Sunbathing in excess is bad for your skin but good for your scalp cells! — Vitamin D and regeneration

What is vitamin D and what are its main functionalities within our bodies?

It is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate needed for the health of bones, teeth and muscles. In addition, it has also been proven to reduce cancer cell growth, inflammation, and to help control infections.

Where can we get it from?

The most important natural source that provides our bodies with plenty of vitamin D is the sun’s ultraviolet rays, hence the term ‘the sunshine vitamin’, few foods being naturally rich in D3. Among these foods are, mainly, fatty fish types, including cod liver oil, salmon, or tuna fish, but also orange juices and egg yolks.

What is the correlation between vitamin D and hair regeneration?

Besides all the benefits aforementioned, vitamin D is also responsible for the production of new hair follicles, whereas a lack of it has been linked to frequent cases of alopecia (spot baldness). For instance, one study conducted in 2010 on a number of women aged 18–45 who experienced alopecia or other kinds of hair loss problems reported low levels of vitamin D in their bodies. Nevertheless, the amount you spend directly in the sun should not exceed more than 30 minutes a day, and, like any excess, what is more than this may harm the health of your hair rather than help!

Five positive things sun exposure does to your hair:

1. Slows down the growth of acne-causing cells on the scalp and skin, preventing breakouts
2. Can add a natural shine to your hair, adding more vibrance and volume to it
3. Boosts the circulation of blood to the scalp, promoting hair growth
4. Can enhance elasticity of the hair, making it less likely to break and get damaged
5. Regulates sleep patterns and cortisol levels (increasing production of serotonin), all factors linked to long-term hair loss issues

References

Harvard. (2012, September 18). Vitamin D. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20fat%2Dsoluble.

Amor, K. T., Rashid, R. M., & Mirmirani, P. (2010). Does D matter? The role of vitamin D in hair disorders and hair follicle cycling. Dermatology Online Journal, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.5070/d38s34p6b7.

Rasheed, H., Mahgoub, D., Hegazy, R., El-Komy, M., Abdel Hay, R., Hamid, M. A., & Hamdy, E. (2013). Serum Ferritin and Vitamin D in Female Hair Loss: Do They Play a Role? Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 26(2), 101–107. https://doi.org/10.1159/000346698.

Is the Sun Good for Your Hair? Find Out How It Truly Affects It! (2023, May 17). https://www.hairofistanbul.com/is-the-sun-good-for-your-hair/#What_Are_the_Benefits_Of_Sunlight_for_Hair.