Hair Loss.

Gogetter1314

Im experiencing severe hair loss, the past 2 weeks. Is it due to my 1200 cal diet? Help!! Anybody else experience this??Suggestions!!!

Mjhnbgff

How long have you been at 1,200 calories/day and how much weight have you lost? I am above 1,200 calories but I did lose a lot of weight in the last 9 months. My hair started falling out in April. My dermatologist said sudden hair loss is pretty common after a dramatic weight loss or change in diet. The hair loss is a shock to the body, and if you're not eating enough, your body is going to focus on the essential things like keeping your brain and heart functioning. Hair and nails is just extra. That's why sudden hair loss and/or weak/brittle/peeling nails can be a sign of deficiencies in your diet. I'm paraphrasing her quite a bit but that was basically the gist of what she said. The medical term is telogen iffluvium if you want to google it. Of course, you should go see your doctor (a dermatologist would be best since they specialize in skin and hair) to get checked out and please consider eating more. 1,200 calories a day is not much food at all and it's certainly not enough if you're also exercising.

Hope this helps and best of luck. Hang in there. I know it's scary and alarming but once it starts, you can't reverse it. Your hair will grow back. The hair loss should stop in 4-5 months.

Edited to add: My doctor told me to eat more. I thought 1,600 calories would be enough but apparently, it's not. She also told me that I needed 120-150 grams of protein a day because I work out so much. I can't say how much protein you need since it varies from person to person but you will need to eat more going forward. Eating more now won't stop the hair loss, though. As I wrote above, you can't reverse the hair loss once it starts but know that this is your body's way of telling you it doesn't like what you're doing. Eat more.

brower47

Go to a doctor. It could be many things and only they can accurately diagnose you. It could be serious so don't mess around waiting for replies on a fitness website.

rhall9058

Yep. Hairloss is typically a side effect of mal-nutrition and there is no shortage of threads on these boards about the reasons to avoid the 1200 cal programs; however, they do work for some people if done correctly. My advice has always been not to drop below 1500 NET, but you also have to make sure you are getting the "right" nutrition. i.e., if you stick with 1200, make sure it's comprised of proteins from meat and balanced carbs for fuel. Not just a liquid diet of protein shakes and multi-vitamins. Really look at your intake and make sure that if you stay that low, it's the right stuff. Personally, I would raise to between 1500-1700 though and see if the hairloss stops itself cold.