TLDR People with hair loss, especially those with certain types, have lower zinc levels, and zinc supplements might help.
The study, which included 312 patients with various types of hair loss and 30 healthy controls, found that serum zinc levels were significantly lower in patients with hair loss, particularly in those with alopecia areata (AA) and telogen effluvium (TE), compared to the control group. The mean serum zinc level in hair loss patients was 84.33±22.88 µg/dl, significantly lower than the control's 97.94±21.05 µg/dl. Patients with AA and TE also had a higher ratio of serum zinc levels below 70 µg/dl. In contrast, serum copper levels did not show a significant difference, suggesting that zinc, but not copper, might play a role in these hair loss conditions. The study suggests that zinc supplementation could be beneficial for patients with low serum zinc levels and hair loss.
27 citations,
March 2012 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Taking zinc supplements can help improve or cure hair loss caused by zinc deficiency.
65 citations,
January 2009 in “Annals of Dermatology” Zinc supplements increased zinc levels in some hair loss patients but didn't significantly improve hair growth.
39 citations,
July 2007 in “Archives of Pharmacal Research” A tripeptide-copper complex may help hair grow by increasing cell growth and decreasing cell death.
60 citations,
October 2005 in “Experimental Dermatology” Zinc can both inhibit and stimulate mouse hair growth, and might help recover hair after chemotherapy.
239 citations,
July 2002 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Low iron and L-lysine levels can cause hair loss in women, and increasing these nutrients can reduce hair shedding.
666 citations,
September 1977 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Common baldness, also known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is caused by a combination of genetic factors and hormones called androgens.
4 citations,
January 2019 in “PubMed” Patterned hair loss in women is linked to hormonal imbalances and biochemical changes, and should be evaluated for underlying health issues.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
