Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Hair Loss?

Reviewed by Dr. Moyna Vakil
Published: June 25, 2021
Updated: July 6, 2023

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is vital to our overall health. It boosts immunity, stimulates cell growth, maintains healthy skin and bones, and aids in creating new hair follicles. The sun is the primary source of vitamin D, and you can absorb a lot of it simply by standing in the sun for a few minutes. But in the absence of this vital nutrient, one can suffer vitamin D deficiency hair loss. One can also suffer from multiple vitamin deficiencies that cause hair loss.

Vitamin D deficiency links to several scalp and hair-related problems. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can cause low bone density, heart disease, and cancer. Besides, a deficit of nutrients also causes skeletal deformities in infants and weaker bone structures. Your body needs vitamin D for a smooth functioning and healthy hair life. If you see too much hair loss and other scalp-related problems, you are probably suffering from vitamin D deficiency hair loss. Let's first understand what is vitamin D hair loss.

Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Hair Loss?

Let's look at how vitamin D and hair loss are linked. Research has shown specific evidence that a lack of vitamin D deficiency can cause hair loss. A person suffering from vitamin D hair loss will notice hair loss or bald patches on several head areas. This condition is called alopecia and affects both men and women. Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder that results in excessive hair loss. It appears as hair loss in small patches for some people, while it can be extreme for some. All these hair-related issues arise and are associated with vitamin D deficiency hair loss.

Vitamin D and hair loss link together and happen in women who have been suffering from prolonged hair loss and have been lacking vitamin D2 in their blood. Vitamin D deficiency hair loss is more common in women than men. A type of cell called keratinocytes metabolizes vitamin D in the body—these skin cells process keratin, which is of great importance for healthy hair and nails. Vitamin D also works for the renewal of defective stem cells.

When your body doesn't have enough vitamin D, your hair follicles have trouble regulating hair growth. Vitamin D deficiency hair loss is also related to female pattern hair loss. There is a noticeable thinning of hair in the temple area and the frontal of the forehead. In some cases, it is similar to PCOS hair loss. In other instances, clumps of hair fall out while brushing or washing. A 2019 study in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal has found that vitamin D deficiency hair loss can worsen over time.

To understand the concept better, let's first consider the causes of vitamin D deficiency hair loss:

Loss of hair follicle cycle and defective stem cell renewal. Vitamin D promotes hair follicles and their regulations.
It also leads to chronic Telogen Effluvium - a temporary hair loss caused due to excessive shedding of hair due to some shock to the system. In this condition, the hair gets prematurely pushed to the resting phase before falling out.

What Is The Connection Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Hair Loss?

Along with increased hair fall, do you feel fatigued, weak and tired these days? It might be due to Vitamin D deficiency! Lack of Vitamin D or Vitamin D Deficiency in your body is one of the lesser-known reasons behind Hair Loss as proven by multiple studies. Vitamin D is said to help stimulate our Hair Follicles. Hence if the levels of Vitamin D are lower, your new hair growth may also be stunted or slower. Vitamin D deficiency hair loss has also been linked to alopecia, a condition which causes bald patches on the scalp & body. The production of Keratin, the Hair Protein essential for hair Growth & hair maintenance is also produced by Vitamin D. It also is also said to help prevent premature ageing & greying of hair.

All in all, If you are Vitamin D Deficit, you may experience certain issues with your Hair Health & Hair Growth. In such cases, it becomes important to keep your levels of Vitamin D in check.

How To Tell If You Are Low On Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency has a lot of effects on one’s body since it is one of the crucial nutrients for the Healthy Immune System, Hair and Body. It is slightly complicated for one to understand if they are low on Vitamin D as the symptoms are not very obvious in adults but here are some symptoms that might point towards low Vitamin D:

Weak or achy bones: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for strong and healthy bones. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to weakened bones, muscle weakness, and an increased risk of fractures.

Fatigue: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to fatigue and low energy levels. If you feel tired or fatigued even after getting enough sleep, it could be a sign that you are low on vitamin D.

Mood changes: Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression and other mood disorders. If you are experiencing feelings of sadness or depression, it may be worth getting your vitamin D levels checked.

Hair loss: Vitamin D deficiency hair loss is a common occurrence. Vitamin D plays a role in hair growth, and low levels of vitamin D have been linked to hair loss and thinning.

Bone and Back Pain: Vitamin D is most famously known for its contribution to Bone Health. It is said to be the most important nutrient for Bone Health. Hence, any deficiency in the same is sure to lead to increased Bone Pain & Back Pain.

Weak immune system: Vitamin D helps support the immune system and fight off infections. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to an increased risk of infections and autoimmune diseases.

Since most of these are symptoms that are very hard to notice or are more commonly linked to other issues, Vitamin D deficiency is easier to be ignored. Hence it is suggested to contact your doctor or take a Blood test to check your Vitamin D levels.

Effects of Vitamin D On Hair

Now that you know how vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss let us first take a look at the role of vitamin D that helps to prevent vitamin D hair loss-

Vitamin D is responsible for the production of keratin. It is a protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails.
Vitamin D promotes hair growth and regulated shedding.
Vitamin D receptors, or VDR, is essential for maintaining the hair life cycle.
Vitamin D3 for hair is essential to delay hair loss and ageing.

Vitamin D deficiency hair loss can affect your entire hair life cycle. Vitamin D affects your hair life cycle in three stages-

Anagen - an active growth phase, the VDR separates the nearby cells to produce new hair fibres.
Catagen - a short transitional phase of the hair growth cycle that lasts between 10-20 days, where the hair follicle regresses. Vitamin D assists in regenerating hair follicles.
Telogen - It is the resting phase for the hair, and it lasts approximately 100 days before the hair starts growing again.

Vitamin D deficiency hair loss can occur when any one of these stages in the hair growth cycle is disturbed or affected. Vitamin D affects the health of many parts of the body, including your hair and skin. It supports the generation of new hair follicles - the tiny pores from which new hair grows. These new hair follicles may help in preventing vitamin D hair loss and maintain the thickness of the hair.

How To Treat Vitamin D-related Hair Loss?

According to research, when a person is suffering from Vitamin D deficiency hair loss, Vitamin D capsules for hair are usually prescribed by doctors. These vitamin D tablets for hair are to be taken with meals or as recommended by the doctor. These supplements come in different varieties, and only doctors prescribe them after the blood test. However, in this section, we shall also see the other ways to treat Vitamin D deficiency hair loss problems.

To address hair loss associated with vitamin D deficiency, it is crucial to focus on both internal and external approaches. Consulting a healthcare professional to assess your vitamin D levels is essential. A Blood Test is the most common method to determine the same.

Good diet

There's nothing like receiving the goodness of vitamin D through a good diet. Food that has vitamin D for hair is of great importance, especially for women with a lot of body mass - leptin produced by the fat lowers the vitamin D level, leading to hair loss. Foods such as olive, peanut, pumpkin seeds, cashew nuts, and almonds are good sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 for hair is also essential. Incorporating vitamin D-rich foods into your diet, such as fatty fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks, can also boost your vitamin D levels.

Sun exposure

You cannot replace sun exposure with anything else as it is the most natural form of vitamin D. It is one of the easiest ways to get vitamin D and combat vitamin D deficiency hair loss. When your scalp absorbs sunlight, hair follicles produce melanin which prevents premature greying of hair. Sunrise and sunset are the best times of the day to get vitamin D and prevent vitamin D hair loss. A person with light skin colour should get 15-30 minutes of sun exposure, and one with dark skin colour should get 1-2 hours of sun exposure.

Vitamin D Benefits for Hair

Here are some of the vitamin D benefits for hair you should know-

It supports the generation of new hair follicles
Prevents premature greying of hair
Prevents hair loss and pattern baldness
It curbs the effects of alopecia
It aids the thickness of hair and prevents existing hair from falling out

Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in the body, including bone health, immune function, and cardiovascular health. While the body can produce vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight, there are also several other sources of vitamin D that people can obtain through their diet and other measures. These sources include certain foods, supplements, and fortified products. Following are a few sources of Vitamin D-

Sunlight:

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be synthesized by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight is the most natural and effective way to get vitamin D. When the skin is exposed to UVB rays from the sun, it produces vitamin D3, which is then converted to its active form in the liver and kidneys

Foods With Vitamin D

Did you know that the body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight when you are outside? There are many foods with vitamin D in them, which fight against vitamin D deficiency hair loss and even prevents vitamin D hair loss. If you are deficit in vitamin D, consider adding these foods to your diet-

Liver
Red meat
Egg yolks
Fatty fish such as sardines, salmon, or herring
Certain veggies such as spinach, white beans, okra, collards
Oatmeal and breakfast cereals

Fatty fish: Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are good sources of vitamin D. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked salmon contains about 600-1000 IU (International Units) of vitamin D, which is more than the recommended daily intake for most people.

Egg yolks: Egg yolks are a good source of vitamin D, with one large egg containing about 44 IU of vitamin D.

Fortified foods: Many foods are fortified with vitamin D, including milk, orange juice, breakfast cereals, and some types of tofu. Be sure to check the labels to see how much vitamin D is in the fortified product.

Supplements:

It can be difficult to obtain enough vitamin D through diet alone, especially for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, as most food sources of vitamin D are animal-based. Vitamin D supplements are widely available and can be an effective way to ensure that you are getting enough of this important nutrient.

Traya’s Hair Vitamin has Vitamin D, Vitamin C and other essential Vitamins and Nutrients to help tackle vitamin deficiencies and poor nutrition. Traya hair vitamins for growth are made with natural and ayurvedic ingredients to promote thicker, healthier hair and manage hair fall.

Vitamin D deficiency hair loss is a common hair problem, but it is curable with the right supplements, few minutes of sun exposure and a proper diet. At Traya, we focus on the wellbeing of your hair health. We offer a wide variety of hair vitamins and hair serums that stimulates hair growth and regenerates hair follicles. The brand also offers solutions that might help you solve issues such as the oily scalp, head lice, or effects of PCOS hair loss.

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