Losing hair by the handfuls!

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  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    See your doctor. I lose hair like this, too. Of course, it's because I have hypothyroidism. :smile:
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
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    No matter what else you do, absolutely get your thyroid checked.
  • Angie_Fritts
    Angie_Fritts Posts: 263 Member
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    You might want to get your thyroid checked. Hair loss is a common symptom of hypo thyroid.

    THIS^^
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
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    Thanks so much for the replies. I think I will go to the doctor just to see if she has anything else to say. I have low iron and have a script for iron pills. I am on the Mirena (year 3) so going off the pill isn't a factor. It sounds like maybe I do need to up my calories. How do I know for sure? I am eating back most of my exercise calories. How do I know how much to eat? Gah! I hate this! It's taking me forever to lose weight and I'm scared to eat more. How would I get my TDEE checked? Is that something I would go to my PCP for? Or would I need to go to a nutritionist??

    Go to your doctor first. I had issue with mine falling out as well and even had bald spots, one the size of a golf ball. My thyroid is enlarged and, eating what I was eating with it, no matter under calories or not, was not helping it. NOT saying it is your thryoid but, you stating it is taking a while for you to lose, I would definitely get it checked out.

    It wouldnt hurt, once you find out whether it is a medical issue or not, to see a nutritionist is there is one available. I was also told fats & oils are essential in healthy hair so, not to cut them out completely.
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
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    When your body is under stress, you can lose hair. I am recovering from that (lost approximately 1/3 of my hair. But it's been growing back for the last six months. Many of those above have made good suggestions, but I also recommend biotin (it's a B vitamin). It's made a big difference for me.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    My hair started falling out when I was eating below my BMR.

    BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories your body needs to function. When you don't get that many, your body may decide to let go of some functions in order to keep the necessary things going (like organ function!). For me, that was my hair. Some people get weak nails. A lot of people have a lack of energy. All symptoms of a low calorie intake.

    As soon as I started eating above my BMR, my hair stopped falling out. Within several weeks, it was even growing back in. I eat a 20% cut from my TDEE now and I'm losing weight and my hair looks great.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
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    Watch your sodium intake esp those fast foods. I would add more varied vegetables into diet.

    Oh yeah, because salt is going to make you lose hair by the handfuls. :huh:

    *Just wanted to add that a lack of sodium can cause some hair loss, but that wasn't what I saw implied by 'watch your sodium' *
  • Mollie007
    Mollie007 Posts: 73
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    I had my thyroid checked about 2 years ago (along with a ton of other blood work like cholesterol, pre-diabetes, etc) and everything came back perfect. Should I go have it checked again, or since it was fine 2 years ago, that's probably not the issue?
  • Myan1959
    Myan1959 Posts: 30 Member
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    I was loosing hair too and it's a scarey thing. Once I got my thyroid level checked and on the right dose my hair loss has diminished a lot.
  • exacerbe
    exacerbe Posts: 447 Member
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    See a doctor. Easy as 3.14
  • Yukongil
    Yukongil Posts: 166 Member
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    have you been exposed to any gamma bombs recently? Have you noticed you get angry easier? And if so, do you often black-out for lengthy periods of time, only to find yourself miles from home, a path of destruction behind you, authorities hot on your trial for crimes you don't remember committing and wearing nothing but purple pants?

    Happened to a cousin of mine once, he changed his shampoo and ate more shellfish and it helped a lot.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Thanks so much for the replies. I think I will go to the doctor just to see if she has anything else to say. I have low iron and have a script for iron pills. I am on the Mirena (year 3) so going off the pill isn't a factor. It sounds like maybe I do need to up my calories. How do I know for sure? I am eating back most of my exercise calories. How do I know how much to eat? Gah! I hate this! It's taking me forever to lose weight and I'm scared to eat more. How would I get my TDEE checked? Is that something I would go to my PCP for? Or would I need to go to a nutritionist??

    If you had eaten back all your exercise calories, even if inflated in MFP's database, you probably would have protected yourself a tad better.

    Too low a goal one day (1200 is bottom level for safety reasons for sedentary, not for performance, longevity, or aesthetics, much like minimum building codes is only for safety) would have been balanced by decent exercise calories eaten back the next day.

    And yes, read the reports of many women that were under-eating for there level of activity, and that was a symptom they caused themselves.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    I get that if I'm not eating enough, stress, or use crappy shampoo. Try netting higher for a week or so and see if you notice any improvement. If not, it might be worth going to a doctor and getting some blood work done to make sure you don't have thyroid problems or another imbalance.
  • joannathechef
    joannathechef Posts: 484 Member
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    Try a zinc supplement too!
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    When people that have gastric bypass surgery do not eat enough protein, they lose their hair.

    Eat more protein, eat more period. 1200 per day is not enough.

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