Most of us have experienced hair fall at some point in our lives and if you are going through the hair fall phase and become worried when you see hairs in your hands while shampooing. And everywhere you look, you see your fallen hair and when you are called out about it you feel a little embarrassed – then relax. There is hope and this article is for you. 

Hair not only makes us attractive but also signifies amazing health and fitness. And when we start losing them, our confidence and self-esteem take a hit. Many people even start avoiding social events due to teasing comments by relatives and friends.

What are the causes of hair fall?

There are many causes of hair fall but here are some of the major ones:

1) Genetics: Some people are naturally inclined to face hair fall and eventual baldness. 

2) Hormonal changes: Due to pregnancy, menopause, and other conditions like PCOS where your hormones go out of balance, this can accelerate the loss of lush and beautiful hair.

3) Stress: If you are going through a phase of high stress then it can disturb the growth of normal hair follicles, thus resulting in hair loss.

4) Nutritional deficiencies like B12, iron, and zinc mean metabolic activities slowdown in the body hence this leads to a slow hair growth cycle.

Lastly, medical conditions like thyroid disorder and aging can also lead to accelerated hair loss. Whatever the underlying cause is – hair fall can be embarrassing. And in this article, we will discover how Vitamin B12 is related to hair fall

1) Inflammation 

Inflammation is how our body reacts to injury or stress. Even the stress of facing a project deadline adds to inflammation in the body. It adds to oxidative stress which damages hair follicles. And it also releases stress hormones like cortisol. Our modern lifestyle is full of such stresses.

However, Vitamin B12 is anti-inflammatory, hence it helps you reduce the impact of unnecessary inflammation in the body. Hence protecting those hair follicles and your hair from inflammation.

2) Hair follicles: problems at the root of the hair

Hair follicles are part of hair under the scalp skin which is responsible for the growth of that hair. It is like the root of a tree and when the root is receiving a good quality of nourishment – you’ll see a full-blooming tree full of green leaves and a strong trunk. But when the nutrients are unavailable? You can picture a weak tree that is easily uprooted by strong winds.

In the case of hair, each hair follicle is nourished and supported by tiny blood vessels which supply blood enriched with nutrients like oxygen and Vitamin B12.

Guess what? Vitamin B12 plays a major role in the production of red blood cells (RBCs). These cells supply oxygen to every corner of the human body including hair follicles. What happens when your body is deficient in B12? The body isn’t able to create red blood cells and hence the oxygen supply to hair follicles goes down. They become weak and produce weak and brittle hair. If the deficiency is unaddressed eventually it leads to hair fall and baldness.

3) Have more hair with keratin 

Do you know what builds our hair? Protein. A special protein called – Keratin. This Keratin protein is produced from amino acids (building blocks). So, whether you want to grow more hair or you want to protect yourself from hair loss – you want to have more keratin!

That’s right. You need more keratin. If you’re deficient in B12 then your body is not able to produce more keratin. Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to an increase in homocysteine. This interferes with the normal formation of hair and also damages the blood vessels nourishing them. So basically, it’s a double attack on hairs. They have not received well-formed proteins and then inflammation eats up their nutrients.

Overall, hair follicles are unable to support good hair growth. That’s why it is not only important that you eat protein but it’s also important that you give nutrients to your body so it can put them to good use.

4) Hormonal imbalances in women

Estrogen and progesterone are two hormones that can go out of balance due to many reasons. This blocks new hair growth and maintains healthy hair follicles. And b12 is involved in their formation. So when you’re low in B12, this results in hormonal imbalances and which leads to hair thinning and loss. 

How to know you have Vit B12 deficiency?

There are several tests like Serum B12 that can help you discover whether you are B12 deficient or not. Having said that most Indians are at a greater risk of B12 deficiency, especially those who prefer Veg food.

What can you do about hair fall?

Obviously, there are many temporary solutions in the market. But one of the best solutions is to give your body proper nutrients and also anti-inflammatory foods so you heal from within. When hair follicles grow healthy – there is no way you can’t have that beautiful hair.

So what can you do about vitamin B12 deficiency?

Perhaps one of the best ways you can ensure you’ve adequate levels of B12 is by having B12-rich foods.

B12 is easily found in animal foods like meat, fish, and dairy. In plant-based foods, it’s found only in trace amounts – which isn’t very useful. So, for most of our readers, we recommend plant-based Vitamin B12. It’s extracted using ayurvedic processes and also keeps you away from harmful chemicals found inside those commonly available B12 supplements.

Conclusion

There’s a close relationship between Vitamin 12 and hair fall. A deficiency of Vit B12 means the roots of the hair – the hair follicles are devoid of oxygen. Further, when hair follicles don’t receive the right kind of protein, they are unable to grow hair. Additionally, oxidative stress from inflammation damages hair follicles. To eradicate the hair fall problem completely, you need to supplement with a good B12 formula. Rasayanm’s Plant-based supplement doesn’t leave any toxic chemicals in the body thus saving you from any oxidative stress.