Nutritional factors and hair loss

Abstract

The literature reveals what little is known about nutritional factors and hair loss. What we do know emanates from studies in protein-energy malnutrition, starvation, and eating disorders. In otherwise healthy individuals, nutritional factors appear to play a role in subjects with persistent increased hair shedding. Hård, 40 years ago, demonstrated the importance of iron supplements in nonanaemic, iron-deficient women with hair loss. Serum ferritin concentrations provide a good assessment of an individual's iron status. Rushton et al. first published data showing that serum ferritin concentrations were a factor in female hair loss and, 10 years later, Kantor et al. confirmed this association. What level of serum ferritin to employ in subjects with increased hair shedding is yet to be definitively established but 70 micro g/L, with a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (< 10 mm/h), is recommended. The role of the essential amino acid, l-lysine in hair loss also appears to be important. Double-blind data confirmed the findings of an open study in women with increased hair shedding, where a significant proportion responded to l-lysine and iron therapy. There is no evidence to support the popular view that low serum zinc concentrations cause hair loss. Excessive intakes of nutritional supplements may actually cause hair loss and are not recommended in the absence of a proven deficiency. While nutritional factors affect the hair directly, one should not forget that they also affect the skin. In the management of subjects with hair loss, eliminating scaling problems is important as is good hair care advice and the need to explain fully the hair cycle. Many individuals reduced their shampooing frequency due to fear of losing more hair but this increases the amount seen in subsequent shampoos fuelling their fear of going bald and adversely affecting their quality of life.

Low Iron Level is related to Telogen Effluvium in Women

“…10 This is also supported by his another study with 200 women where found that sixty five percent of women had serum ferritin levels below 40µgm/L, the lowest control value obtained in women without hair loss. 11 It is also supported by Nidal A Obaidat who concluded their study by stating that there was a significant association between low serum ferritin levels and chronic telogen effluvium. In their study mean serum ferritin levels between patients and controls were 18.7ng/ml and 47.6ng/ml respectively which was statistically significant (p<0.05).…”

The Therapeutic Effect and the Changed Serum Zinc Level after Zinc Supplementation in Alopecia Areata Patients Who Had a Low Serum Zinc Level

“…As cofactors of metalloenzymes, zinc has considerable effects on nearly all aspects of the metabolism that takes place in the organs of the body, including the skin. In fact, congenital and acquired zinc deficiencies are usually expressed as a variety of skin manifestations such as acrodermatitis enteropathica, psoriasis-like eruptions, blisters, onychopathy and loss of hair 6,14 . Several reports have…”

Androgenetic Alopecia: A Chronic or Pubertal Onset Disease Retarded by Blood Donation

“…iron deficiency leads to certain kinds of hair loss e.g. female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, alopecia universal [12][13][14][15][16][17], however some researchers denied such claims [18][19][20][21][22]. Clinically iron deficiency is defined either as an increase in total iron binding capacity tion of ferritin under 40 ng/mL [23][24][25].…”