29 citations
,
December 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology” People with alopecia areata often have lower vitamin D levels, which are linked to more severe and longer-lasting hair loss, but vitamin D receptor levels in the skin don't show the same pattern and don't predict treatment success.
The vitamin D receptor has many roles in the body beyond managing calcium, affecting the immune system, hair growth, muscles, fat, bone marrow, and cancer cells.
January 2021 in “Medical Research Archives” Genetically modified rats help reveal how vitamin D affects bone and skin health.
January 2025 in “SKIN The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine” Calcipotriol's effectiveness for treating alopecia areata is unclear and needs more research.
47 citations
,
September 2023 in “Pharmacological Reports” Vitamins A, B3, C, D, and E can improve skin health and immunity.
17 citations
,
April 2007 in “Kidney international” Vitamin D boosts a specific gene activity in kidney cells that could improve heart and kidney function.
119 citations
,
July 2016 in “Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences” Vitamin D has potential benefits for cancer prevention, heart health, diabetes, obesity, muscle function, skin health, and immune function, but clinical results are mixed and more research is needed.
1533 citations
,
October 2008 in “Endocrine reviews” Mice without the vitamin D receptor have bone issues and other health problems, suggesting vitamin D is important for preventing various diseases in humans.
February 2018 in “Egyptian Journal of Radiation Sciences and Applications” Patients with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus have lower vitamin D and antioxidant levels and higher oxidative stress.
13 citations
,
December 2012 in “Frontiers in bioscience” Vitamin D and estrogen may help protect heart and kidney health, and maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels could be especially beneficial for African Americans, postmenopausal women, and people with chronic kidney disease.
4 citations
,
May 2021 in “Molecules” The hair test for vitamin D could be a useful alternative to blood tests, providing a longer-term vitamin D status, but more research is needed.
1 citations
,
January 2009 in “Trepo - Institutional Repository of Tampere University” Vitamin D may help regulate cholesterol and influence prostate cancer development.
158 citations
,
August 2011 in “Reviews in endocrine and metabolic disorders” Vitamin D and its receptor regulate skin functions like cell growth, immunity, hair cycle, and tumor prevention.
32 citations
,
December 2017 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” Low vitamin D might be linked to certain types of hair loss, and supplements could help, but more research is needed.
20 citations
,
May 2016 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Low vitamin D receptor levels found in hair loss patients; topical vitamin D treatment suggested.
11 citations
,
January 2017 in “Biochemical and biophysical research communications” 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 directly affects cartilage growth and development.
March 2025 in “Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB)” The testes significantly contribute to vitamin D metabolism and may affect male reproductive health and conditions like hair loss.
11 citations
,
January 2011 in “Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences” Low iron levels are a significant risk factor for hair loss, while high vitamin D levels might be a response to hair loss, not a cause.
15 citations
,
January 1995 in “Archives of dermatological research” OCT binds strongly to hair sheath cells and may affect skin and hair growth with fewer side effects than vitamin D3.
32 citations
,
July 2012 in “Stem Cells Translational Medicine” Vitamin D3 can help improve hair growth by enhancing the function of specific skin cells and could be useful in hair regeneration treatments.
13 citations
,
November 2013 in “Journal of Endocrinology/Journal of endocrinology” Vitamin D receptor helps control hair growth genes in skin cells.
55 citations
,
January 2020 in “Advances in experimental medicine and biology” Vitamin D and its receptor may help prevent skin cancer.
May 2025 in “Journal of the Egyptian Womenʼs Dermatologic Society” Vitamin D3 is a safe and effective alternative to steroids for treating alopecia areata, with fewer side effects.
October 2018 in “Springer eBooks” The document concludes that various topical medications are effective for skin conditions but often cause skin irritation as a side effect.
45 citations
,
December 2006 in “Baillière's best practice and research in clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Baillière's best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Vitamin D and its receptor are essential for hair growth, cell regulation, immune function, and heart health.
9 citations
,
June 2019 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” Both topical calcipotriol and narrowband UVB improved alopecia, but combining them didn't enhance the effect on hair loss severity, despite higher vitamin D3 levels.
11 citations
,
November 2021 in “JBMR plus” The vitamin D receptor can act without its usual activating molecule, affecting hair growth and skin cancer, but its full range of actions is not well understood.
36 citations
,
February 2007 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” The vitamin D receptor can work without its usual activating molecule.
9 citations
,
January 2019 in “Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii” The skin acts like an endocrine organ, making hormones that affect skin diseases and respond to stress.
August 2022 in “Indonesian Journal of Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics” Certain herbal compounds might help prevent hair loss in menopausal women by activating Vitamin D receptors.