When vitamin B12 levels are low, your hair follicles may not be able to grow new hair as efficiently, resulting in hair loss. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of anemia, which is associated with low iron levels, hair thinning, and hair loss.
If your hair loss is a result of nutrient deficiency, it's reasonable to expect that by reversing the deficiency, you may reverse the hair loss, or at the very least stop it in its tracks.
However, vitamin B12 may give you the appearance of fuller and thicker hair because the increase in oxygen to hair follicles can help stimulate the replacement of lost strands. Vitamin B12 may also help give your hair an overall healthier appearance since intake of enough B12 is responsible for stronger hair shafts.
Clinically proven to regrow hair in 3-6 months, no pills required.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
One of those vital nutrients is B12, also known as cobalamin. B12 promotes healthy hair growth by assisting in the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells, which feed hair follicles.
How much B12 should I take daily for hair growth? The lowest amount recommended that should be traceable in your body is 2.4 mcg. While you are looking for a difference in your hair growth you can increase this dosage to 3 mcg and beyond.
Biotin. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, stimulates the production of keratin to increase follicle growth. Biotin deficiencies tend to be rare, with those diagnosed with Biotinidase Deficiency being the most common.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. It can also be made from DHEA, a hormone more common in women. DHT is found in skin, hair follicles, and the prostate. The actions of DHT and the sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT is what causes hair loss.
Dietary supplements.
You can swallow a pill or take a tablet that melts under your tongue. The doctor may start you out at 1,000-2,000 micrograms a day. Once your levels are normal, you may need 100-500 micrograms a day or 1,000 micrograms one or two times a week.
But if you need more vitamin B12 than what your diet provides, that's when supplements can come in. If you are low in vitamin B12, a common recommended dose for oral supplements is about 1,000 mcg daily.
People with vitamin B12 deficiency can have neurological symptoms and/or damage without anemia (lack of red blood cells). General physical symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can include: Feeling very tired or weak. Experiencing nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause anemia and other health problems. Anemia is a condition where the body either cannot make enough healthy red blood cells or cannot produce enough of the substance hemoglobin that allows red blood cells to transport oxygen around the body.
Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness.
Vitamin B. Complex B vitamins play a role in hair growth, and are “essential for metabolism and nervous system function,” says Dr. Green. “It is no wonder that B vitamins like vitamin B7 (biotin) and B12 are important to strengthen and condition the hair.”
Vitamin B12 depends on an adequate supply of biotin; part of B12's effect can only take place if the supply of biotin is ensured. In conclusion, during high-dose initial therapy following deficiency and if the biotin supply is in doubt, it is advisable to take additional biotin.
Supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. Given vitamin B12's role in cell production, adequate levels of this vitamin are needed to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails ( 36 ).
In other cases, thinning hair is triggered by something going on inside the body — for instance, a thyroid problem, a shift in hormones, a recent pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition. Hair loss may also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia.
Can Alopecia Be Reversed? Whether your hair loss is caused by hormones or an autoimmune disorder, regrowing your hair by using new medications and modifying your diet can be possible as long as you start treatment early.