Selenium and Hair Loss: What You Need to Know

Our diet can many times influence our hair shedding and hair loss. Not just main nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, or fats, but also micronutrients like zinc, selenium, etc., can influence hair growth. Continue with the blog to learn everything about selenium and hair loss.

The body demands many trace elements besides the macronutrients for proper growth and development. Selenium is a trace mineral that is required by the body to carry out various crucial functions, including reproduction, synthesis of DNA, thyroid hormone metabolism, reducing oxidative damage, and non-vital functions like hair growth. However, taking higher levels than required of this trace element in the form of supplements can promote hair loss.

Several benefits of selenium make it one of the most crucial elements to be a part of your daily diet. A few of them include:

• Selenium keeps you from fertility problems, iodine deficiency, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid malfunctioning that may cause hair loss.
• Selenium helps to prevent memory loss problems
• Antioxidant properties of selenium help in repairing damaged tissues and reduce oxidative stress that may cause hair loss
• Selenium is one of the best treatments against dandruff
• It also works in the neutralisation of free radicals, which damage the hair follicles and cells

Selenium is good for hair as it promotes hair growth and keeps hair problems at bay. It is a counter element to keep various diseases and health conditions away. However, too much of anything is never good. You must be thinking, does selenium cause hair loss? Yes, Excessive consumption of selenium on an everyday basis can lead to hair loss conditions like telogen effluvium. This is because selenium tends to change the entire structure of the hair shaft, which may lead to hair loss or disturbs the natural hair growth cycle and send the hair follicles to the rest phase. Selenium makes hair so brittle that they become prone to breakage.

The requirement of selenium in the body is very little; in infants, 15 micrograms; in men and women, 55 micrograms; and in pregnant and lactating women, 60-70 micrograms per day. Consuming a diet containing high protein foods like fish, egg, garlic, liver, cheese, oats, cereals, grains, and mushrooms can fulfil the requirement of this crucial trace element, and there is no need to consume supplements. You can visit your nearest dermatologist and consult a dietician to modify your diet and make it selenium-rich. Remember that you must not consume supplements without consulting a hair doctor.