Supplementation and Hair Growth: A Retrospective Chart Review of Patients With Alopecia and Laboratory Abnormalities

    August 2022 in “ JAAD international ”
    Elizabeth J. Klein, Maria Karim, Xiyue Li, Samrachana Adhikari, Jerry Shapiro, Kristen Lo Sicco
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    TLDR Taking a daily multivitamin may be enough to promote hair growth in people with alopecia.
    The study analyzed 138 nonscarring alopecia patients treated at New York University between 2008 and 2021, with the aim to understand the impact of supplementation on hair growth. At the initial visit, 70 patients had laboratory abnormalities; 39 with low ferritin, 35 with low vitamin D, 6 with abnormal thyroid stimulating hormone, and 4 with low zinc levels. Fifty-two patients received supplementation, with 17 showing normalized levels at the follow-up. The study found that patients who were supplemented and later normalized had a greater increase in hair density and hair caliber than deficient, nonsupplemented patients, although the difference was not statistically significant. The study concluded that there was no statistically significant association between supplementation and hair growth, suggesting that a daily multivitamin, rather than targeted micronutrient repletion, may be sufficient for promoting hair growth. However, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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