Hair loss with weight loss??
libs3091
Posts: 50 Member
Hello everyone!
I've had weight-loss related hair loss happen to me before, I lost 10kg over about 2.5 months, going from 51kg to 41kg. I started the diet in April 2011 and the hairloss started in September that year.
Now I'm trying to diet again (I got back up to 51kg) to go overseas in July, but I'm terrified of losing my hair again (especially if it all starts coming out when I'm overseas). I only want to get down to about 45/46kg (BMI says that's fine), but if I want to do that I would run the risk of losing my hair again.
One of my questions is this: do you think my diet in 2011 was the cause of the hairloss (losing a kg a week was too much etc), or was it simply just a result of a prolonged diet/large weight loss (losing 10kg was a massive shock and caused the hairloss). Or possibly even because I lost too much weight (under 45kg was too unhealthy and my hair dropped because of that).
I just want to know what you guys think, if you guys could shed (ha) any light on this I'd appreciate it. If you also had hair loss from weight loss, it'd be awesome if you could list 1) when you started your diet 2) approx how much you lost a week 3) how much you lost overall 4) when your hair loss started
This'll help me see where I'm going wrong and hopefully stop it from happening again!
Thanks!
I've had weight-loss related hair loss happen to me before, I lost 10kg over about 2.5 months, going from 51kg to 41kg. I started the diet in April 2011 and the hairloss started in September that year.
Now I'm trying to diet again (I got back up to 51kg) to go overseas in July, but I'm terrified of losing my hair again (especially if it all starts coming out when I'm overseas). I only want to get down to about 45/46kg (BMI says that's fine), but if I want to do that I would run the risk of losing my hair again.
One of my questions is this: do you think my diet in 2011 was the cause of the hairloss (losing a kg a week was too much etc), or was it simply just a result of a prolonged diet/large weight loss (losing 10kg was a massive shock and caused the hairloss). Or possibly even because I lost too much weight (under 45kg was too unhealthy and my hair dropped because of that).
I just want to know what you guys think, if you guys could shed (ha) any light on this I'd appreciate it. If you also had hair loss from weight loss, it'd be awesome if you could list 1) when you started your diet 2) approx how much you lost a week 3) how much you lost overall 4) when your hair loss started
This'll help me see where I'm going wrong and hopefully stop it from happening again!
Thanks!
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Replies
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In my experience hair loss happens when you lose weight too fast, do not eat a nutritionally balanced diet and lose too much weight to the point of being unhealthily underweight0
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41kg is very, very light unless you are very, very short. I'd say combo of too fast and too low.0
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How tall are you? And yes, for the weight you were, losing at that rate was too aggressive a rate of loss, and caused the hair loss. You also may have weighed too little when you were finished losing weight.
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Hair loss is a sign of nutritional deficiency. I had this happen to me when I was lacking iron in my diet. Aim to lose the weight slowly and make sure you're get a proper balance of nutrients.0
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I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.0
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I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
that would be malnutrition that triggered that. Hair loss from sudden and excessive weight loss can happen "several months" after the trigger per the Mayo Clinic.
As well per
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
51 kg for your height is 21.2 which is perfectly acceptable.
45 kg is not however it has you at 18.7 which is just at the limit.
You really need to consult your family doctor about possible BDD....
2kg a week is 4.4lbs a week which is way too fast and no wonder you lost your hair I suspect you did yourself a lot more damage than you even know now...0 -
In your diary your goal is listed as 800 calories???? Is this what you are aiming for?0
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I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
What are you talking about, 51kg at 156cm is a bmi of 21. You may have been unfit with wobbly bits, but I can't imagine you being actually chubby.
Also, is your food diary accurate? I looked through a couple of days, and it says that you set daily goals of 500-800kcal, which you don't seem to meet a lot of the days.
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Your daily goal was 500 calories, I see you've increased this to 800 calories. Why such a low goal?0
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Haha ignore my diary I haven't really been using it/or using it properly. I definitely don't have a BDD!! As I originally stated, I'm 51kg again and have been around this weight for almost 4 years. I know that 41 was too skinny. Pretty much everything under 45 was too skinny. I also didn't lose 2.2kg a week I lost 1kg per week0
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I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
that would be malnutrition that triggered that. Hair loss from sudden and excessive weight loss can happen "several months" after the trigger per the Mayo Clinic.
As well per
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
51 kg for your height is 21.2 which is perfectly acceptable.
45 kg is not however it has you at 18.7 which is just at the limit.
You really need to consult your family doctor about possible BDD....
2kg a week is 4.4lbs a week which is way too fast and no wonder you lost your hair I suspect you did yourself a lot more damage than you even know now...
Yup. And now you want to get down to the lowest possible weight for your height.
Please, see your doctor. I think you have some issues beyond the scope of this forum.
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OP, IMO, the hairloss started months after your diet because it took that long for your body to revolt from the nutrient deficiency. I would suggest a consultation with a nutritionist, and coordination with your physician, regarding a diet that will not starve your body of the vital nutrients it desperately needs.0
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Hey, it does seem like you've been using your diary pretty consistently to log an intake of under 500 or 800 cals every day. From the looks of it, the hair loss will be related to malnutrition (lack of iron and protein in particular) and stress on your system from excessive weight loss. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor though to see if something else might cause it, to get some blood work done on your iron levels and especially to talk about a healthy approach to eating and weight management.0
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mamapeach910 wrote: »I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
that would be malnutrition that triggered that. Hair loss from sudden and excessive weight loss can happen "several months" after the trigger per the Mayo Clinic.
As well per
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
51 kg for your height is 21.2 which is perfectly acceptable.
45 kg is not however it has you at 18.7 which is just at the limit.
You really need to consult your family doctor about possible BDD....
2kg a week is 4.4lbs a week which is way too fast and no wonder you lost your hair I suspect you did yourself a lot more damage than you even know now...
Yup. And now you want to get down to the lowest possible weight for your height.
Please, see your doctor. I think you have some issues beyond the scope of this forum.
No I wasn't losing 2.2kg a week, it was 1kg a week! And I don't know what I can do to convince you guys but I when I was 45kg before, I was very healthy looking, filled out in the right places and nobody would've called me underweight.. I have photos if you want proof but I'm 100% you would agree that I looked healthy0 -
doktorglass wrote: »I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
What are you talking about, 51kg at 156cm is a bmi of 21. You may have been unfit with wobbly bits, but I can't imagine you being actually chubby.
Also, is your food diary accurate? I looked through a couple of days, and it says that you set daily goals of 500-800kcal, which you don't seem to meet a lot of the days.
As I said, I'm quite short, so every kilo I gain/lose makes quite a large difference. For short people BMI isn't really a good description of what a person will -look- like in particular. It just measures their health. So even though it says I'm healthy at 51, I don't look particularly good and have a big muffin top and stomach, very far from flat stomached.
And yeah, haven't been using my diary properly so it's not complete, I've put it on private now to avoid confusion0 -
I had hair loss when dieting and it turned out that it was because I wasn't eating enough protein and fat.0
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Isn't 45K under 100 lbs? OP is around 5' tall (151 cm). I'm 5'1.5" (not much taller) and 112 is my goal weight, not my starting weight, and that would be pretty lean for me. 100 would be emaciated. I think OP has some body dysmorphia, is malnourished and possibly on the verge of an eating disorder if not already there.0
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At that time, the hair loss started after about 5 months. I lost about 1/2 of my volume and eventually regrew about half of what I lost. The rest was permanent. This time I have been dieting 16 months so far (106 lb. gone) and my hair is looking better than ever. I found that my happy place as far as macros goes is 35% protein, 35% carb, and 30% fat.
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doktorglass wrote: »I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
What are you talking about, 51kg at 156cm is a bmi of 21. You may have been unfit with wobbly bits, but I can't imagine you being actually chubby.
Also, is your food diary accurate? I looked through a couple of days, and it says that you set daily goals of 500-800kcal, which you don't seem to meet a lot of the days.
As I said, I'm quite short, so every kilo I gain/lose makes quite a large difference. For short people BMI isn't really a good description of what a person will -look- like in particular. It just measures their health. So even though it says I'm healthy at 51, I don't look particularly good and have a big muffin top and stomach, very far from flat stomached.
And yeah, haven't been using my diary properly so it's not complete, I've put it on private now to avoid confusion
BMI is for averages and if you are underweight it is a very good indicator.
I get that 1kg can make a difference but that isn't because you are short. The smaller you get the more the weight makes a difference.
But what we are saying is that 112 is not fat or chubby...99lbs for your height puts you at the low end of your "healthy BMI" but here is something to help you put into perspective...scale weight isn't the end all be all
I personally currently weigh 151lbs and wear a size 4....I am 5 ft 7 but my sister who is 5 ft 3 and weighs 121 wears a size 4...we trade clothes...
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Isn't 45K under 100 lbs? OP is around 5' tall (151 cm). I'm 5'1.5" (not much taller) and 112 is my goal weight, not my starting weight, and that would be pretty lean for me. 100 would be emaciated. I think OP has some body dysmorphia, is malnourished and possibly on the verge of an eating disorder if not already there.
I don't have an eating disorder!!! I'm just trying to get to a weight where I'm ready to look good in a bikini, and for my body shape, that was 45kg! Not everyone's body's are the same even if we're the same height. I store all my fat around my stomach, but when I lose weight it comes off of my chest first. Last time I lost weight i went from a DD to a C. So it's obvious some of the weight is literally just going to come off my boobs before coming off my stomach. I'll post a photo of me at 45kg to prove my point (it's not a very clear one but its all I have) obviously I'm on the right.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
that would be malnutrition that triggered that. Hair loss from sudden and excessive weight loss can happen "several months" after the trigger per the Mayo Clinic.
As well per
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
51 kg for your height is 21.2 which is perfectly acceptable.
45 kg is not however it has you at 18.7 which is just at the limit.
You really need to consult your family doctor about possible BDD....
2kg a week is 4.4lbs a week which is way too fast and no wonder you lost your hair I suspect you did yourself a lot more damage than you even know now...
Yup. And now you want to get down to the lowest possible weight for your height.
Please, see your doctor. I think you have some issues beyond the scope of this forum.
No I wasn't losing 2.2kg a week, it was 1kg a week! And I don't know what I can do to convince you guys but I when I was 45kg before, I was very healthy looking, filled out in the right places and nobody would've called me underweight.. I have photos if you want proof but I'm 100% you would agree that I looked healthy
1kg/week is still WAY too extreme a weight loss for anyone who isn't morbidly obese.
You should be aiming for 0.25kg/week or, at most, 0.5kg/week. any more than that and your hair will start to fall out again.
Oh, and if you want to look healthy, stop thinking about losing weight. Instead, think about putting on muscle. Start lifting, put on some weight, and/or then shed the fat. You'll probably end up weighing more than you do now, but you'll look so much better.0 -
This thread ..wow ..
OP asks why she lost hair
gets explanation as to why
and then go in full on denial mode
OP - you have some kind of eating disorder and should seek help.
You should not lose your hair when you lose weight. I lost 50 pounds and never lost my hair.0 -
mamapeach910 wrote: »I'm 156cm, so anything under 45 is classified as underweight for me. I know now I was way too skinny, just trying to figure out what exactly triggered the hair loss. Like I still think a kilo a week was an average weight loss, and I think it was ok at first because the hair loss started 5 months after, from what I know hairloss happens only 2-3months from a trigger. I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
that would be malnutrition that triggered that. Hair loss from sudden and excessive weight loss can happen "several months" after the trigger per the Mayo Clinic.
As well per
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
51 kg for your height is 21.2 which is perfectly acceptable.
45 kg is not however it has you at 18.7 which is just at the limit.
You really need to consult your family doctor about possible BDD....
2kg a week is 4.4lbs a week which is way too fast and no wonder you lost your hair I suspect you did yourself a lot more damage than you even know now...
Yup. And now you want to get down to the lowest possible weight for your height.
Please, see your doctor. I think you have some issues beyond the scope of this forum.
No I wasn't losing 2.2kg a week, it was 1kg a week! And I don't know what I can do to convince you guys but I when I was 45kg before, I was very healthy looking, filled out in the right places and nobody would've called me underweight.. I have photos if you want proof but I'm 100% you would agree that I looked healthy
Even 1 kg a week was too aggressive.
How much do you weigh in your profile picture?
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This thread ..wow ..
OP asks why she lost hair
gets explanation as to why
and then go in full on denial mode
OP - you have some kind of eating disorder and should seek help.
You should not lose your hair when you lose weight. I lost 50 pounds and never lost my hair.
and had her goal at 500, changed to 800 then locked her diary when questioned on it...and thinks she is chubby at 51kg....0 -
This thread ..wow ..
OP asks why she lost hair
gets explanation as to why
and then go in full on denial mode
OP - you have some kind of eating disorder and should seek help.
You should not lose your hair when you lose weight. I lost 50 pounds and never lost my hair.
and had her goal at 500, changed to 800 then locked her diary when questioned on it...and thinks she is chubby at 51kg....
sigh0 -
I used to do weights when I was 47kgs (I looked very healthy at this weight btw), I didn't lose/gain weight but I definitely looked more toned and was more muscly, but I still didn't have a flat stomach (did ab circuits everyday and are healthily). I just thought being around 46kg would put me in a perfect body with a bit flatter of a stomach. But everyone here is saying I've got BDD like I don't know what looks good on my body after being all these different weights... I don't have BDD people!!!0
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I used to do weights when I was 47kgs (I looked very healthy at this weight btw), I didn't lose/gain weight but I definitely looked more toned and was more muscly, but I still didn't have a flat stomach (did ab circuits everyday and are healthily). I just thought being around 46kg would put me in a perfect body with a bit flatter of a stomach. But everyone here is saying I've got BDD like I don't know what looks good on my body after being all these different weights... I don't have BDD people!!!
OK - then you are malnourished which is why you lost hair when dieting, which means you have an eating disorder. It is NOT normal to lose hair when dieting….0 -
doktorglass wrote: »I'm very short so I was actually quite chubby at 51kg.
What are you talking about, 51kg at 156cm is a bmi of 21. You may have been unfit with wobbly bits, but I can't imagine you being actually chubby.
Also, is your food diary accurate? I looked through a couple of days, and it says that you set daily goals of 500-800kcal, which you don't seem to meet a lot of the days.
As I said, I'm quite short, so every kilo I gain/lose makes quite a large difference. For short people BMI isn't really a good description of what a person will -look- like in particular. It just measures their health. So even though it says I'm healthy at 51, I don't look particularly good and have a big muffin top and stomach, very far from flat stomached.
And yeah, haven't been using my diary properly so it's not complete, I've put it on private now to avoid confusion
You can lose that muffin top through strength training. Dieting it away isn't the answer.
You are abusing your body through over dieting. Start nourishing it and feed it properly with enough protein and fat, get good nutrition, a decent amount of calories.
Stay your current weight and start strength training. Your body will eventually shrink.
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This discussion has been closed.
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