WOMEN - weight loss and hair loss????

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NikkiSmo
NikkiSmo Posts: 180 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have always had a very thick and full head of long hair. Since loosing weight my hair is starting to fall out in massive amounts! I have always lost a handful during hair washing and brushing but this is much more than that. Has anyone else had this happen? Can anyone give me some hope that this is some kind of 7 year shead..... it's not in paches kind of all over.
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Replies

  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    How quickly did you lose 48lbs?
  • NikkiSmo
    NikkiSmo Posts: 180 Member
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    160 days.
  • betterby30
    betterby30 Posts: 18 Member
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    I have also lost a ton of hair during this process. Aggravating, but it's just something that happens when your body goes through a big change in a relatively short period of time.
  • Bennett056
    Bennett056 Posts: 70 Member
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    I have had that problem before when losing weight. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Actually that is a warning/recommendation with some diet programs.
  • dedee32282
    dedee32282 Posts: 28
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    I have never read about a natural correlation between weight loss and hair loss! I'd look into the nutrients in your diet and see if you're deficient in any areas. Try a supplement- Biotin promotes healthy hair and nails. Just be careful - it CAN bother your stomach if taken without food.
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
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    Your hair loss might be unrelated to your weight loss, you should have your thyroid checked out. My sister was having the same issue and it turned out to be her thyroid she is now on medicine. Goodluck..:flowerforyou:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Looking at your diary, you are eating between 800 and 1100 calories most days. You are having hair loss issue because your are not taking in enough nutrition for your body to sustain all it's tissue. It's simple really. Your body is adapting to your prolonged low calorie intake. You should consider this a warning signal that you are eating at an unhealthy level.
  • mabelbabel1
    mabelbabel1 Posts: 391 Member
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    I suffered from hair loss in my 20's it was purely down to my poor lifestyle at that time, not eating properly and drinking too much. I was slim and i thought healthy at that time.
    The Doctor told me my body wasn't getting enough nutrients, that I needed to change/improve my lifestyle/diet.

    Could be that you're not eating enough and need to re think your foods and calories.
  • tiffanysmummy
    tiffanysmummy Posts: 4
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    I had a lot of hair loss when I lost weight quickly. I was eating a LCHF (low carb, high fat) diet so was eating plenty of calories and not missing out on any nutrients. I think the body can go into shock. Now that my weight has stabilised, my hair loss has gone back to the normal amount.
  • JLD81
    JLD81 Posts: 133 Member
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    Looking at your diary, you are eating between 800 and 1100 calories most days. You are having hair loss issue because your are not taking in enough nutrition for your body to sustain all it's tissue. It's simple really. Your body is adapting to your prolonged low calorie intake. You should consider this a warning signal that you are eating at an unhealthy level.

    I agree with this. When I restricted too low when younger this was a problem. That is why most hair stylist are the first to know when teenage girls are suffering from ed's. I'd increase cals a bit, take a good women's multi vitamin, add more protein, and buy a good quality shampoo and conditioner ( we also wash our hair more when working out and strip the oils out which can lead to breakage and thinner hair). I use Paul Mitchell strong and it is amazing and u don't need as much as with cheaper products.
  • krs8879
    krs8879 Posts: 3 Member
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    Im a hairstylist, and sudden hair loss can be for several reasons.. losing a large amount of weight quickly as well as maintaining a fairly low cal intake will really stress out your body. Your hair loss is a sign that your body could be suffering, as well as there could be other things going on. Dont let it go, its something that should def be discussed with your doctor!
  • eglassy88
    eglassy88 Posts: 1
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    This hair loss problem is directly related to your nutrition. Luckily I've compiled a list of 101 foods that shred body fat. It's a great resource for any dieter out there who is sick and tired of eating the same old bland foods. You can check it out at -
    http://www.bulkingdiets.com/eat-this-not-that-101-foods-that-shred-body-fat
  • GomesDavid
    GomesDavid Posts: 149
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    I have had that problem before when losing weight. Make sure you are getting enough protein. Actually that is a warning/recommendation with some diet programs.

    Yup!! agreed Bennett056, protein is the major component of all of your body's cells, and you're right, it's important to make sure you're getting enough of it..
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
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    Adequate protein, nutrients and biotin from the vitamin B family all should help you.
  • DaphneAtx
    DaphneAtx Posts: 153
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    This hair loss problem is directly related to your nutrition. Luckily I've compiled a list of 101 foods that shred body fat. It's a great resource for any dieter out there who is sick and tired of eating the same old bland foods. You can check it out at -
    http://www.bulkingdiets.com/eat-this-not-that-101-foods-that-shred-body-fat

    You're making some pretty amazing claims with this list. Where, exactly, are you getting this information from?
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
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    I'm glad you posted this. I've lost 40+lbs since last Christmas and I have noticed my hair getting much thinner. I generally eat between 1300 - 1500 calories a day but I must be missing things out of my diet. I think I eat enough protein so willl have to keep a look out for other things. I've actually been getting a bit worried about it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    From just this past week in your food diary, it looks like you are hit and miss with your protein. Since you are close to your goal weight, you might try upping your calories closer to maintenance and make sure you are getting enough protein every day. Very low calorie diets can lead to lack of nutrients, which might be the problem. I know other people on the forums have talked about losing a lot of hair when on low calorie diets. But low calories make it hard to get your protein in every day. Figure up your body weight in kilograms and aim for 0.8g protein per kilogram.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Hair loss can be the result of prolonged severe calorie restriction. If you've been undereating since May as much as you have this past week or so, I'm not honestly surprised you're losing your hair. I would eat more, start by getting at least up to your calorie goal. Also, consider taking a diet break by eating at maintenance for a few weeks to try to get your hormones and everything back to normal.
  • jpuderbaugh
    jpuderbaugh Posts: 318 Member
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    I too used to have very thick hair. Then suddenly my hair stylist informed me it was thinning. I had my thyroid checked, it's fine. My parents and I no longer live in the same house, which removed a HUGE stress factor, I continue to lose my hair. I'm 26 years old, this is not normal for a girl my age. I have not been restricting my calories severely either. If it is nutrients and vitamins missing, that will definitely kick my lagging butt into gear with changing my eating habits. I loved my hair. Now I'm ashamed of it.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    This generally means that you're cutting calories too quickly, you've cut your calories too low, or you're not getting enough nutrients. Any or all of these things (especially a sever calorie restriction) will resutl in hair loss, decreased quality in nails and nail growth, acne, and sometimes bone density and tooth strength as your body starts to try to pull nutrients from other sources in order for basic function.

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