Hair falling out...!

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APLAWING
APLAWING Posts: 36
in Health and Weight Loss
My hair is falling out & thinning rapidly (not breaking off because I can tell by my scalp being visible) & I'm starting to get concerned.

I've been on my diet for about 160 days (1200-1400 cals/day, excercising about 40 mins/day, 3 days/week). The good news is that I've lost about 55lbs & am close to my goal weight. I started at 240 & this morning was 185. But for the past month or two I've noticed a LOT of hair loss when I wash my hair, brush my hair, run my hands thru it, etc. It's long, at least halfway down my back. And I know that losing some every time you wash is normal... but this has been handfuls. I eat plenty of veggis & proteins. I feel like I get adequate nutrients from my food. The only thing that I can possibly think of is when I stopped taking biotin. I had been taking Biotin for my nails to be stronger (a B vitamin for hair & nails) and stopped taking it a few months ago because I couldn't tell that it was doing any good. Now my hair is falling out like crazy... I don't know what to do. Any ideas or advice?

Thanks:)
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Replies

  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
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    eat back your calories
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    How tall are you? Do you eat back your exercise calories?
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    doctor
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    There are medical conditions that can cause thinning hair. Check with your healthcare provider.
  • agal129
    agal129 Posts: 215 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Could be from stopping the biotin. I had hair loss problems several months ago (most likely from a medicine I was taking). I began taking biotin and doing some other things. My hair loss stopped and I'm still taking biotiin. I plan to wean myself off of it rather than stopping it abruptly.

    But really, you should see a doctor.
  • kimekakes28
    kimekakes28 Posts: 103 Member
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    Some thyroid conditions will cause your hair to fall out. I have Grave's Disease and currently dealing with my hair falling out. So I suggest you get some blood work done to make sure it's not your thyroid acting up.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    We all have your best interest at heart here when we reply to this, but you need to simply see your doctor. There is nothing we can say that can diagnose why you are losing your hair. Check in with your doctor to make sure you are a'okay!

    Good luck!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Doctor, doctor, doctor.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Were you trying to lose baby weight? After my 2nd baby I lost a ton of hair, even my eyelashes fell out. Then, about 9 months out it stopped and everything is good again.

    but yeah, like everyone said....DOCTOR
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    edited October 2014
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    See a doctor, and bring a printout of a few days of your diary and describe your daily activity and exercise. For me, a low fat diet was the worst thing I ever did. Fat regulates your hormones, and hormone imbalances can lead to hair loss. I had to cut out soy, as well - too much extra estrogen. My hair has rebounded since I've made these changes. (But there are lots of causes, and you should cover them all with your GP.)
  • tomsmom79
    tomsmom79 Posts: 1 Member
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    Same thing is happening to me. I lost about 20 lb from April to July. My primary care doctor thinks it is effluvium, but I am following up with dermatology to make sure. It is supposed to grow back eventually, but I'd say I lost about 1/3 to 1/2 of my hair over the last 2 months. No shampoo/not washing regimen is helping. I'm at an ok place right now, but at first it was pretty traumatizing.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    I thought hair loss was normal. I lose chunks at a time like forever. The thing is now I got all these annoying baby hairs. So, with my kind of hair, I was glad for some of the thinning, but then concerned, but now I got all these baby hairs sticking out all over the place. So I'm still a hairy mofo. UGH. I do think theres thinning involved with aging. Maybe heredetary. My parents hair has thinned and my forehead seems bigger these days. SMH I don't know, I don't worry too much about it unless it's a straight up bald spot you got there. But as they say, doctors would know best.
  • slucki01
    slucki01 Posts: 284 Member
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    See your doctor to rule out medical conditions
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    I experienced a ton of hair loss due to an imbalance in my hormone levels (Estrogen heavy). Weight loss can cause changes to your hormone levels so I'd definitely recommend talking to your doctor. For me an adjustment to my birth control was a big help and now my hair is regrowing. :)

    Also make sure your taking a vitamin, mineral and omega oil supplement. These will help with regrowth of your hair if its due to lack of a particular nutrient.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,583 Member
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    Excessive calorie deficit can lead to hair loss.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Canuname
    Canuname Posts: 182 Member
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    I would say you aren't getting enough protein. Still, it is best to see a doctor just to make sure there is nothing serious going on. I let them look at your eating log and see what they think about food intake. I do not think eating back your exercise calories is the problem, low protein intake can cause hair to fall out. Please let us all know how you make out.
    Good luck,
    Russ
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    More then likely you are not fueling your body properly(I was doing 1200 calories and had issues with hair loss, but when I upped my calories and was hitting my proteins, etc. it stopped), but yeah see a doctor. 1200-1400 calories you cannot meet all your nutrition, like proteins.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
    edited October 2014
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Excessive calorie deficit can lead to hair loss.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Also, inadequate fats can do that the same thing. Actually pretty common to have hair, skin and nail issues with a low fat diet.

  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    1. Talk to a doctor.
    2. Have you transitioned your weight loss goal from 2 lb/week to 1.5 lbs/week to ... etc? As you get closer to your goal, you are supposed to lower how many lbs per week you lose. 1200-1400 is very low for someone close to her goal.
    3. If you recently had a baby, it's totally normal to lose all the hormone-induced hair you got while you were pregnant.
    4. Talk to your parents and find out when they started losing their hair.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    That's an average of well over two pounds a week. Are you still losing at that rate, or have you been tapering off? My guess (and I don't even play a doctor on TV) is that as you get closer to goal, your body is running out of reserves to fuel such a rapid weight loss and is sacrificing non-essentials like hair, underused muscles, etc. I can't see your diary, so I don't know what your macros look like, but I suspect you're not getting enough protein, at the very least.

    As others have stated, there are lots of other reasons with hair loss, but I'd start with ruling out the elephant in the room and work from there.

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