Stunted Hair Growth? HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR VITAMIN D LEVEL?

[SND411]

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to share something very important. I will begin with my experience:

Early 2009, my hair was growing quite quickly. My hair was very thick as well. Fast forward towards the middle of last year 2010. My hair seemed to "stop" growing. I know, I know. Hair always grows and it's the retention that is most often the case. But I was also noticing that my hair appeared and felt thinner. Then, earlier this year, 2011, I was 1000% sure my hair was thinner and I had little to no hair growth whatsoever.

I had not been eating that healthy nor spending enough time in the sun.

I was also suffering heart palpitations. I went to the doctors so so they check my heart and my blood. The results showed that I had very low Vitamin D. "Normal" levels for Vitamin D are around 40-45. My level was around 16. Low Vitamin D levels often cause heart palpitations as well. I was then prescribed special Vitamin D supplement pills a couple months later. This pill is the kind where you need a prescription, they are not "just on the shelf" vitamins.

I am telling you all, after two and 1/2 weeks of taking this medication, my hair growth skyrocketed. I think my hair grew 1/2 inch during that time period. My hair growth is much thicker now! My heart palpitations also disappeared!

Vitamin D is called the "miracle" pill and research is being done to see whether Vitamin D can cure certain types of diseases and cancer. As black women, living in cold regions of North America, makes us to be prone to lower vitamin D levels due to our melanin. Vitamin D is instrumental in proper division of cells: the hair follicle being one of the most cell dividing entities on our bodies.

Please, if you notice if your hair seems to be getting thinner AND you are not retaining as much length as before even if you are doing everything properly, check your system internally. Check for Vitamin D along with other important minerals and vitamins that your body may be lacking! Perhaps low Vitamin D levels are the culprit and NOT your hair practices!

 

[Guyaneek]

Thanks for the info. I was found to have a vitamin D deficiency at my last check up. I've only addressed it with over the counters though. I need to have the levels retested.

 

[Geminigirl]

My joints are always cracking for no reason all over my body so I went to the doc.she checked my blood and I have low vit d. Paper said I eas to be 32 but I was at 19. Doc told me to take two vit d a day otc. I don't eat good so its hard for me to keep up with this but vit d deficiancy is linked to.depressed and osteoperosis, bine health etc. I am going to go to another doc and,maybe he can give me something nit otc. I still don't know whats gotvmy joints popping.

 

[Geminigirl]

sorry for typos my phone is touch screen and I really hate it.

 

[sweetnlow06]

Wow! I could have writtten this post myself! My vitamin D level was <16. I don't absorb vitamin D well. I was having joint pains, palpitations hair falling out with slow growth. The doctors thought I had Rheumatoid or Lupus but they checked my vitamin D level and found it was very low. Now I am going on my third week of taking vitamin D supplements and all those symptoms I was having is better and it seems as though my hair is growing much faster. I haven't measured it or anything, it just know I cut my hair to neck length a couple of weeks ago and now I past shoulder again. Who knows how long my vitamin D level was low. Thanks so much for this post! Now I know it is not in my head.

 

[LadyPaniolo]

Thanks for this post! I have found that my years of severe depression have been completely cured by vitamin D supplementation. It's like a miracle. I have discovered that I am an optimistic and cheerful person all on my own, without the antidepressants that are so hard to come off of... I just needed vitamin D.

there has been some theorizing, but no proof yet, that lack of vitamin D contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis, particularly the more severe form that black patients suffer from disproportionately.

 

[nichelle02]

I live in Minnesota and this year we had a particularly long, long, long, long get me out of here kind of winter! It was dark when I went to work in the morning and dark when I left the office. So, for most of the week I saw no sun other than from the sealed office windows. I started taking vitamin D as I was really feeling pretty down. And it's made a tremendous difference.

I take these which are only $12 for 240

My hair growth definitely slowed to a crawl during the winter and has now picked back up. I hadn't related it to the Vitamin D deficiency. If the vitamin D is helping, then that's a bonus. I'm just glad I feel better.

 

[MrsMe]

That's good to know. I get the winter blues and so does my hair since it barely grows during that season.

Sent from my HTC Evo using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[Okay]

Denmark is cold 10 months a year so thanks for this!!!

 

[melissa-bee]

My hair does grow slowly. But now that it's spring here I make sure to go out in the sun everyday, even if it's just for 5 mins.

 

[qchelle]

I am almost certain I have low vit D levels...I just need to go get my levels checked. I'm too scared to self medicate.

 

[justicefighter1913]

Thanks for this post! I went to my new Rheumatologist last week and she said that my vitamin D levels are low. I can't remember the number now, but I'm taking Vitamin D supplements. It hasn't been long enough for me to tell a difference yet, but hopefully my hair growth will pick up. Who knows. I do know this though, that since I've relocated to Texas, particularly the Desert...(in between New Mexico and Texas) I get a lot of sun...

 

[AlliCat]

Can't you get vitamin D from the sun?

 

[justicefighter1913]

^^^yes, but most people don't get nearly enough from the sun alone.

 

[january noir]

^^^yes, but most people don't get nearly enough from the sun alone.

Plus I read, that just not your face should be exposed, but also your arms, chest and legs. That's why even if you are in the sun, you still may not get enough exposure outdoors if you're covered up.

 

[Jetblackhair]

The description of what you've been going through with your hair sounds very similar to my situation. I had attributed mine to a medication I have to take, but low vitamin D can also be the culprit. I'll definitely have my levels checked on my next visit to the doctors.

Thanks OP for sharing your experience.

 

[SVT]

Bump because this is excellent info!

 

[BraunSugar]

Can't you get vitamin D from the sun?

Black people absorb vitamin D the worst because of elevated levels of melanin in our skin. We need to supplement.

 

[PinkPebbles]

Bump because this is excellent info!

Agreed.

Several months ago I watched a special on vitamin D and it stated that most African Americans have low levels of vitamin D.

 

[Ronnieaj]

This is very interesting! My mom got on the vitamin D bandwagon last year and bought me a container of them. I took 1 a day, if that. This year I decided "what have I got to lose," and started taking 2/day, 2000mg. I got my hair cut in January, and it's now around an inch PAST where it was before the cut. I can't attribute it solely to the D, as I've tried to be healthier all around, but if this is giving a boost I say hooray !

 

[PinkGirlFluff]

Thank you for mentioning this. Last summer my doctor found out that I had low Vitamin D levels when I was undergoing testing for another issue. I was not getting enough sun because I was on bed rest during my first flare up of my Fibromyalgia. My nails used to be so brittle. My hair was not what it used to be until I starting taking supplements and getting out even when it hurts like hell to move. Now my hair is great and my nails don't break as easily. It's pretty dope.

 

[~~HoneyComb~~]

I found I was vitamin D deficient almost 2 years ago.

I started out using the chewable supplement Viactiv, it was a calcium and vitamin D supplement--I was told to eat 2 a day by my doctor.

Now I just take the softgels.

 

[Nonie]

Can't you get vitamin D from the sun?

^^^yes, but most people don't get nearly enough from the sun alone.

Yep, not to mention that a lot of people use sunscreen/sunblock thus preventing the sun from reaching their skin to form Vitamin D.

BTW, D3 is better for you and better absorbed/safer than D2 so to be sure you get the right D, get D3. (Thanks vevster for enlightening me to this) Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) are a good source of vitamin D. If you must bask in the sun, avoid going when it's too hot. Before 10 AM and after 3 PM are good times, esp in the summer, particularly because you need to be w/o sunblock to get the D so you don't want to expose yourself to the sun when it's most dangerous.

Those who hate taking pills, D3 does come in a liquid supplement and a drop gives 1000 IU, so you could get 5000 IU with just five drops in a drink. The Vitamin Shoppe has a liquid one which I find very handy coz it's a smaller dropper bottle that's easy to carry with you so you don't forget to take it.

More about D3: http://www.vrp.com/bone-and-joint/vitamin-d3-higher-doses-reduce-risk-of-common-health-concerns

Also when everyone was freaking out about swine flu and getting flu shots, a lot of us on the Health Forum just upped our D3. Apparently the reason people get ill in winter with flu is not because the virus just became potent but the absence of sun means low vitamin D and therefore low immunity. Apparently a lot of people who get flu are usually low in D too. Check this out:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/vitamin-d-and-h1n1-swine-flu.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8tK0n18Als

ETA: While taking your D, don't forget your calcium as vitamin D helps calcium absorption.

 

[Ltown]

I found out last year i was low so dr did a vitamin d load 5,000 a week prescription dose after it was maintain i was told to take 2,000 a day. I make sure i get them when there is bogo. I hate sitting out in the sun and i have sensitive skins so alot of medicine i was taking was to avoid it. Go figure

 

[SVT]

Also when everyone was freaking out about swine flu and getting flu shots, a lot of us on the Health Forum just upped our D3. Apparently the reason people get ill in winter with flu is not because the virus just became potent but the absence of sun means low vitamin D and therefore low immunity. Apparently a lot of people who get flu are usually low in D too. Check this out:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/vitamin-d-and-h1n1-swine-flu.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8tK0n18Als

I knew I should've been visiting the Health and Natural forums more often.

 

[CrueltyFree]

I've been experiencing some health issues (related specifically to sudden vision loss in my left eye) and my doctor thought I MS. I don't have it (thank goodness) but I know for a fact that I don't get much sun. My mom has been telling me to take calcium + vitamin D because she was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis and I'm usually the one more susceptible to inheriting her ailments (I have a twin and she never has anything but everything my mom has had, I've had it too ). When I'm done with this medicine for a few more days, I'm gonna start taking it.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

i've never had my vit d tested... i wonder what it would be at

i drink lots of milk and living in az i get lots of sun. in fact, i just spent 3hrs straight at the pool. i dont sun burn and it takes forever for me to get some color so i just set a aside a day to play in the sun.

i should get tested

 

[cutiebe2]

I went to an international health show and they had this really good liquid vitamin D (it taste really good!)that I got smaples of. My mom had low Vit D and had to take supplements for a while.


Product: Marine BioTherapies Liquid Vitamin D3http://img90.imageshack.us/i/vitd.gif/

 

[Vashti]

I've been taking cod liver oil for my vitamin D for a few years now. For a while I had assumed that I didn't need to take it in the summer because of the sunlight but last year I went to the doctor to have my vit D levels checked and it was 29 - pretty low, so they prescribed a vit D supplement for me plus some fish oil. I know now that it's usually best to take it year round instead of just the winter time if you live in North America.

 

[Anakinsmomma]

Not only do I live in the northeast, but I work midnights. I should get this checked...