Hair Loss in Long-Term or Home Parenteral Nutrition: Are Micronutrient Deficiencies to Blame?

The document reviewed the nutritional factors linked to hair loss in patients on long-term parenteral nutrition. It found that while essential fatty acid deficiencies causing alopecia were largely addressed by lipid-containing nutrition, zinc deficiency was frequently suspected, with rapid improvement seen with zinc therapy. Selenium supplementation relieved alopecia in some infants, and there was a potential link between iron depletion and hair loss, though evidence for iron supplementation was insufficient. Biotin deficiency was not reported due to routine supplementation, but marginal biotin status might still cause hair loss. The study concluded that micronutrient status was rarely monitored, and specific supplementation guidelines for hair loss were lacking, highlighting the need for further research on zinc, selenium, iron, or biotin deficiencies in this context.