Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss? 8 Important Reasons

Are you looking answer to the question, which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss? Here’s your perfect guide with eight significant reasons revealed.

Hair loss has become a major muddle across the world. Most of us go through this issue at one point in our lives. Have you ever thought that deficiency of nutrients can also be a reason for your hair loss1?

Not only are middle-aged people facing this hair-related issue2, but in the present times, even young people, including those in their teenage years, have reported hair fall instances.

For minimizing hair loss, some questions need to be correctly answered:

  • Hair loss is often associated with vitamin deficiency. Then what are vitamins, and why are they significant for us?
  • If vitamin deficiency causes hair loss, then what are these vitamins?
  • Are there any other reasons too for hair loss?
  • Can the nutritional deficiencies be managed to control hair loss?
  • And, how can healthy hair growth 3be maintained? Here is a perfect guide to exploring the answers to these questions.

Why Are Vitamins Important For Us?

The body’s healthy functioning is highly dependent on the intake of the right amount of nutritional supplements4. Although the amounts of vitamins that the body requires are comparatively smaller than other macro-nutrients, they play a vital role in keeping the body healthy.

Most vitamins come from the food we eat, and they are crucial for various functions of the body like reproduction of cells, growth of the body, and energy processing in the cells. They are also significant in aiding other nutrients to work effectively.

Vitamin deficiencies are also behind the ruin of the health of hair. Hair thinning or hair loss

What is Hair Fall or Hair Loss?

Hair loss or thinning of hair is a condition where one experiences nearly more than a hundred strands of hair in a day. This varies from person to person, and the amount of hair fall determines whether it is moderate or severe.

Many underlying reasons can lead to the problem of hair loss. The most prominent of these reasons is the deficiency in nutrients within the body.5

Vitamins are the nutrients that are particularly linked to hair loss.

Which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss?

Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Unveiling Top 8 Important Reasons

Vitamins are one of the sweeping reasons for hair loss. Certain vitamin deficiencies are mainly associated with hair loss.

Let’s explore which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss?

1. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Vitamin D Deficiency

which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss
Image source: Photo by Urban Wired from Flickr

The first answer to the question: of which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss is Vitamin D.

Often known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is one of the most representative vitamins that are central to the health of the body. It sustains and improves the immune system, stimulates cell growth, takes care of bone health, and stimulates cell growth.

Some researchers clearly suggest that vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss, as it is the essential nutrient that provides an impetus for the stimulation of new hair follicles.6

Spot baldness or alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia which is a male and female pattern hair of loss, are also hair loss issues based on the deficiency of Vitamin D.7

Vitamin D is metabolized in the body by the keratin processing cells, keratinocytes. In vitamin D deficiency, keratinocytes 8also become deficient in the hair follicles, retards hair growth.

2. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Iron Deficiency

Iron plays a predominant role in forming hemoglobin, which is the oxygen carrier in the body. Your hair follicles need oxygen too.

Iron deficiency causes less oxygen to reach the hair follicles, a major reason behind hair loss.

The ones with iron deficiency can experience thinning of hair and stunted hair growth.

Iron deficiency poses a risk for female hair loss in females in their non-menopausal years. It can also lead to severe problems like chronic telogen effluvium or female pattern hair loss.

3. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Zinc Deficiency

which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss
Image source: Photo by Urban Wired from Flickr

Zinc is considered a trace element, which means that it is required in small amounts in the body. Its amount should not be used to underestimate its role in the body.

Zinc plays a chief role in the growth and repair of tissues in the body and backs cell production and many other biochemical processes.

Zinc deficiency can become one of the reasons behind brittle hair. When it comes to the growth of hair follicles, zinc aids in RNA and DNA synthesis. It keeps the oil glands surrounding the hair follicles working efficiently.

4. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Biotin Deficiency

Biotin is a type of B vitamin. Biotin deficiency is mostly due to genetic reasons, as biotins can never be deficient in your body if you are taking a balanced diet. Biotin deficiency causes hair loss.

An adequate intake of biotins makes hair healthy and has other positive results like preventing nails from being brittle and reducing blood sugar in diabetic people.

5. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Selenium Deficiency

Selenium, a trace mineral, has the salient feature of anti-oxidant properties. These properties help in the metabolic functioning of the body.

One of the metabolic functions is regulating a hormonal balance responsible for healthy hair growth. Selenium also stands forward in the production of thyroid hormones. These hormones synchronize your hair growth.

6. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Vitamin E Deficiency

You know we often keep beautifying the texture of hair and want to keep the hair shiny and silky, but still, there is one part of the hair growth that you mostly neglect. Do you know what it is?

It is your scalp. There is a very important connection between the health of your scalp and your hair. Vitamin E is a vitamin linked with a healthy scalp.

This vitamin frames a barrier of protection for your scalp. This shield of protection helps keep the hair fresh, hydrated, and healthy.

Vitamin E deficiency can also lead to oxidative stress in your scalp, which is associated with the possibility of hair loss.

7. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Deficiency Of Folic Acid

Folic acid is central to stimulating cell growth, paramount for hair growth. Folic acid deficiency causes hair loss.

If folic acid is sufficient in the body, the health and texture of hair also seem to be at good levels.

8. Which Vitamin Deficiency Causes Hair Loss?: Vitamin C

which vitamin causes hair loss
Image source: Photo by Robynlou Kavanagh from Flickr

Vitamin C is not majorly, but up to a greater extent, responsible for healthy hair growth.

Vitamin C plays a role in collagen production, which has linkages to hair growth. This vitamin also helps absorb zinc, which adds to the prevention of hair loss and maintaining healthy hair.

Other Reasons For Hair Loss

Besides vitamin deficiencies, several other reasons contribute to various problems like hair loss, hair thinning, and brittle hair.

1. Reason For Hair Loss: Deficiency Of Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and Omega-6 are the fatty acids that also stand significant in the growth of your hair. The deficiency of these essential fatty acids9 can make you lose hair on your scalp.

2. Reason For Hair Loss: Amino Acids Deficiency

Amino acids are important for the function of tissue repair and also regulate hormones within the body. The deficiency of amino acids is one of the reasons behind hair loss.

3. Reason For Hair Loss: Metabolic Conditions And Illnesses That Can Cause Hair Loss

Certain health conditions, such as thyroid disorders, stress, and even weight loss in some conditions, can also become a major reason for consistent hair fall.

Various illnesses like typhoid, several infectious diseases, and post-partum also have a negative impact on your hair health.

The most common hair-related issues like dandruff, poor health hygiene, and other issues like scalp psoriasis and androgenetic alopecia also retards your hair growth.

How To Manage These Vitamin Deficiencies

Now that the possible answers to which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss have been explored, it is also relevant to find out how to manage these deficiencies.

Vitamin deficiencies can be managed with a healthy and suitable diet and medical consultation.

Ways To Secure Enough Vitamin D

  • Morning, 7:oo am to 10:oo am is the most suitable time to sit in bright sunlight. This will increase your exposure to sunlight.
  • You can surely consult a doctor if you wish to suffice your Vitamin D levels through Vitamin D supplements.

Ways To Secure Biotins

  • For biotins, make sure you take a well-balanced diet regularly to aid hair growth.
  • In case of medical consultation, your doctor can prescribe a biotin supplement.

Ways For Iron Deficiency

  • New hair follicles can be encouraged by ensuring proper iron within the body. There is a range of medicinal sources rich in iron supplements that you can take after consulting a medical expert.

Healthy diet

  • To take vitamin D, you can eat mushrooms. Oat, almond, and soy milk are also beneficial.
  • Suppose you don’t wish to take a biotin supplement to manage biotin deficiency naturally. In that case, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, avocado, and dark green vegetables are some of the best food options.
  • Leafy vegetables, broccoli, and berries are often suggested for minimizing iron deficiency.
  • Wheat germs, soy products, and pumpkin seeds can be eaten to deliver the necessary amounts of zinc to your body. Remember that zinc is required in small proportion. So, it is wise to take heed.
  • Beans, rice, and whole-wheat bread are often suggested for minimizing selenium deficiency.
  • For vitamin E deficiency, leafy greens in vegetables, sunflower seeds, and nuts are effective.
  • For becoming fatty acids sufficient, you can consume flaxseed and walnut.
  • To ensure a sufficient intake of amino acids, incorporate lentils, cabbage, seeds, spinach, avocado, and soybeans.

Other Ways To Maintain The Hair Health

There are many other ways to add to your day-to-day life to make your hair health shine brighter:

Regular Hair Washing

According to hair health professionals, washing hair regularly ensures that your scalp remains dirt-free. It also washes away excessive oil over the scalp.

Wash your hair at least twice a week if you have dry hair. You can prioritize washing your hair on alternative days for those with oily scalp.

Try To Use Chemical Free Shampoo

It is always best to use that are free from chemicals. Then why not apply the same principle to your shampoo as well?

Some shampoos are loaded with harsh chemicals that can cause long-term hair damage. Try to choose a shampoo for yourself that is gentle in nature and is also suitable for your hair type.

Don’t Neglect Conditioning

Conditioning is as important as any other hair care method. Conditioning protects your hair from aggressors present in the environment and adds beauty to your healthy-looking hair.

Make sure you apply conditioner on the hair tips and not on the scalp.

Prioritize Oiling

You should oil your hair by massaging gently on your scalp. This increases the blood circulation beneath your scalp, in turn promoting hair growth.

Try to massage with warm oil at least once a week. It further helps to restore hair growth and minimizes the problem of hair loss.

Try To Manage Your Stress

In the present times, stress has become a common part of our lives. And in the same alignment, hair loss is also affecting many. This is evident to address the fact that stress can become one of the grounds for hair loss.

Try to spend some time with yourself and find ways to manage stress in accordance with your life. Managing stress is of utmost importance, not just for your body, not just for your hair, not just for your health, but also for your mental peace and well-being.

Get Yourself Tested!

It is always better to get a medical consultation from an expert. If the hair loss exceeds a controlled limit, it becomes necessary to take medical assistance.

So, get yourself tested for deficiencies, as per the recommendation of health professionals. This is the best way of getting supplements necessary for hair growth.

But in case of normal hair fall or hair thinning, switching to a healthy diet can make you go good to go!

  1. Rushton, D. Hugh. “Nutritional factors and hair loss.” Clinical and experimental dermatology 27.5 (2002): 396-404. ↩︎
  2. Grimalt, Ramon. “Psychological aspects of hair disease.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 4.2 (2005): 142-147. ↩︎
  3. Sinclair, Rodney D. “Healthy hair: what is it?.” Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings. Vol. 12. No. 2. Elsevier, 2007. ↩︎
  4. Kronberga, Maija, and Daina Kārkliņa. “Nutritional Supplements in Optimal Human Nutrition.” Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B. Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.. Vol. 67. No. 4-5. 2013. ↩︎
  5. Morris, Alyssa L., and Shamim S. Mohiuddin. “Biochemistry, nutrients.” (2020). ↩︎
  6. Sasaki, Gordon H. “Review of human hair follicle biology: dynamics of niches and stem cell regulation for possible therapeutic hair stimulation for plastic surgeons.” Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 43 (2019): 253-266. ↩︎
  7. Holick, Michael F. “Vitamin D deficiency.” New England journal of medicine 357.3 (2007): 266-281. ↩︎
  8. Gröne, A. “Keratinocytes and cytokines.” Veterinary immunology and immunopathology 88.1-2 (2002): 1-12. ↩︎
  9. Das, Undurti N. “Essential fatty acids-a review.” Current pharmaceutical biotechnology 7.6 (2006): 467-482. ↩︎

Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf

Author

Aashi_Chaturvedi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *