Nutritional Deficiency and Hair Loss

[CanadianCutie]

I never knew hair loss could be caused or tiggered by a vitamin deficiency, but i found a site that says otherwise:

http://1stholistic.com/Nutrition/hol_nutr-def-symptoms.htm

supposedly if u are deficient in certain nutrients (ie.biotin, essential fatty acids, B vitamins, etc) it can cause hairloss and other symptons including acne, obesity... i don't know if i believe this but just to be safe i started taking a mutli-vitamin.

 

[mariejoe]

Thanks, that was enlightening.
In addition to that multi, may I suggest adding some essential fatty acids (evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil) and Vitamin C and vitamin E.

 

[CanadianCutie]

thanks for da advise
how do vitamin C and E, evening oil etc. help with hair? which dosages do u recommend of each?

 

[mariejoe]

Okay, you're gonna make me do a little work here, he-he, 'cause I'm gonna have to look this one up! This info comes from Prescription for nutritional healing,by Jaems F Balch, MD and Phyllis A Balch, CNC.
Under hair loss:
Essential fatty acids (as directed on label) Improves hair texture. prevents dry, brittle hair.
Zinc (50mg daily) Stimulates hair growth by enhancing immune function.
Vitamin E (Start with 400 IU daily and slowly increase to 800 IU daily) Increases oxygen uptake, which improves circulation to the scalp. Improves growth and health of hair.
Vitamin C (3000 mg daily)
(I would start slowly with the C, start w/500mg, then 500mg 2x a day, gradually upping to 1000 3x a day. Be careful, some people do not tolerate C well, it upsets their stomach. You may be more comfortable with staying at 500 mg, 3x a day, and that is what I take.--mariejoe ) Aids in improving scalp circulation.

The book also mentions biotin, which I take 5mg daily. The book mentions taking a large dose, but I am told by my derm that a SUPER large dose, long-term is not advisable.
That article you cited earlier mentions that a deficiency in the essential fatty acids can cause hairloss, too., I think.

Of course, you could take all of this, and still not grow all your hair back. There are no guarantees. But, you will help your body a lot by nourishing it well. I'm all for helping mother nature along!! :love:

 

[mariejoe]

Canadian Cutie:

I just remembered someone posting an article by Dr. Andrew Weil re: hair loss in women. It discusses dosages for essential fatty acids. I was'nt happy with my earlier "directions of as directed on label, as I didn't think it would be enough!
Here's the link:
http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.h ... t=Question

I know supplements can get pricey. A good discount place is Puritan.com---they always have a sale. Right now it's buy 1--50% off, buy 3--60% off. This sale runs through November 13, 2003.
http://www.puritan.com/
I've bought from them for years, always satisfied. I checked, they do ship to Canada.

 

[najeena]

Hi, Everyone. This post seemed the closest to my particular problem, though not exactly, so please bear with me. I've been prone to hair loss since I lost a 3 inch spot on my crown due to stress some twenty years back. It grew in eventually. This past year I took Depakote for my Epilepsy, it caused generalized hair loss that stopped almost immediately after I stopped the drug. So it started to grow back, great. But the change in medication affected my appetite in a big way, and I'm sorry to say that I lost a lot of weight very quickly, knowing that it wasn't good for me. So now, after two or three months of this my hair is coming out again, due to lack of protein and amazing stupidity on the part of a woman old enough to know better. When I realized the cause I found this forum, but hesitated to post, knowing that the vast majority (if not all) of you have problems that aren't directly due to personal idiocy. But I'll ask anyway- has anyone ever gone through something like this? Now that I'm eating properly, will the hair loss affect only one growth cycle?

 

[mariejoe]

najeena,

It sounds like two things may have caused your recent bout with hair loss: not eating enough protein and a major weight change. Changes in medication can also cause hair loss.
This is usually Telogen Effluvium. You can read about it here: http://www.hairlosstalk.com/research/al ... luvium.htm

Most likely, when you begin to eat properly (and consume adequate protein) again, regrowth will start. It may take several weeks for the Telogen Effluvium to run its course, and yet more time to notice regrowth.

Good luck to you!

 

[najeena]

Thanks, Mariejoe.

 

[mariejoe]

You're welcome