Diet and Hair Loss

ourgloballove
ourgloballove Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone! I'm a 25 yo female who became a vegetarian 9 mos ago and am leaning more towards going vegan. I've been trying hard to get protein in. I live in India for 6-9 mos a year and my diet consists mostly of lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, and raw veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, carrot, radish, sprouted chickpeas, etc.. With a small amount of basmati rice and whole wheat flour.

Of late I have been losing quite a bit of hair. I have long hair (about to the bottom of my shoulder blades) and have noticed that my hair loss is getting worse. It is especially bad after I shower, but even when combing my hair when I get up in the morning or taking my hair down after it's been up for a while I lose a significant amount. Even when my hair is down I'm still finds quite a bit of hair accumulated on the back of my shirts, etc.

I love the vegetarian lifestyle and have no intentions of switching back. Has anyone else become vegetarian and then experienced hair loss? If so, did you figure out what was causing it or things that could lessen it?

PS- I use homemade shampoos and soaps as well so any natural recommendations are appreciated. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • GettingMooreInShape
    GettingMooreInShape Posts: 80 Member
    I am not vegetarian, but was in the past. I, too, experienced hair loss (and fatigue).
    One of my fields of study in university is Nutrition, and we learn this is a very common side effect.. but should not be considered normal or treated lightly. Hair loss is an outward sign that you may be nutrient deficient on the inside!

    Protein and fats are EXTREMELY important for hair health (and for all of your body, of course!) It sounds like you are eating well in terms of vege protein, but are you using oils when you cook? Eating nuts and seeds? Avocado? Saturated and unsaturated fats, in my personal experience, can really help with hair and give you that "healthy glow".
    Also, do you have access to soy protein such as tofu?

    Vitamin supplements seemed to help me, but not all of the nutrients get absorbed (especially if you're not eating enough fats).

    Would you consider eating a few bites of red meat a week? Red meat has the iron, b12, protein, fat, and several other vitamins and minerals that are essential, especially for menstruating women.
    Iron supplements, as I have learned in class, are pretty much useless because 95% of the iron DOES NOT get absorbed. If eating red meat is not an option you'd like to cover, find some grains and breads or cereals fortified with iron. Not as good as red meat, but has a much stronger impact than iron supplements.

    You might look into supplements such as drinks or powders made especially for vegan women. They should contain a good deal nutrients you may be deficient in.

    And remember, the food you are eating in India is not the same as in the U.S.! The US fortifies many of their products (especially grain products like bread and cereal) with additional nutrients like iron. This is not the case in many other countries.
  • keeptehpeace
    keeptehpeace Posts: 189 Member
    You are probably severely lacking in iron and protein, having been a vegetarian and having the same problem. Eat more green vegetables e.g. spinach, consider taking in more protein through lentils, beans, tofu.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    Have your doctor run a blood panel to check for nutritional deficiencies, and make sure you are getting adequate calories, protein, and fats in your diet.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    You might want to see about having your thyroid checked, and especially if you're experiencing other symptoms of thyroid dysfunction.

    As for your diet, you may need more starchy carbs (by that I mean potatoes, sweet potatoes, root veggies) than what you're getting, in addition to what others have suggested with the protein, fats, and vitamins. Not sure if you eat tons of raw veggies or what, but that could also be doing you a disservice, as many veggies are difficult for our bodies to digest and process in their raw state.

    I was a vegetarian, vegan, and raw vegan for about 20 years total, and yes...I experienced hair loss, amongst all sorts of other health issues. I reintroduced animal products into my diet and have been healthy since then.
  • leesyc81
    leesyc81 Posts: 52 Member
    http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/hairloss/Pages/Womenandhairloss.aspx
    Not sure if the link is correct but it's normal after weight loss, pregnancy etc. I had it after my 3 pregnancies then recently after my weight loss. It's called telogen effluvium. The hair grows back :-) . I had my iron levels and thyroid function tested a month ago amongst other tests and all came back completely normal.
  • callie006
    callie006 Posts: 151 Member
    Like others have said, there are a lot of possible reasons for hairloss. If it were me, I'd think about having some blood work done. For me, hair loss is associated with anemia. Taking a multi containing iron has really helped my hairloss. I naturally shed my hair slightly more than average, but when my iron goes down, it starts coming out in clumps.
  • ourgloballove
    ourgloballove Posts: 2
    These are all great suggestions. Looks like I should probably see about getting to a physician to check things out. Although, come to think of it I have lost 20+ lbs in the last 4 months. The last time this happened was on an extended stay in India and I had hair loss then as well. Hopefully that's all it is an nothing serious.

    Thanks for everyone's input!! :flowerforyou:

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