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Hair loss

hotsalsa68
hotsalsa68 Posts: 3 Member
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Been on keto diet for almost 5 months. Have lost 30 lbs but just noticed today how much hair I have lost. My hair is noticeably thinner and my part is wider. Has anyone experienced this? Wondering of it's more the weight loss or keto so maybe missing nutrients? I take Armor thyroid cuz I'm hypothyroid and I take vitamin supplements. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be very grateful.

Replies

  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I've been Keto since last June.
    Although I'd had a problem with thinning hair prior to Keto, this situation has resolved itself.

    Maybe you should talk to your endo & see if there's something funky happening.
  • susupiet
    susupiet Posts: 4 Member
    I have this issue as well. Also hypothyroid (on synthroid). The amount of hair I lose in the shower each morning is about the size of a small rodent! My hairdresser suggested vitamin B. I'm running to the pharmacy!! Good luck...
  • SisterMable
    SisterMable Posts: 40 Member
    I had this issue before keto, and it was all hypothyroid. I *wish* I could get Armor thyroid medicine, but they don't have it here in Malta :-/

    My naturopath told me it was a combination of the low thyroid, low minerals, and lousy metabolism of the minerals I was taking.

    Slowly, my hair is growing back in (though now it's wavy, and it's been straight all my life - maybe keto did *that*) :)

    Anyway, I added a few things to my diet that I feel helped considerably:

    - turmeric, rhodiola root extract, and ashwaghanda root (to help with adrenal replenishment)
    - boron and maximum B stress complex (to help with all the vitamin and mineral things)
    - biotin (specifically for hair, but I notice it starts falling out right away again if I stop taking it...)
    - gelatin (I'm up to ~30 grams a day now) (my skin has never looked more lustrous)

    Good luck!
  • danamcox
    danamcox Posts: 14 Member
    I have been having the same problem for about 6 months or so (started low carb last August). I noticed while I was on vacation in early May and not "dieting," there was much less hair falling out in the shower. So, after posting here and reading the responses and articles on low carb and hormonal imbalance, I have upped my carbs from 25 (5%) to 128 (40%). I haven't had the blood work done to rule out thyroid yet (procrastination), but I will.

    I'll be 50 in a few months and have been taking Centrum Silver, biotin (hair), calcium +D (hair) potassium, magnesium, iron (extreme cold hands/feet) and Estroven (night sweats) for about three months now. Two weeks ago, I noticed about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of new hair growth happening in a few spots, so I think something is working. I had my hairdresser cut me short to allow the new growth to catch up.

    Until my doctor tells me that the problem is my thyroid -- for which medication will be prescribed, I think I'm going to stick with these new macros: 40/30/30 (that I stumbled upon in the Near or Post Menopausal Group here on MFP). For the time being, adding carbs is an easy and cheap fix -- in spite of my preference for low carb. If and when the time is right, it's reversible.

    I'm going to keep trying until I get it right - for both weight loss and hair retention!

    I wish you much luck.
  • SnowFlinga
    SnowFlinga Posts: 124 Member
    I've read that hair loss can be a common issue across any diet that successfully achieves significant weight loss. This isn't specific to keto diets.
  • ThunderButt11
    ThunderButt11 Posts: 33 Member
    I am almost 6 months on keto and about 6 weeks ago found that I was losing a lot of hair in the shower. I wasn't sure whether to attribute it to keto, or maybe hormone changes. To counter it I upped the amount of dark green leafys that I am taking in and have incorporated more variety to what I am eating. I tried a multivitamin but they make me nauseous so I will stick to the veggies. The hair loss has slowed but I am not back to sleeping well yet.
  • ali59oc
    ali59oc Posts: 130 Member
    I've been doing Keto for 6 months now, I'm 55 years old. I have always "shed" my hair twice a year. Just like a Golden Retriever! I have very thick hair so I think it's more noticeable when it starts to come out. I noticed about a month ago that I was shedding but it's still going on, not quite as heavy as at first, but still. I can't notice if my hair is thinner or not but I do see little baby hairs coming in. Can't decide if it's age, HRT (been on that for a yar), my normal shedding, or the diet. I will not stop the diet. EVER!

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