The Top Seven Vitamin Deficiencies Which Cause Hair Loss
Did you know that your hair loss could be linked to several vitamin deficiencies? Lots of people assume that their hair loss is down to a genetic condition or an illness, but in some cases, it can actually be a lack of vitamins which causes your hair to thin or fade away at an accelerated rate.
It’s pretty important to understand which vitamins can cause this loss, so let’s take a look at the top seven deficiencies.
Vitamin D
We typically associate vitamin D with being what keeps the immune system going, as well as assisting in bone and skin health.
However, something else that you might not know is that Vitamin D is actually responsible for the creation of healthy hair follicles. These follicles are vital for hair growth.
Biotin
It’s widely understood that of all the vitamins and nutrients you consume, the one that most commonly results in hair loss is a biotin deficiency. Many people who have been experiencing the symptoms of hair loss have taken biotin and seen an improvement.
This vitamin also helps people from developing brittle nails, and is also good for regulating blood sugar. Because biotin is typically present in a balanced diet, the primary reason for a deficiency is a genetic condition.
Iron
So, your body needs iron to create haemoglobin, because this helps with delivering essential oxygen and nutrients to yourselves. Therefore, if you don’t have as much iron as you should, the body has to preserve that iron for essential organs. Unfortunately, this means that your hair follicles won’t get the support they need!
Zinc
Zinc is an important nutrient for repair and tissue growth. We need zinc for the oil glands around hair follicles. Generally speaking, people who consume a lot of cereal grain are most at risk from zinc deficiency, as well as people who have eating disorders.
Selenium
Selenium is a trace mineral that helps with hair growth. However, too much selenium can actually cause hair loss, so in addition to being deficient, you can actually have too much of it, so you have to strike that fine middle line.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is what we call an antioxidant. Antioxidants help to protect the cells in the body from damage.
However, something else that vitamin E does is create a protective barrier for your scalp. This means that your hair stays healthy and hydrated for longer, so when you have a deficiency, your scalp is actually less protected.
Folic Acid
You will often find folic acid in prenatal supplements, because it’s an important contributor to fetal development. However, something else which folic acid is good for is boosting the growth of your hair. Not only does it help to grow hair, but it helps hair from going grey prematurely by normalising the levels of oxygen. However, a deficiency is often linked to hair loss.
Final Thoughts
So, when it comes to hair loss, it’s clear that there are many different contributing factors. As a loss of vitamins can often be a core problem, it’s important to make sure that you get the proper nutrients through a varied diet, using supplements where necessary.