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Role of Oral Supplements: When and How to Choose

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Hair and Scalp Treatments

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Abstract

People commonly inquire about vitamin and mineral supplementation and diet as a means to prevent or manage dermatological diseases and, in particular, hair loss. Answering these queries is frequently challenging, given the enormous and conflicting evidence that exists on this subject. There are several reasons to suspect a role for micronutrients in non-scarring alopecia. Micronutrients are major elements in the normal hair follicle cycle, playing a role in cellular turnover. The role of nutrition and diet in treating hair loss represents a dynamic and growing area of inquiry. This chapter summarizes the role of vitamins and minerals in non-scarring alopecia. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals play an important, but not entirely clear role in normal hair follicle development and immune cell function. Deficiency of such micronutrients may represent a modifiable risk factor associated with development, prevention, and treatment of alopecia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Hind M. Almohanna

  2. King Fahad General Hospital, Dermatology and Laser Department, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

    Azhar Abbas Ahmed

  3. Fredric Brandt Endowed Professor of Dermatology, Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Antonella Tosti

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  1. Hind M. Almohanna
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  2. Azhar Abbas Ahmed
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  3. Antonella Tosti
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fredric Brandt Endowed, Professor of Dermatology, Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Antonella Tosti

  2. Dermatoncology & Trichology Clinic, National University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

    Daniel Asz-Sigall

  3. Department of Dermatology, Santa Casa da Misericordia, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

    Rodrigo Pirmez

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Almohanna, H.M., Ahmed, A.A., Tosti, A. (2020). Role of Oral Supplements: When and How to Choose. In: Tosti, A., Asz-Sigall, D., Pirmez, R. (eds) Hair and Scalp Treatments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21555-2_7

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