Which Vitamin Deficiencies Can Cause Hair Loss?

Thinning hair is frustrating, especially if you can’t pinpoint the cause. We’re still learning about the science of hair loss and restoration, but we can use the information we have to understand how key vitamins and minerals may play a role.

We’ll discuss the reasons behind hair loss, which deficiencies may lead to hair loss, and how to correct them. We’ll also discuss a newly discovered vitamin deficiency and how correcting it may result in thicker, healthier hair.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Hair loss happens for numerous reasons. Some of the most common causes of hair loss include:

• Genetics. If you have a family history of hair loss, you’ll be more likely to lose your hair.
• Hormonal changes and underlying medical conditions. Pregnancy, childbirth, thyroid problems, and some health conditions may lead to hair loss.
• Medications. Some medications, like those used to treat cancer, may cause hair loss.
• Hairstyles and hair treatments. Tight hairstyles and certain types of hair treatments may cause a person to lose hair.
• Stress. Hair loss can be a side effect of stress, especially if a person experiences an exceptionally stressful situation.
• Certain vitamin deficiencies. If a person does not get adequate vitamins and minerals, they may lose hair. 

Not all types of hair loss are the same. As such, treating the reasons for hair loss will vary. For instance, treating genetically acquired male-patterned baldness will require a different treatment plan than the treatment for a person who has lost hair due to a nutrient deficiency. 

Which Vitamin Deficiencies Cause Hair Loss

Losing your hair due to a vitamin or nutrient deficiency is not common, but it is possible. The most common vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with hair loss are vitamin D, vitamin C, and iron. 

Vitamin D

Essential for the creation of new cells that support hair follicles, a deficiency in vitamin D could lead to thinning hair and hair loss. Symptoms of certain types of hair loss, including androgenetic alopecia (or patterned hair loss) and telogen effluvium, improve with vitamin D supplementation. 

Studies have also shown a link between alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, and low vitamin D levels. 

Iron

Iron is needed to ensure the health of red blood cells and proper oxygenation of blood. Without enough iron, hair follicles do not receive the oxygen they need and cannot properly grow. Low iron levels are sometimes associated with hair loss, particularly in women. 

It’s important to have a blood test to determine if you are deficient in iron before you take an iron supplement. Too much iron can be toxic to the body.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that is also a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C is also essential to help the body properly absorb iron. A deficiency in vitamin C is not specifically connected to hair loss, but the inability of the body to properly absorb iron makes it necessary for continued support of hair health. 

What About Biotin?

Many people take a biotin supplement to support healthy skin, hair, and nails. Biotin is a B vitamin that helps the body metabolize amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates. 

It is frequently associated with hair health, and a biotin deficiency may cause your hair to be less healthy, but there is little evidence that taking a biotin supplement supports hair growth. In addition, taking too much biotin can interfere with lab tests, which could result in misdiagnosis of illnesses or unnecessary medications. 

Bottom line: Vitamin deficiencies may lead to hair loss, but in the US, nutritional deficiencies were thought to be relatively uncommon.

Are Vitamin Deficiencies Common?

Although vitamin deficiencies are rare, they can occur. Cases of classic vitamin deficiencies like scurvy and rickets have been almost wholly eliminated due to the availability of fortified foods that contain them. 

Vitamin deficiencies can be caused by:

• Restrictive diets. 
• Disordered eating. 
• Alcohol abuse
• Certain surgical procedures
• Underlying illnesses
• Medications

If you have a vitamin or nutrient deficiency, hair loss may be a symptom. You will most likely have additional symptoms, like:

• Lethargy and fatigue
• Trouble with catching your breath
• Cognitive impairment 
• Sore muscles and joints 

Most vitamin deficiencies can be corrected with a combination of lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, and supplements.

How Rare Are Vitamin Deficiencies?

Nutritional deficiencies in developed countries were thought to be rare. However, new research has uncovered a new nutrient deficiency syndrome that may be affecting nearly one in three people globally. 

The discovery of a nutritional deficiency syndrome is important because it allows for easier recognition, testing, and treatment. Interestingly, this discovery came from an unlikely source: dolphins. 

The Nutrient Deficiency You Don’t Know You Have

A team of researchers working to improve the health and wellness of the US Navy dolphins discovered a newly identified essential fatty acid that predicted the healthiest dolphins. They published this work in Nature’s Scientific Reports in 2020. Since that time, a large body of evidence has been published describing this essential nutrient and its ability to prevent nutritional deficiencies and promoting healthy aging. 

The molecule, called pentadecanoic acid or C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that our cells must have to maintain their structure and strength. C15:0 is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered since omega-3 over 90 years earlier.

C15:0 works in our cells by:

• Strengthening cell membranes by up to 80%.
• Improving and restoring mitochondrial production. (C15:0 has been shown to increase ATP levels within cells by 350%)
• Lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol
  
• Improving liver enzymes
  
• Supporting a healthy gut microbiome

C15:0 targets six out of the 12 hallmarks of aging that happen within our cells, promoting healthy aging and longevity. Without C15:0, our cells become weak, which can lead to a deficiency syndrome known as Cellular Fragility Syndrome. 

Cellular Fragility Syndrome

An article recently published in Metabolites describes the pathophysiology and negative health impacts of C15:0 deficiency. Low levels of C15:0 result in weakened cells, accelerated cellular aging, and a process that ultimately leads to poor heart, metabolic, and liver health. 

Cellular Fragility Syndrome results in a process known as ferroptosis, which is a type of cellular death linked to accelerated aging, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and NAFLD. 

What Constitutes a Deficiency?

So, just how much C15:0 do we need? C15:0 levels below 0.2% of the total fatty acids in our cell membranes are considered deficient and lead to fragile cells that are prone to cellular fragility syndrome.

Interestingly, higher levels of C15:0 are associated with improved heart, metabolic, and liver health. Residents living in some Blue Zones (like Sardinia, Italy), where people routinely live into their 100s, have levels that are three times higher than most people on average. That leads to an important question: Why are we deficient?

Why Is There a Deficiency?

The likely reason for a deficiency in C15:0 is the decrease in whole-dairy consumption. C15:0 is found in trace amounts in whole-fat dairy, and an entire generation of folks who grew up between the 1970s and present day have been told to avoid whole-fat dairy products to improve their health. 

Even though we now know not all fat is bad, including some of the healthy fat in whole milk, some habits are hard to reverse, and the detrimental health effects are already in motion. 

Fixing Cellular Fragility Syndrome

You can find out if you are deficient by asking your doctor to test for C15:0 levels or by taking a simple, at-home test. This test requires a simple finger-prick blood sample, which can be collected at home. 

If you learn you are deficient in C15:0, you can easily increase your C15:0 levels through dietary changes and supplementation. Fatty15 is a pure, vegan-friendly, sustainably-produced, award-winning C15:0 supplement that has been shown to increase C15:0 levels, prevent Cellular Fragility Syndrome, and improve cardiac, metabolic, and liver function. 

Why Can’t I Just Drink Milk?

Good question. First, C15:0 is only found in small amounts in whole-fat dairy products. You'd have to consume large amounts of whole milk and full-fat butter to meet the recommendations for optimal C15:0 levels. 

In addition to probably getting a serious stomach ache, you’d be packing in an excessive amount of calories, sugar (from lactose), and unhealthy even-chain saturated fat that is consistently associated with poor health outcomes. 

By contrast, the single ingredient in fatty15 is FA15™, a pure, vegan-friendly version, contains only the good C15:0 you need and nothing else. There are a few other reasons why fatty15 may be a better solution than changes in diet alone.

Fatty15 Is Ready To Absorb

In whole milk, the beneficial C15:0 your body needs is attached to triglycerides. Your body has to break down the C15:0 before it can be used, and this additional step makes C15:0 absorption less effective. The FA15 in fatty15 is already broken down in its absorbable free fatty acid form. 

Fatty15 Isn’t Mixed With “Bad” Fats

Even-chain saturated fatty acids are consistently associated with negative health impacts, and whole-fat dairy products contain much more even-chain saturated fat than they do C15:0. With fatty15, you get only the good C15:0 you need with none of the even-chain saturated fat you don’t. 

Fatty15 Skips Calories and Cows

You won’t find many doctors recommending you increase your intake of whole milk and full-fat butter, especially if you need to watch your weight. The excessive calories and sugars can pack on pounds you don’t need. Fatty15, however, contains just one calorie per dose and does not contain any sugar. 

For vegan friends, fatty15 is completely animal-free and sustainable.

The Hair Connection Bonus

C15:0 works in part by strengthening our cells, which includes our follicular cells, resulting in thicker and healthier hair. In fact 75% of people taking fatty15 report healthier hair and skin by 16 weeks. Who wouldn’t love that outcome? 

Vitamin Deficiencies: A Hairy Situation 

Hair loss may or may not always be due to a vitamin deficiency, but a simple blood test can help you learn if you are deficient in a key nutrient. If you are, lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, and supplementation may be needed. 

In addition, increasing your C15:0 levels with fatty15 is a smart way to support your long-term health, and possibly even support a healthier head of hair. 

Sources:

Hair Loss Symptoms and Causes|Mayo Clinic.com

The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review - PMC

Vitamins, minerals, and hair loss: Is there a connection? - Harvard Health

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

A review of odd-chain fatty acid metabolism and the role of pentadecanoic Acid (c15:0) and heptadecanoic Acid (c17:0) in health and disease

Effect of an Asian-adapted Mediterranean diet and pentadecanoic acid on fatty liver disease: the TANGO randomized controlled trial - ScienceDirect

Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0), an Essential Fatty Acid, Shares Clinically Relevant Cell-Based Activities with Leading Longevity-Enhancing Compounds

The Cellular Stability Hypothesis: Evidence of Ferroptosis and Accelerated Aging-Associated Diseases as Newly Identified Nutritional Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0) Deficiency Syndrome

Changes in plasma phospholipid fatty acid profiles over 13 years and correlates of change: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Norfolk Study - ScienceDirect

Ferroptosis: an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death - PubMed

Ferroptosis and Senescence: A Systematic Review

Iron metabolism and ferroptosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus and complications: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities | Cell Death & Disease

Ferroptosis mechanisms and regulations in cardiovascular diseases in the past, present, and future | Cell Biology and Toxicology

Iron metabolism and ferroptosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: what is our next step?