Which vitamin deficiency causes hair loss and anemia?

Hair loss is a challenging issue that, if severe, not only does not look beautiful, but may even negatively affect people’s self-esteem. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. Sometimes hair loss can be a sign of a health problem. For example, you may experience hair loss due to the lack of some vitamins. Apart from vitamins, the supply of minerals is also very important for the body. Have you ever heard about the connection between hair loss and anemia?

Which vitamin and mineral deficiency causes hair loss?

One of the most important reasons for hair loss is lack of iron in the body. Iron deficiency is more common in women than men. Lack of food containing iron in the diet is the most important cause of anemia in people. Of course, excessive bleeding and suffering from some diseases can also play a role in causing anemia. Therefore, hair loss and anemia are directly related. Apart from the lack of iron, the lack of other vitamins and minerals also play a role in causing hair loss. Like:

B group vitamins

All B vitamins play a role in maintaining hair health. Meanwhile, biotin or vitamin B7 plays a more prominent role. Hair loss can be due to a decrease in biotin levels in the body. Of course, biotin deficiency is not very common. To compensate for the lack of biotin, you can take biotin pills or use a multivitamin that contains adequate amounts of vitamin B7.

Vitamin D

When vitamin D levels in the body are low, hair may thin or stop growing. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is very common in Iran. In order to supply vitamin D, you should spend an hour in the sun every day so that this nutrient is made well in your body. You can also get help from vitamin D tablets. So it’s not just hair loss and anemia that are related, the lack of many other vitamins will also lead to hair loss.

Zink

As hair loss and anemia are related, zinc deficiency in the body can lead to hair loss similar to iron deficiency. Zinc deficiency can also contribute to brittle hair. Zinc plays a major role in the growth and repair of hair tissue and maintaining the effective function of the oil glands around the hair follicle.

Selenium

Hair loss and anemia

The iron mineral in the human body helps to produce hemoglobin and delivers nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles. Therefore, it is obvious that without adequate amounts of iron in the body, hair will not grow and hair strands will gradually thin. Iron deficiency causes anemia. This is why hair loss and anemia are closely related. Hair loss caused by iron deficiency can be easily treated by taking iron tablets. A person may suffer from iron deficiency for the following reasons:

• Heavy menstruation in women and heavy bleeding
• Lack of consumption of natural sources of iron in food
• Excessive blood loss due to wounds and injuries
• Having some diseases such as colon cancer

Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia

The most important symptoms of anemia are:

• Brittle nails
• Excessive fatigue or lack of energy
• Fast heartbeat
• pale skin
• Shortness of breath

As you can see, hair loss is not a common symptom of iron deficiency, but many people may experience it. If a person feels these symptoms, it is better to go to the doctor and do a blood test first to make sure that he has anemia. Then, at the doctor’s discretion, you can start taking anemia supplements such as iron tablets.

Treatment of hair loss and anemia

People who suffer from hair loss and anemia at the same time may need to treat each separately:

hair loss treatment

Doctors suggest many treatments for people suffering from hair loss, the most important of which are:

• Use of Minoxidil: This drug is available as a topical solution and helps the hair to stay in the growth phase for a longer period of time.
• 5 alpha reductase inhibitors: Medicines like finasteride help to increase the level of enzymes that cause hair growth.
• Taking hair strengthening pills: Taking anti-hair loss supplements treat hair loss caused by improper diet by compensating for the lack of nutrients in the body.
• PRP: This treatment involves isolating platelets from a person’s blood sample using a specialized device. Then these platelets should be injected into the areas of the scalp that are affected by hair loss.
• Hair transplant surgery: If other treatments are not effective, doctors suggest hair transplant.

Treatment of iron deficiency anemia

We said that you need to take separate measures to treat hair loss and anemia, which of course are related. Anemia caused by iron deficiency can be improved in the following ways:

• Iron tablets: The doctor may advise a person suffering from anemia to take iron tablets every day. The exact dosage of this supplement must be determined by the doctor. Often, the use of iron tablets should be continued for 3 to 6 months so that the iron reserves in the body reach a normal level.
• Iron injection: In order to quickly increase the level of iron in the body, the doctor may recommend iron injection. This treatment is prescribed for people who are severely anemic. For people with Crohn’s disease, iron injections may also be suggested because the body of these patients cannot absorb iron well.
• Diet modification: People with hair loss and anemia should use more natural sources of iron in their diet to compensate for iron deficiency. These foods include: red meat, chicken, fish, green leafy vegetables and legumes. Some cereals are also enriched with iron and you can use them to help cure anemia.

How to prevent hair loss and anemia?

In order to prevent hair loss and anemia, you can try the following solutions:

• Eat a healthy diet rich in iron. Make sure you get enough meat, spinach, salmon and dried fruit.
• Add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet. For example: strawberries, bell peppers and citrus fruits such as oranges. Vitamin C improves iron absorption in your body.
• Do not cut your hair too hard to avoid breakage.
• Protect your hair from the sun and pollution with a scarf or hat.
• Brush your hair gently and be gentle when washing.
• Avoid hair color and bleaching.
• Do not use hair dryers and irons excessively.

final word

Lack of iron in the human body can lead to anemia and one of its symptoms is hair loss. For this reason, hair loss and anemia are directly related. Lack of other vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, zinc and selenium can also contribute to hair loss. Try to have a healthy, varied and balanced diet to avoid hair loss caused by vitamin deficiency.