Does Weight loss and Hair loss go hand in hand?

vopat45
vopat45 Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started dieting using my fitnesspal and working out since december, I have lost a total of 16 pounds in 2 months, about 2 weeks ago I went to my salon to get a hair cut and she said... wow Your hair has thinned out a lot, I have never seen it like this. I have always have had really really thick hair to the point where you dont even see through to the scalp.

This morning when I was putting on gel I noticed a bald spot in the back of my head...

What is going on? Can I add anything to slow down this process? Biotin? Vitamin B12?
Will the hair ever grow back, is this temp or perm?

Replies

  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    That doesn't sound good!!
    I've lost 40lbs and I don't think I've lost any more hair than normal..
    I don't know if it's the norm, but I think I'd stop in to see the doctor
  • BlairDCIX
    BlairDCIX Posts: 2 Member
    weight loss and hair loss should not go together. In fact most people report stronger, healthier hair the more balanced their diet is. I would suggest looking into a multi-vitiam that has biton, b-12, MSM, a folic acid. You could pick up some prenatal vitiams. This boost should help you have enough vitmains for your hair and nails.

    You may also want to consider some enviormental factors. Hair sheds more in winter. Your product usage ( drying shampoo) may be leading to breakage or scalp issues that have lead the increased shedding, etc. Happy hair growing!
  • vopat45
    vopat45 Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for your guys response, I feel like it is not normal and I am kind of scared.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    That doesn't sound good. I have a friend who had gastric surgery and she is losing hair because she isn't getting enough protein. Just normal diet change and exercise would not cause hair loss if you are eating correctly.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    How much are you eating daily? I took a peek at your diary, you're set to 1900 cals, but nothing's logged. Could you not be eating enough? I agree with upping the protein too!
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
    weight loss and hair loss only go together when you get to extremely low points in body fat - its a sign of anorexia sometimes called down/luongo (i probably butchered the spelling on that) hair - so I doubt thats what you have

    hair changes are also sometimes associated with thyroid dysfunction and extreme B vitamin deficiencies - but people think you can deplete B vitamins acutely in a few weeks of dieting but in all reality it takes years to develop a true B12 deficiency

    I would suggest getting blood work done and checking your thyroid levels
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I lost my hair when I was eating under my BMR. As soon as I stopped doing that, my hair stopped falling out. It's back to normal now (and I'm still losing weight).
  • vopat45
    vopat45 Posts: 34 Member
    Ill be truthful, I stopped logging because I was eating way under my Cal goal for a while and I figured since I was not eating over my calorie goal of 1900 I dont have to log it... Some days ill eat 1300 Calories a day and some days Ill eat 1000 calories.
  • curejenn
    curejenn Posts: 70 Member
    You need to make sure you are getting enough calories and that out of those calories a sufficient amount are coming from protein and healthy fats.
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    its never happened to me and I lost 60 pounds after pregnancy. However, I take a Super B and a Prenatal vitamin everyday
  • SageGoddess320
    SageGoddess320 Posts: 2,589 Member
    Keep a close eye on the amount of hair loss you are experiencing. If it continues to get worse, you should see a doctor ASAP. It could be something unrelated to your diet like Alopecia.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    A few things that can cause hair loss are stress, hormonal problems, low calorie, nutrient deficiencies. And one that people did not mention is Anemia or even just a lower iron level (for someone that is extremely active, such as an athlete). You should see your doctor and also have your blood tested. B vitamins, protein, iron and silica gel could all help hair re-growth. But, it's usually best not to take iron without getting your blood tested first.
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    I would go see a doctor BEFORE it gets worse. It sounds like you probably have some sort of nutritional deficiency that might be going on to cause that. Maybe the doc can take a panel and see where you are deficient. I;'ve also heard hair loss is sometimes caused by stress so something to consider as well.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
    Weight loss and hair loss can DEFINITELY go hand in hand.....It usually means your nutrition and vitamins are out of sync. The Good news is...it is totally reversible. As soon as you get back in sync the hair comes back. Everyone who wants to lose weight and changes their nutrition plan should be taking a good multivitamin. This is usually the #1 cause. #2 cause is your nutrition plan is not set up correctly. Set your goal to lose only 1 lb/week if it isn't already.....log everything exercise and nutrition. Eat all of your calories for the day. don't think if you have 100 calories left at 11pm that its OK...its not.. eat a banana or apple...something close to whats leftover. Eat the calories you burn during a workout. Anyone who has been sedentary and has not had a full physical in 5 years and plans on losing weight should have one done. Get a full blood workup and all the fun touchy feelly stuff that comes along with a phsyical. We wish you all the best in acheiving your goals.

    google -- weight loss and hair loss --- you'll get a ton of info that might also be helpful as well
  • mrshoneydew
    mrshoneydew Posts: 253
    I've been going through this, too.
    It seems like it started to happen around the time I got my new job in October. At my job, I stand and run around a kitchen for 8 hours, I don't get any breaks (1 bathroom break maybe) and while I get free lunch....I'm lucky if I get time to eat it.
    I try to have a good breakfast (grains, greek yogurt, peanut butter, almond milk, stuff like that), a protein smoothie, a good dinner, but my diet has become more irregular since I started this job.
    And since then, I have lost weight....and hair. You can see my scalp when I pull my hair back. If I lightly run my fingers through my hair, a bunch of strands come out. I'm not sure what I'm missing exactly, and while I'm not pregnant, I'm considering taking Prenatal vitamins. It has all the good stuff we need.

    It's a really frustrating thing.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    edited September 2019
    Just to let you know, this thread is 6 years old and the OP last posted in 2016. ☺
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited September 2019
    .
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Undereating for a long time has been known to cause hair loss. 8 lbs a month loss is quite a bit. See above.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I lost hair when I was under eating
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
    I started getting a massive hair shed around when I hit 40lbs lost. It was coming out in handfuls and I had to cut my (then past waist-length hair to a bob) just to be able to brush out all the falling, tangled hair.

    I was also under-eating some days and getting occasional dizzy spells. I wasn’t accurately tracking calories burned, and my goal was too aggressive because I was often trying to make up for weekend splurges.

    I turned out to also have low iron for which I’ve been supplementing for several months and I’m still trying to build back to normal.

    Something like this really needs a doctor visit and some blood work to investigate, in addition to checking for under-eating and missing macros/vitamins.

    Hair loss can have lots of causes so i would recommend upping calories to your goal & speaking with your doctor ASAP.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    edited September 2019
    vopat45 wrote: »
    Ill be truthful, I stopped logging because I was eating way under my Cal goal for a while and I figured since I was not eating over my calorie goal of 1900 I dont have to log it... Some days ill eat 1300 Calories a day and some days Ill eat 1000 calories.

    Jeez dude, there's your answer! Start eating again and make sure you get enough protein. My hair and nails grow like mofo due to high protein intake. I literally have to dye my white roots every 2 weeks coz hair grows that fast.

    Like other people have said - eat food.

    Have a diet break for a bit - a GOOD bit - log all your meals at maintenance calories, not at a loss - for like a MONTH even. Then reduce your cals for a moderate deficit and continue to plug along.

    Fark.

    EDIT - ooops - just realised this is a zombie thread....
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    Damn.. zombie thread. lol
  • koalathebear
    koalathebear Posts: 236 Member
    I think it's a good zombie thread to resurrect though. A lot of people don't know that under-eating can lead to hair loss. As I said to someone I know who was deliberately undereating and getting very faint and dizzy - "You're losing weight because you want to look better/feel better - what's the point eating so little that you might lose your hair, feel faint all the time have bad skin ... organ failure!!!?"
  • elfin168
    elfin168 Posts: 202 Member
    when i was drastically undereating as a anorexic 18 year old i would run my hands through my hair and it would come out in my hands. i think you need to start logging your intake and make sure that you are getting enough protein, carbs, fats etc. a doctors checkup may not go amiss either
  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
    Do you have a healthy diet? Are you getting your vitamins, calcium, protein? Veggies? Fruit? Whole grain?

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