So, can vitamin D deficiency cause hair loss? While some studies have confirmed that there is a link between them, unfortunately so far they don’t give the recommended daily intake yet when it comes to preventing alopecia. For many people, it is common sense that exposure to natural sunlight can help the body produce vitamin D. But it seems that dermatologists are not impressed with this method for hair regrowth.
What causes hair to fall out?
Usually a healthy person sheds about 50 to 70 hairs per day. That’s to say, any figure more than that will be considered excessive hair shedding. Statistics show that the most common causes are unhealthy lifestyle choices, poor nutrition, and too much stress. It is worth mentioning that heredity plays an important role in male pattern baldness (MPB) too. Other less not-so-common reasons still include hormonal imbalances, thyroid disease, sudden weight loss, low vitamin D, chemotherapy, some skin diseases, side effects of certain drugs, some underlying diseases, the use of hair products with harsh chemicals, and so on. The above-mentioned factors can contribute to temporary or long lasting hair loss. The former can be easy fix when the cause is identified while the latter is much trickier to deal with.
Sources of vitamin D
It is also called the sunshine vitamin or ergocalciferol since the sun is essential during the process of producing it. The human body itself can produce this fat-soluble vitamin in order to keep the normal metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, which is important to keep the bones and skin healthy. When a 25(OH)D level is below 20 ng/mL, it indicates a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and other similar diseases in adults if it is left untreated. In addition, some studies also suggest that it may have an effect on the hair cycle. In short, D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol) are two important nutrients the human bodies need to stay healthy.
As mentioned above, enjoying the sunshine helps since sunlight is the main source of natural vitamin D. In fact, 80 to 90% of it is produced by skin synthesis triggered by ultraviolet rays. As a result, 5 to 10 minutes a day in the midday sun will provide enough amounts. Besides, this nutrient is also found in some foods, which include milk, soy bean, sardines, salmon, cod liver oil, eggs, cheese, beef, oats, and so on.
Is vitamin D good for hair growth?
Based on the results of a study on hairless gene of rats, it shows that the administration of vitamin D3 can obviously stimulate and improve hair follicle growth and help create new follicles in rats. But further research on human genes should be done to find out how it impacts hair growth. But it’s at least very clear that taking vitamin D supplements can significantly promote healthy hair follicle growth. What’s more, it helps eliminate dandruff and psoriasis too.
It is certain that hair follicles have vitamin D receptors. Although the specific function of these receptors remains unclear, there are evidences that vitamin D is associated with the hair growth cycle. Of course, this is not conclusive but many research results showed that vitamin d deficiency does cause hair loss.