Vitamin A may be harmful in excess (sorry if you already knew it)

[Orlas]

I just wanted to contribute a little to the community. Everyone here was so nice, and maybe what I found out could be useful to someone.

Some time ago I've started loosing hair at an alarming rate and couldn't find the reason. Unfortunately, before I could figure it out, it took about 3 cm of thickness (I hate it). The answer was maybe a little surprising - it was the excess vitamin A. It's good to have enough, but too much can make hair fall out and feel weak and tight at the roots.

I am really sorry if it's already a well known fact, I just browsed a little here and didn't find it.

As a side question: how fast do you think it may grow back? Maybe there are ways to make it faster? Can't bear a thought that it might take up to several years.

[lapushka]

I just wanted to contribute a little to the community. Everyone here was so nice, and maybe what I found out could be useful to someone.

Some time ago I've started loosing hair at an alarming rate and couldn't find the reason. Unfortunately, before I could figure it out, it took about 3 cm of thickness (I hate it). The answer was maybe a little surprising - it was the excess vitamin A. It's good to have enough, but too much can make hair fall out and feel weak and tight at the roots.

I am really sorry if it's already a well known fact, I just browsed a little here and didn't find it.

As a side question: how fast do you think it may grow back? Maybe there are ways to make it faster? Can't bear a thought that it might take up to several years.

Just patience. Like you already experienced, there's no miracles. Outside of taking say a regular 100% coverage rate (or less on some things allowing for good diet) multivitamin. I wouldn't touch a thing.

I don't!

[shelomit]

I lived my childhood in fear of hypervitaminosis A after reading a book about early Antarctic expeditions. (Like quicksand and malaria, I vastly overestimated the amount of trouble this was liable to give me in adult life.) Glad you got it figured out.

[Lady Stardust]

I lived my childhood in fear of hypervitaminosis A after reading a book about early Antarctic expeditions. (Like quicksand and malaria, I vastly overestimated the amount of trouble this was liable to give me in adult life.) Glad you got it figured out.

I was terrified of quicksand, piranhas and rabies when I was a child! Given that I’m from England, none of those should have caused me great concern.

Orlas I am sure your head will throw out lots of new growth soon, you will see it all waving to you as it sticks up above your head. It’s good to give a heads up, thank you. I knew that too much vitamin A could cause problems but I didn’t know hair loss was one of them.

[lapushka]

Orlas, I see you are iii. I am too. I went through my first weeks of puberty losing chunks of hair (hormone imbalance) up to 3 bald spots that I had, back of the head, and 2 up top / front. Man, that was rough, and at that age too. I barely had hair left. Yes, I went to the doctor (internist) and yes nothing could be done at 13 years old. Especially not with hormones that need to learn to settle. It took about a year to get some good growth going, after that year it was fine. It, of course, needs to grow out as if from shaved, so there is that.

Don't buy into things that will make it grow faster. All BS! :bs:

[Orlas]

Orlas, I see you are iii. I am too. I went through my first weeks of puberty losing chunks of hair (hormone imbalance) up to 3 bald spots that I had, back of the head, and 2 up top / front. Man, that was rough, and at that age too. I barely had hair left. Yes, I went to the doctor (internist) and yes nothing could be done at 13 years old. Especially not with hormones that need to learn to settle. It took about a year to get some good growth going, after that year it was fine. It, of course, needs to grow out as if from shaved, so there is that.

Don't buy into things that will make it grow faster. All BS! :bs:

Thank you, it gives me some hope. I could wait one year, I just can't bare to think it would take maybe seven years.

[lapushka]

Thank you, it gives me some hope. I could wait one year, I just can't bare to think it would take maybe seven years.

It's not that you start from a point where it's short and then suddenly go to "long". It is a gradual process, and after a year, maybe 2, you'll be at around APL, from shaved, and so that is a *great* point to start from.

Not gonna lie, if you want classic length, it is about going to take that long, maybe 5 years or 4. But patience, it will ease into longer lengths and you have hair growing slowly back in the mean time.

Now that you know what's up, it can only get better from here!

[Priska]

I just wanted to contribute a little to the community. Everyone here was so nice, and maybe what I found out could be useful to someone.

Some time ago I've started loosing hair at an alarming rate and couldn't find the reason. Unfortunately, before I could figure it out, it took about 3 cm of thickness (I hate it). The answer was maybe a little surprising - it was the excess vitamin A. It's good to have enough, but too much can make hair fall out and feel weak and tight at the roots.

I am really sorry if it's already a well known fact, I just browsed a little here and didn't find it.

As a side question: how fast do you think it may grow back? Maybe there are ways to make it faster? Can't bear a thought that it might take up to several years.

Thank you for telling this! Did you see the doctor or how did you get to know the reason for your hair loss? .. this is all new for me at least. But I believe you. I just said because you were wondering if everybody knows this already.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

As Lapushka said, your hair will grow back, but how very frustrating. May I ask how you came to have an excess of Vitamin A?

[spidermom]

You didn't buzz all your hair off, did you?

[Orlas]

Thank you for telling this! Did you see the doctor or how did you get to know the reason for your hair loss? .. this is all new for me at least. But I believe you. I just said because you were wondering if everybody knows this already.

Thank you for replying! Unfortunately, doctors in my country are not always reliable, I figured it out myself. Just thought about what changes I have been doing to my diet.

[Orlas]

As Lapushka said, your hair will grow back, but how very frustrating. May I ask how you came to have an excess of Vitamin A?

You would think that the excess came from supplements (happens often), but in my case it was just from food. I was eating chicken liver every day, because it's cheap, delicious and contains a lot of iron. But, apparently, even a little bit of it has also way too much A.

May I also say - your hair is amazing. Everyone here has unbelievable hair, but yours is so light and wavy, that it makes me think of fairies. Sorry, I am usually too shy to give compliments, just...

[Orlas]

You didn't buzz all your hair off, did you?

Honestly - I am tempted. I keep comparing it to the old braid that lies in my wardrobe, and it's so much thicker, that I want to just give up, cut it all off and forget. What makes it harder for me is that this old braid wasn't cut off because I wanted it, I was made to, and it hasn't been as thick ever after. Sorry, it's not a place to complain, I just do really have this exact temptation. )

[Sarahlabyrinth]

You would think that the excess came from supplements (happens often), but in my case it was just from food. I was eating chicken liver every day, because it's cheap, delicious and contains a lot of iron. But, apparently, even a little bit of it has also way too much A.

May I also say - your hair is amazing. Everyone here has unbelievable hair, but yours is so light and wavy, that it makes me think of fairies. Sorry, I am usually too shy to give compliments, just...

Oh, thank you :) What a lovely thing to say. And no need to be shy here, we are all friendly!

So, would one chicken liver give you too much vitamin A? Or would you have to eat them very regularly? I have never eaten chicken liver, but am learning to eat gizzards, had a gizzard salad yesterday....

[lapushka]

Thank you for replying! Unfortunately, doctors in my country are not always reliable, I figured it out myself. Just thought about what changes I have been doing to my diet.

If it's then from simple food intake... it can be *anything*. If you did not get bloodwork done, there's just no telling if it is the A. For sure, I mean.

[Orlas]

Oh, thank you :) What a lovely thing to say. And no need to be shy here, we are all friendly!

So, would one chicken liver give you too much vitamin A? Or would you have to eat them very regularly? I have never eaten chicken liver, but am learning to eat gizzards, had a gizzard salad yesterday....

You don't have to worry! I am not a nutrition specialist, but I checked, and it looks like gizzard has no vitamin A at all. Hope you'll continue enjoying it. ) Chicken liver, on the other hand, has a lot of A in even just a little bit of its volume. I was eating about 100 g every day. The upper safe limit of daily vitamin A intake is 10,000 IU. Mine was just A LITTLE higher, but, apparently, a little at a time results in A LOT of excess over time. It's a fat soluble vitamin, so it gets stored for long. But it doesn't mean it's bad to eat chicken liver occasionally. Or in very small quantities more often.

[Orlas]

If it's then from simple food intake... it can be *anything*. If you did not get bloodwork done, there's just no telling if it is the A. For sure, I mean.

I also like to have good evidence. But blood tests are very expensive where I live, and, after spending almost my whole childhood in a hospital, I have sort of a phobia of veins, vein blood. But I don't take what I say out of thin air, either. I eat almost the same thing every day (it is just easier for me), so it's not hard to see what changes I've made. And, as I said above, my intake was higher than the safe upper limit.

[lapushka]

I also like to have good evidence. But blood tests are very expensive where I live, and, after spending almost my whole childhood in a hospital, I have sort of a phobia of veins, vein blood. But I don't take what I say out of thin air, either. I eat almost the same thing every day (it is just easier for me), so it's not hard to see what changes I've made. And, as I said above, my intake was higher than the safe upper limit.

I get it, I do. But then to just say it is for sure this vitamin? IDK about that, you know. The strictly one-sided diet could have done it, much more, IMO. But on the whole, when talking vitamins, too much of A is never good, of iron either, of so many vitamins.

[KokoroDragon]

A quick Google search brought up this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/

In addition to vitamin A, it also talks about several other vitamins and minerals and their relationship to hair loss and grey hair.

[Orlas]

A quick Google search brought up this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/

In addition to vitamin A, it also talks about several other vitamins and minerals and their relationship to hair loss and grey hair.

Well yes, it's obvious? I've talked about a specific one. I never said that there are no other reasons out there. But in my case it's that.

[KokoroDragon]

Well yes, it's obvious? I've talked about a specific one. I never said that there are no other reasons out there. But in my case it's that.

Oh for sure, I just wanted to add that as a resource for anyone reading this thread. More knowledge is better, in this case anyway.

[foreveryours]

Oh for sure, I just wanted to add that as a resource for anyone reading this thread. More knowledge is better, in this case anyway.

It was a good review. Thankyou for posting that link.

[lapushka]

A quick Google search brought up this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/

In addition to vitamin A, it also talks about several other vitamins and minerals and their relationship to hair loss and grey hair.

Thanks for posting; such a complex issue, IMHO.