The #1 Blood Test Most Overlooked for Hair Loss

Summary

This video discusses the importance of vitamin D in preventing hair loss and promoting healthy hair growth. The speaker explains how the hair follicle functions, highlighting the role of vitamin D in regulating genes and stem cells vital for hair growth. Vitamin D deficiencies, often overlooked, can lead to hair thinning, scalp issues like psoriasis, and even autoimmune conditions like alopecia. Magnesium is also crucial, as it helps vitamin D work effectively by preventing scalp calcification. Regular vitamin D intake, along with magnesium and other nutrients, is recommended for optimal hair health.

Takeaways

• 🧬 Hair follicles are living cavities that support hair, but the hair itself is not alive.
• ⏳ Hair grows in three phases: growth (2-7 years), transition, and rest, where the hair is replaced by new growth.
• 🧪 DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and scalp calcification can interfere with hair growth by affecting the follicle and blood supply.
• 🌞 Vitamin D3 plays a critical role in hair health, affecting genes responsible for hair growth regulation, such as the beta Kine and Sonic Hedgehog genes.
• 🧬 High concentrations of vitamin D receptors are located in the hair follicle, crucial for healthy hair growth.
• 💊 Autoimmune diseases like alopecia are often related to vitamin D deficiencies, and vitamin D helps regulate immune responses.
• 🦠 Scalp conditions like psoriasis, dandruff, and dermatitis are linked to vitamin D deficiency, as it acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent.
• 💪 Magnesium is vital for calcium regulation, preventing calcification of the scalp, and is crucial for hair health through its involvement in enzyme function and energy production.
• 🔬 Regular vitamin D blood tests may not fully reflect vitamin D's impact on hair, as different systems in the body utilize it differently, with skin and hair requiring higher levels.
• 📊 Optimal vitamin D levels should be 70-100 ng/mL, and daily supplementation of vitamin D (around 20,000 IU) with magnesium and co-factors like K2 and zinc is recommended for hair health.

Q & A

What is a hair follicle and how is it different from hair?

The hair follicle is the cavity that supports the hair, while the hair itself is not alive. The follicle is alive and responsible for hair growth, whereas hair is simply a non-living structure.

What role does DHT play in hair loss?

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is a powerful form of testosterone that can damage hair follicles, interfere with hair growth regulation, and cause the hair to shrink, leading to hair loss.

What is scalp calcification and how does it affect hair growth?

Scalp calcification occurs when calcium builds up around hair follicles, cutting off blood supply and nutrients to the hair. This can cause hair loss or thinning.

Why is vitamin D important for hair growth?

Vitamin D is crucial for triggering certain genes, like the beta-catenin gene, which regulates the hair growth cycle. Without enough vitamin D, the hair growth process is disrupted.

What is the Sonic Hedgehog gene and how is it related to hair growth?

The Sonic Hedgehog gene is one of the genes affected by vitamin D and plays a role in hair growth. It's involved in regulating hair follicle development and growth phases.

How is alopecia related to vitamin D deficiency?

Alopecia, an autoimmune disease, is linked to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and reduces inflammation, which can help prevent autoimmune attacks on hair follicles.

What role does magnesium play in preventing hair loss?

Magnesium helps regulate calcium buildup, which can cause scalp calcification and affect hair growth. It's also a co-factor for enzymes that assist vitamin D in its functions.

Why is magnesium difficult to test in the blood?

Only 1% of the body's magnesium is present in the blood, with most of it stored inside cells. This makes blood tests for magnesium unreliable in determining magnesium levels in the body.

Why is it important to maintain high levels of vitamin D for hair growth?

Vitamin D influences many functions beyond calcium regulation, including skin and hair health. For optimal hair growth, vitamin D levels in the blood should be at least 70 nanograms per milliliter.

What are some other important nutrients for hair growth?

Zinc, iron, B12, and omega-3 fatty acids are also crucial for hair health. Zinc supports hair growth and repair, iron and B12 help supply oxygen to the hair follicles, and omega-3s prevent dryness.

Outlines

00:00

🧬 Understanding Hair Follicles and Hair Loss

This paragraph introduces the concept of hair follicles and their relationship with hair health. The hair follicle is a cavity that supports hair, and while the follicle is alive, the hair itself is not. It also explains the three stages of hair growth: the growth phase (lasting 2-7 years), the transition phase, and the resting phase. It highlights potential issues, such as DHT, which can damage the follicle and disrupt hair growth, and scalp calcification, which can block blood flow and affect hair health. Additionally, the role of stem cells in hair regeneration is introduced.

05:02

🌞 The Role of Vitamin D in Hair Health

This section delves into the critical role vitamin D plays in hair growth, explaining that it's not just a vitamin but a hormone involved in regulating about 10% of the body's genes, including those related to hair. Specific genes like beta-catenin and the Sonic Hedgehog gene are mentioned, both of which require adequate vitamin D levels for hair development. The high concentration of vitamin D receptors in hair follicles is highlighted, linking vitamin D deficiency to hair loss. It also touches on autoimmune diseases like alopecia and how they are connected to low vitamin D levels.

10:02

💊 Magnesium and Hair Loss Prevention

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of magnesium in regulating calcium buildup in the scalp, which can affect blood flow to hair follicles. Magnesium works alongside vitamin D, supporting various enzymes crucial for hair health and energy production. It highlights the difficulty in accurately testing magnesium levels since most magnesium is stored in cells, not the blood, making it challenging for doctors to detect deficiencies. Despite this, magnesium is crucial for preventing scalp calcification and supporting vitamin D functions, underscoring its role in hair loss prevention.

🔬 Vitamin D Testing and Hair Health

Here, the focus shifts to understanding how vitamin D is measured and its implications for hair growth. Vitamin D has two systems in the body: one that supports bone health and another that regulates hair, skin, and immune functions. The text explains that most blood tests only measure the system that affects calcium and bones, not hair health. Therefore, higher daily doses of vitamin D (around 20,000 IU) are recommended, along with magnesium and other co-factors, to ensure sufficient levels are maintained for hair growth. Concerns about vitamin D toxicity are addressed, with reassurance that these high doses are safe.

🌍 Global Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Impact

This section discusses the widespread issue of vitamin D deficiency worldwide, with most people having insufficient levels to support hair health. Various factors, such as skin color, insulin resistance, obesity, and air pollution, can prevent adequate vitamin D production. The recommendation is to maintain blood levels of vitamin D between 70-100 ng/mL to overcome these barriers. Additionally, the paragraph encourages the intake of 20,000 IU of vitamin D daily to address deficiencies and support hair growth, alongside co-factors like magnesium.

💇 Additional Nutrients for Hair Growth

This final paragraph outlines other nutrients that are important for hair health. Vitamin D not only protects hair follicles from DHT but also works in conjunction with zinc, which is essential for hair growth and repair. Deficiencies in zinc can lead to dry hair or hair loss. Iron and B12 are also necessary for proper oxygen delivery to hair follicles, and low levels of omega-3s can result in dry, brittle hair. The paragraph stresses the importance of a balanced intake of these nutrients, particularly for those with hair loss or poor hair health.

Keywords

💡Hair Follicle

The hair follicle is a cavity in the skin that supports and regulates hair growth. It is a key component of hair health, as the follicle is alive while the hair itself is not. In the video, the follicle's role in hair growth, including its vulnerability to damage from DHT and calcification, is highlighted as crucial for preventing hair loss.

💡Dermal Papilla

The dermal papilla is a structure located at the base of the hair follicle that regulates hair growth stages. It is vital for transitioning between growth phases, and its health is influenced by nutrients like vitamin D. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the dermal papilla's role in both hair regeneration and maintaining stem cells for hair growth.

💡DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)

DHT is a powerful form of testosterone that can shrink hair follicles and inhibit hair growth. The video explains how DHT can 'burn out' the follicle, leading to hair thinning or loss. Vitamin D is discussed as a protective nutrient that can help prevent the harmful effects of DHT on the follicle.

💡Scalp Calcification

Scalp calcification refers to the buildup of calcium in the scalp, which can restrict blood flow to hair follicles and contribute to hair loss. The video mentions this as a common problem that can be alleviated by improving blood flow, often through scalp massages or supplementation with magnesium, which helps regulate calcium.

💡Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a hormone crucial for hair health, as it regulates genes involved in hair growth and supports the immune system. The video emphasizes that vitamin D deficiency is often overlooked in hair loss evaluations, despite its role in activating key hair-related genes and protecting follicles from damage caused by DHT and inflammation.

💡Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral essential for over 300 enzymatic processes, including those related to hair growth and vitamin D metabolism. The video stresses that magnesium plays a critical role in preventing scalp calcification and ensuring that vitamin D functions properly in the body. A deficiency in magnesium can indirectly contribute to hair loss.

💡Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, including hair follicles. The video connects vitamin D deficiency to autoimmune conditions like alopecia, a cause of hair loss. Vitamin D helps regulate immune function by controlling T-cells and reducing inflammation, making it essential in preventing autoimmune-related hair loss.

💡Sonic Hedgehog Gene

The Sonic Hedgehog gene is a humorously named but essential gene related to hair growth, which is regulated by vitamin D. The video briefly mentions this gene as part of a group of genes that vitamin D activates to promote the growth and transition of hair follicles through various stages.

💡Ferritin

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body, and its levels are often tested to assess iron deficiency, which can lead to hair loss. The video explains that low ferritin, especially in women who menstruate, can reduce oxygen supply to hair follicles, hindering their ability to support healthy hair growth.

💡Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for maintaining scalp health and preventing dry hair. The video highlights the role of omega-3s in promoting overall hair hydration and preventing hair loss. It contrasts this with the negative effects of consuming too many seed oils, which can lead to dryness and contribute to hair thinning.

Highlights

The hair follicle is the cavity that supports hair growth, while the hair itself is not alive, but the follicle is.

The hair's growth cycle has three stages: growth (2-7 years), transition, and rest, where the hair is replaced by a new one.

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) can interfere with hair follicle regulation, leading to smaller hair or inhibiting growth.

Scalp calcification can reduce blood supply to hair follicles, leading to hair loss; scalp massages may help improve blood flow.

Vitamin D plays a key role in regulating stem cells in hair follicles and is essential for hair growth.

The gene beta-catenin, regulated by vitamin D, is essential for transitioning between hair growth phases.

Vitamin D deficiency can inhibit hair growth by affecting key genes like the beta-catenin and Sonic Hedgehog genes.

A high concentration of vitamin D receptors in hair follicles supports the importance of vitamin D for hair growth.

Autoimmune diseases, including alopecia, are associated with vitamin D deficiency, as vitamin D helps regulate the immune system.

Magnesium is crucial for vitamin D activation and helps prevent scalp calcification by regulating calcium.

Vitamin D has a dual system: one for calcium/bone health and another for functions like skin, hair, and immune system regulation.

Vitamin D supplementation should be at least 20,000 IU daily to maintain optimal levels for hair growth and immune support.

Co-factors like magnesium, vitamin K2, and zinc are necessary to optimize vitamin D's function and prevent calcification.

Zinc deficiency can cause hair thinning, dry hair, and hair loss, as it plays a role in hair growth and repair.

Ferritin levels should be above 70 for optimal hair health, especially for women who lose iron through menstruation.

Transcripts

today we're going to talk about the

number one blood test that's most

overlooked when you're evaluating hair

loss so whether you have hair loss or

thinning of the hair or just a general

loss of volume this video is for you now

check this out we down here we have the

hair follicle there's a big confusion

about what a follicle is people think

that a follicle is your hair no the

follicle is the cavity that supports the

hair and what's interesting is the hair

is not alive the follicule is alive but

the hair is not actually alive and then

we have this little thing underneath the

hair root called the dermal pill this is

what regulates the growth stages there's

three of them one is growth which

basically takes between two and seven

years okay so your hair has a lifespan

about two to seven years and then it

goes into this transition phase where it

starts to loosen up then the third phase

which is the rest phase which basically

that hair releases and then you have

another one that replaces it and so

there's a lot that can go wrong with

this area you you might have this

powerful form of testosterone called DHT

which can burn out this follicule or

interfere with the regulation of the

growth making the hair smaller or

inhibiting this growth process you also

have scalp calcification around this

root to the point where you're going to

lose blood supply and this is why some

people do scalp massages or they try to

stimulate the scalp to get the blood

flow but they're dealing with scalp

calcification now the last point I want

to make about this thing right here here

is it not only regulates the growth

stages but it also regulates these stem

cells which are super important because

the stem cells are kind of cells that

don't really have a purpose these are

specifically going to rest there and

wait until you need them and then they

turn into a hair cell now let's get into

what test would you possibly want to

look at to ensure that you have the best

chance of getting a full head of hair

can you take a while guess what nutrient

deficiency that would be if you guessed

D3 you are correct but when you get your

blood tested unfortunately the doctor is

usually going to say oh it's normal

you're fine so I'm going to unpack some

things about vitamin D the first

question is are there any vitamin D

genes associated to hair or hair loss

one thing you need to know about vitamin

D vitamin D is not really a vitamin it's

a hormone and it's involved in 10% of

our genes so we have like 25,000 genes

so that means it's involved with

2500 different genes and there just so

happens to be several really important

genes that if you don't have enough

vitamin D that Gene will not get

triggered to allow this growing process

to occur and specifically down here in

in this structure right here the dermal

pill so the first Gene I want to talk

about is called beta Kine this Gene does

a lot it regulates the follicule with

the stages of developing a hair this

Gene also is essential for going through

one phase to another phase and so if

there's not enough vitamin D that's

going to trigger that Gene you're not

going to have this transition and you're

really not going to be able to grow the

hair to the potential that you should

now I'm going to list down all the genes

in the description but I just wanted to

mention another Gene just the name of it

because I thought it was kind of

hilarious Sonic Hedgehog Gene that's

right Sonic Hedgehog yeah look it up

it's true that's one of the genes that

affects the hair that's controlled by

vitamin D so that's clue number one

number two are The receptors for vitamin

D in this follicle absolutely there's a

high concentration of vitamin D

receptors right around through this area

right here so that explains if you don't

have enough vitamin D you're not going

to feed the hair what it needs to grow

next question I want to ask is what

about alopecia isn't that an autoimmune

disease the answer is yes and aren't

autoimmune diseases Rel reled to a

vitamin D deficiency and the answer is

yes without vitamin D your immune system

is really at risk for developing

autoimmune diseases this is why one of

the most potent remedies for any

autoimmune disease is high levels of

vitamin D number one because it gets rid

of the inflammation but number two What

vitamin D does to your te- cells and

helping put control over the te- cells

so they can now differentiate between a

normal cell or something else because

what is an auto autoimmune disease it's

your own body attacking itself because

it can't tell the difference between

your cell and something else vitamin D

regulates that whole process all right

the next question is related to the

scalp is there any condition related to

the scalp that is related to vitamin D

and the answer is yes psoriasis on the

scalp or on your skin that can be a

severe vitamin D deficiency dandruff is

also related to a vitamin D deficiency

as well as almost every dermatitis

because the remedy for all these

different types of skin inflammatory

diseases is prednizone what is prazone

it's a steroid what does a steroid do it

gets rid of inflammation vitamin D is

one of the most potent

anti-inflammatories but it doesn't come

with all the side effects if any side

effects because if you have too much

buildup of calcium underneath your scalp

around this hair follicle it's going to

starve off the blood flow the oxygen to

that hair and it's going to die so

you're going to have hair loss but the

question is how does this relate to

vitamin D well there's another little

key to this mystery and that is

magnesium is the most potent regulator

of calcium whether you have calcium

building up inside your cell or your

mitochondria magnesium is the regulator

of that if you've watched any of my

other videos I might have talked about

vitamin K2 regulator in calcium that's

true but magnesium is the co-actor to

allow the enzymes for vitamin K2 to work

so magnesium is at the bottom of a lot

of calcification problems vitamin D is

number one magnesium is number two why

because magnesium is involved with 300

different enzymes and there's actually

six of those enzymes that relate to hair

and so if we don't have the right

mineral in the hair can't develop the

structure of the hair another one is

just in the energy production of the

hair growth there it takes energy to

grow hair and magnesium is at the heart

of making energy all of the energy in

your body cannot be created without

magnesium there are three different

places in the biochemistry of vitamin D

where if you don't have magnesium

vitamin D cannot be produced so that's

how it relates we need magnesium for

vitamin D we also need magnesium to

prevent calcification in the scalp so

magnesium is really important but the

question is why didn't I mention two

different blood tests to do magnesium

and vitamin D because you cannot test

magnesium in your blood and get any

accurate information out of all the

magnesium in your body only 1% of that

is in the blood the rest of it is in

different places mainly inside the cell

in different places so when you test

magnesium in the blood you do not get a

very accurate picture of what's going on

in the cells so it's very difficult to

test magnesium some people might be

willing to do a biopsy that's a great

way to test it there are other tests to

do but they're they're more difficult

and they're not easy to do in fact I

know a lot of doctors and I don't know

one Doctor Who ever ordered those tests

so magnesium is difficult to test it's

involved in a lot of different things

300 different enzymes including vitamin

D as well as this calcification thing in

your scalp and most people are deficient

in magnesium because it's not easy to

get and even the doctors don't recognize

it because it's not tested so that

answers this question right here yes

magnesium is involved with a lot of

different enzymes related to hair loss

but I'm primarily recommending it to

allow vitamin D to work now let's get

into the testing of vitamin D so you go

to your doctor and here she says oh you

have normal vitamin D levels okay so

you're okay and let's say it's on the

low end like 20 or even 30 or even maybe

sometimes 40 well what's not very

commonly known is there's two systems of

vitamin D okay we have one system that

feeds the calcium and the bone but we

have another system that has other

functions that go beyond calcium like

restoring and maintaining and regulating

growth of your hair all the vitamin D

functions of this work off this other

system which is very very different I

mean just take a look at what happens

you get the sun you eat Vitamin D from

the food you take supplements it goes

into your blood most of this vitamin D

is feeding the calcium in your bone but

very little of it is feeding these other

functions I'm talking about your skin

your hair your immune system your gut

very tiny bits of this right here I'm

talking like

0.4% of this vitamin D in your blood so

where is the vitamin D coming from it's

coming from either the Sun the vitamin D

in your food or the supplements this is

a different type of vitamin D there's

actually three different types of

vitamin D and this is where you're

getting most of it right through in here

if you're getting Daily Sun if you're

eating the right kind of foods and if

you take vitamin D on a daily basis

because the thing about this form of

Vitamin D it only has a 24hour halflife

okay this is like two to three

weeks 24 hours this means you need daily

amounts of either Sun or the vitamin D

from the food or the Sun supplements and

people don't realize this this is why we

have such a massive epidemic of a

vitamin D deficiency problem worldwide

in fact the average person depending on

where you are in the world has like less

than 20 to maybe 30 that is not enough

to create a therapeutic change to be

able to feed the hair follicules there

are so many barriers that a person is up

against genetically the color of the

skin if it's darker they're going to get

less vitamin D if they have insulin

resistance diabetes obesity air

pollution blocking the sun there's so

many different barriers that are going

on to prevent vitamin D so what do you

need to do you need to make sure that

the blood values when you get your test

are at least 70 nanog per milliliter up

to 100 or even more okay you need higher

amounts to be able to penetrate through

all the barriers I'm going to recommend

daily amounts of at least 20,000 I use

every single day now the first thing

that comes to people's mind is oh my

gosh that's a toxic amount no it's not

if you were out in the sun in the summer

for 40 minutes this is how much vitamin

D that you would get no one will ever

tell you that being out the Sun for 40

minutes is going to be toxic to you they

might say that don't get burned but the

point is that you get vitamin D from the

Sun and you're going to get like every

20 minutes you're going to get another

10,000 and that is not toxic at all

toxicity levels for vitamin D OCC when

you're taking hundreds of thousands of

vitamin D3 every single day for months

and especially without the co-actors

this is why I'm recommending the

Magnesium with it at least 50 milligrams

and take that at night but you want to

take the co-actors Magnesium K2 zinc so

this data about vitamin D is interesting

as it relates to the hair but it's even

more interesting that you can't really

go by these low normals okay because

this is a different system so we want to

raise this higher by taking more of it

on a daily basis with the co-actors now

if you have no hair in your head and you

have calcification in your scalp then

you might want to take even a little bit

more magnesium over a period of time

because that could eventually help

regulate the amount of calcium buildup

in the soft tissues now there are a few

more nutrients I want to share with you

related to the hair because I just

talked about the most important one and

the blood test but let's get into the

other ones and I also want to mention

that vitamin D also inhibits this DHT

from destroying this follicle so vitamin

D protects you against high levels of

this very powerful form of testosterone

so vitamin D does a lot but there's also

other nutrients like zinc controls the

growth and repair if you're deficient in

zinc you can have dry hair as well and

you can have just short hairs or even

hair loss so that's that's very

important iron is also important in the

red blood cells so when you get your

fertin levels tested make sure it's

above 70 you're normally going to see

this in a situation where a woman is

menstrating and they're losing iron in

which case they need to consume more red

meat or liver or liver pills something

like that but you might also see it in

men with too much fertin or too much

iron now wait a second how could that

correlate well what happens there's

certain genetic problems where we tend

to accumulate at more iron in which case

we're very deficient in Iron at the same

time this is why especially men that

have too much iron are severely anemic

because it just doesn't work in that

case you might need to go donate blood

because it can be very toxic but it can

also affect your hair because it's

locked up and you also become anemic and

also if you're B12 deficient which you

need for the red blood cells you need

iron and b12 then the hair follicule

can't get oxygen so it's another test to

uh take a look at as well as your

omega-3s if you're low in omega-3

because maybe you're doing a lot of seed

oil that can also create dryness of the

hair anyway it's a lot to impact I think

it's very important start taking vitamin

D and also magnesium and please comment

down below if this helps you with any

problem that you have with your hair

thanks for watching and I will see you

in the next video