Investigation of Diffuse Hair Fall Case Due to Vitamin D Deficiency: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

A 45-year-old female from northern Sudan presented a complaint of diffuse hair loss from her scalp for 4 years. The condition started when she was in Saudi Arabia, where she resided for five years with her husband and children. The condition is associated with fatigability and easily falling asleep. The condition is static with no known relieving or aggravating factors. She looks well, not pale, jaundiced or cyanosed, regular pulse, no lymph node enlargement; thyroid is central with normal size and no lower limb edema. Scalp: looks normal, no scales or erosions. Hair: hair is dry with normal texture; loss is diffuse, no apparent patch of alopecia. Axillary and pubic hair is normal. All investigations were within normal values except serum vitamin D that was found to be very low: 9 (average value 30-300). Management plans to correct the deficiency for three months, and then a daily maintenance dose is to be prescribed. The monitoring of vitamin D serum level is to be assessed to avoid hyper vitaminosis. Vitamin D supplement was prescribed as oral tabs of 50,000 IU weekly for three months. Daily maintenance dose of 1000 IU was prescribed. Improvement was noticed starting from the first month, and excellent result was achieved after three months of daily supplementation; daily maintenance dose was then prescribed with an advice of being outdoors to enhance endogenous synthesis. Conclusion: Serum vitamin D level should be assessed in patients with hair loss, especially those at a risk because of being indoors.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Hair Loss: A Case Report and Review of the Literature for Diagnosis and Treatment

“…These results lead to the conclusion that these patients share a diagnosis of non-scarring alopecia associated with vitamin D deficiency. 6,7 In all three case reports, hair regrowth was associated with supplementation of vitamin D in the absence of other medical or surgical interventions. But if vitamin D deficiency caused hair thinning in these case reports, it begs the questions, does it always cause hair loss?…”

“…4,5 Specifically, correction of vitamin D deficiency has been observed in at least two previous published case reports to result in reversal of hair thinning in female patients with no other cause for hair loss. 6,7 For decades it has been known that genetic mutations which cause an abnormal vitamin D receptor, usually manifested by various degrees of resistance to vitamin D, often result in alopecia being displayed in affected infants. Research has established the vitamin D receptor as integral to initiating anagen and hair follicle cycling.…”

Efficacy of Oral Vitamin D₃ Therapy in Patients Suffering from Diffuse Hair Loss (Telogen Effluvium)

“…Recently, Ruiz-Tagle et al reported association of TE with defi ciencies of iron, zinc, and vitamin D and recommended supplementation of vitamin D at a dose rate of 50,000 IU/wk and 800 to 2,000 IU/wk as maintenance dose to avoid recurrence of CTE (6). Suad and Modawe reported successful decrease of hair loss in a woman treated with vitamin D 3 50,000 IU/wk and 1,000 IU/wk as maintenance dose (7).…”