¿Pueden las vitaminas realmente prevenir la caída del cabello?

¿Qué causa la pérdida de cabello?

For most of us, hair does much more than protect us from the sun and regulate our temperature. As hair plays a significant part in our physical appearance, it can help to give us confidence and make us feel good about ourselves. As a result, hair loss may be a big source of estrés and despair.

These changes can be temporary or permanent. It all depends on the type of hair loss you're experiencing. There are many types of hair loss.

The health of your hair follicles is crucial in both forms of hair loss. This is where micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals come into the picture.

Dermatologist Julie Van Onselen explains that vitamins and minerals have a role in normal hair follicle development.

"Deficiency of these nutrients may be associated with alopecia, which may be permanent or temporary hair loss," she says.

Your scalp contains around 100,000 hair follicles.¹ Of these, 90% require vitamins, minerals, and other essential micronutrients in order to produce healthy hair.

This is why experts believe that vitamin deficiency may lead to hair loss. According to Van Onselen, there is strong evidence linking two specific vitamin deficiencies with hair loss.

"Current evidence indicates that when a person is deficiencia de vitamina D, supplementing vitamin D may help with AGA hair loss," she says.

"Deficiencia de hierro may also be a cause of this type of hair loss in women. Vitamin C is important for hair loss associated with iron deficiency, so supplementation of this vitamin may be helpful," she adds.

Before you splash the cash on the huge range of hair growth supplements now widely available, Van Onselen cautions that there is limited medical evidence on the role of vitamins for preventing hair loss that's not directly caused by a vitamin deficiency.

Además, aunque puedes comprar muchas vitaminas y suplementos diferentes para la pérdida de cabello, es importante saber que hay evidencia de que algunas vitaminas funcionan mejor para la pérdida de cabello que otras.

Van Onselen says that the strongest evidence is for vitamins D and E, and for the mineral iron.

She explains: "There is currently limited evidence for the supplementation of other vitamins to prevent hair loss."

Vitamina D para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: vitamin D is important for keratinocytes - skin cells that produce keratin, a protein found in hair, skin, and nails. When you don't have enough vitamin D, keratinocytes in hair follicles can't regulate hair growth properly. This is why low vitamin D levels have been linked with temporary hair loss.²

Vitamina C y hierro para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: tu cuerpo necesita vitamina C para absorber el hierro, un mineral que desempeña un papel clave en los glóbulos rojos que transportan oxígeno por todo tu cuerpo. Cuando no tienes suficiente hierro, se puede usar menos oxígeno para el crecimiento y reparación de las células que estimulan el crecimiento del cabello.

Vitamina A para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: esta vitamina es necesaria para el crecimiento saludable de las células, incluidas las células del cabello. También apoya la producción de sebo, una sustancia que mantiene el cabello hidratado y previene la rotura del cabello.

Vitamina B7 (biotina) para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: la biotina ayuda a activar las proteínas que contribuyen al crecimiento saludable del cabello. Esta vitamina también puede estimular la producción de queratina.³

Vitamina B12 para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: la vitamina B12 ayuda en la producción de glóbulos rojos, que transportan el oxígeno tan importante a los folículos pilosos.¹

Vitamina E para la pérdida de cabello

Papel en el cabello: this vitamin supports your scalp health, preserving your skin barrier (lipid layer), keeping a healthy balance of oxidants and antioxidants, and helping to protect against free-radical damage - unstable atoms that can damage skin and hair cells. A healthy scalp means your hair has a strong base to grow from.

Si has notado que tu cabello se está retirando de las sienes, volviéndose más fino o formando patrones de calvicie, puede ser tentador gastar dinero en vitaminas que afirman tratar la pérdida de cabello.

Antes de hacerlo, primero debes revisar tu dieta, que es tu fuente principal y más importante de vitaminas. Es importante preguntarte si estás comiendo lo suficiente de las cosas adecuadas. Los suplementos vitamínicos solo deben tomarse como complemento, no como sustituto, de una dieta rica en nutrientes.

There is a trend for using aceite de romero to boost your hair, but there is little evidence this actually works.

Remember, your hair loss may not be linked to a vitamin deficiency at all. In many cases, it's a natural part of ageing. In others, there are other culprits you need to address, such as stress or medicine that's triggering an adverse reaction.

Cualquier tratamiento medicinal que desees probar dependerá del tipo de pérdida de cabello que estés experimentando. Si no estás seguro de qué probar, un médico podrá aconsejarte.

Depending on the type of hair loss, or if you have any other symptoms, you may want to find out the cause of your hair loss. In itself, hair loss alone is not a health concern, and the choice to try and treat it is entirely your own.

Many people choose not to treat male pattern baldness or female permanent hair loss. While it can be upsetting, this type of hair loss is natural and need not affect your wellbeing.

Si se trata de una pérdida de cabello temporal, el cabello puede tardar varios meses en volver a crecer. Puede que desees esperar y ver si se recupera por sí solo antes de considerar suplementos vitamínicos u otro método de tratamiento.