Vitamin D deficiency and hair loss

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Can vitamin d deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes! Vitamin D deficiency can cause hair loss. Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss from the head or body.

Hair loss may have many causes including, nutritional deficiency, androgenic hormonal effects, infections, side effect of medications, trauma, sudden onset of telogen effluvium, rapid weight loss, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Certain health conditions like, postpartum effluvium, alopecia areata, lupus erythematosus, inflammatory diseases and diabetes can also cause hair loss. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Crohn's disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis and alopecia areata.

The role of calcitriol

The biologically active form of vitamin D is known as calcitriol, which circulates as a hormone in the blood. The calcitriol hormone activates the calcitriol receptor (NR1I1). The calcitriol receptor plays an important role in regulating the hair cycle. The insufficiency of calcitriol can disturb and affect the hair cycle.

Vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol is available in fish and fish oil, milk, fortified fruit juices and cereals. The human skin can synthesize this nutrient in the form of cholecalciferol with the help of sunlight. Lack of exposure to the sunlight or living in higher latitudes can cause vitamin D deficiency and related hair problems. At the sametime it is to be noted that megadoses of this nutrient can be toxic for the body.

Vitamin D deficiency and hair loss - Research evidence

There is compelling research evidence linking deficiency of calcitriol to hair fall. The very common form of autoimmune hair hypotrichosis, alopecia areata, as well as telogen effluvium or female pattern hair loss have been associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Mahmud Mahamid et al studied the possible association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and alopecia areata ( autoimmune hair loss). They have published their research report in the Israel Medical Association Journal (June 2014). The pathogenesis of AA is considered to be autoimmune and inflammatory.

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In their clinical studies they followed up 23 patients with alopecia areata (AA) as well as a control group matched for age and gender. They collected blood samples and tested blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of the group. The C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, is released by the liver in response to inflammation.

They found that the patients with hair loss had significantly higher values for CRP than the control group. Further the AA group had deficiency in 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels (less than 30 ng/ml) lower than the control group. They concluded that,

We found a significant correlation between AA and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can be a significant risk factor for AA occurrence.

Rasheed H et al in their study published in Skin pharmacology and physiology (2013), have reported that deficiency in serum ferritin and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels can causes chronic telogen effluvium (TE) or female pattern hair loss (FPHL). They concluded that,

Low serum ferritin and vitamin D2 are associated with hair loss in females with TE and FPHL. Screening to establish these levels in cases of hair loss and supplementing with them when there is deficiency may be beneficial in the treatment of disease.

Aksu Cerman A et al reporting in British Journal of Dermatology (June, 2014) concluded that screening patients with alopecia areata hair loss for 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency seems to be of value for the possibility of supplementing these patients with vitamin D.

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Reference: 1.Aksu Cerman A, Sarikaya Solak S, Kivanc Altunay I. Vitamin D deficiency in alopecia areata. Br J Dermatol. 2014 Jun;170(6):1299-304. 2.Rasheed H, Mahgoub D, Hegazy R, El-Komy M, Abdel Hay R, Hamid MA, Hamdy E. Serum ferritin and vitamin d in female hair loss: do they play a role? Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2013;26(2):101-7. 3.Roberto d’Ovidio, Margherita Vessio, Francesco Domenico d’Ovidio. Reduced level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in chronic/relapsing Alopecia Areata. Dermatoendocrinol. Apr 1, 2013; 5(2): 271–273. 4.Mahamid M, Abu-Elhija O, Samamra M, Mahamid A, Nseir W. Association between vitamin D levels and alopecia areata. Isr Med Assoc J. 2014 Jun;16(6):367-70.

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Current topic in natural skin care: Does vitamin D deficiency cause hair loss.

Jan 24, 2015

Vitamin D is produced photochemically in the skin

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is present naturally in very few foods and is available as food additive and food supplement. However it is synthesized by human body when exposed to direct sun light.

Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium in the intestines and also its re-absorption in the kidneys. It helps in attaining and maintaining the serum levels of calcium and phosphates in the blood. This helps in the mineralization of the bones. Vitamin D promotes bone growth, bone remodeling and with out sufficient vitamin D bones may become brittle, thin and misshapen. Together with calcium it protects the elderly people from osteoporosis.

In the human body vitamin D has other roles like reduction of inflammation, neuromuscular activities and immune functions. vitamin D is believed to reduce the risk of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.

Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency may arise from inadequate consumption of its source foods, insufficient exposure to sun light and from disorders limiting its absorption in gut and its re-absorption from kidneys.

The deficiency lead to Rickets in children and softening of bones and osteoporosis in adults. Rarely deficiency may be hereditary. Rickets in children may result in stunted growth and misshapen long bones resulting in deformity.

Osteomalacia occurs in elderly people with symptoms of muscle weakness and fragile bones due vitamin D deficiency. Osteoporosis arises with loss of bone density resulting in brittle bones and fractures. Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness may be due to inadequate vitamin D levels. These symptoms can be subtle and go undetected in the initial stages.

Children may suffer from insufficiency if the nursing mothers are deficient in vitamin D. Moreover mother's milk may not contain sufficient vitamin D and unless the children are exposed to sun light and, or supplemented with vitamin D they may develop rickets.

Homebound people and people living in northern latitudes may suffer from the deficiency of this vitamin. Darker skin also may reduce the ability of the skin to produce vitamin D from sun light. However excessive sun exposure to avoid deficiency carry the risk of skin cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency is connected to increase in blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. In dialyses patients low levels of vitamin D can lead to diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

Toxicity
Exposure to extended time does not cause toxicity as the excess produced is degraded. Generally vitamin D toxicity is very rare and its symptoms are nausea, poor appetite, weakness and weight loss.

Sources
Very few foods are natural source of vitamin D. Fish liver oils, liver, cheese and egg are the best sources. For further information please visit http://www.thedynamicnature.com/vitamins/vitamin%20D.html.