CICO Quality and Hair Loss

MaddMaestro

I've read up on some people discussing hair loss with their dieting. I have not had any [noticeable] experience with this and wondered how others have had this happen. I wanted to know opinions regarding the quality of less calories and how it COULD potentially affect hair.

crazyycatlady1

A very low fat diet can cause hair loss.

cwolfman13

Good nutrition matters...but also, hair and other things require energy (calories) so when you reduce energy (calories), sometimes *kitten* happens...it's more likely to happen if you maintain a substantial energy deficit.

SuzySunshine99

I lost weight very slowly with a reasonable deficit and plenty of protein and fat. I also lost hair. I went to my doctor and after blood tests revealed no problems, she told me that even healthy weight loss can cause hair loss in some people. Basically, your body wants to maintain the status quo, even if you are overweight or obese. When you force your body to change, it may respond with some "defense mechanisms" such as hair loss. After I reached my target weight and started maintaining, my hair grew back.

lemurcat12

crazyycatlady1 wrote: »

A very low fat diet can cause hair loss.

Probably this. I think it's often mentioned by people who also lose their periods, for example. I've never had it happen (some people might be more prone to it), but also never done particularly low cal or low fat. I also love vegetables, but am not sure that nutrient quality overall is the cause of the issue.

ConquerAndBloom

crazyycatlady1 wrote: »

A very low fat diet can cause hair loss.

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

I lost weight very slowly with a reasonable deficit and plenty of protein and fat. I also lost hair. I went to my doctor and after blood tests revealed no problems, she told me that even healthy weight loss can cause hair loss in some people. Basically, your body wants to maintain the status quo, even if you are overweight or obese. When you force your body to change, it may respond with some "defense mechanisms" such as hair loss. After I reached my target weight and started maintaining, my hair grew back.

These are both solid advice. On one end of the spectrum, a LCD could translate into not getting as many nutrients as you were before, which can definitely impact things like hair loss, brittle nails, etc. On the other, though, even healthy weight loss can confuse your body. Most cases I've heard of people having significant hair loss during weight loss are folks who consume extremely low calorie diets, combined with high amounts of exercise, and not enough water.

livingleanlivingclean

I think it's largely hormone related, which can be diet related and happen if you're not getting the nutrients you need (be it not eating enough, or absorbing enough)... I think there'd be other non-diet related factors too, like physical/mental stress