Zinc is one of the first things people in Malaysia search for when their hair starts falling. Zinc tablets sit beside every pharmacy counter, and many people take them without a blood test. Four open papers below show where low zinc really links to hair fall, where it does not, and what happened when low zinc was corrected.
Zinc and diffuse shedding in women
Durusu Turkoglu and colleagues compared 90 women with chronic telogen effluvium against 90 women who came to the same dermatology clinic for other reasons. Serum zinc was significantly lower in the shedding group. Haemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin B12, thyroid tests, vitamin D, copper, and serum and urine biotin did not differ between the groups. The authors conclude that nutritional deficiencies are less common in shedding than people assume, and that each patient needs a proper history, an examination, and only the tests that fit the case.
A very large record, a very small gap
Liran and colleagues in Israel reviewed 23,975 patients who had a zinc test between 2000 and 2020. Of these, 2,279 had a hair loss diagnosis. Their median zinc was 96 µg/dL, against 99 µg/dL in people tested for other reasons. Both sit inside the normal range. Median ferritin and haemoglobin were also only slightly lower. The authors call the zinc gap clinically minor and advise against ordering zinc as a routine first test for hair loss. So for most people with ordinary shedding, zinc is not the main cause.
Patchy hair loss shows a clearer zinc link
Wu and colleagues pooled 34 papers covering 4,931 participants from 16 countries on alopecia areata, the condition that leaves round bald patches. People with alopecia areata had lower serum zinc and lower vitamin D than healthy controls. Serum copper did not differ. The signal for zinc is stronger in patchy loss than in general shedding.
What correcting low zinc did
Park, Kim, Kim, and Park gave oral zinc for twelve weeks to 15 alopecia areata patients whose serum zinc was low, with no other treatment. Mean serum zinc rose from 56.9 to 84.5 µg/dL. Nine of the 15 patients, 66.7 percent, showed regrowth. The study was small and the regrowth rate was not statistically significant, yet patients whose zinc rose more were the ones who responded. The authors place zinc as a support treatment for patchy loss when the blood level is low.
What to do
Ask your doctor about a zinc test if you have round bald patches, a strict vegetarian diet, a gut condition that affects absorption, or a history of weight loss surgery. For ordinary shedding, start with the tests that change decisions more often, such as ferritin and vitamin D, covered in our ferritin note and vitamin D note. Do not take high dose zinc for months on your own, because too much zinc lowers copper. If your level is low, your doctor sets the dose and the recheck.
Where Folli-Activ fits
Folli-Activ contains no zinc, and it was not the product in any of these studies. It is a 10-in-1 oral formula aimed at the parts of hair fall that zinc does not cover: saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and nettle root for the androgen side explained in our saw palmetto note, curcumin with piperine and EGCG for follicle inflammation, biotin for hair keratin work, plus reishi, royal jelly, and aloe vera. Correct a proven zinc shortfall with your doctor and support the follicle side at the same time.
Each bottle holds 90 capsules. On this site, 1 bottle is RM169, 3 bottles are RM447, and 6 bottles are RM699 with free shipping. Go to the cart to see your total with delivery.
Sources
- Liran O, Shiraz V, Bar C, Shapiro Ben David S, Nakhleh A, Rahamim-Cohen D, Azuri J, Adler L. 2025. Hair loss and zinc deficiency: a cross-sectional study. Healthcare. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12652007/
- Durusu Turkoglu IN, Turkoglu AK, Soylu S, Gencer G, Duman R. 2024. A comprehensive investigation of biochemical status in patients with telogen effluvium: analysis of Hb, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D, thyroid function tests, zinc, copper, biotin, and selenium levels. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11626366/
- Wu R, Li Y, Peng H, Yang Z, Wang Y, Lv S, Yang D. 2024. Association between serum trace elements level and alopecia areata: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11683520/
- Park H, Kim CW, Kim SS, Park CW. 2009. The therapeutic effect and the changed serum zinc level after zinc supplementation in alopecia areata patients who had a low serum zinc level. Annals of Dermatology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2861201/