While losing weight did your hair seem to fall out?

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I went through chemo last year due to having breast cancer but now that my hair is back it doesn't seem as thick as it used to be. I am eating a lot diffenet these days so I can lose the extra weight I am carrying. But it looks like my hair is suffering. Do you have any advice to help get my hair to grow in thicker. I remember once hearing Richard Simmons say all his hair fell out whenever he would attempt to diet. grrrrrr

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  • Knaroz
    Knaroz Posts: 23
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    Make sure you are getting your protein in, and also look into some Biotin suppliments. Those two things should help with reducing your calories but not losing your hair
  • PaisleyLotus
    PaisleyLotus Posts: 60 Member
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    Hello!

    I found this online....hope this helps! :0)


    What Causes Hair Loss During Dieting?
    By Kristie Karns, eHow Contributor ..Vitamin Deficiencies and Hair Loss
    Following a very regimented diet and losing weight rapidly can create a vitamin deficiency in many cases, which can cause a person's chemical balance to be thrown off, thereby leading to temporary hair loss. Some of these diets also contain too much or too little vitamin A, which also results in temporary hair loss. One problem with diets, even those recommended by a doctor, is that many of them concentrate on lowering caloric intake or carbohydrates but fail to consider the nutrient intake, so the dieter begins to develop deficiencies in his diet resulting in multiple symptoms, hair loss being one that is very noticeable. Zinc, vitamin B12 and biotin are three nutrients that people need in order to have a healthy head of hair. Without them, the hair goes into a resting stage and begins to fall out. Until the deficiencies are dealt with, the hair will not grow back. A zinc deficiency will result in changes in the scalp, dandruff being a good example. This is because zinc is used in cell division and it helps the body to produce proteins and collagen, both of which are needed in the skin and hair follicles to keep them strong and healthy. To add more zinc to your diet you can eat wheat germ, muscle meats, fish and egg yolks. Vitamin B12 helps form healthy red blood cells, which transport oxygen to all parts of the body, including the scalp and the hair follicles. Add it to your diet through eggs, meat and poultry. Biotin makes the hair and skin healthy and supple. Brewer's yeast, brown rice, bulgur, green peas, lentils, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds and walnuts can all provide biotin in the diet.
    Protein, Iron and Iodine
    While on a special diet to lose weight, a person's protein intake is usually too low. The end result is that the body has to conserve its remaining protein and does so by forcing the hair into the resting phase. Two or three months later that resting hair begins to fall out. This is reversible by adding proteins to the diet. Meat proteins are the best but there are vegetarian sources as well, such as, nuts, seeds and beans. Also, having low iron in your blood can cause the hair to fall out, so the dieter needs to supplement with iron-rich foods such as soybeans, pumpkin seeds, white beans, lentils, spinach, clams, oysters and organ meat. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are eating disorders that can leach necessary nutrients out of the system, causing hair loss to occur. Iodine is another essential nutrient for healthy hair growth. Salt is iodized for this reason, but unfortunately the iodine in salt is difficult to digest, making it hard to assimilate into the system where it can do the most good. Liquid iodine supplements are better.
    Silica and High-Fat Diets
    Silica is an essential nutrient and also very difficult to find in the Western diet. In Asia it is commonly eaten because Asian people incorporate a lot of rice and raw vegetables into their diets. Silica makes hair stronger and more durable, so that it is able to stretch rather than break easily. Silica is found in rice, oats, lettuce, parsnips, asparagus, onion, strawberries, cabbage, cucumber, leek, sunflower seeds, celery, rhubarb, cauliflower and Swiss chard. These sources should only be grown organically because many of these foods do not contain silica thanks to Western farming practices. Silica-rich foods should best be eaten raw, if possible, to get the full benefit to the hair. Also, high-fat diets seem to increase the percentages of hair loss. People from countries where low-fat diets are common have very little pattern baldness. When those countries become Westernized, and eat higher-fat diets, pattern baldness appears.
    Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar and Nicotine
    Alcohol, caffeine, sugar and nicotine are substances that can deplete the nutrients out of the body and cause adrenal levels to rise, which creates more androgens, which cause hair loss. These substances should be used sparingly, if at all, as they have a severe impact on the body. Toxemia sets in quite easily when the body fills up with these substances, which are not easily eliminated from the system, so regular cleansing is essential to good health. Drinking an adequate amount of water, such as six to eight glasses of water per day, can help with toxemia problems, by keeping the system washed out so the toxins do not have a chance to build up. Toxemia can cause eczema, psoriasis and seborrhea. These are all conditions that can affect the scalp and how hair grows. Adding fiber to the diet is a good idea as well as it helps keep the bowels clear of waste materials.
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    Read more: What Causes Hair Loss During Dieting? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4681047_causes-hair-loss-during-dieting.html#ixzz1EL2kcdoV
  • ace175
    ace175 Posts: 518 Member
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    Over this past summer I tried the slimfast 3-2-1 plan and lost too much weight too fast because I was only eating about 900 calories a day. My body went into shock because before that I was eating a couple thousand calories a day, so my body wasn't used to it. When I stopped the slimfast diet, I noticed my hair started falling out. It eventually stopped, but is still very thin. I heard that if you can take biotin and that will help.
    Hope someone has some better answers!
  • nilreb
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    For other health related reasons, I also have issues with hair growth, nail growth, etc, and I found out that Biotin is the supplement in prenatal vitamins that makes pregnant women develop such great hail and nail growth, so I started taking them. I've def noticed a difference. So there is one option you may want to explore.
  • RoadDog
    RoadDog Posts: 2,946 Member
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    Didn't notice if it did.
  • valerian101
    valerian101 Posts: 29 Member
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    My husband lost much hair after chemo. It takes longer than you would expect for it to grow back.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Didn't notice if it did.

    Judging by your profile picture, I would assume that's an accurate statement :laugh:

    Hair loss runs in my family, so I just ended up shaving my head. Much easier to maintain for me.
  • gems4me
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    Thank you so much for all that information Paisley, I really appreciate it. Thank you to the others that suggested the biotin, I'll go look for that at Walmart.
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    Didn't notice if it did.

    *chuckling*
  • khk2010
    khk2010 Posts: 451 Member
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    I was losing tons of hair (handfuls every shower) after watching calories for several months. After looking at my nutrition my doctor said I needed to eat more healthy fats. Checked for thyroid issues-none. Could also be hormones-but nothing checked abnormal.

    I started 3 biotin a day and 3 collagen a day. My hair stopped falling out and I have new growth. When I go off of the biotin or collagen for a while the hair starts falling out again.

    So that's my experience.
  • madijo41
    madijo41 Posts: 367 Member
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    This is why I love MFP so much. One member asks a question and the answers help so many different people. I never thought to ask this question, but I have been suffering from hair loss too. So thanks for asking a question. :bigsmile:
  • gems4me
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    Thanks khk, I have to ask you though, does the biotin make the hair you have grow longer and faster? I'm just hoping to see new hair sprouting out of my haed, I don't care about length as much as fullness. I'm heading to the store later today to buy this stuff.

    Glad I could help rojo. Good luck to you in the hair department too.
  • metajess
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    i have REALLY fine (baby duck feather) low density hair so when i started beauty school i learned all these fun new things about how to make my hair healthier. Hair loss also doesnt necessarily mean its falling out at the scalp, it could just be breakage....

    If you use box hair color....STOP. it has TONS of ammonia in it and that can ruin the hair follicles (i used to bleach my hair/color it with box dye which is why my hair isnt as thick as it used to be)

    I started taking biotin and have noticed my hair grows faster, but there isnt much change is thickness or density. i also take GLA which you can find in borage oil. i take a fish flaxseed and borage oil combo called super omega 3.

    be gentle with your hair when its wet. it stretches up to 70% more when its wet and can break much easier. a lot of us get out of the shower and just rub our towels all over our hair with can also be damaging.

    get a PROFESSIONAL shampoo and conditioner. anything you buy outside of a salon or a beauty supply is NOT professional. they ones you find in grocery stores are expired or black market rips offs. REDKEN is a great brand that i use myself and can be found at many salons or ULTA if you have ones of those near you.
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