| Author | Message | ||
     Tom Hagerty |
There's a lot of scrolling on the first page of this topic. Here's a new page to post comments and questions on the possible relation between too much vitamin A and hair loss. | ||
| Rachel |
I have been losing an abnormal amount of hair for about 1 year now.. I started with very thick hair so in the beginning, I wasn't completely panicked and accepted my derm's diagnosis as "probable TE from stress and weight loss" I had lost alot of weight (and was underweight at the time..)and also under a ton of stress so it was believable... however, I have been at a normal weight now for many months, I eat a very healthy diet (if anything I may be lacking fat in my diet...)and the stress in my life is way down except for the fact that I am completely stressed and devastated that my hair loss has gotten much much worse and now I can clearly see my scalp in the front/top and temple regions.. It is much thinner everywhere though, not just there (its worse there..) I have had my thyroid tested and it is fine.. I just blood drawn yesterday to see if it may be a hormonal inbalance (I do have other symptoms as well... night sweats, fatigue, depression,headaches) I'm on allergy medications but my derm thinks it is unlikely the cause of my problem... so I have been reading everything I possibly can to try to help myself in the meantime... I am curious about the vitamin A possibility... I take 2 Flintstone Complete vitamins every single morning and I jsut checked and each one contains 3000 of A so that is 6000 daily not counting what I get from cereal, vegetables, etc.. Do you think it could possibly be behind my hair loss? oh and I am a 33 year old female... and do you think body size has anything to do with how much someones body can take? meaning...is it reasonable to assume that 6000 of A may be toxic to a 100# person but maybe not a 170# man? any thoughts on that? are there any other vitamins I should suspect or check my bottle for? Thank You, Rachel PS.. I do know that the hair cycle is slow to catch up with health improvements but I have been at a healthy weight for much longer than 3 months now..probably 6... | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rachel: You might as well get a serum ferritin test, too, in order to see if your iron stores are adequate. Sometimes low serum ferritin levels even if within the wide normal range are associated with hair loss especially in women. The toxic range for vitamin A is a lot higher than 6000 IU. Of course because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin it tends to build up in body tissues if you take too much on a daily basis. I don't think 6000 IU is too much even if you don't weigh as much as a professional wrestler. Taking two Flintstone Complete vitamins every day is probably not as good as regularly eating nutritious food. Most people absorb less than 20 percent of the nutrients from these multivitamins. By the way, does Flintstone contain aspartame? Are you a vegetarian? Are you under 17 percent body fat? Are you still going to go up and down in body weight? All these things have a negative effect on hair, or in getting your hair back. | ||
| Rachel |
Tom, when I get my bloodwork back (hopefully by Tues...) I will ask about a ferritin test.. there is also 100% of the iron RDA in each flinstone tablet (18mg in one) as well though so wouldn't that cover that? I am not a vegeterian however I don't eat red meat.. I do eat lots of white meat chicken, tunafish, soy, frozen organic meals, veggies, fruits, cereals (grapenuts, wheaties, cheerios,)yogurt, protein bars by the way the protein bars that I eat have 25% of vit A RDA and sometimes I eat 2 or 3 in one day... I suspect my bf% is in the low 20's... and I have been maintaing my weight at aprox 115# for awhile now and even my dr. agreed that I am at a good weight now and I really don't think that is the problem at this point.. There is aspartame in those vitamins, yes... and ther is aspartame in a number of things that I regularly consume... I do realize that aspartame is not "good" for you but do you really think that the amount in 2 tiny vits and 1 or 2 food products a day could cause such diffuse/noticeable hair loss? Also..my hair/scalp is very greasy (as is my skin) and my hair/scalp/skin all used to be dry... very dry actually.. thank you again for any other advice/tips you may have... Rachel | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rachel: Men require only between 0.5 and 1 mg of iron each day; women who are still menstruating require double that. But women should have an intake of about 18 mg each day because very little is absorbed. And probably very very little is absorbed from a multivitamin pill. There are enzymes and certain amino acids in red meat that help in the absorption of iron. I'm not a big fan of red meat, but I do eat it at times. I hope you wash your teeth after eating those protein bars. They're deadly for the teeth. Many nutritionists don't think they're good for your body either. I can't resist them when I go into a health food store. I wonder if your serum ferritin is 70 ng/ml or more. My guess is that it's not. Just a guess, but this could be your problem. Aspartame is not going to cause hair loss. It's a "natural" amino acid but I don't consume any products that it's in. Go to www.google.com and type aspartame in the search box. There are favorable articles and unfavorable ones. The unfavorable ones are better reading if you like conspiracy theory. Your body weight and body fat are probably just right. All you need now is good hair. I wish I had the secret. | ||
| Rachel |
Tom, I hope this is not too much information..lol but I only get my period once or twice a year (unless I induce it with hormones/medication) I only mention that because I really don't "lose" blood/iron the way most women do then... right? I do often wonder about my iron levels though... is having a low ferritin level different than being anemic? because I know I have been tested for "anemia" and it was normal but a "ferritin" test doesn't sound familiar... A few times a year I will actually crave a big juicy (bloody...lol) burger and I will have one when this happens but other than that I just don't care for red meat... I didn't realize protein bars were so bad for your teeth... thanks for the warning.. I figured they weren't exactly "good" in excess since they are so processed but I seem to be somewhat addicted.. :-) I really appreciate all your help... I am definetly going to ask about my ferritin levels... Rachel | ||
| Rachel |
Tom, Also, are you saying that you cannot raise your iron or ferritin levels by taking a supplement? or just that "multi-vitamins", in particular, are basically ineffective for this purpose? besides red meat what other way could I raise my iron intake? If my problem turns out to be hormonol/androgen related? is it likely that the loss is temporary and will improve with bcp and/or spiro? or is that kind of loss more permanent? how do you know so much about this? I appreciate you sharing your knowledge Thanks Rachel | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rachel: The test for anemia (hemoglobin) is not the same as the test for serum ferritin level. You do not necessarily have to be anemic to have very low serum ferritin levels. Supplements can raise your serum ferritin level. Perhaps you might want the organic forms of iron like ferrous gluconate or ferrous fumarate. And don't take an iron supplement at the same time as you take vitamin E. When you started having irregular periods were you underweight? Women who have less than 18% body fat stop menstruating. Women marathon runners, women jockeys, anorexics - all have this problem. Even when they put on weight again, the problem often remains. What makes protein bars bad for your teeth is the sugar that sticks to your teeth after you eat them. Raisins are even worse. Sticky fruit sugar and the attendant bacteria do big time damage to the enamel of your teeth even minutes after you eat them. If you floss right after you indulge in these goodies, there's no problem. Public displays of flossing, though, will not get you invited to the best parties. | ||
| Rachel |
"Public displays of flossing, though, will not get you invited to the best parties" and I thought it was my thinning hair... LOL I have had irregular periods all my life... when I was underweight they did cease completely but now I seem to get one every few months or so and that is the same as before I was underweight so back to "normal" for me... I almost wonder if I have pcos and at first it was suppressed because I was on bcp for many years (11) and then I went off to try to conceive and was on tons of injectible hormones during that time and then shortly after lsot a ton of weight quickly and I wonder if being underweight suppressed my LH levels and masked the pcos..now I am normal weight and not on bcp and have oily skin, hair loss, mood swings, irregular periods, night sweats etc.. does this theory make any sense to you? I'm giving myself daily headaches thinking so much about this but honestly, I don't know how to not obsess about losing my hair at my age *tears* Rachel | ||
| Rachnjeff |
Tom, I was brave and counted the hairs I lost today in the shower... I counted a little over 100 and I do lose the most when I wash my hair (actually most comes out when I use conditioner...) I have only been washing my hair every other day lately since it is so distressing to me. I don't seem to shed any in bed (I have dark hair and white sheets.. and I never seem to have any on my pillows/sheets) but I do obviously lose some here and there throughout the day as well.. Does this sound like alot or "normal" ? I am trying to keep my problem in perspective (sometimes I think I make things worse than they are by worrying so much...) ps.. all of my hormone tests have come back normal.. I haven't had my ferritin level checked yet but will ask about that next week.. thanks, Rachel | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rachel: You must have 20/20 vision. Picking up 100 wet hairs and counting them is great physical and mental exercise. "Does this sound like a lot or "normal"? It sounds like a lot. | ||
| Rachnjeff |
Tom, I was afraid of that and I am not trying to get you to just say what I want to hear BUT don't they say that the average "normal" person loses about 50-80 a day? so if I lost 100 today but didn't wash my hair yesterday (which is when I tend to lose most of mine..)wouldn't that fall into "normal" ? counting the wet hair wasn't easy actually... but I counted a little more than 1/2 of the pile and then "guesstimated" the rest but I am pretty sure it was fairly accurate... I actually do have 20/20 vision...lol I guess I should be happy I have at least one goo part of me left ;) Thanks, Rachel | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rachel: I'm not good at the numbers game. People who are supposed to know keep repeating that mantra that 50 to 100 lost hairs daily is "normal." Of course, what counts is how fast these hairs are replaced - or if they're replaced. If you had poor vision you wouldn't notice that your hair was thinning. 20/20 vision is not always a blessing. | ||
| Rachnjeff |
Thanks for all your help Tom, I appreciate it and yes, you are right, it isn't what we lose it's what we don't grow and that is easy to forget.. All of my hormone tests came back normal... suppose that should make me happy but it, of course, doesn't change my symptoms, so now I am going to ask if I can have my ferritin level checked and also look into maybe treating this as if it was a hormonal inbalance regardless of my bloodwork (I am willing to try that as long as they don't think it will make it worse!) | ||
| Rachel |
Well... I saw my gyn today... he gave me Yasmin bcp and spiro (diuretic) mostly because I "pushed" for it though.... then later today, my dermatologist called me and I told him I was thinking about starting those meds and he told me he didn't think that I should..He said bcp have been known to increase hair shedding in some and it could be risky since my hormone levels are normal.. :-( He really believes I have TE and that I need to de-stress/relax better and he also told me that I should 1.wash my hair daily even though it is upsetting 2. use Rogaine because he said that in my case, it isn't true that when I stop using the Rogaine my regrowth will fall out since he believes my loss is temporary... I don't know what to think.. I mean all signs keep pointing me back to stress so maybe that is the truth and maybe I am going crazy (literally..I'm afraid...) searching for any other answer other than that because in some ways, that is the hardest problem to fix. Rachel | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi Tom, Looks like this page makes for a busy fellow...all us guys and gals going crazy over some lost hairs. I have Graves Disease which has been very easily controlled by Tapazoal for a couple of years now. My levels are good, according to my Endo MD. I have been shedding hair (all over shedding, not from any one particular area) since the birth of my son almost two years ago. It seems to have picked up significantly in the past 6 months. I have been taking a heavy multi-vitamin daily with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A, plus a nutrition bar several times a week. Could this be contributing to the increase in hair loss of late??? And if so, how long after I stop taking this particular vitamin would I expect a change (in order to determine if it was a contributing factor)? THANK YOU for your dedication! | ||
| Anonymous |
Hi Tom, I have been taking Starlight brand supplements for a couple of years now. They have 12,000 I.U. of Vitamin A (50% as Beta Carotene and 50%A as Vitamin A Palmitate) also have Omega-3 Fatty Acids (from Fish Oil) 270 mg and Omega 6 Fatty Acids(from Flaxseed Oil) 28 mg. I also was taking Wellbutrin but stopped that a week ago. My blood tests are normal - TSH low going to Endocrinologist this week) My question is do you think the Vitamin A in my vitamin supplement is causing my hair loss? I am so upset. Thanks Karen. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
I think that many of the nutrition books just copy from each other. Two classic nutrition texts say exactly the same thing - "over 100,000 international units daily, over long periods can be toxic to the body, mainly to the liver." This amount can certainly have a negative effect on hair follicles. I get perhaps 10,000 I.U. daily. I gave up taking cod liver oil because I was afraid of getting too much. (Now I take flaxseed oil and evening primrose softgels for the omega-3.) Because vitamin A is fat soluble it builds up in the body if you take too much each day. Even though some nutrition gurus recommend 25,000 I.U. of vitamin A, I would recommend caution here, but I'm not going to give anyone an optimum amount. You have to figure that out for yourself. I get a lot of carotene from natural sources - broccoli, carrots, green peppers. The body converts carotene into vitamin A if it is needed. You can't get too much carotene from natural sources - and the natural sources are the best because all the carotenoids in real food work synergistically. | ||
| PamelaZ |
Thermal Fusion for Hair and Scalp will help with hair loss. You can find this at Arbonne. All natural and never tested on animals. | ||
| J |
Ugh...Its been over three months since i stopped using accutane and now my loss seems to be accelerating. Between what i lost in the shower and what i found on my pillow case the total came to 147 this morning. OUCH!!!! Has anyone experienced accelerating loss post accutane? This is TOTALLY stressing me out. I started taking Flaxseed oil and 400 IU of a day of Vit E and have seen no improvement. | ||
| Danea |
In response to "J" Friday July 16th: I, too, ceased Accutane treatment four months ago and just started experiencing major hair loss as you described. There is so much hair in the sink after I wash my hair that I am scared to wash it. I am so frustrated. The worst thing is my Dermatologist is ardently defending Accutane as not being the culprit behind my exasparating hair loss. I don't know what to do. I think I am going to look into Ayurvedic cleansing of the liver to, perhaps, try and rid my body of the toxic Vitamin A that is trapped in my system. Any other thoughts? | ||
| Anonymous |
My question has to do with a nutritial supplement called RELIV I have been taking for about three months. My regimin consists of mixing three products Classic, Fibrestore, and Innergize. I mainly began taking them for the vitamins and minerals in liquid form to help me with my energy levels, as well as IBS. I have absorbtion problems as well. My stomach has never been better, but I am experiencing hair loss after about one months use. The Classic is a nutritional dry food concentrate consisting entirely of plant and other non-animal components. Two scoops per day is equivalent to 5,000 IU's. The Innergize is 100% Beta Carotene, and the Fibrestore is 100% 3500 IU as mixed cartenoids. | ||
| j |
i hear you Danea - it doesnt seem like dermatologists want to admit that accutane is the problem for some reason. I too fear washing my hair every morning because of the massive loss i know i will see. This is VERY frustrating and depressing. | ||
| Eric Roberts |
Hey Tom! I just wanted to thank you about the web-site you introduced to me (as an alternative way of contolling acne). I purchased two bottles of the Clear Skin Image so it should get here (Charleston, WV) about August 27, 2004. I have occasional outbreaks (usually with stress). For anyone out there who is having trouble with acne, you should visit the web-site at http://www.coenzyme-a.com/index.html. As for the scalp exercises, you have to be patient, as I am seeing a difference in the color of my hair. I know it is working Tom!!! Hopefully next year (2005) I will have no more acne and my hair will be thicker. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Eric Roberts: "Hopefully next year (2005) I will have no more acne and my hair will be thicker." Keep us posted about your results. | ||
| rowad |
what are scalp exercises? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Rowad: Read all about it - My Approach. | ||
| Anonymous |
Thanks eric for that link about coenzyme A. This may be the key to solving my problem. Why didn't I hear about this before. My doctor was quick to give me accutane which messed up my hair. | ||
| Eric B. Roberts |
You're welcome Anonymous, and I know how you feel about acne. Who wants acne? I'd definitely give this a try. Call the number on the web-site and talk to one of the specialists who places orders. They will tell you about the product, and like Tom said, everything is all-natural. TOM LED ME TO THIS WEB-SITE so you don't have to give me any credit. But I really think these people know what they are talking about, and I believe in the product. As I give it a try, you give it a try and e-mail me whenever you want to know how it's benefitting me. Everyone's different, but somehow I think these supplements are going to work!!! Eric E-mail: roberteb@mail.wvstateu.edu | ||
| rowad |
my latest experience is this: I left the country to work for 2 weeks this summer. I had unexplained fall out EXACTLY the way you discribe here before that. I have never been on accutane. During the 2 weeks my hair improved and completely stopped the cycle. As soon as I returned, the fall out began again. I have recently stopped drinking the water here out of paranoia....the fall out is again slowing down. I am moving so if you experience this all of a sudden and for no apparent reason use another water sourc and see how it works out... | ||
| Eric Roberts |
ROWAD, I know hair loss is a very distressing subject, but what many people don't know is that IT CAN BE STOPPED NATURALLY using TOM'S (2) unique SCALP EXERCISES. It's EASY and I AM HAVING RESULTS. I also want to tell you that like anyone else I was determined to STOP MY HAIR LOSS, and I did! But it took time. I am on month #3 and I know my hair thinning/loss has stopped and I'm seeing newer hairs popping up. If you haven't already, I HIGHLY recommend Tom's CD. It's cheap and he sends it out that day and I got it like four days later. I live in West Virginia so it didn't take long to get here. I was completely doing the exercises wrong, but I had loosened up my scalp so much that when I did the EXERCISES the RIGHT WAY, it was easy.... Just like having faith in GOD and JESUS, have faith in these exercises. I am on a medication that potentially may cause hair loss, but I know that the exercises are stronger then that and they work with anyone I can imagine. But the reason some say, "IT DIDN'T WORK!" is either: 1. They didn't stay with it long enough. 2. They didn't do the 2 exercises right. I have used Rogaine and Shen Min tablets, and I have come to one conclusion. THEY DON'T WORK!!! The SCALP EXERCISES WORK!!! But you "MUST" GIVE IT TIME!!! Michael Jordan didn't become a pro-basketball player in a day. Tiger Woods didn't become the best golf player in a day. You get the point. I have e-mailed Tom many times about my hair loss and he is there to help YOU!!! He is dedicated to helping people with their hair loss and I guarantee if you stick with these easy exercises you will regrow hair!!! Eric R. E-mail: roberteb@mail.wvstateu.edu | ||
| Eric Roberts |
I also wanted to say I am 21 years old and my dad's hair was thinning dramatically at this age. My hair hasn't changed much. It is thinner than 5 years ago but I see it becoming thicker every day as I do the exercises just like Tom says. My whole family (both sides have either major thinning or no hair at all). Did they do anything about their hair loss??? Nope. I'm fortunate I found Tom's web-site because I know it takes time, but it is working. I do the regular exercise for 5 minutes in the morning and evening followed by the advanced exercise which I do for 5 minutes. Then I will do the regular exercise again for 2-3 minutes. It's like brushing/flossing. Ex. Let's say you haven't used a toothbrush for one month. Your teeth are going to be nasty/stained/ cavities. BUT, once you start brushing/flossing again, you will slowly build your teeth back up again. SAME THING AS WITH THE SCALP EXERCISES. It TAKES TIME! Believe me, "Rome wasn't built in a day!" Stick with it everyone!!! Eric Roberts | ||
| Dylan |
for example... i drank a diet pop... maybe 2, for about 3 months,,,, i had same problem,,, try the no aspartame 60 day trial,,, im guessing if you lost all taht weight so fast, you must be consuming a lot of it, it is VERY unhealthy... if i only knew beforehand... | ||
| Anonymous |
hi tom, since you seem like the most honest and non commercial person please give me one simple answer... does anything regrow hair lost to male pattern baldness.. also i am about to start the hair formula 37 vitamin.. is it any good thanks | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Even the "most honest" person can't give you "one simple answer" to your question. MPB is such a complex problem that simple answers just muddy the water. My suggestion is to do some reading on my website - Hairloss-Reversible.com or on www.keratin.com. A little education on the biology of baldness and treatment options might help you see how complex the problem is. Hair formula 37 - don't hold your breath. | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom, I am a 31 year old female I took accutane for 1 month back in May.I also started BCP around the same time. I started experiencing mass shedding about 3 weeks ago, this however was preceeded by gradual hair loss for approximately three months. I have discontinued the BCP to rule out that it was a contributing factor. Upon my request my physician tested my serum ferritin level and it was 18. I just began taking a prescription iron supplement. What do you think is the more likely cause of my hair loss, the accutane or the low iron stores? Do you think the outlook for hair recovery is good? I would greatly appreciate your opinion! | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: You wrote, "What do you think is the more likely cause of my hair loss, the accutane or the low iron stores?" I don't think it's an either/or situation. About ten percent of women going on, changing, or going off BCPs experience some telogen effluvium; a percentage of people after a course on Accutane also experience this same form of temporary hair loss. Low serum ferritin levels can prolong the recovery process. Even though your number (18) is within the normal range, it is low! normal. (The normal range for women is between 12 and 150.) If you can get your number up to 70 ng/ml, this might very well speed up your quest for recovery. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
This page is getting too long - too much vertical scrolling. Please post new messages on this subject on - Vitamin A and hair loss: page 3. |
