Doctors Warn Taking This Supplement Could Make Your Hair Fall Out

Losing your hair is often a normal part of aging. It can be hereditary or caused by hormonal changes or medical conditions. Hair loss can be temporary or permanent, and while it’s more common in men, women also experience thinning hair later in life. But regardless of how common it is, losing your hair can cause a serious blow to your confidence. As it turns out, you might be unknowingly contributing to the issue, as there’s a supplement that doctors warn could be causing your hair to fall out.

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Vitamin A helps keep hair healthy.

Vitamin A keeps your vision in tip-top shape and ensures that both your immune and reproductive systems are functioning properly. Interestingly, it also plays a crucial role in keeping your hair healthy.

“Vitamin A is used in hair loss treatment to stimulate hair growth, as well as to repair damaged hair and keep the scalp moist,” says Michael May, FRCS, medical director and principal surgeon at London’s Wimpole Clinic. “It is also an antioxidant, which aids in the fight against free radicals that cause hair damage.”

For people with alopecia areata—or sudden hair loss with one or more bald patches—one of the two forms of vitamin A, beta-carotene, is particularly helpful due to its anti-inflammatory properties. However, taking too much vitamin A can have the opposite effect on your hair and be harmful to your health.

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But taking too much vitamin A can be toxic and lead to hair loss.

The second form of vitamin A, retinol, is the variety that poses a threat if overused. Vitamin A toxicity can only occur if you take too many supplements, as the levels in food are “far too small to cause serious harm,” May notes.

According to Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily intake of vitamin A is 900 micrograms (mcg) for men and 700 mcg for women (for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, this changes to 770 and 1,200 mcg, respectively). But if you take more than that amount—200,000 mcg or many large doses of 10,000 mcg—it can result in hypervitaminosis A, otherwise known as vitamin A toxicity.

“Taking too many supplements of the retinol kind over a prolonged period results in your hair follicles going into overdrive,” May explains. “This means that your hair will reach the end of its development phase too rapidly and begin to fall out.”

When your body can’t keep up with this loss and produce enough hair to replace it, thinning and baldness can set in. Cleveland Clinic adds that taking too much vitamin A can also cause “coarse hair and alopecia of your eyebrows.”

If this happens to you, first speak to your doctor. But the Wimpole Clinic recommends that you stop or “drastically reduce” your intake, allowing your body to use up the reserves stored in your liver. After levels return to normal, you should see your hair grow back normally.

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Consult your doctor before starting a vitamin A supplement.

Your healthcare provider might recommend a vitamin A supplement if you have a limited diet that necessitates additional vitamin A, or if you have conditions like pancreatic disease, eye disease, or measles, notes clinical dermatologist Enrizza P. Factor, MD, medical and health writer with MyEczemaTeam.

You may also be instructed to take these supplements if you have declining night vision or skin disorders like psoriasis and acne, according to Krista Elkins, NRP, RN, specialist at HealthCanal.

But while vitamin A is integral to keeping you healthy, too much of a good thing can cause problems beyond just hair loss. According to Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include:

• Severe headaches and pressure in the skull
• Dry, rough, itchy skin and cracked lips
• Weakness and susceptibility to fractures
• Enlarged liver or spleen

These symptoms can be exacerbated if you’re over 60.

Thankfully, the average, healthy person can get all the vitamin A they need through their diet. Red, yellow, orange, and dark green vegetables are all healthy sources of vitamin A, as are eggs, liver, fortified milk, and cheese.

“Most of us will not come anywhere near the upper limit of Vitamin A for safe intake simply by eating foods that contain it,” Kien Vuu, MD, radiologist, founder of VuuMD Performance and Longevity, and author of Thrive State, previously told Best Life. “However, if you’re thinking of taking a Vitamin A supplement, it’s better to talk to your doctor first.”