Does vitamin d give hair growth?

One function of vitamin D is to stimulate new and old hair follicles. When there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be delayed. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes areas of baldness on the scalp and other areas of the body. There is some evidence that having a vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss and other hair problems.

Vitamin D stimulates the growth of hair follicles and, therefore, when the body does not have enough, the hair can be affected. People concerned about hair loss related to vitamin D deficiency should see a doctor, who will likely suggest supplements, dietary changes and spending more time outdoors to help combat the deficiency. If a medication is causing a vitamin D deficiency or hair loss, the person should talk to their doctor about alternatives. The Endocrine Society recommends that adults between 19 and 55 years old get 600 IU of vitamin D a day.

Vitamin D deficiency may also be related to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss in patches. Rather, while the evidence is controversial, several studies have found that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in various alopecia that do not leave scars, such as telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia, and alopecia areata. While many people may be dealing with vitamin D-related non-healing alopecia and may not even know it, Green says there are many other reasons why hair loss could be happening. We discovered that COVID-19 infections can cause a “telogen effluvium”, in which hair falls out in groups (Irish Journal of Medical Science, August).

New follicles can help hair maintain thickness and prevent existing hair from falling out prematurely. While vitamin D deficiency is mainly related to mood, bone health, and the overall immune system, aesthetic dermatologist Michele Green says it also plays a role in hair health (and loss). Being deficient in vitamin D increases the chance that people will experience hair loss and many other problems. In addition to the most common causes of hair loss, Green says that living in a physically toxic environment can also cause hair loss.

When the body doesn't have enough vitamin D, the keratinocytes in the hair follicles have trouble regulating hair growth and hair loss. Research shows that people with alopecia areata have much lower levels of vitamin D than people who don't have alopecia.