my hair loss

orangeyellowkayak
orangeyellowkayak Posts: 97 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I read on a post how important it is to eat back my exercise calories. I thought I read that if I don't eat them back instead of burning off fat I could be burning muscle. That I understand. What I think I read is that I could be burning off the cells that would go into making my nails and hair grow. The reason I am asking is I notice that there is more hair left in my brush than normal lately. I know something else could cause hair loss or breakage but I just want to get my facts straight. Thanks for your help.

Replies

  • MrsSenecal
    MrsSenecal Posts: 312 Member
    You should really see a doctor about your hair loss. I was losing mine in chunks and it seems stress was causing mine. But anything from your diet to Thyroid issues could be causing this.
  • AnnofB
    AnnofB Posts: 3,584 Member
    Mrs. Senecal is right. Just to make sure you don't have any thyroid issues.

    I had mine checked and it was ok. Still seem more hair on the brush than I would like to. Let's both check with our doctors about this and see what they think. I'm going in Aug. for a cholesterol check. Speaking of, could it be medication related? Have you recently gone off or on any new medication? Are you taking any supplements?

    HTH,
    Ann
  • emilyc_1987
    emilyc_1987 Posts: 62 Member
    to be safe I would check it out with a doctor, but I would also not worry too much about it, the stress/worry could make it worse!
    It's normal to have changes in everything when you shift over a diet pattern it's a big adjustment for your body!, but get checked out to be sure!

    good luck! x
  • orangeyellowkayak
    orangeyellowkayak Posts: 97 Member
    I am going to the doctor in Aug. I will ask when I go.
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
    Hair loss can be caused by weight loss, because it it does stress the body. But from what I have read it is temporary. And as others have mentioned it can be caused by lots of other things.
  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
    Usually it is just your body's way of protesting you changing. Its hormonal and once you settle into a healthy routine it will recover.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    when I was eating at a low calorie deficit, I was losing my hair and had brittle nails. And not losing weight. Now that I am eating more cals like I am supposed to, including my most of my exercise cals, my nails are stronger my hair is not failing out any more than normal and I have lost weight consistently at a rate of at least 1 lb a week.

    If you are losing more hair than usual, you should look to your calorie intake vs. your cal burn. You might not be netting enough cals.

    or not getting enough protein. Which I was not because I was not eating enough calories.
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
    My daughter, lost a LOT of her hair (maybe 80-90%) as a result of a vaccination required for nursing. It all grew back though, 4 years later, you cant tell.
  • sabinecbauer
    sabinecbauer Posts: 250 Member
    Hair loss can be caused by weight loss, because it it does stress the body. But from what I have read it is temporary. And as others have mentioned it can be caused by lots of other things.

    It's NOT temporary. At least not in all cases, take my word for it. Lost most of my hair in my late teens, thanks to a medically supervised and completely benighted weight loss program that screwed my metabolism and thyroid function six ways from Sunday. My hair never recovered.

    The OP definitely should consult a physician immediately and personally I'd eat maintenance until it's determined what is causing the hair loss.
  • unoriginalusername007
    unoriginalusername007 Posts: 83 Member
    Hello there :) In high school a close friend of mine was anorexic and when I was showering at her house after a sleepover the amount of hair in her shower was disgusting. I asked her about it and she explained that she had restricted to the point that she was starting to lose more hair than normal. I'm not calling you anorexic, but that's how I originally learned that if you don't eat enough, you definitely could start losing more hair. (I've since researched it since then to now know it's true.) I don't know how much you eat now in regards to how much you burn, but if you eat a bit more , in time you shouldn't notice you're losing as much hair. That's your body's way of telling you it's lacking the nutrients it needs. If you haven't noticed it before you started losing weight, then I'd assume it's related to your eating. (If it was related to your thyroid you probably would've noticed it a while ago before you started .)
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    Are you on birth control? Sometimes that can cause hair loss (it does for me). Instead of taking a normal multivitamin, I take prenatal (Rainbow Lights, cut in half, taken at breakfast and lunch). Some natural remedies that have helped me are using an oil (a mix of mustard, castor, and coconut infused with fenugreek seeds) with some essential oils once a week, doing conditioner cleansing and only using shampoo when I need it to get the treatment oil out of my hair, and exfoliating my scalp once a week with baking soda (only for 20-30 seconds. If your hair is brittle, the exfoliation will break the shafts easily). They don't work for everyone, but I saw a difference. Your body will catch up, and the best thing you can do is just make sure that you're getting all your nutrients for healthy hair. I found it difficult to keep up with all my vitamins and minerals with my calorie deficit sometimes.

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