Our hair health depends on the sufficient intake and proper absorption of various minerals from our diet. According to a study in the National Library of Medicine, it has been stated that calcium deficiency is linked to alopecia or hair fall.
If you are experiencing brittle hair and coarse hair or hair thinning, low calcium levels could be the culprit. Read the following blog to understand how calcium is important for hair maintenance, how it leads to hair loss, and what can be done to reverse this hair fall.
What is The Role of Calcium In Hair Health?
Although calcium does not directly stimulate hair growth, it is an essential mineral needed for the proper health and functioning of hair follicles. Here are some evidences that show how calcium and hair health are related:
1. Lack of Dietary May Cause Hairfall
One study supports the connection between calcium—and vitamin D-deficient diet and the development of alopecia, a type of permanent hair loss.
2. Increasing Calcium Can Manage Hairfall
At the same time, another recent study from 2017 shows that the intravenous infusion of a combination of zinc sulfate and calcium pantothenate can help control the initial stages of hair loss. One can even add hair supplement to manage hair fall using the provided combination of calcium pantothenate and zinc sulfate. For a better understanding, you can talk to the doctor before implementing any of the products to manage hair fall.
3. Low Calcium Levels Can Affect Hair Texture
Not having enough calcium or hypocalcemia can manifest the most visible symptoms, such as drier and coarser hair than your normal hair texture.
Other Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency
If you are unsure whether your hair fall is due to a lack of calcium, you can get your calcium serum checked. Before that, you may also look at some common symptoms of calcium deficiency that you may be experiencing along with hair loss.
As per the data provided by Cleveland Clinic, low body calcium can lead to:
- Muscle cramps
- Brittle nails
- Confusion
- Weak bones
- Joint pain
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Tingling on the tips of fingers, toes, tongue, and lips
- Muscle stiffness
- Seizures
These symptoms may vary person to person depending on how low one’s calcium levels are.
Calcium Deficiency Causes
There are many deficiency of calcium causes that may impact your hair health in the long run. Some of them are:
Not Consuming Calcium-Rich Foods
This is the most basic cause of your body running low on calcium. The main sources of calcium are through diet, including foods such as milk, yogurt, rice, makhana, fish, leafy greens, nuts, dried figs, etc.
Low Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is highly important for the absorption of calcium. In its absence, calcium deficiency is inevitable. This is why, in many cases of alopecia, vitamin D is the leading concern for hair loss, even when enough calcium is in the body, as per this NCBI study, 2019.
Hypoparathyroidism
This is a condition in which the parathyroid glands do not secrete enough parathyroid hormones (PTH), which results in low calcium levels.
Hypomagnesemia
Magnesium is needed by your parathyroid glands to produce enough PTH. Thus, low magnesium levels can also cause your metabolic processes to go haywire and lead to calcium deficiency, which may lead to hair loss, as discussed.
Tips for Increasing Calcium Intake and Absorption
Calcium is a significant mineral needed for hair growth and getting rid of muscle spasms, joint pain, knee joint pain, brittle nails, etc. Let’s see how to get rid of calcium deficiency, manage all these issues, and get fuller hair:
Consume calcium-rich foods to get rid of calcium deficiency hair loss. While you eat them, it is also important to ensure that it is absorbed in the body. Your body does not absorb calcium well from plant-based sources like beans, lentils, leafy greens, tofu, cereals, etc. However, they still work great if you eat them as a balanced meal daily. You may also take milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, fish, oysters, etc, to get enough calcium.
Take a sunbath daily. The UV rays from the sun help make vitamin D in the skin. This way, you can produce more vitamin D, which can help absorb dietary calcium and eliminate calcium deficiency to prevent and reduce hair loss.
Take medication to restore your calcium levels. You can take vitamin D supplements, calcium tablets, synthetic forms of parathyroid hormone (PTH), or IV calcium gluconate as effective hair supplements and to manage the deficiency of calcium causes at the same time. You can get these medications after diagnostics tests and as per the doctor’s recommendation.
To Sum Up
Low calcium levels are closely linked to hair loss. A deficiency of calcium is not necessarily caused by consuming less calcium; it may also be a result of low levels of vitamin D, magnesium, and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Thus, ensuring proper calcium intake and managing these health conditions can effectively prevent hair loss. Finally, it is advised to consult a doctor to find out how much calcium you should consume and what medication may be beneficial for you.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279022/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26994969/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23143-hypocalcemia
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32772238/