There’s no denying that our bodies change with age, and our hair is no exception. In their 40s, many women notice changes in their hair’s texture and appearance and can also experience hair thinning and loss in more extreme cases. Although there are many culprits of hair loss, one of these is a deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals in the body.
The list of vitamins and their benefits seems endless, and it can be challenging to understand which are beneficial for our hair and skin. Vitamin A, in particular, has been linked to improving hair loss and preventing breakage. To enjoy thick, healthy hair in your 40s, continue reading to break down the benefits of vitamin A.
Understanding the Role of Vitamin Deficiency in Hair Loss
In addition to genetics, hormone fluctuations, and medical conditions, vitamin deficiencies can contribute to hair loss in your middle age.
Hair loss, hair thinning, and breakage can follow when your body doesn’t derive the proper nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies may negatively impact hair growth and follicle health. If your body isn’t receiving the right vitamins and minerals to maintain hair health, acute telogen effluvium (sudden hair shedding) or female pattern hair loss may result.
Frequently, those likely to have a vitamin A deficiency are people with digestive disorders or unhealthy diets. The well-known link between vitamin deficiencies and hair loss prompts patients to ask for dietary recommendations when experiencing excessive hair shedding.
Prioritizing taking care of our bodies through proper diet choices and vitamin supplementation may help improve hair growth in your 40s.
What is Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is an organic molecule and group of fat-soluble retinoids, including retinol and retinal. It is a micronutrient that helps regulate the functioning of the body’s metabolism.
Vitamin A cannot be synthesized, it must be obtained through your diet or supplement. Vitamin A, consumed from your diet, is stored in the liver until it binds to protein to be transported where it is needed in the body.
Vitamin A is essential to the body as it helps maintain the function of all surface tissues, improves vision, and supports a healthy immune system.
Vitamin A helps protect your eyesight as you age. A vitamin A deficiency may result in night blindness as it is necessary to translate light that hits your eye into an electrical signal sent to your brain.
People with a vitamin A deficiency may generally see during the day but experience vision loss in darkness. Vitamin A has also been associated with improving the leading cause of blindness, age-related macular degeneration, thought to be caused by cellular damage to the retina.
Supports the Immune System
Vitamin A supports your body’s natural defense processes like the mucous barriers in your eyes, lungs, and guts, which trap bacteria and other infectious agents.
The vitamin also plays a role in producing and functioning white blood cells, which rid bacteria from your bloodstream.
A lack of vitamin A may increase your vulnerability to infections and make the recovery process more difficult.
Improves the Appearance of Your Skin
Vitamin A, specifical retinol, has become widely popular in the skincare world.
Vitamin A helps regulate your skin’s oil production, leaving skin less oily.
Also, it plays a significant role in supporting collagen and elastin formation by stimulating fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen in the dermis, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also boosts skin cell turnover by promoting the shedding of old skin cells.
Vitamin A is also known to act as an exfoliant, improving your skin’s overall texture and tone. Lastly, it may have anti-inflammatory properties to decrease redness.
What are the Benefits of Vitamin A for Hair?
Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body, so it requires adequate vitamin A. The vitamin is essential in supporting the tissue and cells of the hair follicle.
Vitamin A helps skin glands create a natural oil called sebum, and Sebum maintains the hydration of the skin and scalp. Balanced oil production is necessary for proper hair growth; the hair will become dry and brittle without it.
Vitamin A is a crucial player in overall hair health!
Does Too Much Vitamin A Lead to Hair Loss?
Vitamin A offers many benefits for our tresses, like boosting moisture and improving hair growth; however, you can have too much of a good thing.
An overdose of vitamin A can cause hair to become dry and brittle and lead to alopecia, a form of hair loss in more extreme cases. Consuming too much vitamin A isn’t common, but it’s always a good idea to observe the daily recommended vitamin intake or consult your healthcare team before taking a supplement.
Generally speaking, a supplement won’t contain a large enough dosage to cause your mane any adverse effects.
How to Get Vitamin A
Get a healthy dosage of vitamin A by incorporating plant sources with beta-carotene into your diet since your body converts this to retinol.
Foods like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and mango are good sources of beta-carotene. Vitamin A can also be found in animal products like meat, poultry, and dairy.
You may also consider taking a daily supplement, like the one from Better Not Younger, loaded with Vitamin A, biotin, and other minerals to strengthen your roots and promote healthy hair growth.
Conclusion
Let your beauty shine from the inside out by incorporating vitamin A into your hair-care regimen. In addition to the many benefits vitamin A offers your body, it is vital for the health of your scalp and hair follicles.
Prioritize a vitamin A-rich diet and care routine to combat hair loss and thinning over 40.
