Without enough vitamin B12 in one's daily diet, hair follicles might not receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to grow thicker hair.
As a result, when vitamin B12 levels are low, your hair follicles may not be able to grow new hair efficiently. This will result in hair loss. B12 deficiency can also lead to symptoms of anemia, which is linked with low iron levels, hair thinning, and hair loss.
How Much B12 Should I Take Daily For Hair Growth? The lowest amount recommended that should be traceable in your body is 2.4 mcg. While you are looking for a difference in your hair growth you can increase this dosage to 3 mcg and beyond.
Your hair will grow back as soon as you treat the deficiency. On restoration of vitamin B12 in your body, your hair cells will replicate adequately and support your hair follicles to grow healthy hair. It just takes a few months of following a systematic diet plan to reverse vitamin B12 deficiency hair loss.
The most common B Vitamin you might already be familiar with is Biotin—also known as Vitamin B7. If you've been looking into growth vitamins to thicken your hair, you're likely familiar with Biotin at this point. It's an essential growth ingredient often added to supplements that promote healthy hair and nails.
Because vitamin B12 deficiency hampers the growth of healthy blood cells, it can lead to the under-nourishment of hair follicles. Hair loss and premature graying are, thus, commonly seen in people with vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 is naturally present in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, and dairy.
Vitamin B12 is essential for a healthy body — but it's probably not going to affect your hair. If you want to help manage hair loss and encourage hair growth, stick with what's tried and true: minoxidil and finasteride are probably your most effective options.
Vitamin B12 depends on an adequate supply of biotin; part of B12's effect can only take place if the supply of biotin is ensured. In conclusion, during high-dose initial therapy following deficiency and if the biotin supply is in doubt, it is advisable to take additional biotin.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of anemia, which is associated with low iron levels, hair thinning, and hair loss. If you're young and have noticed your hair turning grey, it could be due to a vitamin B12 deficiency. According to research, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to premature hair greying.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is a component of two important coenzymes: flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) [22].
Vitamin B12 deficiency can indeed lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not a direct result of the deficiency. Instead, vitamin B12 deficiency causes lethargy or lack of energy, and in turn, inactivity causes weight gain. When you lack the energy to move, you don't burn fat.
However, vitamin B12 may give you the appearance of fuller and thicker hair because the increase in oxygen to hair follicles can help stimulate the replacement of lost strands. Vitamin B12 may also help give your hair an overall healthier appearance since intake of enough B12 is responsible for stronger hair shafts.
2) High Activity, High Stress
The greater stress load on your body, the greater the demand for vitamin B12 which can put drain your levels, especially when combined with a diet that doesn't contain enough of the essential vitamin.
How to raise your B12 levels fast. The most common way to treat B12 deficiencies is by adjusting your diet. If this is unsuccessful, vitamin supplements may be recommended. If you're looking to boost the amount of vitamin B12 in your diet, you should eat more animal products, like meat, seafood, dairy and eggs.
Stage 1 is decreased levels of vitamin B12 in the blood. Stage 2 is low concentration of vitamin B12 in the cell and metabolic abnormalities. Stage 3 is increased levels of homocysteine and MMA and decreased DNA synthesis resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Stage 4 is macrocytic anemia.
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
Can thin hair become thicker again? A person cannot change the texture of their hair. However, the hair may grow back after chemotherapy or pregnancy, for example.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
Sky Kim is a hairstylist with over a decade of experience. She currently works at Serge Normant at John Frieda in New York City. Here's the truth: You can't change the size of your hair follicles. If you were born with fine hair, it's genetics, and no product will completely alter that.