TLDR Black patients with a specific type of hair loss have a much higher chance of lacking enough vitamin D.
A retrospective chart review of 54 Black patients diagnosed with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) at a specialty alopecia clinic found a significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and insufficiency (VDI) and CCCA. Of the 27 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 92.5% had VDD or VDI. Compared to Black individuals in the general population, Black patients with CCCA had over 5 times increased odds of having VDD or VDI (odds ratio = 5.43; 95% CI, 5.43-177.63; P = .0018) and a significantly higher prevalence of VDD and VDI (92.6% vs 69.7%, P < .001). Notably, 89% of the patients with VDD or VDI had a CCCA severity score of 3 or higher. The study suggests future research should investigate the relationships between the severity of VDD and the severity of hair loss in Black patients with CCCA within a larger population.
13 citations,
April 2018 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” People with certain types of hair loss, especially lichen planopilaris and telogen effluvium, as well as African Americans, Asians, and men, are more likely to have severe vitamin D deficiency.
46 citations,
July 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy” A scale was made to measure hair loss severity in African American women.
December 2022 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” The authors maintain there is a significant link between vitamin D deficiency and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in Black patients, and call for more research on the topic.
October 2024 in “Frontiers in Nutrition” Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with certain types of hair loss, like alopecia areata and female pattern hair loss.
September 2023 in “International journal of women’s dermatology” Certain hairstyles, diabetes, scalp infections, and vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of hair loss in Black women; more research is needed for better treatment.
19 citations,
August 2011 in “Archives of Dermatology” CCCA is a common scarring hair loss in African descent women, possibly linked to genetics, hair care practices, and health issues like diabetes.
March 2025 in “JEADV Clinical Practice” People with primary scarring alopecia have higher risks of other health issues like vitamin D deficiency and thyroid disease.
