Vitamin B12 for Hair: Benefits, Deficiency Signs & Best Sources

What is Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 [2] is an essential vitamin that helps in the overall functioning of your body. It is a water-soluble vitamin that offers multiple advantages to your body. From assisting in the formation of new red blood cells and maintaining the function of your central nervous system to producing DNA and enabling cell division, vitamin B12 does everything your body needs to function. Vitamin B12 for hair is particularly important, as your hair follicles depend on the above processes to function properly and sustain healthy hair growth.

How Vitamin B12 Works For Hair Growth?

Vitamin B12 is one of the 8 vitamins of the B complex group. Also known as cobalamin, the B12 vitamin plays a major role in hair health. [3] It helps create new red blood cells that are vital for supplying oxygen and other nutrients to your hair follicles. This action keeps the follicles healthy and helps in your hair growth process. It is essential to ensure that you are getting enough of it. Any deficiency in vitamin B12 hampers hair growth and leads to potential hair loss in individuals.

Vitamin B12 Benefits For Hair

Here is a list of vitamin B12 benefits for hair that you should know:

1. Promotes Hair Growth:

   One of the significant benefits of vitamin B12 for hair is that it stimulates hair growth by enhancing blood circulation to your scalp.

2. Reduces Hair Breakage:

   Vitamin B12 helps in the creation of keratin, a protein that is responsible for maintaining the structure of your hair strands. It also strengthens the strands and prevents them from becoming weak or brittle.

3. Improves Hair Texture and Shine:

   Vitamin B12 for hair enhances the hair texture and shine by nourishing the hair from within.

4. Moisturises and Conditions:

   This vitamin prevents dryness from your scalp and keeps it moisturised by supporting the supply of oxygen to your scalp.

5. Supports a Healthy Scalp:

   Yet another advantage of incorporating vitamin B12 in your daily routine is that it helps maintain a healthy scalp. This essential nutrient supports the production of natural oil in your scalp.

6. Reduces Premature Greying:

   When you include vitamin B12 in your daily diet, it helps prevent premature greying and maintains your hair’s natural colour.

Does Low Vitamin B12 Cause Hair Loss?

Yes. Deficiency [4] in vitamin B12 can be a contributing factor to hair loss. Although it does not directly cause hair loss, it hampers several functions in the body that trigger excessive hair fall. When there is less B12 in your body than required, it slows down cell division, which ultimately disrupts hair production. Moreover, low levels of B12 reduce the supply of oxygen, which leads to a decrease in the RBC count. This eventually results in the dryness of hair follicles and accelerates hair loss.

Signs & Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Identifying B12 deficiency is challenging. While the best person to diagnose is a doctor, here are some common hair-related symptoms you can look for to determine if you have a deficiency:

• Excessive hair shedding or thinning hair
• Dry and brittle hair that is prone to breakage
• Premature greying of hair
• Change in hair texture
• Scalp issues or an unhealthy scalp

Apart from the above, watch out for these signs [5] that will tell you if your body is lacking in vitamin B12:

• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Neurological sickness
• Memory loss
• Mood changes
• Depression

How to Treat Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Now that you have understood about vitamin B12 deficiency, it is time to know how to treat it. Here are some ways you can address this issue:

1. Supplements: If you have a mild to moderate deficiency, take vitamin B12 supplements to maintain adequate levels.
2. Dietary Changes: Make necessary changes to your diet by including B12-rich foods like meat, eggs, dairy products and other sources of B12.
3. Medications: In most severe cases of vitamin deficiency, doctors may administer vitamin B12 injections or prescribe vitamin B12 medication.
4. Dermatologist Consultation: Always have a diagnosis from your dermatologist to identify the deficiency, the severity of hair loss and recommend a suitable treatment plan.

Precautions

Maintaining adequate levels of B12 is essential to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency in your body. Here are some tips you can follow:

• Avoid frequent consumption of alcohol, as it can make absorption of B12 difficult for your body.
• Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B12.
• Certain medications can affect your B12 levels. Watch out and discuss with your doctor.

Can Vitamin B12 Deficiency Alone Cause Hair Loss?

Yes, a vitamin B12 deficiency can be a contributing factor to hair loss in some individuals. It is important to get B12 levels tested. Identifying and addressing the B12 deficiency can help reverse this type of hair loss. The best thing you can do is consult a dermatologist who will help with the right plan.

When To Visit A Dermatologist?

Early diagnosis can help reduce your hair loss and improve your hair and body health. You should see a dermatologist for hair loss if:

• If you have persistent hair loss
• If you feel there is no clear cause of hair loss
• If you notice other symptoms, like fatigue, weight loss, or fever, in addition to hair loss.

Hair Fall Treatments At Oliva Clinic

When you visit Oliva Clinics for a consultation, our expert dermatologists will perform an in-depth diagnosis to confirm if vitamin B12 deficiency is causing hair loss. This may include some blood tests, evaluating your medical history, inquiring about your family history and medications. This analysis will help them diagnose if vitamin B12 deficiency is triggering hair loss and rule out other underlying factors. Based on the diagnosis, they will recommend the following hair loss treatments:

Platelet-rich Plasma is a non-surgical hair loss treatment that doctors may recommend to treat your hair loss. This process involves separating plasma from your blood sample, activating it with growth factors and injecting the platelet-rich plasma into the affected areas of your scalp. This action stimulates the inactive hair follicles and promotes hair regrowth.

2. QR678 Neo:

QR678 is an advanced hair growth treatment that works best for individuals experiencing hair loss due to nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances. In this treatment, the dermatologists will inject the peptide solution into your scalp directly using fine needles. This solution contains growth factors that stimulate inactive hair follicles on your scalp and encourage hair regrowth.

3. Medications:

Based on the severity of your hair loss, dermatologists may prescribe oral or topical medications. In addition to the above, our dermatologists at Oliva provide a personalised haircare routine and nutritional guidance to keep the problem in check. They do this simultaneously while treating your hair loss.

Takeaway

A well-balanced diet can contribute to your hair health and overall health. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can disrupt key functions in the body that will lead to excessive hair shedding. Diagnosing a deficiency in vitamin B12 for hair loss can be challenging. To identify the condition, look for common symptoms and consult a dermatologist to address it in the early stages. For personalised guidance on nutrition and a customised hair loss treatment plan tailored to your needs, visit your nearest Oliva Clinic today!