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

[EbonyEyes]

Thanks SND411 for sharing! I'm sure you've helped a lot of women.

A few months ago, my mom placed a mandate on the entire household to begin taking vitamin D3 daily for health purposes.

 

[nichelle02]

By the way, this is the smallest pill I take. If it's determined that you need a supplement, even 5,000 IU is a tiny pill. I buy from Amazon and someone uploaded this comparison pic.

 

[january noir]

I wonder now if Vitamin D deficiency can be linked to so-called terminal length an individual may experience.

 

[Starronda]

My doctor told me that my Vitamin D was low a few months ago. She told me to take at least 5,000 IU daily. I haven't been taking them for a few weeks, but due to this post, I will restart again tonight!

 

[LivinMyLifeLikeItsGolden]

i also have low vit D levels. I have started taking 4000 IU in the liquid form daily!!

 

[fattyfatfat]

LivinMyLifeLikeItsGolden

where can I purchase it in liquid form? thanks!

i also have low vit D levels. I have started taking 4000 IU in the liquid form daily!!

 

[Lady S]

My doctor suggested taking vitamin d a few months ago. She said most americans weren't getting enough and if I remember correctly (don't quote me on it), even though sunscreen is necessary, it can also have a slight effect on getting vitamin d from the sun.

 

[B3e]

I need to look into VitD...my whole milk intake has halted this semester and I live where the sun comes out once a month if at all...this might explain why i feel like my hair just stopped growing and my mood has been indefinitely bum. :/ thanks OP!

 

[smilesarecontagious]

Great info. My doctor recommended that I take vitamin D daily year-round. I've been slacking on my vitamin intake lately so thanks for the reminder.

 

[yodie]

This thread is right on time. I started taking D3 about two months ago, 1000 IU. Just last night I started to put it away, assuming I didn't need it. Maybe I need to increase my dosage.

 

[My Friend]

Vitamin D is fat soluble. That means in high doses and high levels it can be toxic. Get your levels check then decide with your doc what you need to do.

I'm unsure if vitamin d directly contributes to hair growth. Maybe, not being depressed/stressed helps.

 

[LaFaraona]

Can't you get vitamin D from the sun?

The sun is the best way to get vitamin D. The problem is that a lot of people do not get enough sun exposure, especially in the winter. the darker your skin colour the longer you need to stay in the sun to get the necessary exposure.
I used to make it a point to spend my lunch hour taking a 45 minutes walk in the sun or sit in the sun. I need to start that again.

 

[GaiasDaughter24]

thanks for this. I should really have my levels checked. I live in Minnesota and as a stay-at-home-mom of 2 under 2, I rarely get out (not that it matters in the winter here lol). I get SO depressed during the winter. I mean REALLY depressed and I wonder if my Vit D levels may be contributing to that. I'll call my Dr. on monday.

 

[Aviah]

Very interesting... Seems to go with anything that your body may be deficient in: Vit D, Iron, B Vitamins, EPA, water, etc.

 

[Vintagecoilylocks]

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

Its not getting vit d from the sun its the ultra violet rays from the sun that is essential in the processing of vit d in your system. I worked in Alaska and we had a system called "sunshine liberty" This was serious buisness. We had such restricted sunlight and many people coming from the lower 48 was unaware of the importance. During the short days in winter when ever it was going to be a bright sunny day the base would go to skeleton crews and let every one go home and get out into the sun. This base still had and unusually high suicide rate. LACK OF SUN.

Also a woman in my department was going through depression, fatigue and having a hard time learning her new position. She was highly skilled in her field but was struggling. She thought it was due to marrital problems and a severe illness crisis with her daughter. Going on anti depressants would end her carreer. Top secret. I told her to get a check up and she found she was low in vitamin D. This was in Maryland. But she already took a daily vitamin and was very active outdoors . The culprit turned out to be her Birthcontrol. So other things can cause our system not to absorb the vitamins we need.

Always do a thorough examination of your habits and what you do and don't take.

Good growing ladies.

Wholistic approach can help in covering all bases.

 

[Evolving78]

i know i would get more growth if i got back on the vits. i ran out and never replenished. terrible, right? i need them for overall health. i'm getting too old not to stay on top of that.

 

[Cichelle]

I first found out I had a vitamin D deficiency when I was 13. Suffice it to say, that was a long time ago. I've taken supplements daily for years. Currently, I take Solgar Vitamin D3, 5000 IU every morning.

 

[divachyk]

Thx for the info. I live in FL where the sun is readily available. However, I don't do outside activities all that much because it's so hot. Therefore, the majority of sun exposure comes from walking from my car to the bldg/house/stores/etc. Rarely, am I just outside for hours on the weekend. I wonder if brief exposure enough. When we're outside for lengths of time, we put on sunscreen/block to ensure we are not overexposed. The dh had cancer previously so we're very cautious but we might be short changing ourselves in the Vit D dept with our efforts of being cautious. I'll research this further.

 

[mzteaze]

Thx for the info. I live in FL where the sun is readily available. However, I don't do outside activities all that much because it's so hot. Therefore, the majority of sun exposure comes from walking from my car to the bldg/house/stores/etc. Rarely, am I just outside for hours on the weekend. I wonder if brief exposure enough. When we're outside for lengths of time, we put on sunscreen/block to ensure we are not overexposed. The dh had cancer previously so we're very cautious but we might be short changing ourselves in the Vit D dept with our efforts of being cautious. I'll research this further.

My numbers were low. My doctor pointed out that I would need a much longer exposure to the sun than the "recommended" exposure due to having more melatonin. He definitely recommended using a supplement for people of color.

 

[Dizz]

This is great information.

Has anyone taking D supplements noticed an improvement in their skin condition too?

 

[Janet']

Wow! Thanks for this info and I'm glad that you're feeling better OP!

 

[bestblackgirl]

SND411, You are right. I am on the same boat as you. I went to the doctor and they told me that my vitamin D level is extremely low like you and I had to get a special prescription for Vitamin D and take it once a week for 2 months. I never really paid attention on how it affected my hair growth. I know it took me over 2 years just to get to APL from SL and I always wondered why. But now that you mentioned it, I am paying closer attention to that. I am trying to take daily vitamin D, but I dont usually keep up. Thanks for the info

 

[chicha]

So glad the original poster posted this. I haven't gotten mines checked but I don't go outside much. And I don't eat much seafood. So i don't see how my vit D would be normal.

 

[FlowerHair]

Can't you get vitamin D from the sun?

Yes, if we lived in Africa or another sunny place. Many black people in the diaspora live in the Northern part of the globe, so we need supplements...

In fact, most white people need it too, since they don't eat their traditional vitamin D-rich foods anymore. (At least that's the case here in Sweden.)

It's very important that we eat vitamin D supplements as well as give it to our children, since most of us are deficient.

They have started a big investigation here on black/darker skinned people and vitamin D and the possible link to autism. Somalis in Sweden are 3-4 times more likely to have a child with autism and researchers believe that one reason may be the lack of vitamin D.

I urge everyone I know to take vitamin D pills...

 

[LadyPaniolo]

FlowerHair you raised the point about giving the supplements to the kids. It made me think of what the doctor told me at the baby's last doctor appointment. The pediatrician told me that vitamin D does not pass through breastmilk. However, from my own reading it seems that this issue is not so clear cut. Most women are deficient in vitamin d, so of course there will be very low levels of it in the milk. However, if a woman boosts her intake, there may be some in the milk.

It's still a good idea to give the Poly-Vi-Sol vitamin D drops to infants anyway, because they need higher levels. I couldn't give them to my son, he projectile vomited the first time he had them. That's when I started to up my own intake of vitamin D.

 

[MadisonK]

Wow! Thanks, OP. I never knew anything about Vitamin D. I'm off to read about the symptoms of deficiency.

 

[LivinMyLifeLikeItsGolden]

LivinMyLifeLikeItsGolden

where can I purchase it in liquid form? thanks!

I bought mine at a health food store. I got the Nutri Sea brand. It's mainly an omega 3 supplement but it also contains 1000IU of vit D per serving. Its supposed to be apple flavor, but.... it's not. I drink it with juice. I put a tsp in a small glass of juice 4 times a day.

 

[naijamerican]

They have started a big investigation here on black/darker skinned people and vitamin D and the possible link to autism. Somalis in Sweden are 3-4 times more likely to have a child with autism and researchers believe that one reason may be the lack of vitamin D.

I urge everyone I know to take vitamin D pills...

I've seen that study referenced in the NYT a few months ago. I wonder what results they're generating?

SND411, thanks very much for this thread. My mother takes prescription-strength Vitamin D supplements. I get my vitamin D from salmon - I eat a salmon sandwich several times a week. All anyone needs to do is to get a can of salmon, some bread, get you some arugula or spinach and you're good to go!

 

[Urban]

Yes, if we lived in Africa or another sunny place. Many black people in the diaspora live in the Northern part of the globe, so we need supplements...

In fact, most white people need it too, since they don't eat their traditional vitamin D-rich foods anymore. (At least that's the case here in Sweden.)

It's very important that we eat vitamin D supplements as well as give it to our children, since most of us are deficient.

They have started a big investigation here on black/darker skinned people and vitamin D and the possible link to autism. Somalis in Sweden are 3-4 times more likely to have a child with autism and researchers believe that one reason may be the lack of vitamin D.

I urge everyone I know to take vitamin D pills...

I think the responsible thing to do would be to urge people to get tested and talk to their doctor and get recommendations on supplements. Especially when mentioning giving pills to children...

Please ladies, get tested first, even your children... if you're considering this. Don't just start popping pills, or giving them to your children. It is possible that you may be doing more harm than good. Better safe than sorry...

 

[Shirilyn4652]

Thanks for this info, it was really helpful, had my levels checked and they were at a 16 also. Will keep you posted!!