Vitamin D Deficiency Hair Loss Regrowth | How to The Best Secrets
How often do you think about your hormones?
I think about them all of the time!
From good sleep to belly fat, hormones rule everything. And the further I look into it, the more I realize that hormones are everywhere.
For example...
Take vitamin D.
It’s not actually a vitamin; it’s a hormone. What does a lack of this hormone have in common with other types of hormonal imbalances?
It can cause hair loss.
Today, we’re focusing on vitamin D deficiency hair loss regrowth.
We’ll do an overview on D deficiency, and the role it plays in hair growth. More importantly, we’ll discuss how it is possible to regrow your hair.
Are You D-Deficient?
Well, are you vitamin D deficient?
Honestly, it would be more surprising if you weren’t. The stats vary, but some research says three-quarters of us don’t have ideal levels.
Like other nutritional topics, you’ll find a lot of debate here. That’s because the amount of vitamin D we need isn’t agreed upon by everyone. If you go by the other standard (less than 11 nanograms per milliliter), one in ten are deficient.
But hey...
That’s still nothing to sniff at.
We often worry about vitamin deficiencies that are rather rare (like vitamin C), but this one patently is not. Any way you slice it, estimates are that more than a billion people worldwide need more D.
The best way to know whether or not you’re deficient is through testing. However, if you’d like a little justification for testing, here’s the rundown on causes and symptoms of D deficiency.
Causes of vitamin D deficiency include:
Even if none of the above applies to you, you can still be deficient. Here are some common signs of vitamin D deficiency:
Finally, a lack of vitamin D is linked to hair loss.
How Vitamin D Causes Hair Loss
When you began to lose your hair, what did you think was the cause? Did you think it was how you were treating your hair, or perhaps stress?
Sometimes, sudden hair loss is natural. Your hair goes through phases where growth, as well as shedding, can increase or decrease.
But with a vitamin D deficiency, hair loss can occur for a few reasons.
In the first place, we know that vitamin D is responsible for calcium absorption. Your calcium levels impact not only bones, but skin, hair, and nails.
Additionally, vitamin D plays a role in stimulating hair follicles. More research may be necessary here, but deficiency can lead to inactivity in receptors crucial to hair growth.
It isn’t all about loss, either. Being deficient in any essential vitamins or minerals causes damage to the follicle. This is why the hair you do have may be dry and dull.
The condition of your hair and any loss you’re suffering may be made worse by other factors. If you’re also on medication, eating poorly, or you’ve recently lost a lot of weight, this could explain the hair loss.
How to Get More Vitamin D
When we say “vitamin D” we’re actually referring to two types: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Both are commonly found in supplements and fortified products, but D3 is the one our bodies produce naturally.
If you have a deficiency, your options to correct it are limited. If that sounds bad, don’t worry - it isn’t! It’s simply that the best two methods are most effective in putting your levels right.
First, you need to increase sun exposure. The threat of wrinkles and skin cancer shouldn’t be a huge concern, since it doesn’t take much sun at all.
Ten to fifteen minutes of exposure is all you need to absorb adequate UVB rays. The trick is, you must do this three times per week. Make sure you have a good amount of skin exposed to soak up what you need in that small timeframe.
Think about this every time you go to the beach or pool. Instead of applying sunscreen right away, wait ten minutes, and then apply. Weeding the flower beds? Leave your arms or legs exposed for 15 minutes while doing so.
These days, we’re spending less and less time outdoors. In this case, your health is a very good reason to venture out. With the minimal amount of time it takes to soak up enough sun, most of us have no excuse.
Usually, I don’t look at supplements as the answer. However, vitamin D is an exception; if you’re insufficient or deficient, you need to supplement.
If you want to choose the absolute best supplement, getting a blood test is very helpful. This will help you know what size dose is appropriate. In general, most of us do not need a supplement that exceeds 1,000 IU daily.
If you mega-dose on D without the direction of a doctor, this too can make you ill. You may notice nausea, worsening fatigue, and dehydration.
As for other specifications, here are a few suggestions:
- Go for oil and gel suspensions - click for price over coated tablets
- Choose D3 over D2 (remember, D3 is our natural default)
- Always check for certification from an independent third-party lab - click for price
Ultimately, sun and supplements will get you back to where you need to be. Even still, life happens, and our diets can help bolster our levels. Foods that contain vitamin D are rather rare, but you can incorporate some of these:
- Fish (especially salmon, oysters, herring, and sardines)
- Eggs (especially the yolk)
- Mushrooms
- Vitamin-D fortified milk, even plant milk
The Best Ways to Stimulate Hair Growth
All of this is great, but we really want to know about is vitamin D deficiency hair loss regrowth. To help you restore your mane to its former glory, here are several strategies for fuller, faster-growing hair.
Remember, these methods may work in addition to replenishing your vitamin D levels with sun and supplements.
1. Baby your hair. Likely, keeping what you have is as important as encouraging new growth. While you try other stimulating methods, be extra gentle with the hair you have. Don’t wear tight hairstyles that create tension, and sleep on a satin pillowcase.
It might also help to wash a little less often. However, don’t go for more than three or four days, as a buildup of oil and dirt can clog your scalp. That can actually prohibit new growth.
Then there’s shower time. Do not use very hot water on your hair, and dry it with an old t-shirt instead of a towel. Rubbing hair with a rough towel can make it more prone to breakage. Blot it dry with the 100% cotton towel - click for price instead.
2. Massage your scalp. Increasing circulation always breathes new life into any area we want to stimulate. Scalp massage is no exception, as it can give follicles the encouragement they need to get growing.
Before you begin, note that massage can cause strands that you were going to lose anyway to fall out. Therefore, if you see a temporary increase in shedding, this is why.
Sitting down, tilt your head forward. Work from front to back, using your fingertips to apply gentle pressure to various points on the scalp. Use small, circular motions.
Repeat the process working back to front, making sure to get the sides of your head.
3. Use oils and home remedies. There’s no shortage of hair-growth formulas out there. That said, I’m not recommending that you buy one; many are too expensive for what they actually contain.
Instead, start with a bottle of plain castor oil - click for price. Tilt your head forward, and dispense about a teaspoon onto the crown of your head. Now, massage the oil all over the scalp, slowly working it through every section.
When you’re done, leave the oil in for another 30 minutes before washing thoroughly.
Apple cider vinegar is another popular home remedy for both pH balance and scalp stimulation. Dilute a half-cup of ACV in a spray bottle with a half-cup of distilled water.
After washing your hair, spritz the mixture at the roots, working in sections. Next, massage it all in to ensure saturation. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse away, and condition. The vinegar smell should fade as your hair dries.
4. Get more protein and iron. Hair is made of protein. Now, it definitely isn’t always true that eating something means you’ll make more of that same thing naturally. But in this case, there truly may be a link between a low-protein diet and hair loss.
The same is true for iron, as iron helps us produce the protein that comprises our strands of hair.
For some, getting more iron and protein might mean eating more meat. But meat isn’t the only way. Foods like spinach, beans, lentils, broccoli, and cashews contain protein, iron, or even both.
5. Buy into biotin. The supplementation of D3 is necessary to correct the deficiency and regrow hair. Still, you can get a boost from biotin, known as one of the best hair vitamins for black hair. As a B-complex, biotin helps us produce the amino acids that become keratin.
Keratin, of course, is the protein our hair is made of.
However, you should be careful if you decide to start a biotin supplement. Again, taking large doses is common, but that won’t make your hair grow double-fast. Taking large doses can raise your blood sugar and even give you a rash.
Furthermore, that large dose can actually lead to a B5 deficiency. This is why many women taking biotin get horrible acne - it’s a side effect of taking too much.
Luckily, biotin is present in many foods. Would it surprise you to know that one of the best hair vitamins for black hair growth is a peanut? Many nuts, seeds, and legumes are excellent sources.
As are cauliflower, avocados, bananas, and some whole grains.
Finally, it’s important to not lose hope. Re-growing hair can take some time, especially if you need to stabilize your vitamin D levels first.
If your hair loss has been rather severe, see a doctor, and perhaps then a dermatologist. While D deficiency can cause hair loss, so many other conditions can as well.
Okay... enough said about...
Vitamin D Deficiency Hair Loss Regrowth
Depending on who you ask, vitamin D deficiency is a pandemic. Others say it only affects ten percent of us. Long term deficiency of vitamin D might be associated with a higher risk of cancer and other diseases.
But one of the shorter-term ill effects is hair loss. Along with fatigue and pain, we’re unable to build strong strands without vitamin D. Once we correct the deficiency, we can help regrow our hair by:
In the end, your doctor should be able to tell you if you’re truly deficient. You also need to confirm what the most likely cause of your hair loss is.
Is... vitamin D deficiency hair loss regrowth possible? I really think it is, as long as you address the root cause. It’s tempting to focus on the cosmetic side effects, but it’s not what’s most important.
Let me know what you think. Do you think our society is as deficient as some suggest? How much time do you spend outside? If you’ve ever been through hair loss, what was the cause? Please share your comments and thoughts below.
