Hair Loss From Toxic Levels of Selenium

Selenium--considered a micromineral (or trace mineral) such as iodine, zinc, nickel, copper, manganese and chromium--is required for healthy humans and animals.

The amount of this trace mineral necessary for the human body is very small--approximately 50 to 70 micrograms a day for adults. It takes 1,000 micrograms to make a milligram.

Keeping an appropriate balance is important for optimal health. Too little selenium leads to harmful effects, yet too much can lead to hair loss and many other conditions.

The first symptom of a toxic level of selenium is often hair loss, which can occur on the head, under the arms, the genitalia or general body-hair loss. Sources of selenium include diet, environment or even shampoos that contain selenium sulfide.

Significance

• Selenium's role in the body enables the proper functioning of the thyroid, protects the body from free-radical damage, and reduces the occurrence of joint inflammation.

  Symptoms from lack of selenium include discoloration of hair and skin, muscle pain and weakness, and a whitening of the beds of the fingernails.

Impact

• Selenium deficiency is rare in the United States. Normally, a deficiency is in relationship to gastrointestinal conditions. Crohn's disease, iodine deficiency or a severe illness involving inflammation and infection may decrease selenium levels in the blood. People with HIV or AIDS have a weakened immune system and may not absorb selenium well.

  Embarking on a program to increase selenium should be undertaken with care, as too much selenium has a significant impact on the body. The National Health Institute has deemed 400 micrograms as the highest tolerance level of selenium for adults.

Considerations

• Symptoms for over-exposure to selenium include hair loss, skin lesions, nausea, vomiting and even fingernail loss.

  Hair loss may be an early indicator of too much selenium intake. If you have recently started adding selenium to your diet in the form of selenium-rich foods or supplements, pay special attention to your hair. Normal hair loss is around 100 a day. Hair loss above this amount is a warning sign, especially if there was no apparent hair loss prior to increasing your selenium intake.

Sources

• Many foods contain minute traces of selenium such as shiitake and button mushrooms, barley, lamb, calf's liver, eggs, oatmeal, rice, chicken and turkey. Seafood such as snapper, shrimp, tuna and salmon also contain this micromineral. These examples contain only trace amounts of selenium per serving, at 30 to 50 micrograms. Most people will not obtain too much selenium from a normal diet and eating these foods should not lead to hair loss and related symptoms.

  The exception is consuming Brazil nuts, which contain 70 to 90 micrograms per nut. One nut per day provides the necessary selenium. The National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, cautions to only eat Brazil nuts occasionally due to their high selenium content.

Conclusion

• Many people who notice hair loss search for reasons and must consider over-exposure to selenium.

  The most common-sense approach to investigating the issue of hair loss is to look at many factors. If you have recently started snacking on Brazil nuts or taking a supplement with selenium, remove them from your diet. If hair loss is due to too much selenium, hair should begin to regrow when excess selenium is removed.

  Hair loss has many attributing factors that should be investigated. For example, hair loss can be caused by stress, hormonal change, hereditary conditions, ringworm or a fungal infection. Other contributors to hair loss can be medication or even wearing the hair too tightly bound.

  Unless there has been a specific increase in selenium intake, hair loss can usually be attributed to another cause.