Many people experience hair loss or thinning hair. The cause of that hair loss may never be known well. In other cases, doctors can work with you to pinpoint the underlying cause of your hair loss. When that happens, you may be able to treat it and turn things around to allow your hair to resume its beautiful thickness and growth. One of the first areas to consider is Vitamin D. Chances are you may not be getting enough. This is the case for most Americans.
What Happens When You Do Not Have Enough Vitamin D?
Many people lack Vitamin D. In nearly all situations, Vitamin D deficiency occurs when you do not get enough sunlight or supplement your intake. In a study conducted by Cairo University, for example, researchers found a direct link in the number of women, specifically, who had both hair loss and hair thinning along with a low level of Vitamin D. As these women’s hair loss continued, and became more severe, it was evident that their Vitamin D levels were continuing to fall.
Does this mean that Vitamin D is the cure to your hair loss? That is not yet the possibility. In fact, this survey is one of the first to focus on the link between Vitamin D deficiency and hair loss. There are numerous additional studies that need to be done to fully understand what this link is as well as the link of other nutrients that you consume. Yet, for many women, if you know there is a deficiency, this could be a good starting point to consider when it comes to improving your thinning hair condition.
Why Does Vitamin D Really Matter?
There are many nutrients that the body needs to operate properly. In the case of Vitamin D, it is very important for your body to get a quality supply of it because it plays an important role in hair production. For example, Vitamin D works to stimulate the hair follicles to grow hair. When there is not enough of the nutrient present in the body, then, hair loss slows down.
We also know that Vitamin D deficiency is a common reason for autoimmune diseases. These are diseases in which a person’s own immune system fights back against itself through damaging cells and tissues in the body. One of the most common causes for hair loss in women and men, then, is alopecia areata. This is a type of autoimmune condition. It causes hair loss to occur in patchy, usually round areas on the head.
If you have alopecia areata, and you have no idea why you have it, you may want to have your Vitamin D levels checked. Researchers have found that many people who have this condition also have a low level of Vitamin D storage in their bodies.
More specifically, Vitamin D works to help in the creation of new hair follicles. These are the shafts in the skin that hair grows from and through. When there are many new follicles present, the hair grows rapidly and fills in well. This creates thickness. When there is nothing to stimulate this type of growth, though, it is common to see hair that is thinning.
What Can You Do About It?
A good place to start is with a blood test from your doctor. You may have other symptoms of this deficiency as well. This includes slow wound-healing, fractures, depression and anxiety, muscle weakness, and loss of bone density. These symptoms need to be addressed with your doctor for their own concerns. Yet, from a hair loss perspective, you may want to focus on boosting your intake.
The good news is that you may be able to correct some of all of your hair loss when you invest in supplements. Getting more sunlight may also help. Work closely with your doctor to ensure you are getting the very best level of Vitamin D for your body. Then, give it some time to ensure your hair has time to regrow.
Contact the hair specialists at Unique Hair Concepts to learn more.
