Does Drinking Matcha Really Cause Hair Loss? Experts Weigh In

Every day, I drink a matcha latte and I lose more hair. The two things are not necessarily related. I’ve been a matcha drinker for many years, and I’ve restocked my supply of Swiffer sheets often enough to know that my hair is in constant state of growing, resting, regressing, or shedding (the four hair cycle phases, according to dermatologists). I thought both actions were completely unrelated, like thinking flossing before brushing my teeth would cause hair growth. But a nascent internet conspiracy that connects matcha with hair loss had me wondering if I should ditch my second matcha latte of the day.

Michelle Ranavat, founder of the Indian-inspired beauty brand Ranavat, may have been the first to posit the potential connection on social media. She said, “My hair started falling out because I drank too much matcha,” mentioning that it can block iron absorption, which can subsequently affect hair growth. Her annual physical indicated that she had low iron. “I realized that low iron is definitely something that contributes to hair loss, and one of the biggest things I did this year was switch from coffee to matcha,” she told me.

You can relax (and not just due to the L-theanine in matcha, an amino acid that calms without making you sleepy). Ranavat is right that there is a matcha-iron-hair loss nexus, but only if you overdo it. “The effect is really dose- and context-dependent. It matters how much matcha is consumed and when you are consuming it,” explains Brianna Diorio, PhD, a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner and the director of product education at Nutrafol.

Let the experts explain: Your hair follicles are affected when you are low in iron or ferritin. “Hair follicles really need oxygen, and iron helps produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your scalp,” explains Lars Skjøth, founder of Hårklinikken, a scalp clinic and hair loss brand. “If iron is scarce, the body might try to borrow ferritin from the hair follicles and disrupt its cycle.” Low iron can lead to your hair shedding faster.

Meanwhile, as Diorio notes, any kind of tea, including matcha, that’s rich in tannins and polyphenols can reduce iron absorption when taken with a meal. Tannins and polyphenols bind with a type of iron called non-heme, which is abundant in plant-based food and can affect its absorption. “Tannins in products like coffee and tea can decrease your [non-heme] iron absorption by 80 to 90 percent,” says Jay Small, co-founder of Arrey. With high enough doses, he adds, “you could [put] yourself in a deficit and it will have a compounding effect over time.” (Heme iron, which comes from animal sources, is not as affected by polyphenols).

The perfect storm of matcha affecting iron absorption and, in turn, your hair follicles, would be this: “You’re drinking four to six cups a day, already have low iron levels, and you’re eating a primarily plant-based diet,” Diorio says.

In general, other than in an extreme case, your matcha habit is probably not harmful to your hair. “Even fairly high amounts of matcha, like one in the morning, before noon, and in the afternoon would not be enough to cause a serious amount of hair loss,” Skjøth says. In fact, matcha could actually be beneficial for hair growth. According to Gretchen Friese, a trichologist for BosleyMD, “Matcha contains EGCG and other vitamins and minerals that can help improve scalp health, and possibly promote hair growth.”

The solution is simple: Drink matcha, not too much of it, and separately from mealtimes (about an hour or two before or after a meal). “And if you’re looking to absorb iron in general, have it with a little vitamin C,” recommends Diorio, who suggests adding a little orange juice to your matcha. Drink all the matcha you want, West Village girls. Your hair most likely won’t care.