Vitamin D and hair loss

[ChloeDharma]

Has anyone had any experience with this? For some reason it only recently occurred to me as I am apparently clinically deficient in vitamin D. So I ordered some pills and they arrived today.
For those who have dealt with this before did taking vitamin D supplements make your hair grow back? If so how long did it take?

I did some googling and hair loss is a very commonly mentioned symptom of vitamin D deficiency. Now to see if I can remember to keep taking them regularly!

[Catatafish]

I haven't experienced hair loss, but reading this reminds me of a thread I saw a few weeks ago. An Indian woman who lived in the UK started it, because when she visited India her hair was healthy, but when she went to the UK it started shedding. I've tried to find it, but can't. Maybe another person can remember what it is called.

Anyways, I think people figured out it might have to do with a vitamin D deficiency, and other posters had experience with that.

[crazy_margaret]

I recently found out that my entire family is D deficient ! I have had hormone issues since puberty and no doctor has ever given me any help in this matter. I started taking D and magically things are getting better. Since I know hormones play a big part in hair loss I am hoping to regain some of the thickness I have lost over the years.

[hanne jensen]

Must start taking my daily multivitamin and eating more eggs and fatty fish. The days are dark, short and dreary here in Denmark now.

[Enrapture]

Last year I was deficient in vitamin D (14.2 ng/mL when optimal is >32 ng/mL) I didn't notice any difference when the levels got normal again. I think that it didn't influence shedding.

[jeanniet]

I was diagnosed deficient a few years ago--no idea how long it had been going on, but probably quite a while--with no difference in hair thickness at all. Then I was still low-normal for another couple of years, still no difference. I should be mid-range normal now (upped my dose), but haven't had it checked so not entirely sure. Anyway, no change there either. D and B12 are the only vitamins I take, per my doctor, but neither have had any effect on hair.

[MidnightMoon]

I havent experienced any significant hait loss and my hair is as pretty as ever, and I dont stand in thr sun even for 5 minutes daily. I dont eat a huge amount of fish either, say once a week usually. Ive been like this for at least 6 years :P. I dont drink supplements either.

[mira-chan]

I had a rather significant and long term Vitamin D deficiency that also exacerbated another health problem. I did have hair loss from this. I had the health problems for two years before it was caught and had two very big sheds related to both of these. I apparently do not produce vitamin D efficiently so I have to supplement so I'm not in pain at all times, as it going too low also increases my joint pain.

I'm guessing you have to deficient in vitamin D for a longer period of time before it starts affecting the hair.

[MeowScat]

I'm on prescription Vitamin D (50,000) once a week and my hair has been growing like a weed!

[Chiaroscuro]

Last year I was deficient in vitamin D (14.2 ng/mL when optimal is >32 ng/mL) I didn't notice any difference when the levels got normal again. I think that it didn't influence shedding. I was at 11 and now stay around 75, and my experience was the same--no change to hair. I don't know if the type of Vit D makes a difference to hair.

From http://www.healthcare.siemens.com/:

"There are two major types of vitamin D1,2:
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) – which is synthesized by plants and is not produced by the human body
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – which is made in large quantities in the skin when sunlight strikes bare skin. It can also be ingested from animal sources....evidence suggests that vitamin D3 is approximately three times more effective at maintaining serum concentrations because the binding protein has a higher affinity to vitamin D3 than vitamin D2. This allows vitamin D3 to reside in the circulatory system longer and increase the concentration to sufficient levels more quickly. The major preparations of vitamin D for prescription use in North America are in the form of vitamin D2, while more over-the-counter vitamin / multivitamin preparations use vitamin D3."

[dottodot]

I've currently went to see my doctor concerning hair loss and hair thinning. After a few blood tests, she suggested biotin and vitamin D, daily to see if that helps. In regards to Chiaroscuro's post, I'm now not sure if I should be taking both types of vitamin D? I've just been taking the D3 my mom has in our medicine cabinet. Maybe I'll give my doctor's office a call tomorrow. Sorry, I can't answer your questions about regrowth, ChloeDharma, but as soon as I can, I'll check back into this thread with some feedback. Best of luck!

This post also reminded me to take my D3, haha. Seems as though I need to be better at remember to take it as well!!

[mira-chan]

I take D3 as that is what my doctor suggested. I do have absorption problems with some plant based vitamins, especially B vitamins. So it may be different for you.

[optimisticStar]

During my physical checkup I had told my doc about hair lose and thinning and after the blood tests, she told me it could be due to the deficiency of vitamin D and B12. She told me to get it in natural ways like food and sunshine or take supplements. I preferred taking sunlight every weekend for 30-45 mins. I have spent most of my life in India since birth and was taking in sunlight everyday. Now since working in a closed office all day, I don't get much sunlight. However for me hair shedding actually started when I got my periods or it could also be because I had more responsibilities and life tensions since then, but I was still regularly getting sunlight/vit D.

So in all I believe a good hair care, diet and lifestyle is also important for healthy hair.

[optimisticStar]

During my physical checkup I had told my doc about hair lose and thinning and after the blood tests, she told me it could be due to the deficiency of vitamin D and B12. She told me to get it in natural ways like food and sunshine or take supplements. I preferred taking sunlight every weekend for 30-45 mins. I have spent most of my life in India since birth and was taking in sunlight everyday. Now since working in a closed office all day, I don't get much sunlight. However for me hair shedding actually started when I got my periods or it could also be because I had more responsibilities and life tensions since then, but I was still regularly getting sunlight/vit D.

So in all I believe a good hair care, diet and lifestyle is also important for healthy hair.

[andafaith]

I haven't noticed any hair loss when I'm vitamin D deficient, but I've never necessarily been a chronic case. However, I usually know when I'm vitamin D deficient if my hair growth slows down. It's usually the cause. I've been vitamin D deficient a few times in the past and I get little to no hair growth during those periods.

As for vitamin D2 versus D3 - I prefer D3. I've compared the two before and Vitamin D3 seemed to get me back to normal levels faster than D2 (this is possibly due to how the body assimilates and utilizes D2 in comparison to D3). It seems that vitamin D levels do affect hair in some people though, which is interesting.