| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous |
I've heard that too much vitamin A can cause hair loss. If this is true, then how much is too much? Is there any difference between the vitamin A from animal sources and from plant sources? | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Anonymous: I take cod liver oil for the omega-3 fatty acid, but cod liver oil also has a lot of vitamin A and vitamin D. You can overdose on both of these fat-soluble vitamins so you have to be careful especially when taking supplements. You certainly do not need more than 5000 IU of vitamin A daily. Continually taking too much vitamin A (50,000 IU)can cause hair loss. So be cautious about taking too much of this nutrient from supplements or from animal products like liver. But you can comsume all the carotene from vegetable sources you want. Even though carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body (unless you are a diabetic), you cannot overdose on this. In fact, the more carotene you get from plant sources the better. | ||
| James |
I have been taking a number of vitamins for the last couple of months. Vitamin A was one of these. Since taking these vitamins I have experienced an increase in hair loss which inspired me to find this site. The discovery that vitamin A can cause hairloss was a bit of a surprise but it makes sense to me. I'm not going to take vitamin A anymore. Also, zinc is another supplement that I have become wary of. Too much probably brings hairloss as well. But too little and your virility will be affected. It is like balancing on a hair to get it right. I'd say take no more than 15mg a day - you should get the rest from your diet. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
James: It's only a balancing act if you get your nutrients from supplements. If your diet is poor, then you probably need supplements. But why settle for a poor diet? I don't consider high-potency brewer's yeast a supplement. It has all the amino acids, the entire B-complex, and most trace minerals, including zinc, in sensible amounts. The nutrients in yeast are also assimilated easily. I also take a very small amount of cod liver oil for the Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Since cod liver oil contains a lot of concentrated vitamin A, I don't want to take too much. You really do need to take a supplement for vitamin E, however, because you can't get much from a normal diet. I read several long articles in the Harvard Health Letter about the effects of too much vitamin A. Hair is one of the casualties. If you read the labels of everything from milk to cereal, you'll see vitamin A. The last thing you need is a supplement with vitamin A in it unless you want to look like Kojak. | ||
| JegInBuci |
Damn I heard vitamine A helps u grow hair. I should quit i was takins supliments lol. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
JegInBuci: The vitamin A you get in supplements and even in cereals can be toxic in large amounts. Since this vitamin is not water soluble it tends to be stored in the body. There have been many studies showing that an overabundance of vitamin A in the diet can cause hair loss. You cannot get a toxic amount of carotene though. Carotene can be converted into vitamin A in the body but only when needed. Carotene is in carrots, broccoli, spinach, and green leafy vegetables. Don't worry about consuming too many of these great foods that are rich in phytochemicals essential to your health. | ||
| Freddie |
All this talk about food is making me hungry. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom, How much is an overabundance of vitamin A? I take a high-potency multivitamin daily that contains 2000 IU of it. | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Anonymous: Don't worry about 2000 IU of vitamin A. Try not to get above the 5000 IU level though. Many foods like cereals and milk have vitamin A added. These foods plus the supplements can push you over the optimum amount. I've seen some therapeutic supplements with 50,000 IU. Goodbye hair. I'd go through a list of foods rich in vitamin A but I don't want to make Freddie hungrier than he already is. | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi Tom... I'm taking a dietary supplement twice a day that contains 2500 IU of vitamin A. So that hits the 5000 IU mark. Would you say this is ok? I mean, condersidering the added amount of vitamin A I get from three meals a day. By the way, I'm keeping up with the exercises with my fingers crossed. Thanks! | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Anonymous: Taking 2500 IU of vitamin A twice a day in a supplement is not too much of this nutrient. But be sure not to indulge in other dishes loaded with vitamin A. Calf's liver (1/2 pound), for example, has 75,000 IU of vitamin A. Since this vitamin is fat soluable, it is stored in the body. You do not want your body to become saturated with this vitamin if you value your hair. When it comes to programs for halting hair loss, you always have to keep your fingers crossed. There are no magic bullets around, and there are many completely worthless pills and potions. It's like a minefield. If you have some success with my scalp exercise program, tell us about it. If the scalp exercise program causes you to lose all your hair and break out in boils and warts, tell us about that too. | ||
| Anonymous |
I have been taking cod liver oil liquid (tablespoon)a day for 3-4 months and I am noticing a marked receeding hairline I have stopped taking it now, will the hair grow back over time or]have I lost this hair forever due to the temporary excess Vit A? Can I take somthing to counter this excess? Iron tablets maybe. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: I take cod liver oil too because of the omega-3 essential fatty acid and other nutrients that might be beneficial for the hair, but now I take less than a teaspoonful and not every day. You do not want to ingest too much vitamin A because this might have a negative impact on your hair, and even worse, might cause demineralization of your bones. I doubt very much, though, if the amount you've been taking has caused your receding hairline. Toxicity from vitamin A, by the way, is caused by the ingestion of 50,000 IU or more of vitamin A daily for an extended period of time. Some of the symptoms of toxicity are dry itchy skin, sore lips, headaches, diffuse hair loss but usually not pattern hair loss. Vitamin C may help prevent the harmful effects of vitamin A toxicity. I don't think popping an iron pill will help though. | ||
| Martin Evans |
Hi Tom I wrote to you on Jan 28th regarding taking too much Cod Liver Oil which you said probably hasn't caused my noticable receeding hairline at the temples in recent months. I tend to agree from your comments on dosage levels although I was taking a full tablespoon a day + 750iu of Vit C daily too. Might this combination have caused my hair to receed? I am a youthful looking 48 and take care of myself yet genenically I don't stand a chance since my father lost his hair at the temples very noticably although I'm not sure what age this is supposed to start. What can I do apart from cut down on Vit A which I have done immediately. I have read about a wonderful hair diet supplement using pure orange, brewers yeast, zinc etc Is brewers yeast good in tablet form, what else like this can I take that might help? Is there a product that might grow the hair back. Plus, I am having great results with Grecian 2000 (liquid) in keeping the grey at bay, are there any long term detrimental side effects from using this product? It is lead based, yet it seems to work naturally, is this really so, can you recommend it for long term use, will it CAUSE hair to receed more quickly over time or is there a better way to hide grey hair than this inexpensive good but slightly worrying product? Lastly Tom I have read great things about NISIN growing hair back or at least preventing what's left falling out - do you recommend this product? Thanks very much Tom Martin | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Martin Evans: I don't think that taking a tablespoonful of cod liver oil and 3/4 gram of vitamin C will cause your hair to recede. It's good that you cut back on the cod liver oil, though, and perhaps you might cut back on the vitamin C too. Do you really need that much? If you're taking pure ascorbic acid tablets you might be irritating the lining of your stomach. Some people take ester-C with bioflavonoids. If I took pills, this is what I'd take. I get all the vitamin C I need (I think) from oranges and orange juice. I don't think I ever recommended taking zinc. It's in the brewer's yeast along with copper and other trace minerals, but I would not take the zinc tablet alone. A high intake of zinc interferes with your absorption of copper. You need copper for proper hair synthesis. I use brewer's yeast from www.puritan.com. It has a good flavor and it is not sweetened with aspartame. The tablets are good too. Check the labels for the vitamin content. I never heard of Nisin. Do you mean Nioxin or Nizoral? Both of these products have good reputations but they will not grow hair and I don't think they claim to. I don't know anything about Grecian 2000 but someone I respect told me that she would not use anything with lead in it. This certainly is not a definitive answer to your question. | ||
| Martin |
Martin here again Tom,would you do some reserch on Grecian 2000 and Nisin for me? Both are widely known products. I'd like to know more about these please. Are you saying that Brewers Yeast in whatever form is esp.good for the hair? Thanks Tom Martin | ||
| martin |
Tom That's NISIM cleansing Shampoo. Well known in the USA I believe. Martin | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Martin: You'll have to do the research on Grecian 2000 and Nisim yourself. Nisim claims that 85% of the participants in a study regrew a significant amount of hair. So the results have been "clinically proven." Clinically proven as I'm sure most people who visit hair-loss sites know is an almost meaningless promotional phrase. I've checked on several discussion forums. Very few people have positive comments on this product. It might be a good shampoo but it doesn't grow hair. Brewer's yeast in whatever form might be good for the hair. I think it could help keep the hair its original color but don't ask me for proof. The product certainly has a balanced mix of nutrients that most experts feel are important in keeping the hair healthy. | ||
| Anonymous |
I'm currently taking accutane and I have never experienced so much hair loss. Is it true that accutane has a lot of vitamin A? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Accutane (isotretinoin) is a form of vitamin A so you don't want to take any supplements that contain more vitamin A while you're on the drug. You also don't want to expose your skin, especially your scalp, to sun. Accutane makes you really sensitive to the sun. Stay off alcohol too while you're using this drug. Accutane works by decreasing the amount of oil (sebum) produced by the sebaceous glands. It also increases the rate of skin cell turnover. But I think your main concern is with hair loss while on the drug. One of the side effects of this drug is hair loss, so get off the drug as soon as your doctor feels it has done the job of clearing up your acne. | ||
| BeAwareof |
Please ! Please! Do yourselves a huge favor and do not consume too much Vitamin A. It will cause Hair loss I am a victim of this! Save your hair! Save Your Hair and don't be Bald... For both Men and Women. | ||
| Lady_Shunduri |
I too was a victim of taking too much Vitamin A. I thought I was hypo-thyroid but all the tests came back normal and the only thing wrong with me is high cholesterol....that and vitamin A overdose. If anyone has any information about reversing the vitamin A damage that would be great. My beautiful red hair has always been the talk of the town --- especially when it was thick and 44 inches long. I feel devastated not only did I cut 20 inches off in September of 2002 - now it is thinning. I am only 27 for Pete's sake! Life goes on I suppose I just wished someone had told me about the vitamin A stuff before I took a ton of vitamins over the winter to improve my immune system. | ||
| Steve Greeson |
Look at homeless people on the street.People who spent there last Doller on som type of addiction. Do you think thay get a good diet?Thay eat out of trash cans.Have you ever seen a addict or wineO with thinning hair? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Steve Greenson: I assume from your rhetorical question that you are implying that diet and life style mean nothing when it comes to hair loss. These street people get no decent nutrition yet they have good hair. "Have you ever seen a addict or wineO with thinning hair?" If you have not seen a "winO" with thinning or no hair, then you've not been looking too hard. | ||
| S GREESON |
Tom Hagerty;You are right, I haven't looked too hard. But if nutrition was all it took to have a nice thick head of hair,then we people in the US would have the thickest and most beautfull hair in the world. We don't! It's all Genetics + Hormones. I think you could be looking too hard, for a miracle threw nutrition. It's not there. Hair club for men is. | ||
| Anonymous |
I doubt he's saying it's just nutrition, it's just part of the solution. The US also would not have the thickest hair, look at those obesity rates... try meditarrean people and see what you find, I'm curious. Personally, I believe it's genetic and lifestyle, that is, someone can loose their hair by genetics alone but can prevent it by lifestyle, but someone without the MPB gene could also go bald if they are not careful. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Thanks for setting the record straight. It's amazing how people with an "agenda" can misinterpret someone's meaning. I never said that "nutrition was all." In fact, I know of no reputable research or studies indicating that diet alone can reverse hair loss. But I think that good diet combined with other factors (a multilayered approach) might have a chance to halt hair loss and possibly grow new hair. The US diet! I doubt if the normal US diet is hair friendly. The Mediterranean diet, which I like, is much better for the hair - and the blood vessels and the heart too. | ||
| Anonymous |
Anoymous: Is the hair loss secondary to hypervitaminosis permanent? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: This is a quotation from a respected book on hair loss: "Excessive amounts of some vitamins, such as vitamin A, can actually lead to temporary hair loss." Of course for the hair loss to be temporary, the megadoses of vitamin A have to cease. Even though I believe the nutrients in cod liver oil, like omega-3, are beneficial to hair, I limit myself to less than a teaspoonful because of the large amount of vitamin A in this supplement. | ||
| Jorge |
Tom... im just wondering... i just took roaccutane too (please read my post in accutane topic, hehe i have insisted a lot on it  )... i read that u said that vitamin C can give some help against the toxiticy of vitamin A (as roaccutane do it)... so maybe taking a lot of orange juice and limonade could help?? or maybe taking vitamin C supplements?? is there any consecuences of taking a lot of vitamin C... i dont want to face another tricky problem there hehe... oh well.... if i find a cure to the hair loss caused by roaccutane... i will tell everybody... thanks | ||
| Jorge |
I think u just answered me in another topic... thanks.. | ||
| michelle Cantwell |
Mr. Hagerty, I'm 38 and I just finished a 5 mo. round of accutane (60 mg daily) for mild to moderate acne. I weigh about 113 lbs. During the 3rd mo. of medication my hair began shedding and has continued. I've now been off the medication for about 7 weeks. Will Vit C help stop the shedding, and if so in what dasage? Most importantly, will my hair ever stop falling out or will I become bald? (I've lost more than half of my hair by now.) Will it ever come back if it falls out? My dermatologist says the follicles don't look scarred. I'm not sure what that means. Any help will be greatly appreciated. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Michelle Cantwell: I hope you don't start on the Accutane route again. There are better, less toxic ways, to treat acne. Click here - Acne - for one idea to explore. I don't think there's any one vitamin pill (Vit C) that will stop the shedding or make your hair return. Everyone seems to rely on a pill to solve a problem. My suggestion is getting a lot of antioxidants (vitamin C, E) and the entire B-complex from natural sources. The nutrients from natural sources are easy to assimilate. Of course if you can't resist junk food, then a good multivitamin is OK. But time is the best hope you have for restoration of your hair. After the trigger (Accutane) for hair loss is removed, your hair follicles should rebound. Be patient though. It might take a year. | ||
| michellec |
Tom, Thanks for your reply. Trust me, I will never take accutane again. My skin looks beautiful, but I've traded one problem for another. I'm trying to take things one day at a time, but seeing what comes out each day is overwhelming. Have you ever heard of the TE phase lasting long enough for all the hair to fall out? Also, have you ever heard from anyone who didn't get their hair back after accutane? Do you know how long the Vit. A will remain in my body? It seems like being off the medication for 7 weeks is a long time. Any advice? Sorry to bombard you with so many questions. I'm searching for as many answers as possible so when I see my Dermatologist on Monday I'll be armed with questons. Thanks! | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Michelle: Women with TE do not lose all their hair and they do not get bald spots. The thinning with TE is diffuse but it can be quite severe. Yes, I have heard of a few women not getting back all their hair after using Accutane. This is rare though. Even though the vitamin A derivitive of Accutane stays in the body a relatively short time, this does not mean that the hair follicles in TE will bounce back in a short time. It takes time for the follicles to regain a measure of stability again and go through the various stages of the hair cycle before they respond to the now nontoxic environment. | ||
| anonymous |
Michelle: From what I understand it is VERY rare for people not to get their hair back after accutane-induced TE has developed. | ||
| michelle c |
Tom & Anonymous, Thank you both for your input. I hope I'm not that "rare" person who doesn't get her hair back. I'll just try to wait and see and not stress so much about it because I'm sure stress only adds to the problem. If anyone has expreienced this hair loss due to accutane, please post your experience and the results you had. I'm curious. Thanks again! Also, to the anonymous person who responed above, I'm curious as to why you're at this site. If you don't mind sharing your experience, I'd love to know your situation. Since you believe it's very rare for people not to get their hair back after accutane, I'm wondering if you also took accutane. Please reply if possible. | ||
| anonymous |
Michelle, Yes, I was on accutane up until about a year ago. I remember when speaking to my dermatologist before going onto it, he warned me that some degree of hairloss is a side effect in about 5-10% of cases. He said, however, that it has only been VERY rare (emphasised the "very" part) for those who experience hairloss not to get their hair back. That is all the evidence I have unfortunately. I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I did not experience TE as a side effect of my accutane treatment. I am on this site because of male pattern baldness but saw ur post and thought I would offer my limited advice... You sound like a person who has a good attitude and I hope that you are successful in remaining positive and not stressing about the situation you are experiencing. I know it can be hard to do, but try to think of how insignificant one year can be in the scheme of someone's life. that's how I managed to get thru my very tough 6 months on accutane. In the end it will make u a stronger person, although it is tough to see it that way at first... Good luck. | ||
| michelle c |
Dear Anonymous, Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your positive input. You're right about being positive and becoming stronger. I've been through two high risk pregnancies which involved some serious stress, surgery, and bed rest, so I guess hair loss pales in comparison to these events. I should try to be glad that for now my acne is gone and my skin is radiant, and my liver is healthy, at least I think it is. Thanks again for your help and support. Good luck to you in your situation. (My husband is 38 and for the last year or two his hair is thinning and receeding. His dad is completely bald, so he doesn't think he can be helped.) Thanks again. | ||
| Anonymous |
..I take Vitamin C for a skin condition and it makes me shed more hair..why?.. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: That's a good question - why? I never heard of vitamin C causing hair loss. | ||
| Anonymous |
..I think it's because {not positve though} Vitamin C helps the adrenal glands which increase blood pressure which then causes the prostate to enlarge slightly and produce more DHT HORMONE which is the main cause of hair loss..it's a chain reaction..blood pressure medication is often prescribed for enlarged prostate..that's how they found out PROPECIA helps hair loss..it's a blood pressure medication..but it's a lower dose when used for hair loss..I don't like the side effects of it though and it's expensive as hell!..Saw Palmetto blocks DHT just as well for me.. | ||
| michelle c. |
Tom, I could use your advice again. I saw my dermatologist last week about my accutane indused hair loss. (TE) She said I shouldn't keep worrying, because she sees some new regrowth. (1 - 4 cm pieces of hair) I see it too. She told me to continue Men's Rograine for anothet 3 - 4 months, and I've already been on it for over 2 months. I'm not sure what to do. The doctor said she's seen success with Rograine keeping the hairs in the anogen phase from shifting to the telogen phase. But what will happen when I eventually stop taking it? I obviously can't take it forever. Should I just bite the bullet and stop it now or keep using it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. By the way, my hair loss has slowed down somewhat. I'm still losing a lot though. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Michelle: From what I've read I gather that Rogaine will help people with TE grow their hair back faster, but not by much. When you stop using the Rogaine you will not lose all that you've gained. If you use Rogaine for pattern baldness, on the other hand, you will lose all that you've gained when you quit treatment. You have to make your own decision about what to do. You'll probably feel better following the advice of your doctor. One always feels better following the voice of authority. | ||
| Tall Brunette |
I was hospitilized for almost three weeks this past Nov. for double bacterial pneumonia. Two weeks of a couple very strong antibiotics and many chest xrays. I was searching the net for the reason of my dramatic hair loss, when I saw too much Vit A as a possible cause, along with the above mentioned. I am a 47 year old healthy white female, went through menopause in 2002. As a smoker (not any more) I took A,E,C,& ZINC every day for years. Since the first of the year I started taking 2400-4800mg daily of Fish Oil for the Omega-3 & 6 and Beta Carotene equivalent to 2500I.U. Vit A, along with my usual 8,000 I.U. Vit A. I have lost half of my beautiful mane in the last 6-8wks. Never knew it could be self-induced. I found your site pursuing this possibilty. I am stopping the Fish Oil, and Vit A immediately. Do you think I should also stop the Beta Carotene. I will let you know when/if my hair stops falling out. Thank you for your information. This is a wonderful service you are providing. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Tall Brunette: Don't take my advice as the last word on the subject. Do some more studying, and then decide if what I'm going to write makes sense. You're getting vitamin A in milk, cereal (most cereals have added vitamin A), margarine, butter. You probably don't need any more in your diet. I think 5000 I.U. is sufficient. This is one vitamin that you don't want to load up on. It's not like the water-soluble B-complex that's quickly flushed out of your system. The fat-soluble vitamin A stays in your system a long time. If you're taking too much, it builds up. This can be disastrous for hair. Even though carotene can be converted into vitamin A, you don't have to worry about getting too much of this phytonutrient. I prefer to get it from steamed broccoli and carrots. A study done in Finland suggests that the carotene in pills is almost useless. Read my article - Eat Your Broccoli. I used to take a small amount of cod liver oil for the omega-3, but now I get the essential fatty acids from flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, and walnuts. Be careful about too much zinc. You need zinc for healthy hair, but copper is also essential. Too much zinc interferes with copper absorption, and this can even cause incomplete iron metabolism. I take brewer's yeast powder (not the pills) from www.puritan.com. It has a nice balance of the trace minerals like copper and zinc, plus all the B-complex except B-12. It tastes OK too if you blend it with orange juice. Some brands of brewer's yeast taste horrible. "Two weeks of a couple very strong antibiotics and many chest xrays." People who take antibiotics for long periods of time often have hair problems because of the antibiotics effect on intestinal bacteria. Biotin is synthesized by intestinal bacteria. Antibiotics kill off this bacteria. But two weeks on antibiotics is no problem. My strong feeling is that with a proper diet your hair will rebound and you'll be taller and more brunette than ever. | ||
| michelle c. |
