a health condition that causes water retention. Your healthcare provider can let you know if this is the case.

H2O is great, but water’s not your only option to stay hydrated. You can hydrate your body with herbal tea, electrolyte drinks, and even whole fruit.

While drinking extra water won’t directly stimulate hair growth, there are steps you can take to boost your hair follicles.

Eat a Balanced, Healthy Diet

Just like skin and internal organs, hair depends on a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to grow and maintain itself.

One way to make sure your hair grows to its full potential is to eat a balanced, healthy diet that features all the essential nutrients your body requires for hair growth.

If you’ve noticed your hair looking a little thin, try to prioritize:

• Protein

• Fatty acids like omega-3s

• Iron

• Zinc

• Biotin

• Folic acid (folate)

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin D

The best way to do this is to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean protein sources.

Use Hair-Growth Vitamins

If you’ve noticed brittle hair or excess shedding, you may have a nutritional deficiency that needs to be addressed. In that case, your healthcare provider might suggest adding a supplement to your hair health routine.

Biotin (vitamin B7) is involved in the synthesis of keratin, a protein that makes up a large part of the hair shaft. Although biotin doesn’t directly stimulate hair growth, people deficient in biotin may show signs of hair loss. (But know that biotin deficiency is very rare in the U.S.)

You can increase your biotin intake with our multivitamin gummies. Beyond biotin, these hair gummies contain other crucial vitamins for hair health, such as folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.

Avoid Habits That Cause Hair Breakage

An easy way to make your hair appear thicker is to minimize habits that contribute to damaged, broken hairs.

Common sources of hair breakage include:

• Brushing too often or aggressively

• Styling hair in tight ponytails or braids

• Overexposing hair to heat

• Coloring or bleaching hair often

• Wearing hair extensions or a weave

To keep your hair healthy and minimize breakage, try to avoid or minimize these habits. Be careful with your hair and focus on a routine that promotes thicker, healthier hair growth.

Use Minoxidil to Promote Regrowth

If you have visible hair loss, one of the most effective things you can do to promote growth is to use minoxidil.

Minoxidil is an FDA-approved topical hair loss medication that works by moving hairs into the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle and stimulating blood circulation in the scalp.

Numerous studies have found that minoxidil stimulates hair growth in women, including one 48-week study involving almost 400 women with pattern hair loss.

Minoxidil comes over the counter (no prescription needed) as a 5% foam or 2% liquid solution. It’s affordable, accessible, and easy to use as part of your morning or evening hair care routine.

Learn more about this medication in our full guide to minoxidil for female hair loss.

Does drinking water help your hair grow? Here’s the bottom line:

• While drinking water probably won’t promote faster hair growth, there are many benefits to keeping yourself hydrated. Drinking enough water can help you look and feel better overall.

• Try to maintain a healthy intake of water. If you’re active or live in a hot, humid environment, you may need to drink an extra glass of water or two to avoid dehydration.

• As for growing thicker, stronger hair, avoid habits that can damage hair, and aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

• If thinning hair, a widening part, or excess hair fall has you concerned, connect with a healthcare provider like a dermatologist or trichologist. They can work with you to see what’s causing your hair loss and recommend treatments to slow it down and boost new hair growth.

Hers can also connect you with a licensed healthcare professional specializing in hair loss. Take our free hair quiz to start exploring your options.