Nutrient Deficiency Hair Loss: Key Causes, Symptoms & Solutions

Understanding Nutrient Deficiency Hair Loss

What do you know about hair follicles, really? You probably know that they’re located in the skin. And that they grow hair, obviously. 

But did you know that they’re one of the most metabolically active parts of our bodies? They’re constantly regenerating and dividing stem cells, which is what helps them grow hair. 

Hair follicles need fuel to make this hair growth process happen — and that’s where essential nutrients step in. 

Nutrients help our follicles produce the keratin needed to grow strong, healthy hair. They also help deliver oxygen to hair follicles, contributing to scalp health. 

If your hair follicles don’t get the nutrients they need, that hair growth process is disrupted. Many follicles become impaired, suddenly switching from growing hair to shedding it and taking longer to regrow new strands. 

A range of conditions and circumstances can lead to nutrient deficiencies that cause hair loss, including poor diet, malabsorption conditions (such as gut disorders), and chronic illness. 

So while it’s always important to ensure you’re eating a nutritionally balanced diet, some people may also need to resort to supplements to correct an important nutritional deficiency or treatments to kickstart hair growth.

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Common Nutrient Deficiencies That Cause Hair Loss

A range of nutrient deficiencies have been linked to hair loss, but the most important ones include:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin B12
• Biotin
• Iron
• Zinc

Biotin supports keratin production, while iron and vitamin B12 are vital for the production of red blood cells (haemoglobin), which carry oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles. 

Meanwhile, sun-loving vitamin D helps stimulate hair follicles while zinc is essential for hair tissue growth and repair. 

When our bodies don’t get these nutrients in the amounts they need, it can disrupt our hair growth cycle, weaken our hair follicles, and cause increased shedding. 

Symptoms of Nutrient Deficiency Hair Loss

If you have a nutrient deficiency, there’s a good chance your body will let you know about it. It can be hard to ignore the fatigue, weakness, frequent bouts of illness, or brittle nails and dry skin. 

Another dead giveaway can be increased shedding and thinning hair. 

Nutrient deficiency hair loss appears as diffuse thinning — that is, you’ll notice your hair getting thinner all over your scalp, rather than in a few isolated spots. Your hair strands may also be weaker and more brittle. 

It’s a good idea to keep an eye out for these symptoms. Hair loss due to a nutrient deficiency can be treated, but if you leave it too long, the damage may be permanent. 

If you’re concerned about hair loss and you suspect a nutritional deficiency may be the culprit, we recommend consulting your healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis.

Diagnosing a Nutrient Deficiency That Causes Hair Loss

Self-diagnosing and self-treating a nutritional deficiency for hair loss can have harmful consequences. If you’re in any doubt about this, just take a look at this 2018 study, which found that taking vitamin A supplements when you don’t have a deficiency can actually cause hair loss — yikes!

If you suspect a nutritional deficiency is behind your barely-there hair, it’s best to visit a doctor first.

Your GP may ask you some questions and conduct a physical exam to see if you have other symptoms of a nutritional deficiency. They may also order a blood test to check your blood for certain nutrients, such as iron, B12, and vitamin D. 

A dermatologist may go a step further, assessing your scalp, hair follicles, and hair shafts for patterns and signs that align with hair loss. 

For example, they may look at whether the hair loss is diffuse or patchy, whether there are early signs of balding, or whether there are signs of inflammation. 

They can do this through a simple visual inspection, or they may use a tool such as a dermoscope. Dermatologists also often conduct a ‘hair pull test’, where they gently tug a section of hair to see how many hairs come out. 

This can be particularly helpful in ruling out other causes of hair loss, such as male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss, or hormonal hair loss.

Treatment Options for Nutrient Deficiency Hair Loss

Treating nutrient deficiency hair loss is all about getting to the root cause of the problem — boosting the amounts of nutrients your body is lacking. There are a few approaches your doctor may recommend:

Medical Treatments

Vitamin & Mineral Supplementation

Correcting nutrient levels is an essential step in reversing hair loss from a nutritional deficiency. Without addressing the underlying cause, anything else you do is simply unlikely to stick.

Your doctor is likely to recommend dietary changes — more on that in a sec — but they may also give your hair follicles a fighting chance with a supplementary boost, such as:

• Iron supplements — particularly those fortified with vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron. An infusion may be recommended for a severe deficiency.

• Vitamin D supplements — oral supplements can help remedy vitamin D deficiency, but excessive doses may cause toxicity, so your doctor may monitor your blood levels during treatment. 

• B12 supplements — available as an over-the-counter spray or pill, though an injection may be recommended for more severe deficiencies. 

• Biotin supplements — though rare, biotin deficiencies may be treated with supplements, though it’s best to consult a doctor as overuse can interfere with certain lab tests.

• Zinc supplements — may improve follicle strength but are best taken in consultation with a doctor as high doses can cause a range of health complications, including nausea and vomiting, headaches, copper deficiency, and reduced immune function. 

Lifestyle Changes & Management Strategies

A Nutrient-Rich Diet for Hair Health

One of the best places to start addressing a nutrient deficiency — or to prevent one in the first place — is to up your intake of whole foods that are high in vitamins and minerals, like eggs, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. 

Learn more about foods that are good for hair growth. 

On the flipside, you may also want to lay off highly processed foods and sugars. A  junk food-heavy diet can put you on the fast track to nutrient deficiencies.

Protein and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Therapy

We’ve taken a good look at vitamins and minerals, but it’s also important to ensure your body is getting enough protein and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Hair is made up almost entirely of a protein called keratin. This makes protein an essential part of the diet for growing healthy hair, according to Ralph Trüeb from the Center for Dermatology and Hair Diseases in Switzerland. 

A protein-rich diet can help strengthen hair strands and reduce breakage. Eggs, lean meats, dairy products, legumes, and nuts and seeds are all great sources of protein. 

Meanwhile, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory healthy fats that can protect your hair follicle cells from damage. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish like salmon and trout, avocado, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds.

Stress Reduction Techniques

Stress can impact the state of your hair in more ways than you might think. For a start, it can send your metabolism into overdrive, causing your body to use up more nutrients than usual. 

When you’re stressed, you may also find yourself too busy to eat a balanced, nutritious diet, or you may find yourself craving more highly processed foods than usual. Or you could lose your appetite altogether.

To counter the impact this may have on your hair, try incorporating easy stress-management techniques into your daily routine, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, therapy, and exercise. 

Learn more about the impact of stress on hair loss. 

Proper Scalp Care and Hair Regrowth Products

While staying on top of essential nutrient levels is key to preventing and treating nutritional deficiency-related hair loss, gentle scalp care practices can also provide the ideal conditions for hair growth while supporting long-term hair health. 

A few simple haircare changes may help protect your hair:

• Swap your regular shampoo for a sulphate-free shampoo.
• Avoid harsh chemical treatments on your hair, including colouring and bleaching.
• Avoid tight hairdos that can put extra strain on your hair follicles.
• Minimise the use of heat styling tools like hair dryers and straighteners.
• Nourish your scalp with scalp massages and herbs that are good for the hair.
• Massage your scalp to help increase blood flow to scalp hair follicles.
• Use a wide-toothed comb on dry hair when brushing.

Sometimes, your scalp may also benefit from a little extra love. 

Medical hair growth treatments like minoxidil are typically tried, tested, and approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) because they have been proven to help treat hair loss. They may be the right fit for you if you’re concerned about hair loss.

Preventing Hair Loss Due to Nutrient Deficiency

It should hardly come as a surprise that the best way to prevent nutrient deficiency hair loss is to make sure your body gets the right levels of vitamins and minerals. 

And there’s no better way to give your follicles a fighting chance than to eat a healthy and balanced diet full of nutrient-dense and protein-rich foods. That includes having plenty of healthy fats, fruits and veggies, and proteins like lean meat, fish, and legumes. 

If you have a vitamin deficiency, malabsorption issues, or a limiting diet, your doctor may also recommend taking vitamin or mineral supplements to compensate. 

If it’s too late to prevent hair loss and you’ve noticed more hair in the shower drain, or a bit more give in your hair tie, you may like to consider a medically-backed and doctor-approved hair regrowth treatment. 

The Hairy Pill® is one such treatment. It includes doctor consultations, regular doctor check-ins, and medical recommendations for hair loss treatments for men and hair growth treatments for women. 

Take our quiz to find out if The Hairy Pill® can help you today.

Can Hair Loss from Nutrient Deficiency Be Reversed?

Fortunately, hair loss from a nutrient deficiency isn’t usually permanent; once those missing nutrients are restored, your hair growth cycle typically returns to normal. 

But it’ll take time. How much time depends on how severe the nutrient deficiency is. 

A mild deficiency can be corrected quite quickly, with the result translating to hair growth within 3–6 months. More severe cases of nutrient deficiency might take longer to treat, which means it may take longer before you see improvements with your hair. 

A few things can help the process along, including a consistent treatment plan, any necessary dietary changes, and a healthy hair care routine.

FAQs

1. Are certain people more at risk for nutrient deficiency hair loss than others?

According to Oregon State University, a few subgroups have a greater risk of developing a nutritional deficiency that could lead to hair loss. To name just a few:

• People with malabsorption disorders (such as coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease) are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies, such as iron, vitamin D, and zinc.
• Premenopausal women have a higher risk of developing iron deficiency from blood loss during menstruation. 
• Vegans and vegetarians risk not getting enough nutrients like iron, zinc, and B12 into their diet, since our main sources of these nutrients are from meat and fish. 
• People with dark skin or obesity have a heightened risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency. 

2. Which medications can cause nutrient depletion and hair loss?

Medications can be literal lifesavers, but sometimes that comes at a cost. They can, for example, impair your body’s ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. 

As a result, some medications run the risk of causing a nutrient deficiency that can directly impact the health of your hair. 

Here’s a shortlist of common medications that may cause nutrient deficiency and related hair loss:

• Anti-seizure medications — can decrease vitamin D levels
• Metformin — can indirectly lead to vitamin B12 deficiency
• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) — a 2013 review found PPIs can cause deficiencies in vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
• Antibiotics — may lead to deficiencies in the vitamin B complex or vitamin K

But take note: nutritional deficiencies caused by medications often take months or even years to become noticeable, so it might not be immediately obvious that there’s a link between hair thinning and your prescription medication. 

3. Does excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption contribute to nutrient deficiency hair loss?

There are plenty of studies about the impact of caffeine and alcoholism on hair or the impact of these factors on nutrient levels. 

But there isn’t a lot out there that makes a direct connection between over-caffeinating or alcoholism, nutrient deficiencies, and hair loss. 

Instead, we can only try to put two and two together. Let’s start with alcohol.

In 1999, German Dermatologist Professor Jürgen Fuchs stated that alcoholism was a leading cause of vitamin deficiencies in industrialised countries. Going even further back, a 1985 paper found that people with alcoholism are more at risk of having acquired zinc deficiency. 

Alcohol can damage the intestinal lining and limit the absorption of nutrients that are essential to hair growth. So what impact can that have on hair?

Fast forward to 2010, Doctors Goldbery and Lenzy from the Boston University School of Medicine noted that alcoholism can cause hair to weaken, change colour, or shed. 

Meanwhile, a 2-year-long study of 92 identical male twins published in 2013 found that those brothers who drank more than 4 alcoholic drinks a week were more likely to have vertex hair loss. 

Caffeine doesn’t help either.

A 2014 literature review concluded that caffeine interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients like iron and B vitamins — nutrients that are essential for healthy hair growth. 

4. Can multiple nutrient deficiencies contribute to hair loss at the same time?

It’s entirely possible to have multiple nutrient deficiencies simultaneously, all playing a role in disrupting your natural hair growth cycle. 

Many vitamins and minerals have a purpose in hair growth, whether it’s carrying oxygen to hair follicles, encouraging protein synthesis, or something entirely different. Stack on a few deficiencies, and these processes can all be disrupted at the same time, but in different ways. 

That means that multiple, concurrent nutrient deficiencies may not just contribute to hair loss but can exacerbate it. This highlights the importance of consulting with a doctor and getting a blood test to address any deficiencies as quickly as possible. 

5. Does hair loss from nutrient deficiencies happen suddenly or gradually?

Hair loss from nutrient deficiencies usually happens gradually — often so gradually that you may not even notice it’s happening until you have diffuse thinning across your scalp. 

That’s why it’s best to look out for other symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, such as fatigue, weakness, frequent bouts of illness, or brittle nails and dry skin. If you have any of these concerns, it’s best to consult a doctor, who can order a blood test and get to the bottom of the matter.

6. How can you tell the difference between nutrient deficiency hair loss and genetic hair thinning?

Nutrient deficiency hair loss and genetic hair thinning conditions (such as male pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss) have characteristics that may make it easy to tell them apart. 

For genetic hair thinning conditions, it’s all in the name: whether male or female, the hereditary hair loss follows a distinct pattern. 

For men, it usually starts with a receding hairline and thinning at the crown. For women, it can be a little trickier because female pattern hair loss follows a pattern of diffuse thinning similar to nutrient deficiency hair loss. A widening part is a typical sign of genetic hair loss in women.

Hair loss due to a nutrient deficiency is diffuse, thinning in an even pattern across the entire scalp. Your hair might also feel a little different: drier or more brittle. You probably won’t have to contend with bald spots either. 

Other symptoms may also accompany hair loss from a nutrient deficiency, such as fatigue, weakness, or brittle nails. 

7. How long does it take for hair to regrow after correcting a nutrient deficiency?

Once you’ve identified and started to treat the underlying nutrient deficiency, it will still take time to get back to a full head of hair. 

First, your body’s nutrient levels need to return to normal. Once that happens, your hair follicles will slowly transition back to an active period of healthy growth. 

Even then, it can take a few weeks for that growth to become visible, which means that altogether, it can take on average 3–6 months to see improvements with your hair after correcting a nutrient deficiency.