Molybdenum for Hair: What It Does, How Much You Need & Safety

Molybdenum is a trace mineral your body needs in tiny amounts. It powers four enzymes, including one involved in breaking down sulfur-containing amino acids. No study has shown that extra molybdenum improves hair, but a recent mouse study of a nano-sized form applied to the skin saw faster hair growth.

Here's what molybdenum does, how much you need, and what the research says about hair.

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Key Takeaways

• In humans, molybdenum is part of a cofactor needed by four enzymes, including sulfite oxidase, which is involved in the breakdown of sulfur amino acids.
• A 2024 mouse study found that nano-sized molybdenum applied to the skin accelerated hair growth and increased the number of hair follicles.
• There are no reports of clinical signs of dietary molybdenum deficiency in otherwise healthy people.
• More isn't better: molybdenum toxicity is linked to copper intake and copper status.

What Is Molybdenum?

Molybdenum is an essential element. As the molybdenum cofactor, it's required by four human enzymes: xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, sulfite oxidase and mARC. They work in making uric acid from purines, in metabolizing certain compounds, and in breaking down sulfur amino acids.

Does Molybdenum Affect Hair?

Whether molybdenum intake changes anything about hair in healthy people hasn't been studied. The only hair research we found is in mice, and it used a specialised nano-sized form applied to the skin rather than a dietary supplement.

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How Much You Need And Where To Get It

Cereal products are the main contributors to dietary molybdenum. In Nordic studies, intake was estimated at 100 to 170 μg a day. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 45 μg a day, and the European Food Safety Authority proposed an Adequate Intake of 65 μg a day. There are no reports of clinical signs of dietary deficiency in otherwise healthy people, and no biochemical markers of molybdenum status (Oskarsson & Kippler, 2023).

A Mouse Study Of Nano-Sized Molybdenum

Researchers tested nano-sized molybdenum in a mouse model of hair growth. Compared with controls it accelerated hair growth, increased the number of local hair follicles and lowered expression of oxidative-stress-related molecules such as iNOS, COX2 and androgen receptors. Combined with minoxidil it showed an additive effect (Xiao et al., 2024).

This is an animal study of a specialised form applied to the skin. The authors said further clinical studies are needed.

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Is Molybdenum Safe?

A review of human data found a low order of toxicity, but noted that people with low copper intake or a problem with copper metabolism could be at greater risk. Animal studies showed effects on reproduction and fetal development at high doses (Vyskocil & Viau, 1999). Talk to your doctor before adding a supplement, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, have a condition or take medication.

See also: Copper for Hair: Gray Hair, Hair Growth & Copper Peptides · Chromium for Hair: Blood Sugar, Insulin & What the Research Shows

Frequently Asked Questions

Can molybdenum help hair growth?

There are no human studies on this. A mouse study of nano-sized molybdenum applied to the skin found faster hair growth, but that isn't the same as eating molybdenum.

Does molybdenum affect keratin?

We found no study showing that it does. Molybdenum's known jobs are as part of four enzymes, one of which works on sulfur amino acids.

Can you get too much molybdenum?

Toxicity in humans is rare, but copper status matters: low copper may raise the risk. See our article on copper for hair for more on copper.

References

1. Oskarsson A, Kippler M. Molybdenum - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. Food Nutr Res. 2023. PubMed
2. Xiao Q, Lu Y, Yao W, et al. Molybdenum nanoparticles as a potential topical medication for alopecia treatment through antioxidant pathways that differ from minoxidil. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2024. PubMed
3. Vyskocil A, Viau C. Assessment of molybdenum toxicity in humans. J Appl Toxicol. 1999. PubMed