Does Too Much Vitamin D Cause Hair Loss

Does Taking Too Much Vitamin B Make Your Hair Fall Out

Vitamin B is not a single vitamin, but rather a group of vitamins consisting of eight members: Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B-6, biotin, B-12 and folate. B vitamins are water soluble, which means if you get too much the excess is excreted in your urine and unlikely to cause health problems. However, a deficiency in any of the B vitamins can cause troubling symptoms, including hair loss. If you think you are deficient in the B vitamins, speak to your doctor about boosting your blood levels.

What Is Vitamin D Deficiency

If you are not getting enough Vitamin D in the body, either due to a lack of sunlight or due to a poor diet, you develop a vitamin D deficiency. Your skin is capable of producing Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, however, if you live in a cold country with limited access to the sun or have a sedentary indoor lifestyle it may cause low vitamin D levels. Fair-skinned individuals can convert more sunshine into vitamin D, those with more melanin in the skin are less efficient in producing vitamin D.

How Much Is Too Much

For an adult over 19 years of age, 4300 International Units of Vitamin A per day is considered sufficient for the proper functioning of the organism. These are normally ensured by a balanced diet, with little need for supplementation in a healthy person.

In order to overdose on Vitamin A, you would have to consume around double your recommended daily intake. According to government guidelines, the upper threshold to which excess intake of Vitamin A is tolerated by your body is 10,000 IU. Exceeding this threshold over a prolonged period of time will lead to overdosing and Vitamin A Toxicity, with severe effects for your health.

If you are planning on taking any Vitamin A supplements, it is advised that you speak to your doctor first. It is relatively difficult to overdose on Vitamin A purely by eating the foods in which it is found.

Vitamin A can be ingested under two forms: retinol and beta-carotene .

However, as the same study cited above points out, Vitamin A toxicity does not occur from the ingestion of beta-carotene, regardless of the dosage. It is only reported when overdosing on retinol. This can only happen through supplementation, as the doses normally ingested through diet even in large portions, are far too small to do real harm.

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What Does Vitamin D Have To Do With Hair Loss

Lack of vitamin D may not be the reason for all types of hair loss, but it may play an important role in the development of alopecia areata and pattern baldness.

Vitamin D works by binding to vitamin D receptors found in all kinds of cells in your body, such as immune cells, kidney cells, and hair follicles. One important function of vitamin D is to help regulate cell cycles, which is particularly important when it comes to hair growth. In patients with alopecia areata, for example, research seems to show that hair follicle cycling is disrupted due to low levels of vitamin D .

In one study, researchers found that patients with alopecia areata were more likely to be vitamin D deficient .

Less research exists linking vitamin D to pattern hair loss, however, recent research found that lower vitamin D levels correlated with more severe cases of this type of hair loss . Not just thattheres even evidence that treatment with vitamin D may help restore hair growth. More on that below.

Vitamin B C & D And Hair Loss

Hair loss can be caused by many things from genetics to medical conditions, including nutritional and vitamin deficiency While vitamins wont correct hair loss from radiation treatments, chemotherapy, genetics, or autoimmune diseases, it will help provide a good foundation for hair growth and correct any nutrition-based hair loss.

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Vitamin D Hair Loss: What To Do

If youve noticed your hair shedding or looking thin and think that it could be due to a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your healthcare provider.

They will be able to test you for a vitamin D deficiency and, if appropriate, may recommend using a vitamin D supplement.

You may also be able to increase your vitamin D levels by changing your diet to include more foods that contain vitamin D, or by spending 10 to 15 minutes outside during sunny weather a few times each week.

There are numerous reasons that you might lose hair. While a vitamin D deficiency could be a cause of your hair loss, it may also be due to male pattern baldness, stress, use of medication or many other factors.

Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Hair Loss

Vitamin D is metabolized in the skin by keratinocytes. These are skin cells that process keratin, a protein in hair, nails, and skin. When the body doesnât have enough vitamin D, keratinocytes in hair follicles have trouble regulating hair growth and shedding.

âThere is a link between vitamin D deficiency and alopecia, and it is often one of the common causes of thinning hair or hair loss in men or women,â Arielle Levitan, MD, an internal medicine physician in Chicago, tells WebMD Connect to Care.

A 2017 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that low vitamin D levels have been linked to:

• Telogen effluvium, or excess hair shedding
• Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder where hair falls out in clumps
• Female pattern hair loss

A 2019 study in the Indian Dermatology Online Journal found vitamin D deficiencies could worsen hair loss over time. And a 2016 study from the International Journal of Trichology found that among younger people with hair loss, women showed greater vitamin D deficiency.

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Vitamin D Benefits And Warnings

Although the research is still hazy, some people will benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, along with sufficient calcium intake, to promote their bone health. But they don’t require large amounts of vitamin D to get the benefit. “More is not necessarily better. In fact, more can be worse,” says Dr. Manson. For example, a 2010 study published in JAMA showed that intake of very high doses of vitamin D in older women was associated with more falls and fractures.

In addition, taking a supplement that contains too much vitamin D can be toxic in rare cases. It can lead to hypercalcemia, a condition in which too much calcium builds up in the blood, potentially forming deposits in the arteries or soft tissues. It may also predispose women to painful kidney stones.

If you’re taking vitamin D supplements, the take-home message is moderation. Taking too much can limit the benefits of the sunshine vitamin.

Alleviate Stress As Best You Can

Grieving brings along with it both deep sorrow and stress, and while these feelings are natural, there are ways to soften the sharper edges of this difficult experience.

Stress management tools like exercise, deep breathing, meditation, yoga, spending time outdoors and getting enough sleep are all ways you can lower cortisol levels in the body.

Read: 9 Ways to Naturally Lower Cortisol Levels

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Is Vitamin D Deficiency Hair Loss Reversible

Vitamin D supplements could help if a vitamin D deficiency is contributing to your hair loss. Vitamin D can come in a pill, or it can be applied to the skin through creams like calcipotriol, a psoriasis drug that has shown promise in treating hair loss.

âSupplementing vitamin D can often be helpful since most people are deficientâalong with other key nutrients, typically iron, vitamin C, and biotinâin restoring hair loss. It certainly helps thicken existing hair,â Levitan says. âThe amount to take varies on the individual’s needs, based on who they are, sun exposure, and other medical problems.â

Getting 10 to 30 minutes of sun exposure is a way to get vitamin D, but this could raise skin cancer risks. The amount of sun needed to form Vitamin D will vary depending on your skin type, how much skin is exposed, and where you live. According to Levitan, getting between 800 and 2,000 IUâor 20 to 50 microgramsâof vitamin D daily is usually enough, and âtoo much can cause toxicity.â Some people require 5,000 IU daily to maintain optimum blood levels and Vitamin D should be taken in the morning with Magnesium for maximum bioavailability.

What Is Vitamin D

According to the National Institutes of Health, Vitamin D is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in numerous biological processes within your body.

Unlike most vitamins, vitamin D isnt commonly found in foods. While some foods, such as milk, soy and certain types of fish, contain vitamin D, most vitamin D is produced endogenously when UV rays from sunlight come into contact with your skin.

In its natural form, vitamin D is biologically inert. To use vitamin D, your body needs to convert it into a usable form using the liver and kidneys.

This complex, multi-step process is referred to as hydroxylation, and allows your body to use vitamin D for a variety of important processes.

Vitamin D plays a role in countless biological processes within your body. Its responsible for:

• Promoting calcium absorption

• Ensuring healthy bone growth and remodeling

• Modulating cell growth

• Reducing inflammation

• Maintaining a healthy immune system

Vitamin D also plays a key role in preventing certain diseases. People with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk of developing rickets and osteomalacia two diseases that can affect the health and integrity of your bones.

Low levels of vitamin D are also linked to certain forms of hair loss a topic weve discussed in more detail below.

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Female Pattern Hair Loss And Te

Data on vitamin D in female pattern hair loss and TE contradict data derived from studies indicating that women with FPHL or TE have lower levels of vitamin D than controls, and studies showing no correlation or even opposite results . To elucidate the role of vitamin D in FPHL and TE, additional large-scale trials are necessary .

What To Do If Vitamin A Has Caused Hair Loss

If you believe you have lost some of your hair as a result of taking too much Vitamin A, then you will need to stop or drastically reduce your intake of the vitamin. Vitamin A stores in the liver, so your body will need to use up all of the reserve before you should consider taking any more Vitamin A. if you have been taking a supplement, it may be advisable to simply get your Vitamin A from foods while your body using up its stores and returns to normal. Once your nutrient levels have evened out, your hair should grow back properly.

If theres another reason for your hair loss, then too much Vitamin A could make the problem worse. In this case you will need to see your doctor to discuss the root cause of your hair loss and find out what the best course of action is.

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What Happens If You Have Too Much Vitamin D

Although its important to take in a certain minimum amount of vitamin D for optimal health, its definitely possible to get too much vitamin D.

Your body limits the amount of vitamin D that it will produce due to sun exposure. This means that theres no real risk of you overdosing on vitamin D if you spend too much time outside on a sunny day, although there are obviously other risks involved in excessive sun exposure.

However, overusing vitamin D supplements can cause something called vitamin D toxicity a potentially harmful condition that can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, weakness, weight loss, reduced appetite, heart rhythm problems and even damage to your kidneys.

To avoid vitamin D toxicity, only use vitamin D supplements as recommended by your healthcare provider or other healthcare professional.

Do Vitamin D Supplements Work

Getting enough Vitamin D in your diet is difficult as there are very few sources of Vitamin D in a dietary form. This coupled with increasingly sedentary lifestyles means that more and more people suffer from lack of Vitamin D or low Vitamin D levels.

If you feel that you arent getting enough Vitamin D through your diet and sunlight, consult with a doctor about supplementation. However, taking too much Vitamin D can produce a lot of calcium in your bones and can even damage the kidneys and heart. Taking more than 100 mcg of Vitamin D can be harmful so it is essential to be careful about your dosages.

If you have any underlying medical conditions which may impact your ability to consume supplements you must ensure you take advice from your doctor before starting any kind of supplementation regimen.

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Recommended Doses Of Vitamin D

Its recommended that you get at least 600 IU or 15 micrograms of vitamin D a day starting at the age of 1. Babies younger than 1 should receive 400 IU of vitamin D. For people over the age of 70, the suggested intake jumps to 800 IU . If youre concerned about your vitamin D intake, ask your doctor about checking your vitamin D levels. When you get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, youre able to maintain hair growth, bone health, and normal calcium breakdown.

Research shows that a lack of vitamin D in your body can lead to hair loss. One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isnt enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body. Both men and women can experience alopecia. Another study found that women 18 to 45 years old who experienced alopecia or other types of hair loss had low levels of vitamin D.

Reasons for insufficient vitamin D levels include spending more time indoors, wearing a lot of sunscreen, and not eating foods packed with the nutrient.

Which Vitamins Help In Hair Growth

In addition to biotin, the other B vitamins are important for healthy hair growth, including Vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid. In fact, Vitamin B12 helps hair cells and hair growth by promoting healthy hair follicles through the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells.

The B vitamins arent the only nutrients important for good hair health. To avoid any vitamin deficiency hair loss, your diet should include nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Vitamin D deficiency hair loss is also a problem. Vitamin D nourishes the hair follicles. Vitamin D deficiency is also common in people who suffer from alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition.

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