11 replies to this topic

[superman87]

I was taking 25,000 iu of vitamin A for a while to help with oil production. (Yes I know it was stupid of me, vitamin A is toxic. However I kept reading so many conflicting reports as to just how much was toxic that I figured it wouldnt hurt) Anyways, after about a month, my oil had not subsided and my hair began to fall out. I have fairly long hair for a guy so occasionally in the shower or during the day a few thin strands would fall out, but this was different. The thick, healthy strands are now falling out. I stopped vitamin A immediately and its been about two weeks now and my hair is still falling out and I can definitely tell it feels thinner. I've started taking 6g of biotin to help combat the hairloss, but havent seen results yet. Does anyone know how long it will take for my hair to recover. This was the only symptom I had from taking vitamin A. Also, I am still taking 100,000 iu of beta carotene because I was under the impression that it has no side effects. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[stillNotGetNnE]

I was taking 25,000 iu of vitamin A for a while to help with oil production. (Yes I know it was stupid of me, vitamin A is toxic. However I kept reading so many conflicting reports as to just how much was toxic that I figured it wouldnt hurt) Anyways, after about a month, my oil had not subsided and my hair began to fall out. I have fairly long hair for a guy so occasionally in the shower or during the day a few thin strands would fall out, but this was different. The thick, healthy strands are now falling out. I stopped vitamin A immediately and its been about two weeks now and my hair is still falling out and I can definitely tell it feels thinner. I've started taking 6g of biotin to help combat the hairloss, but havent seen results yet. Does anyone know how long it will take for my hair to recover. This was the only symptom I had from taking vitamin A. Also, I am still taking 100,000 iu of beta carotene because I was under the impression that it has no side effects. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Vitamin A in synthetic form is toxic but eating carrots, whole foods with vitamin A is not. But I am currently in the same position you are in. My hair is dramatically thinning and coming out. Our causes maybe different. For me, I wasnt getting enough protein and wasnt eating properly which sent my hair into resting phase and to my hair thinning. I know its not genetic because my family has there hair. Im 20. Ive done my research. I know its not normal hair loss because my hair was fine in January, February, March I noticed my scalp was being a little more visible but didnt think it was a big deal. By April, I got a really bad flu and I havent gotten sick for almost 2 years. I mostly eat organic foods. But I read (At least in my position) that a fever can be a result of having a weak immune system, not getting enough protein etc. I was sick all night throwing up bile every half hour, couldnt fall sleep. By the time I woke up, shedding hair was on my pillow. Literally freaked me out. Another thing is, my hair isnt coming out in clumps or my crown is just thinning. My whole head all around is thinning. Def not normal. By May I have corrected the problem. Im back to eating certain meats and more protein and vegitables etc. I read that it takes 4 Months to do the damage. So my problem began in December-January. So Im guessing it takes up to 4 months before your hair starts coming back in since its in Resting Phase. Thats just a guess though. It says resting phase can last up to 3 months. But it does say once the diet is fixed, the problem should fix itself. But they never say how long but Im guessing around 3-4 months. I think. For me its been a solid 2 months. Ive also been taking Zinc supplement and going back on certain meat, fish, eating better. Ive now lost the white spots on my finger nails. My skin isnt flakey anymore. I feel healthier again. So I guess I have to wait and see. Its frustrating and embarressing. I currently let my hair grow out because I know cutting it short will make it look worse. Def annoying.

[Danny©]

http://www.hairloss-reversible.com/

This site is very good. The author created a series of scalp exercises and they do work by increasing the blood flow in the scalp area. Capsacin and sorbimacrogol sterate work in a simila fashion increasing the blood flow to the hair follicles and they're known as products having a very high percentage of success for people affected by alopecia

Danny

[stillNotGetNnE]

I dont think the poster has Alopecia and I know I dont have that either.

If the crown of your hair is thinning and your hair is receeding then its possible that its genetic. But if your young and your hair was fine and then all of a sudden your experiencing hair thinning and shedding, thens its prob premature temporary hair loss due to many reasons - poor nutrition (which was my reason) medications, skin conditions, and illnesses etc . Its where the hair goes into resting phase which last up to 3 months. So expect your hair to keep shedding but in the mean time, stop the vitamin A and make sure your eating properly. Getting enough protein, fruits and veg etc.

Check this website out. http://www.newstarget.com/012893.html
It talks about hair thinning and hair loss etc. If you have any questions, just reply.

[Danny©]

I dont think the poster has Alopecia and I know I dont have that either.

If the crown of your hair is thinning then its possible that its genetic. But if your young and your hair was fine and then all of a sudden your experiencing hair thinning and shedding, thens its prob premature temporary hair loss due to many reasons - poor nutrition (which was my reason) medications, skin conditions, and illnesses etc

They're very similar conditions, the only difference is that alopecia is chronic hair loss while what the poster is experiencing is acute (but not chronic) hair loss. The reasons are practically the same.
In fact when they say that a cause of hair loss is genetics it doesn't mean that genes cause hair loss it just mean that one if genetically predisposed to hair loss, in other words is more susceptible to the same factors causing chronic hair loss or acute hair loss like poor circulation, poor nutrition and so on
When they say that the cause if hormonals it means that it's the hormones instead doing what a bad diet or vitamin intoxication could do. The mechanisms that create hair loss don't change, what changes is the trigger of those mechanisms. Genetics is not a trigger but a greater susceptibility to triggers
If you all of sudden experience a massive hair loss it means that the follicle got weaker or stop growing new hair. This is still related to blood flow for example and it's helped by everything which increases blood flow to the follicles. Hence if those scalp exercises really work or if sorbimacrogol sterate really works then they work as good in reserving chronic hair loss as in revernsing acute (temporary) hair loss

Danny

[stillNotGetNnE]

If you all of sudden experience a massive hair loss it means that the follicle got weaker or stop growing new hair. This is still related to blood flow for example and it's helped by everything which increases blood flow to the follicles.

The reason the hair follicle became weaker is a result of the reasons I stated above. Yea, doing some scalp exersizes may help but thats not the reason why your experiencing the problem. If it was, everyone would be going bald and massaging there heads lol. Unless Im just missing at what your trying to say. But I agree about what you said about chronic and acute. I can understand if someone is 30-40 and experiencing these problems but when your a teen and early 20s etc then it has to be a different reason depending on the genetics of your family ofcourse. I mean, are you loosing your hair at the crown, are you receeding? etc But for me, my hair is there but its thinning and its not just the top part of my head or clumps of areas, its my whole head that is thinning) Im so Pissed off at myself for causing this problem. Its very embarressing and frustrating. But its been about 3 months now so I should see my hair improving in the next couple months or so.

[Danny©]

If you all of sudden experience a massive hair loss it means that the follicle got weaker or stop growing new hair. This is still related to blood flow for example and it's helped by everything which increases blood flow to the follicles.

The reason the hair follicle became weaker is a result of the reasons I stated above. Yea, doing some scalp exersizes may help but thats not the reason why your experiencing the problem. If it was, everyone would be going bald and massaging there heads lol. Unless Im just missing at what your trying to say. But I agree about what you said about chronic and acute. I can understand if someone is 30-40 and experiencing these problems but when your a teen and early 20s etc then it has to be a different reason depending on the genetics of your family ofcourse. I mean, are you loosing your hair at the crown, are you receeding? etc But for me, my hair is there but its thinning and its not just the top part of my head or clumps of areas, its my whole head that is thinning) Im so Pissed off at myself for causing this problem. Its very embarressing and frustrating. But its been about 3 months now so I should see my hair improving in the next couple months or so.

What I mean is that different causes generates hair loss by triggering the same basic mechanism
For example when hair loss is caused by hormone unbalance it means that hormones are decreasing nutrients available to the hair and blood flow to the follicles. What a bad diet does is that too, decreasing hair nutrients and blood flow to the follicles. What stress diet is the same thing again
Since those scalp exercises work by increasing nutrients available to the hair and blood flow to the follicles, those exercise address the effects of all difference causes of thinning hair, so while they're tought for genetical and hormonal adult age alopecia they are as effective for youth thinning hair due to bad diet, stress, lack of sleep, dyed hair, chemicals applied to the hair and so on because all of the things I have listed decrease nutrients available to the hair and blod flow to the hair follicles while scalp exercise increase nutrients available to the hair and blood flow to the follicles

Sorry, my english is not good enough to explain myself

Danny

[bryan]

http://www.hairloss-reversible.com/

This site is very good. The author created a series of scalp exercises and they do work by increasing the blood flow in the scalp area.

I think that site is a load of crap. There is no shortage of blood flow to the scalp, and the "galea" theory for hair loss has already been debunked up one side and down the other by careful scientific testing. Avoid.

Bryan

[Danny©]

I think that site is a load of crap. There is no shortage of blood flow to the scalp, and the "galea" theory for hair loss has already been debunked up one side and down the other by careful scientific testing. Avoid.

Anecdotally I have heard the testimonials of unabiased people I know and it worked for them
Just like capsacin and sorbimacrogol sterate worked wonderfully for people I know and they do increase blood flow to the hair follicles, of course they also break up cholesterol formation which is needed for the synthesis of the enzyme 5 alpha reductase

Sometime something works before even scientific studies can show it especially is those studies are few, small and methodologically flawed

I know some of the people who wrote the testimonials and if you read the testomonials page you will see it's not fare or biased. Many are posting that they didn't see results or see results only after months other are saying it's working for them and since they're not doing anything else and they were told their hair loss was irreversible it must something in the exercises working. It's not hype like thousands of people claiming that they grew an head full of hair in 2 days

Danny

[Denise2]

You don't need 100,000 iu's of beta carotene, either.....

[*Rebecca*]

u are only suppose to take 5 to 10,000 IU ... and taking megadoses of vitamins causes you to b deficient in other vitamins you could b deficient in Zinc bc i know if you are it causes your hair to fall out ...

Vitamin A is required for
Vitamin A is required for night vision, and for a healthy skin. It assists the immune system, and because of its antioxidant properties is great to protect against pollution and cancer formation and other diseases. It also assists your sense of taste as well as helping the digestive and urinary tract and many believe that it helps slow aging.

It is required for development and maintenance of the epithelial cells, in the mucus membranes, and your skin, and is important in the formation of bone and teeth, storage of fat and the synthesis of protein and glycogen.

Deficiency of vitamin A
A deficiency of vitamin A may lead to eye problems with dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea, dry skin and hair, night blindness as well as poor growth.

Dry itchy eyes that tire easily are normally a warning of too little vitamin A. If the deficiency become severe, the cornea can ulcerate and permanent blindness can follow.

Abscesses forming in the ear, sinusitis, frequent cold and respiratory infections as well as skin disorders, such as acne, boils and a bumpy skin, as well as weight loss might be indicative of the vitamin being in short supply.

Insomnia, fatigue and reproductive difficulties may also be indicative of the vitamin in short supply. Your hair and scalp can also become dry with a deficiency, especially if protein is also lacking.

Dosage
The dosage underneath is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), but be aware that this dosage is the minimum that you require per day, to ward off serious deficiency of this particular nutrient. In the therapeutic use of this nutrient, the dosage is usually increased considerably, but the toxicity level must be kept in mind.

Male 5,000 IU per day (1,000 ?g equivalent), female 4,000 IU per day (800 ?g retinol equivalent), although 10,000 IU per day is normally used in supplementation.

Toxicity and symptoms of high intake
Dosages exceeding 15,000 IU per day must be taken under medical supervision. Toxicity can appear in some individuals at relatively low dosages and the symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, menstrual problems, skin changes and dryness, itchiness, irritability, vomiting, headaches and long term use can cause hair loss, bone and muscle pain, headache, liver damage, and an increase in blood lipid concentrations.

Pregnant women must be careful as a high intake of this vitamin can cause birth defects.

Pro-vitamin A - beta-carotene does not cause toxicity.

Be careful if you in the unlikely event run across polar bear on a menu - 500 gram (about ? a pound) of polar bear liver will deliver about 9,000,000 IU to your diet - a very lethal dose. Headaches, blurred vision, loss of hair, drowsiness and diarrhea, enlargement of the spleen and liver can all be indications when your intake is too high.

Best used with
Take vitamin A with B group vitamins, vitamins C, D and E, choline, essential fatty acids together with calcium, phosphorus and zinc for the best results.

When more may be required
More of this vitamin is required when you consume alcohol, on a low-fat diet, or a diet high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, if you smoke or live in a polluted area. It may also be indicated if you suffer from diabetes or have an under-active thyroid gland. Be careful of vitamin A in pregnancy.

Enemy of vitamin A
Retinol is destroyed by light, high temperatures as well as when using copper or iron cooking utensils. Beta-carotene rich vegetables and fruit must not be soaked in water for long periods, since the nutrients can be lost like that.

Other interesting points
There seems to be no toxicity when ingesting large amounts of beta-carotene - you might however have a slightly orange colored skin, as the carotene gets stored in your skin.

Food sources of vitamin A
Liver, milk, egg-yolk, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits are high in vitamin A or beta-carotene.



from this website http://www.anyvitamins.com/vitamin-a-info.htm

[bryan]

Anecdotally I have heard the testimonials of unabiased people I know and it worked for them
Just like capsacin and sorbimacrogol sterate worked wonderfully for people I know and they do increase blood flow to the hair follicles...

Capsaicin (and other irritants) may in fact stimulate a little extra hair growth, but they very likely work by mechanisms OTHER than stimulating blood flow. For example, minoxidil and diazoxide are both vasodilators and they both stimulate hair growth, but other vasodilators that work by a different mechanism do NOT stimulate hair growth.

...of course they also break up cholesterol formation...

They don't "break up" cholesterol formation. At least, I've never heard of such a claim.

...which is needed for the synthesis of the enzyme 5 alpha reductase

Cholesterol isn't needed for the synthesis of 5a-reductase. There are genes that code directly for both versions of that enzyme. And as far as I know, the only other substance besides 5a-reductase required for the conversion of testosterone to DHT is NADPH.

Bryan