How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Hair Fall

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for hair fall.

Discover how meeting your daily protein needs might prevent hair loss.

Last Updated
Jul 30, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Disclaimer: This communication is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Can Protein Powder Stop Your Hair from Falling Out?

Many men and women experiencing hair loss wonder whether protein shakes or powders can help restore growth or prevent further loss.

The truth is that although hair itself is made of a protein called keratin, the link between dietary protein intake and hair growth is complex.

Most of what we know about protein intake and hair loss is based on studies about people with protein deficiency (Dermatol Pract Concept, 2017).

The research shows that having a protein deficiency can impact your structure and growth.

It also shows that increasing protein intake can promote hair growth in individuals who are protein deficient.

Little is known about the effects of increased protein intake in individuals without a protein deficiency, however.

One study did find that protein shakes and powders promote hair growth in women suffering from thinning hair, but it is still hard to say to what extent, if any, protein affects hair growth in the average person (Dermatol Res Pract, 2015).

Increasing your protein intake, if you do not need the protein, thus may or may not help with hair growth.

If you are protein deficient, or if you struggle to regularly meet your daily protein needs, however, then adding protein powder to your diet might be a great idea.

That said, not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Hair Fall?

First of all, it is important to acknowledge that protein powder is just a source of protein.

It will not help you grow hair better or faster than eggs, fish, meat, or any other protein source.

Protein powder is one of the most convenient and versatile sources of protein, however.

It can be mixed with just milk or water to make a protein shake, or easily incorporated into smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes.

This makes it a great option for people with dietary or lifestyle restrictions that make consistently eating enough protein challenging.

It is also worth mentioning that any type of protein powder (egg white, pea, whey, etc.) can help you meet 100% of your protein needs.

Some people mistakenly believe that certain protein sources are inferior to others because of their amino acid profile.

But if you are eating a balanced diet, there is little to no advantage to using one type of protein powder instead of another.

Getting protein from a variety of sources will give you all of the essential amino acids you need, even if you eat a plant-based diet.

In fact, research shows less than 1% of adults do not meet the Estimated Average Requirements for each essential amino acid (J Nutr, 2023).

What matters when it comes to protein powder is thus not the type of protein, but how it was processed, and if any problematic ingredients were added.

For instance, many protein powders contain artificial and ultra-processed ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners and other food additives can upset your stomach.

They can also alter the composition of your gut microbiome, the collection of microorganisms living in your gut (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

These shifts, known as gut dysbiosis, have been linked to hair loss (Front Immunol, 2026).

The relationship is complex, however, and much of the data remains preclinical or based on genetic association studies rather than large-scale clinical trials.

Nonetheless, the preliminary evidence suggests that because protein shakes and powders are something you consume regularly, if not every day, the cumulative effects of small amounts of potentially harmful ingredients is worth taking seriously.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes and powders:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

I also recommend avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein shakes and powders are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

You therefore might not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

For example, one study shows that regularly consuming protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome (Nutrients, 2018).

Another study shows that it could cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

Although further research is needed, you can play it safe by choosing protein shakes and powders made from minimally-processed protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

Our customers find them to be more gut-friendly.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (Dermatol Pract Concept). Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. 2017.
2. Dermatology Research and Practice (Dermatol Res Pract). A 3-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the ability of an extra-strength marine protein supplement to promote hair growth and decrease shedding in women with self-perceived thinning hair. 2015.
3. The Journal of Nutrition (J Nutr). Amino Acid Intake and Conformance With the Dietary Reference Intakes in the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2018. 2023.
4. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis). Effect of proteins from different sources on body composition. 2011.
5. Frontiers in Immunology (Front Immunol). The brain-gut-skin axis in inflammatory and disfiguring skin diseases: mechanistic insights, clinical correlations, and therapeutic strategies. 2026.
6. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
7. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

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This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.