3 Nutrient Deficiencies That Could Be Causing Hair Loss

Many people go through phases of vitamin supplementation, diets, fasting, and avoiding certain food groups. It’s not always easy to know that we’re getting all the necessary nutrients from the foods and supplements we ingest. Even if we’ve established a supplement plan and are following it, an imbalanced gut biome could mean we’re not absorbing nearly enough of a certain vitamin or mineral.

Blood tests are helpful for showing deficiencies for overall health, although a hair analysis test can outline the reason behind your thinning and lost hair. We often find that imbalanced gut health is at the heart of issues contributing to hair loss. While people may be keeping a balanced diet and using supplements correctly, the body may only be absorbing a fraction of those nutrients.

Here are three nutrients that are critical for healthy hair growth of which you may not be getting enough.

Vitamin D

Okay, so this one may seem like an obvious one for hair growth and health in general. However, while many people believe their vitamin D intake is perfectly fine, studies suggest that as much as 20% of the world’s population is, in fact, vitamin d deficient.

Vitamin D is absorbed primarily through exposure to UVB (sunlight). This critical nutrient stimulates the growth and expansion of cells within the hair follicle, which helps to support healthy hair growth. During the regular growth cycle of hair, the support of these cells is crucial to ensure your new hair continues to grow back healthy and strong.

Vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce inflammation on the scalp. Inflammation contributes to hair loss and is often an indicator of intolerance to food, plants, hair products, as well as vitamin deficiencies in your system.

Balancing Vitamin D can be tricky because of the difference in sunlight hours at various times of the year, as well as geographical location. For instance, someone in Seattle may need to supplement vitamin D due to consistent cloud cover in the area and shorter daylight hours during the winter months.

Vitamin D is not as prevalent in regular foods either, which means that dietary measures may not necessarily help. Fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified dairy products can be reliable sources of vitamin D, although even with these foods, it can be tough to ingest enough.

Biotin

Known also as B7 or Vitamin H, Biotin is essential for many bodily functions. It is vital for metabolizing fats, carbs, and proteins. It’s also critical for the proper functionality of the nervous system.

Biotin is often used to supplement the growth of hair, nails, and skin. This is because biotin is a key player in keratin production. Keratin is a protein that makes up the structures of the hair, nails, and skin. Biotin is responsible for converting amino acids into keratin.

Biotin also promotes the circulation and nutrient delivery to hair follicles, which helps them continue to produce healthy, strong hair.

While Biotin is produced naturally in the gut, the amount produced naturally may not be sufficient to meet the body’s needs. Additionally, antibiotics can disrupt the production of biotin by killing off beneficial bacteria in the gut that help to produce it. Antibiotics also have the potential to disrupt gut biome balance, which can lead to inadequate absorption of biotin through foods.

Biotin can be found naturally in many foods like eggs, nuts, whole grains, mushrooms, and leafy green vegetables. Supplements can also be taken to support your body’s biotin needs. Ensuring balanced gut health is the first step towards sufficient biotin intake.

Always keep in mind that it all starts with the gut!

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is a major part of tissues in the body like skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. It is important in the hair growth process as it provides structural support for hair follicles as they continue to produce hair.

Collagen is produced naturally in the body, but the thing is that as we age, natural collagen production in the body slows down. This decline means that the hair follicles are not getting the support they have in the past and can lead to thinning hair and hair loss. There isn’t too much you can do about the natural decline in collagen production. Like many things, it’s just a part of getting older.

Supplementing with collagen can help offset the decline of collagen production in the body and will help to continue supporting the growth and health of the hair follicles. Collagen supplements can provide added benefits for hair health:

• Preventing damage and breakage of the hair
• Improving the texture and thickness of the hair
• Promoting a healthy scalp environment

It won’t be too much of a surprise that aside from hair, collagen has also been shown to improve the overall health and appearance of skin. Although, collagen can also be beneficial for nail strengthening and can provide relief of joint pain and stiffness.

Some symptoms of collagen deficiency include joint pain, changes in the skin (texture, wrinkles, dryness), weak and brittle nails, and muscle weakness. A hair analysis test can cut out the guessing, however, and reveal deficiencies in collagen and many other nutrients that are critical for hair growth!

Give Du Brule Hair Clinic a call today and find out what our hair analysis can do for you!