How Excess Vitamin A Can Contribute to Hair Loss: What You Should Know
Vitamin A is critical for essential functions like vision, immune health, and cell growth. It’s found naturally in foods as preformed vitamin A (from animal products) and provitamin A carotenoids (from plants). When consumed at normal levels, vitamin A promotes healthy skin and hair. However, excess intake, particularly from supplements high in preformed vitamin A, can have unintended side effects, including hair loss. This condition, called hypervitaminosis A, disrupts hair growth cycles, leading to hair thinning and shedding.
Since vitamin A is stored in the liver, consistently high doses can overwhelm the body’s storage capacity, causing vitamin A to leak into the bloodstream. This disrupts hair follicle health, often triggering telogen effluvium, a condition where hair prematurely enters a resting phase. Studies show that excessive vitamin A intake can reduce hair density, leaving hair more fragile and prone to shedding (source, source).
The documentary Vitamania: The Sense and Nonsense of Vitamins offers a compelling look into the supplement industry, exploring the risks of unnecessary vitamin supplementation. In particular, it highlights how an excessive focus on supplements has created misconceptions around “more is better,” often overlooking potential harms.
For those experiencing hair loss, it’s worth assessing vitamin A intake and other causes that might be involved. To learn more, watch Dr. Jogi’s video on common hair loss causes, or check out our comprehensive page on hair loss types and treatments.
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