Hair loss won't stop!?!

Abrandnewme55

Hello, I am a 5'8 female weighing in at 143 lbs. I started out in Feb at 221 lbs. I lost all my weight within 4 months, very fast although through clean methods. I changed my eating habits, got rid of the junk..went to the gym 6 days a week and changed my fluid to just drinking 9-12 glasses of water daily. The weight fell off to my joy however i've realized although the right way, it was too drastic for my body. My hair is falling out faster than it should be. It has been doing this for many months. It's not just a few strands, everytime I brush my hair or shower I get dozens and dozens of strands coming out. My hair feels so thin.. I worry about balding I have been taking a multivitamin with biotin in it for months and still no change. I have an appointment with a dermatologist in Nov to see what is wrong. Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want this to continue

Liftng4Lis

You need to seek medical attention.

diannethegeek

Could be too little fat or protein in your diet. You could be missing out on an important vitamin or mineral. Or it could be a serious medical condition. There's no way for us to diagnose that sort of thing for you.

WalkingAlong

If the hair loss is from undereating, I'd assume stopping undereating would stop it. How much have you been eating? How much were you eating during weight loss?

Hair does grow and shed in cycles, too. A lot of women experience strong growth phases while pregnant and then heavy shedding for a while after childbirth. If it's hormonal, you might just have to wait it out until things re-regulate from all the change.

http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/e---h/hair-loss/who-gets-causes
"Dieting and poor nutrition

Weight loss: Some people see hair loss after losing more than 15 pounds. The hair loss often appears 3 to 6 months after losing the weight. This hair loss is common. The hair re-grows without help.

Vitamin A: Too much vitamin A can cause hair loss. People can get too much of this vitamin through vitamin supplements or medicines. Once the body stops getting too much vitamin A, normal hair growth resumes.

Protein: When the body does not get enough protein, it rations the protein it does get. One way the body can ration protein is to shut down hair growth. About 2 to 3 months after a person does not eat enough protein, you can see the hair loss. Eating more protein will stop the hair loss. Meats, eggs, and fish are good sources of protein. Vegetarians can get more protein by adding nuts, seeds, and beans to their diet.

Iron: Not getting enough iron can lead to hair loss. Good vegetarian sources of iron are iron-fortified cereals, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, white beans, lentils, and spinach. Clams, oysters, and organ meats top the list of good animal sources of iron.

Eating disorder: When a person has an eating disorder, hair loss is common. Anorexia (not eating enough) and bulimia (vomiting after eating) can cause hair loss."

Good luck!

SlimMe37

Too little fat in your diet can do this.myou could have a medical condition like I have which is an underactive thyroid. I'm on meds for it but I still lose a lot of hair, more so after I've washed it.

Therealobi1

Whilst you wait for your appointment what did your doctor say? When you say the right way what actual foods did you cut out? Also have you modified your diet since the hair loss?

kamurray6

You really need to see your primary care doctor. I have had two periods in the last 3 years where I lost a lot of hair, getting bald patches around my temples. The first time was after I had lost 43 pounds. I initially attributed it to the weight loss, but when it didn't slow down I went in for a complete physical. My doctor tested for all the usual deficiencies that cause hair loss. The tests revealed nothing wrong. He said it must be a side effect from some medication I was taking. I thought he was crazy because I had been taking the same medication for 10+ years. I stopped taking it and a few weeks later, my hair stopped coming out. Fast forward to this past January. I am back at the doctor with massive hair loss. Again all my tests are fine. Again he suspects it's a side effect to another medication that I had been taking for about 5 years. In this case, hair loss is an extremely rare side effect, so rare that it's almost impossible to find any mention when I searched the internet. Within days of stopping this medication I noticed a decrease in the amount of hair coming out. Two weeks later, the hair loss had stopped.

Kalikel

Call the doctor's office and tell them your hair is falling out. Make an appointment.

squishycatmew

Apparently, hair loss related to malnutrition from too-rapid weight loss can start *after* the weight loss. If that's the issue it may resolve after you get your nutrition back up to par. But there are other reasons you could be losing your hair - you may want to see a primary care physician as well as your derm.