Ahhh my hair is falling out!!

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firegurl126
firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
edited October 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
So I see in some discussions that hair loss is a known problem with rapid weight loss.
I lost 40 lbs from March to July (4 months). I thought I was doing it right. Cut out all the junk food, lean meats, veggies, fruits, nuts etc. I also started to exercise a lot. Running and elliptical to be exact. I took a multivitamin also. Then in August I notice my hair really started to fall out. Not clumps, but in the shower is the worst. I made a doctors apt and had my thyroid tested and other blood tests and everything came back normal. She told me be patient and she thinks the hair loss is due to rapid weight loss. From internet research, I do believe I have Telogen Effluvium which is temporary hair thinning over the scalp that occurs because of changes in the growth cycle of hair. A large number of hairs enter the resting phase at the same time, causing hair shedding and subsequent thinning. This being due to how much I restricted my calorie intake during my weight loss (about 1200 calories a day).
So my main question is how long will this last and when will my hair start growing back? I have been losing hair since Aug. Will I lose all my hair? My hair before was pretty thick. I am still taking a multivitamin and 5,000 Biotin every day. I am still exercising about 3 times a week and maintaining my weight but not loosing any more (on purpose). Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
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Replies

  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
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    Have you been eating enough fat?
  • firegurl126
    firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
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    I do believe now I am eating enough fat. But I wasn't during my weight loss period.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    With 3 pounds to go you would be looking for 1/2 pound a week loss. 1200 is MFP's lowest minimum default.....and that number is BEFORE exercise. So, yea you were very likely eating too little.

    I'm not sure how long before you stop losing your hair. Are you eating your maintenance calories now? http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

  • firegurl126
    firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
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    Yes I am now eating maintenance calories.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    There's a ton of information and misinformation about hair loss on the internet. The bottom line is, most of it is genetic and probably unrelated to diet and nutrition unless you have a dramatic long-term nutritional deficiency. And hair changes 4-5 times in a lifetime naturally. If your family has a lot of bald men and thin-haired women as they get older, chances are it'll happen to you too. There are some things that can be done, e.g. Rogaine for women -- but if it's not serious then it's probably just a natural part of your hair's cycle and not linked to weight loss.

    (Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. Just a woman with thin hair who likes to treat most internet research with a healthy dose of skepticism. You should check with an actual medical professional if you're concerned.)
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Well, that kind of happens when you lose weight to fast. Slow steady is the way you should of done it. Good luck.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I lost my hair because of thyroid issues. Even though I KNEW they wouldn't work, I desperately tried all the advice out there, including biotin. Except for actual drugs and surgery, I tried ALL of it.

    None of it helped. My thyroid was fixed and my hair didn't come back.

    It's just gone. Sob, sniff, woe is me...I've learned to live with it. If a cure came out tomorrow, I'd be there! But there is no cure. That's why we have bald guys and women with with little hair.

    If anything worked, you'd see it all over the news. It would be a HUGE deal. It wouldn't be a secret that nobody knew about.

    It sucks.
  • firegurl126
    firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I lost my hair because of thyroid issues. Even though I KNEW they wouldn't work, I desperately tried all the advice out there, including biotin. Except for actual drugs and surgery, I tried ALL of it.

    None of it helped. My thyroid was fixed and my hair didn't come back.

    It's just gone. Sob, sniff, woe is me...I've learned to live with it. If a cure came out tomorrow, I'd be there! But there is no cure. That's why we have bald guys and women with with little hair.

    If anything worked, you'd see it all over the news. It would be a HUGE deal. It wouldn't be a secret that nobody knew about.

    It sucks.

    My thyroid is normal....I had it tested.
  • Rhiannawright
    Rhiannawright Posts: 11 Member
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    Hair is made of excess protein. when you lose weight you body uses more protein so if you do not have enough protein then you lose hair. Biotin does not help with this. Try adding more protein and the hair loss should stop.
  • PicoBoulevard
    PicoBoulevard Posts: 24 Member
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    I encountered the same problem when I lost 56 pounds in just a few months. The hair loss could have been from something else, and unfortunately, it has not grown back even six months later. I now use a volumizer -- which I strongly recommend -- to add body and texture to my hair. It gives the appearance of fuller hair and most of the products are pretty cheap.
  • firegurl126
    firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
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    PicoBoulevard wrote: »
    I encountered the same problem when I lost 56 pounds in just a few months. The hair loss could have been from something else, and unfortunately, it has not grown back even six months later. I now use a volumizer -- which I strongly recommend -- to add body and texture to my hair. It gives the appearance of fuller hair and most of the products are pretty cheap.

    Did your hair at least stop falling out?
  • justina88
    justina88 Posts: 5 Member
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    Your protein intake was most likely not high enough - My hair has thinned out so much, it doesn't seem to get any thicker, but when I increased my protein it did stop falling out. You look great... :)
    -
  • iheartinsanity
    iheartinsanity Posts: 205 Member
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    This happend to me in 2011. I was eating under 1K calories (didn't help that I was bleaching my hair, too) though and doing like 2 hours of cardio a day. Keep eating your leafy greens, add more avacado, eggs, and nut butters into your diet to keep full of fats, and of course more protein never hurts. I'm growing my hair out waist length and an extra protein shake here or there will help, too.
  • tawny7
    tawny7 Posts: 276 Member
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    I had gastric bypass surgery in 2009 and about 6 months after my hair was thinning a lot. I made sure I had enough protein and I also took Hair, Skin, & Nails which I found at WalMart. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how long it took to come back because I don't remember. If I had to guess I would say at leat 8 months. Today my hair is as thick as it was prior to my surgery.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 667 Member
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    I had a VSG in 2012 & I lost a bunch of hair right after the surgery when my calories were extremely restricted--it just came out in clumps in the shower. I also made sure to meet my protein goal for the day (80 grams for me). I took biotin, a multi-vitamin, zinc, calcium, vitamin C, & B12 every day. I can't remember how long it lasted, but my hair did grow back & is as thick as ever. I would just make sure you are netting a proper amount of calories from now on.
  • Fattysand
    Fattysand Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi, there. I know this is an old post but just curious if your hair grew back. Your story sounds exactly like mine. I lost about 40 lbs from may to Sept and in Oct my hair started falling out in clumps. I have a pixie cut now and even that looks pitiful. Is your hair healthy and beautiful now??
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Fattysand wrote: »
    Hi, there. I know this is an old post but just curious if your hair grew back. Your story sounds exactly like mine. I lost about 40 lbs from may to Sept and in Oct my hair started falling out in clumps. I have a pixie cut now and even that looks pitiful. Is your hair healthy and beautiful now??

    Forget it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    A friend of mine lost her beautiful long hair, very much as you describe. I suggest cutting it short, short (maybe do it for a cancer fundraiser!) so the new hair will look more natural growing in.

    It looks like you have gone back to a reasonable calorie level, so your new hair will be fine.

    My nails are softer because of extreme weight loss. I take all my multivitamins. I do what I can.
  • firegurl126
    firegurl126 Posts: 16 Member
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    Hey guys just wanted to take the time to update my post. Yes my hair has started growing back!! Woooohoo! It just takes time once you get back to eating normal. So now I am paying closer attention to what I eat and make sure I get all or most the nutrients I need. Thank you all for you advice!

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