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Vitamin D Deficiency?
Hey Everyone.
Not long ago, someone posted about the Coimbra Protocol. I hadn't heard of it, and did a little researching, and it appears that high doses of Vitamin D are a large part of it. I then did a search in Google Scholar regarding vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune disorders. Sure enough, a large amount of literature popped up that stated vitamin D deficiency is common in autoimmune disorders, including various types of alopecia and some therapies addressing this issue have been helpful for certain types of autoimmune disorders (Lupus was one of them, I think). I didn't see anything specifically related to treating FFA with vitamin D, but it has me wondering...
There was a study a while back that showed that sunscreen use was more common in women with FFA. You know one of the things the sun light does, right?- It stimulates production of vitamin D. Coincidence??
In relation to the sunscreen study, there was a response to it by other researchers who said they didn't think sunscreen was the issue and that people need to remember the study wasn't experimental or even correlational, merely observational. They stressed that we shouldn't draw conclusions from the results. I guess I just wanted to throw that out there.
I'm not sure what to think about all of this? Do any of you know if you have a vitamin D deficiency?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tessa on
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The possible connection is certainly interesting. I don't go in the sun much because, being from England originally, I don't cope well with the Aussie sun. When I do, I'm always covered in sunscreen.
I also have coeliac disease and one thing they check at the time of diagnosis is your vitamin D levels. There is a correlation between coeliac and osteoporosis because the damaged intestines cannot absorb vitamin D (and many other nutrients) which leads to weakened bones. I have been on vitamin D tablets since then (at a low level, nowhere near that suggested by Coimbra) and apparently my levels are now good, but I am told to continue the tablets despite being on a strict gluten free diet which should have corrected the coeliac issues.
Perhaps there is a connection between vitamin D and autoimmune diseases generally?
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Permalink Reply by illustr8r on
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I'll try to keep this as short as I can.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, stage 3. Vanity over my horribly flat, lifeless hair got me to the dr finally. No hair loss on my head at that point-just awful looking hair with no bounce or shine. My eyebrows no longer needed to be waxed but I still had distinct looking brows and although they were shedding it wasn't obvious yet.
Many labs revealed: a Vitamin D deficiency and I was anemic.
My hair recovered 6 months later after taking 2,000mg of Vitamin D and 325mg of iron daily. It looked and felt very healthy like it should.
Hair on my head looked good till 2015. I noticed it didn't style right. I got weird parts and cowlicks. My hair has always been stick straight now it was curly in the back. My hairstylist said it was caused by hormones. Eyebrows were mostly gone-left with wiry hairs.
OK In February 2017 after putting up with horrible hot flashes and night sweats, itching, pinpoint pains and petechaie that broke out on my face, arms and legs-I needed relief and I went to the dr. My hair was shedding and even my dr made note it was much thinner than 6 months prior. More labs.
This time:
Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Too much Vitamin D and iron. I was above the standard range.
My hormones crashed and I was past menopause. Over and done.
My indication for alopecia presented itself as a positive ANA for scleroderma.
Now: I'm on HRT full time. My hair has gone back to being stick straight and normal in the back of my head. My wiry eyebrow hairs are now smooth and I can at least shape them in with my micro -bladed brows. I take less Vitamin D and iron.
The only sunscreen I use is in my foundation that I put on my face almost every day. Another piece of the puzzle? -
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Permalink Reply by Mattsmate on
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I had a deficiency then I had an overabundance which is also bad. Then, this year deficient again. When I had an overabundance I had been taking Vitamin D and had to stop.
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I wasn't aware that I had Vit D deficiency - on holiday in the Med I usually sunbathed for an hour or so before breakfast without any suntan lotion, so that I could absorb Vit D. Then after breakfast 9:30/10am I would put on the once per day suntan lotion. I noticed my hair line was receding in 2013/14 but I wasn't taken seriously by the Doctors until April 2016 when I was referred to a dermatologist and was diagnosed in Nov 2016 with FFA.
In recent months, in Britain, they have been suggesting people take Vit D supplements. I haven't taken any supplements and have assumed that my Vit D levels were ok.
I think that there isn't 'one size fits all' with FFA - I think that different things trigger the FFA in different people, so it might prove very difficult to pin-point the causes. BUT - I really hope the researchers can find something very soon to stop the FFA.
xOx -
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Coincidentally, I just went for my yearly physical and apparently I am vitamin D deficient also- well being from the northeast I think all of us up here are somewhat vitamin D deficient, but anyway he wants me to take the regular vit. D supplements plus a 1x per week prescription dose of 50000 mg. & go back in 2 months to check again, along with my iron levels as I am low on that also, which I thought I was, as the last 3 times I went to donate blood I was either borderline or too low to donate. So will see if this supersize vit. D pill once a week will help my hair!
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Hi Jess,
The timing of your post was interesting to me because just this week I had some reasons to suspect sunscreen being a huge issue for those with a tendency to react to it and cause FFA. So as to not be redundant, please see a post that I will make imminently!
My D was normal but I have supplemented for years. Ferritin (iron) was quite low...eventually in the very low normal range but my derm wanted it up near 70! so I am supplementing. And of course I take several meds now as well in hopes of stopping the FFA.
RE the likes of the Coimbra protocol... Have been all over the board with gluten or not, dairy or not. And Coimbra goes way deeper. IDK if it's really necessary with this disease as I am learning and go along, and of course with my new suspicions with chemical SPF!
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Permalink Reply by Maz on
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This started me thinking. I have studied genetics in the past (80's) and have maintained an interest if not kept current on research. There are a multitude of variations of the Vitamin D receptor and the consequences of those differences range from severe, even lethal, rickets to mild deficiencies, to no detectable difference. As there is a lot of osteoporosis in my family and some hair loss and auto-immune problems I intend researching the possible link (not that I have much free time). My theory is that we (FFA sufferers) have a particular mutation of the VDR which causes no major health issues but makes us susceptible to various triggers. It may be stress, it may be menopause, etc., etc. Those triggers don't cause hair loss in the general population so all our theories about what caused our problems are rejected because it is obvious that no-one else has a problem with whatever we point the finger at. No, we have a particular susceptibility and that has to be genetic. In the long term I am actually more concerned about the osteoporosis which looms large in my family but as there is possibly a strong link I intend searching for answers. I don't think it will give us any cure but it may give us some direction. If it's a dead-end so be it. Even so, I maintain that there is a genetic susceptibility.
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I also have osteoporosis to add to my tale of woes listed above- and I have chronic kidney disease. I'm an anomaly in my family in that all of these issues don't fit with any of our family history.
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Just a minute into a look at this subject and I found that sebaceous cysts are also associated with VDR mutations. That's weird, especially since I have about 6 of them on my scalp and so do many of my family. They're not a problem, just a tad annoying.
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I take Vit D to keep my levels in the normal range. But I've only been doing that for the last year maybe. I live in a climate where most people need to take Vit D supplements.
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My doctor has me on 50,000 units of Vitamin D. I take it once a week. I don't know if I have a Vitamin D deficiency or he's bein proactive, never asked.
Another doctor told me that they think FFA comes from sunscreen. She doesn't believe it though. That being said, I'm one of those people that hardly ever uses sun screen. Should, but don't.
Check out Phenoxyethanol, it's in everything, creams, liquids, makeup, sun screen. I think that's the culprit. It's a preservative. But what do I know? -
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