Dietary Vitamin A Impacts Refractory Telogen

    Liye Suo, Christine VanBuren, Eylul Damla Hovland, Natalia Y. Kedishvili, John P. Sundberg, Helen B. Everts
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    TLDR Eating too much or too little vitamin A can cause hair loss.
    The study "Dietary Vitamin A Impacts Refractory Telogen" from February 2021 investigated the effects of dietary vitamin A on the hair growth cycle, specifically the refractory telogen phase, in mice. The research found that retinyl esters, a form of vitamin A, can arrest hair follicles in the telogen phase, suggesting that vitamin A may inhibit hair follicle stem cells during this phase in a dose-dependent manner. Both deficiency and excess of vitamin A were found to potentially lead to hair loss, indicating the importance of a balanced intake. The study also suggested that vitamin A could potentially be used to manipulate the hair cycle and treat certain types of alopecia, but further research is needed. The number of mice used in the study was not specified.
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