Hair fall is a natural phenomenon to some extent but if it continues falling then there is something wrong happening with you. It may occur due to poor nutrition. Since vitamin D and hair loss prevention are closely interrelated, you learn its importance to contain your hair.
Studies say that you lose some 100 – 200 hair a day is normal but the degree increases to a certain level due to diseases like thyroid, lupus and lack of important vitamins and minerals in the body. In most cases, hair loss occurs due to poor nutrition, stress, low protein diet and it could be genetic too. Those who have low vitamin D and hair loss both may experience baldness in young age.
What does Vitamin D do?
Sunlight is a good source of Vitamin D that plays a key role in maintaining good hair health. Vitamin D has several other important roles – for example, it helps you control the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to keep the high strength of bones and teeth.
Deficiency of vitamin D can damage the way our body absorbs calcium and phosphorus. In children, it leads to rickets – a condition that can cause bone deformities like bowed legs. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets (otherwise known as osteomalacia or weak bones), which can make bones painful and tender. Low vitamin D causes hair loss and rough skin too.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency:
• Sunlight provides vitamin D only if our body is exposed to the sun but restricted exposure to sunrays can be a reason for its deficiency. So, for vitamin D and hair loss prevention, you have to learn how much and when you need to expose to the sun.
• Pigmentation melanin reduces the ability of skin to absorb Vitamin D, especially in dark complexion people. Thus, darker skinned people are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, especially older people with darker skin.
• Vitamin D deficiency also occurs if your kidneys fail to convert Vitamin D into its active form, as when people age, their kidneys gradually lose the capacity to convert Vitamin D into its active form.
• Obesity also affects Vitamin D absorption. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation. People with BMI of 30 or greater often have low blood level and vitamin D in the body.
• Certain health conditions also hinder vitamin D absorption. The diseases like Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis and celiac disease can affect intestine’s ability to absorb Vitamins from the foods you eat.
Vitamin D is helpful in major body functions while its deficiency causes many diseases. The probability of identifying and proceeding with vitamin D deficiency treatment is very low that’s why in this case, prevention is better than cure.
Benefits of vitamin D:
Vitamin D decreases the risk of multiple sclerosis as well as the chances of developing heart disease. It is vital to empower your immune capacity in order to resist the risks of flu. Many dermatologists believe that vitamin D can play an important role in preventing hair loss as well as fostering hair growth to a great extent. Research studies reveal that hair follicles contain vitamin D receptors that play an important role in strengthening hair follicles.
The ways in which vitamin D is beneficial in hair loss prevention include:
• The life cycle of hair follicles is regulated by vitamin D. The deficiency in vitamin D can promote hair loss because of a shorter lifespan of hair follicles.
• Vitamin D helps your body in the absorption of calcium, another mineral that is essential for hair health.
• Omega 3 fatty acids contained in vitamin D help to protect the scalp from bacteria and other microorganisms and promote blood circulation in the scalp.
• Vitamin D may also be responsible for stimulating the genes that regulate hair growth.
How to avoid deficiency of vitamin D:
• Infants and young children aged 6 months to five years should take a daily supplement of Vitamin D in the form of vitamin D drops. Breastfed infants may need to receive drops containing vitamin D from the first month onwards if her mother has not taken vitamin D supplements throughout.
• People aged 65 years and over and who do not get frequent sun exposure should also take daily supplements containing 10 micrograms of Vitamin D.
• Exposition to mild sunlight, especially in the morning can help you maintain a good level of vitamin D to prevent hair loss.
• You can use shampoos that promise to have vitamin D, so your hair gets its treatment directly.
Vitamin D to prevent hair loss:
Vitamin D is required to maintain smooth and supple skin as it nourishes your scalp and stimulate cells’ growth and hair growth.
This vitamin has the ability to activate cells within the hair shaft, so it provides good strength to follicles, preventing hair loss. The sufficient intake of vitamin D can also improve the look and feel of hair. This vitamin can make hair silky and shiny with good strength.
