Vitamin C gets less attention in hair care than biotin does. It deserves more. Your body cannot make vitamin C. It does three jobs that matter for hair: it builds collagen, it helps you absorb iron, and it protects cells.
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From Anirva, the maker of Hair Radiance. This article is general information, not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- Your body cannot make vitamin C. It has to come from food or supplements [1].
- Vitamin C is needed to build collagen. Collagen is an essential part of connective tissue, which includes the skin that holds each hair follicle [1][2].
- Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plant foods. Low iron stores have been linked with hair shedding in women [1][3].
- When vitamin C runs out, hair shows it. Coiled "corkscrew" hairs are a classic sign of severe deficiency. In one study, mice without vitamin C grew hair more slowly [1][6].
- Hair Radiance contains 60 mg of vitamin C. Added to an average diet, that keeps the daily total in the range the body absorbs well [1][7].
Here we explain each one, what the research shows, and how the 60 mg in Hair Radiance fits with your food.
Facts at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ingredient and form | Vitamin C, as ascorbic acid [7] |
| Amount in Hair Radiance | 60 mg a day, in 3 capsules [7] |
| Percent of Daily Value | 66%, as printed on the label [7] |
| Recommended intake for adults | 90 mg a day for men; 75 mg a day for women [1] |
| Amounts used in studies | No human hair study to compare with |
| Kinds of evidence | Nutrition science; a regulator review; human research on iron and hair; lab and mouse studies of hair [1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Human studies cited here | None of vitamin C by mouth for hair; 1 review of iron and hair shedding |
| Adult upper limit | 2,000 mg a day [1] |
| Last reviewed | October 15, 2026 |
What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid. It is a nutrient we must get from food or supplements [1].
How does vitamin C support hair?
It builds collagen
The body needs vitamin C to make collagen, and collagen is an essential part of connective tissue [1]. Your scalp is skin, and each hair follicle sits in it. European food regulators allow labels to say that vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin [2].
It helps you absorb iron
Vitamin C improves the absorption of nonheme iron, the form of iron found in plant foods [1]. This matters for hair. Low iron stores have been linked with hair shedding in women [3].
Hair Radiance has no iron. Its vitamin C helps you absorb the iron in your meals.
It protects cells
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It also renews other antioxidants in the body, including vitamin E [1].
What happens when vitamin C is missing
Severe deficiency shows how much hair depends on vitamin C. One of its classic signs is coiled "corkscrew" hairs [1]. Severe deficiency is rare in developed countries [1].
Does vitamin C help hair growth? What the research shows
The research on vitamin C and hair is still growing. What vitamin C does in the body is well established. The hair studies so far come from the lab and from mice.
In the lab, a form of vitamin C made hair shafts grow longer
In 2006, researchers reported that a long-acting form of vitamin C made hair shafts grow longer in human hair follicles kept in the lab. It also brought on hair growth in mice [4][5].
In 2009, the same research group showed how. The vitamin C acted through cells at the base of the follicle. These cells released a growth signal called IGF-1, and the hair-forming cells multiplied [5].
Mice without vitamin C grew hair more slowly
Most animals make their own vitamin C [1]. A 2017 study used mice that cannot. One group got vitamin C in its water, and one group did not. After shaving, hair growth was significantly promoted in the vitamin C group [6]. The activity of 1,736 genes differed between the groups, and keratin-related genes were among those tied to the difference in hair growth [6].
Iron, vitamin C and hair shedding
A 2002 review of nutrition and hair looked at iron. Ferritin, a blood measure of iron stores, was a factor in female hair loss in two studies ten years apart [3].
What each source shows
| Source | Type of evidence | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| European Food Safety Authority, 2009 [2] | Regulator review | Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for skin |
| Rushton, 2002 [3] | Review of human studies | Iron stores are a factor in hair shedding in women |
| Sung et al., 2006 [4] | Lab and mouse study | A form of vitamin C made hair shafts grow longer |
| Kwack et al., 2009 [5] | Lab study | The effect worked through the growth signal IGF-1 |
| Wakame et al., 2017 [6] | Mouse study | Mice without vitamin C grew hair more slowly |
How much vitamin C is in Hair Radiance compared with daily needs?
| Source | Amount a day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hair Radiance (3 capsules) | 60 mg, as ascorbic acid | From the label [7] |
| Recommended intake | 90 mg for men; 75 mg for women | Add 35 mg for people who smoke [1] |
| Average intake from food | About 105 mg for men; 84 mg for women | US adults [1] |
| Adult upper limit | 2,000 mg | [1] |
Hair Radiance adds 60 mg to the vitamin C in your food. For the average adult, that brings the daily total to about 145 to 165 mg. The body absorbs 70% to 90% of vitamin C at intakes of 30 to 180 mg a day [1].
By itself, 60 mg is below the recommended intake of 75 to 90 mg [1]. Hair Radiance adds to your diet. It does not replace fruit and vegetables.
22 ingredients, including 60 mg of vitamin C
Hair Radiance is a daily three-capsule supplement that pairs vitamin C with biotin, zinc, plant extracts and probiotic strains. Every ingredient and amount is listed on the label.
See Hair RadianceIs vitamin C safe? Safety and interactions
Vitamin C has a wide safety margin. The upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg a day, and Hair Radiance has 60 mg [1][7]. Large amounts can cause diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps [1].
People with a condition that causes iron overload are advised to talk with their doctor before taking extra vitamin C [1].
People having chemotherapy or radiation are advised to check with their cancer care team before taking antioxidant supplements [1]. Vitamin C taken with other antioxidants may also affect one combination of cholesterol medicines [1].
Vitamin C is one part of Hair Radiance
Hair Radiance is a daily three-capsule hair growth supplement with 22 ingredients: vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, an amino acid and three probiotic strains. They were chosen to support healthy hair growth, to help promote silky, smooth hair, and to strengthen and maintain healthy hair. Vitamin C is one of them.
Hair Radiance has not been clinically tested as a finished product. For this reason, we cannot say how its ingredients work together.
Every ingredient and amount is listed on the label [7].
If you are deciding
Here is the case in brief. Your body cannot make vitamin C, and it needs vitamin C to build collagen and to absorb iron from plant foods [1]. Low iron stores are linked with hair shedding in women [3]. In lab and mouse studies, vitamin C supported hair growth [4][5][6]. Vitamin C has no human hair trial yet, so its place in Hair Radiance rests on these well-established jobs. The directions are three capsules a day with food [7].
The short version
Your body cannot make vitamin C. It needs vitamin C to build collagen and to absorb iron from plant foods. In lab and mouse studies, vitamin C supported hair growth. Hair Radiance provides 60 mg a day, which adds to the vitamin C in your food.
Frequently asked questions
Does vitamin C help hair growth?
Is vitamin C good for your hair?
Yes. Your body cannot make it, and coiled "corkscrew" hairs are a classic sign of severe vitamin C deficiency [1].
Does vitamin C help with iron?
Does vitamin C help the body make collagen?
Yes. The body needs vitamin C to make collagen, an essential part of connective tissue [1].
How much vitamin C do adults need?
Men need 90 mg a day and women need 75 mg. People who smoke need 35 mg more [1].
Which foods are high in vitamin C?
Red pepper, oranges, kiwifruit and broccoli. Half a cup of raw red pepper has 95 mg [1].
Can I take vitamin C every day?
How much vitamin C is in Hair Radiance?
Each serving of three capsules has 60 mg of vitamin C, as ascorbic acid [7].
References
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated July 31, 2025. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/ (accessed October 7, 2026).
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin C and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, collagen formation and other functions. EFSA Journal. 2009;7(10):1226. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1226.
- Rushton DH. Nutritional factors and hair loss. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2002;27(5):396-404. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2230.2002.01076.x. PMID: 12190640.
- Sung YK, Hwang SY, Cha SY, Kim SR, Park SY, Kim MK, Kim JC. The hair growth promoting effect of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long-acting vitamin C derivative. J Dermatol Sci. 2006;41(2):150-152. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2005.11.010. PMID: 16406749.
- Kwack MH, Shin SH, Kim SR, Im SU, Han IS, Kim MK, Kim JC, Sung YK. L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate promotes elongation of hair shafts via the secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 from dermal papilla cells through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Br J Dermatol. 2009;160(6):1157-1162. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2009.09108.x. PMID: 19416266.
- Wakame K, Komatsu K, Nakata A, Sato K, Takaguri A, Masutomi H, Nagashima T, Uchiyama H. Transcriptome analysis of skin from SMP30/GNL knockout mice reveals the effect of ascorbic acid deficiency on skin and hair. In Vivo. 2017;31(4):599-607. doi:10.21873/invivo.11100. PMID: 28652426.
- Anirva. Hair Radiance Supplement Facts label and product page. https://anirva.com/pages/hair-growth-supplement-with-probiotics (accessed October 7, 2026).
