Vitamin E Oil for Hair: What the Research Shows

Vitamin E oil is promoted for silky, healthy hair. We found no trial of vitamin E oil on hair. The nearest research is a trial of oral tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E), a mouse study of topical tocopherol acetate, and a review noting risks of high-dose vitamin E supplements.

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Key Takeaways

• We found no human trial of topical vitamin E oil for hair.
• In a trial of 38 volunteers with hair loss, 100 mg of oral mixed tocotrienols for 8 months increased hair number by 34.5%, against a 0.1% decrease with placebo.
• In mice, a mixture of tocopherol acetate, L-menthol and stevioside promoted hair growth more than tocopherol acetate or L-menthol alone.
• A review found high-dose vitamin E supplements carry risks, including amplified bleeding risk with blood thinners.

What Is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a family of antioxidants. Tocopherols and tocotrienols are the two groups, and they are not the same.

Does Vitamin E Oil Help Hair?

Not shown. The human result is for oral tocotrienols, and the topical result is in mice and used a mixture.

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Using Vitamin E Sensibly

• Don't confuse oral and topical. The tocotrienol trial was a capsule, not an oil.
• Be cautious with high-dose supplements, especially with blood thinners.
• Patch test any oil on your skin first.

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What The Research Shows

Oral Tocotrienols

In a placebo-controlled trial, 21 volunteers with hair loss took 100 mg of mixed tocotrienols daily and 17 took placebo. Hair count in a set scalp area increased significantly with tocotrienols, 34.5% at 8 months against a 0.1% decrease with placebo, while the weight of hair clippings didn't differ between groups (Beoy et al., 2010). It was small, and it was an oral capsule.

Topical Tocopherol Acetate In Mice

In cells, tocopherol acetate, L-menthol and stevioside affected cell regeneration. Applied to the shaved skin of mice, a mixture of the three showed the highest potential for promoting hair growth, and it was more effective than tocopherol acetate or L-menthol alone (Ahn et al., 2020). It was a mouse study of a mixture, not vitamin E oil.

Risks Of High-Dose Supplements

A review of vitamin E supplementation in adults noted that high-dose vitamin E has become a concern. Vitamin E's anticoagulant effects can amplify bleeding risk when combined with blood thinners such as warfarin and aspirin, and high-dose supplementation has been linked to adverse outcomes including higher risks of all-cause mortality, hemorrhagic stroke, cardiovascular events and certain cancers (Kaye et al., 2025). That review was about supplements, not hair oils.

See also: Vitamin B6 for Hair: What the Research Shows · Ginkgo Biloba for Hair: What the Research Shows

Comparing oils? See our guide to rosemary oil for hair growth, the oil with the most research behind it.

Vitamin E is one of the ingredients in FullyVital's Hair Revival Supplements. For how the evidence for each ingredient in the line stacks up, see our evidence-tier breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does vitamin E oil help hair grow?

We found no human trial showing that.

Does vitamin E help hair loss?

One small trial of oral tocotrienols reported more hairs than placebo.

Is vitamin E safe?

A review noted risks of high-dose supplements, including bleeding with blood thinners. Ask your doctor.

References

1. Beoy LA, Woei WJ, Hay YK. Effects of tocotrienol supplementation on hair growth in human volunteers. Trop Life Sci Res. 2010. PubMed
2. Ahn S, Lee JY, Choi SM, et al. A Mixture of Tocopherol Acetate and L-Menthol Synergistically Promotes Hair Growth in C57BL/6 Mice. Pharmaceutics. 2020. PubMed
3. Kaye AD, Thomassen AS, Mashaw SA, et al. Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol): Emerging Clinical Role and Adverse Risks of Supplementation in Adults. Cureus. 2025. PubMed