Hair Professionals Need to Pay Close Attention to Vitamin D
As hair professionals, we often encounter clients who are frustrated, confused, or discouraged by persistent hair loss.
One nutrient that continues to show up in research, and in real-life consultations, is vitamin D.
Vitamin D is much more than the "sunshine vitamin." It’s a key player in cellular health, immunity, inflammation control, and, crucially, the hair follicle cycle.
As professionals guiding people through their hair recovery journeys, understanding its role is vital.
What We Know About Vitamin D and Hair Loss
Research shows a consistent association between low vitamin D levels and several types of non-scarring alopecias:
Telogen effluvium
Androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss)
Alopecia areata
Trichotillomania
There’s also a growing body of evidence linking low vitamin D to scarring alopecias.
What’s less clear is whether supplementing vitamin D directly improves these conditions.
While current research doesn’t yet confirm vitamin D as a stand-alone treatment, its importance in overall scalp and follicular health is undeniable.
So, Do I Recommend Vitamin D Testing and Supplementation?
Absolutely, yes to both.
Vitamin D testing should be considered a routine part of a hair loss assessment, and supplementation is appropriate when levels are suboptimal.
However, here’s where it gets interesting: If your client has persistently low vitamin D despite supplementation, it's time to dig deeper.
Low levels may be a symptom, not just a cause.
What Affects Vitamin D Levels?
Vitamin D absorption, regulation, and metabolism can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including:
Limited sun exposure: Especially in winter months, in higher latitudes, or due to indoor lifestyles or sunscreen use.
Skin pigmentation: Melanin reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight.
Age: Older adults have a reduced ability to synthesise vitamin D.
Obesity: Vitamin D is sequestered in fat tissue, reducing its bioavailability.
Gut health issues: Conditions like coeliac disease, Crohn’s, and IBS may impair absorption.
Liver and kidney health: These organs are essential for vitamin D conversion.
Medications: Steroids, anticonvulsants, orlistat, and some cholesterol-lowering drugs can interfere with vitamin D levels.
Alcohol intake: Excess can impair liver function.
Toxin exposure: Can affect liver function and metabolic processing.
Magnesium and nutrient deficiencies: Especially magnesium, which is essential for vitamin D metabolism.
Genetic variations: Differences in genes related to vitamin D receptors and binding proteins.
This means interpretation must be contextual, not just based on numbers in a lab report.
Why Levels Drop in Spring and Stay Low for Many.
In early spring, most clients have their lowest vitamin D levels due to limited sun exposure over winter. While summer usually helps, many people still don’t make enough:
Indoor lifestyles
Sunscreen use
Living at higher latitudes
Skin pigmentation
The Bigger Picture: Metabolism, Immunity & Hormones
Vitamin D is crucial for:
Metabolism: It helps absorb calcium, magnesium, and phosphate—nutrients needed for healthy follicles.
Immunity: It modulates immune responses, which is critical in autoimmune-related hair loss like alopecia areata.
Hormone regulation: It supports hormonal balance, which affects hair growth cycles, especially in conditions like PCOS.
What This Means for You as a Hair Professional
We must think beyond the surface. Encouraging clients to test their vitamin D levels, educating them on its impact, and guiding them toward supplementation (when needed) is part of a more functional, whole-body approach to hair recovery.
Vitamin D won’t fix every hair concern, but it’s a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Let’s use our role as hair health professionals to advocate for deeper understanding and more personalised care.
With continued research and collaboration between trichologists, nutritionists, and medical professionals, we can support our clients more holistically… And let’s keep raising the bar.
Charlotte x
Share this post: