Hair loss ?

auntstephie321
auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
edited November 2024 in Social Groups
I feel I am losing hair on the top of my scalp. Has anyone else had this issue. I have always had really thick hair so I know something is going on. I can feel I got sunburned on my scalp which has never happened before. I'm really freaking out right now. Could it be diet related or because the thyroid medication? What can I do?

Replies

  • sweetteadrinker2
    sweetteadrinker2 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Could be the thyroid or the medication. I've noticed more 'shedding' recently too, my stylist attributes mine to not enough calories.
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
    I have been losing a bit of hair on top at the front of the scalp for a few years. It's not this WOE for me as was happening years before I started this. It's not too few calories for me either as I now work to 1600 cals per day but it started happening years ago when i was over-eating.

    Is it an age thing? It started happening in my late 30s. I am now 41 - it's not thin, but it's thinner than it was and I hate that. Maria Emmerich I think offers, or used to, consultations on this issue - she is a keto person so will understand where you are coming from.

    Hope it sorts itself!
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    The burning sensation sounds alarms yo me

    Sounds like so many things and hair loss is another generic symptom.
    I would see a Dr on the quick

    You don't want to keep losing hair if it can be stopped soon
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
    I think she just meant that because th hair was thinner, the sun was able to penetrate where it hadn't before and she got actually sunburned on her scalp.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    Yes the burning is from a sunburn after many hours in the sun this weekend, I have never had that happen before.

    I searched online and am going to start taking a multi vitamin and add my protein powder back in. I guess some people can lose hair when they have lost weight quickly. I have lost about 30 lbs since mid March, so I guess that could be part of it. I also stop using my protein powder when I started the IF challenge, which is causing me to come up low on protein many days. I think I might hold off on IF for a while as the hair loss became apparent over the past two weeks and I started IF about 3 weeks ago.

    I hope those changes allow it to grow back, I mean I'm probably the only one that notices it unless I specifically force someone to look at the top of my head.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,038 Member
    edited July 2015
    I lost quite a lot of hair the first 6 months. I was pretty freaked out. But it did slow down and stop. Some people start taking biotin supplements. I agree on keeping your protein up. I'd search r/keto for hair loss and see what others have used.

    Crossing my fingers for you.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I have thinned hair but ( I think) it was caused by untreated celiac disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Thinning hair can be a sign of an autoimmune disease or malnutrition (which happens with celiacs).

    I also lost hair every time my thyroid meds change: when I first started taking them and when I switched to a T4 & T3 combination. It settled after a few weeks.
  • AngInCanada
    AngInCanada Posts: 947 Member
    When my thyroid was off I could literally pull clumps of hair in the shower. Just running my hand through my hair. Once my thyroid was level again it stopped
  • bernadettemariev
    bernadettemariev Posts: 23 Member
    I was told by my doctor that any time you lose 10% of your body weight to expect some hair loss, no matter what diet it is. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but it's only temporary.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Oh man! My hair is already thin. pout pout. That is is so not fair. ;)
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I sure hope mine will thicken back up. I've never had this happen before, I've always lost tons of hair daily but it didn't make a difference because a ton more would grow in. I've read a lot that says hair loss can start after 3 months or so of losing weight but then it'll grow back, so I'm hoping that's it. I just had blood work done for my thyroid and everything was normal, it's been 7 months since I started taking levithyroxin, my tsh was 1.2 on my new blood work, originally it was 2.9 back in December. Could it be too much of a change?
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I sure hope mine will thicken back up. I've never had this happen before, I've always lost tons of hair daily but it didn't make a difference because a ton more would grow in. I've read a lot that says hair loss can start after 3 months or so of losing weight but then it'll grow back, so I'm hoping that's it. I just had blood work done for my thyroid and everything was normal, it's been 7 months since I started taking levithyroxin, my tsh was 1.2 on my new blood work, originally it was 2.9 back in December. Could it be too much of a change?

    I can tell you that even though my thyroid stuff is "in range" on testing, my needs are on the high end of the scale, so a mid-range result was low for me, AND even once my testing levels were brought up to meet acceptable ranges, my symptoms still did not ease, so I had to add supplements.

    But yeah, it really kind of sucks. We take huge hits of craziness for being fat in the first place, then we take more hits for deciding not to be fat anymore and getting healthier! How in the name of the gods green earth are we women supposed to win? Or even get ahead?? (laughing exasperatedly)
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited July 2015
    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    I sure hope mine will thicken back up. I've never had this happen before, I've always lost tons of hair daily but it didn't make a difference because a ton more would grow in. I've read a lot that says hair loss can start after 3 months or so of losing weight but then it'll grow back, so I'm hoping that's it. I just had blood work done for my thyroid and everything was normal, it's been 7 months since I started taking levithyroxin, my tsh was 1.2 on my new blood work, originally it was 2.9 back in December. Could it be too much of a change?

    I can tell you that even though my thyroid stuff is "in range" on testing, my needs are on the high end of the scale, so a mid-range result was low for me, AND even once my testing levels were brought up to meet acceptable ranges, my symptoms still did not ease, so I had to add supplements.

    That was true for me too. My TSH was about a 2 so my doctor claimed that my continuing hypo symptoms were coincidental and caused by something else - he couldn't tell me what. LOL

    I left him and went to a doctor who would focus on my symptoms and my free T4 and freeT3 (which I need to be in the upper half of the normal range for me to feel well). Now I take a T3/T4 mix so my free T's are in a good spot; my TSH is suppressed to 0.1 - it freaks out regular doctors but I am symptom free... But when I switched meds it caused hair loss. :|
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
    There was a thread on hair loss on r/keto recently. Someone said deficiency in iron and biotin. DON'T overdo !

    When I switched to low-carb, my hair got a lot better. But I'm not sure if it was because I got more on top on supplements, the macro change itself or that I started eating LOTS of pork rinds. Maybe a bit of everything. If you don't like rinds, try SF jello or supply with gelatin in powder.
  • tlmeyn
    tlmeyn Posts: 369 Member
    I have traction alopecia and had been shedding hair, and my hair is thinning (just age). I started taking silicia about a month ago and my hair has gotten thicker. You might try that if you don't have an a problem taking it.
  • inspirationstation
    inspirationstation Posts: 209 Member
    Before I was diagnosed with Type 2, I was shedding tons of hair in the shower. Once I significantly reduced my carbs, it started coming back. So for me, it wasn't necessarily "Carb" related, except that my diet was finally giving my body what it needed and it wasn't fighting against me.
  • Scorpiotwin
    Scorpiotwin Posts: 124 Member
    My hair dresser recommended bioten tablets and an omega 3. I've also added some Marine Collagen Peptide. All of these are good building blocks for hair, skin and nails. It does take a while for it to build up in your system, but once it does your hair should start to thicken up and hopefully grow back.
  • greenautumn17
    greenautumn17 Posts: 322 Member
    In my experience, my hair is getting thicker and growing faster. I am not losing any hair (not that I was before LCHF, either). So, coincidences can be just that. Correlation does not imply causation.
  • Julieboolieaz
    Julieboolieaz Posts: 660 Member
    When my thyroid was off I could literally pull clumps of hair in the shower. Just running my hand through my hair. Once my thyroid was level again it stopped
    Rapid weight loss (from any cause-low carb, low fat, low cal...) can cause hair loss. It's very common and many think it's because of the shock to your system and weight loss. It usually stops in time.

    I am hypothyroid so mine was partially from that, and losing weight pretty quickly many years ago. I am now on low dose thyroid meds, that and biotin have helped me.
  • JessicaLCHF
    JessicaLCHF Posts: 1,265 Member
    edited August 2015
    I feel I am losing hair on the top of my scalp. Has anyone else had this issue. I have always had really thick hair so I know something is going on. I can feel I got sunburned on my scalp which has never happened before. I'm really freaking out right now. Could it be diet related or because the thyroid medication? What can I do?

    Hair loss is sadly part of thyroid issues. As is dry skin/rashes. And constipation, slow metabolism, low energy, oh it's such a joy... Do you have Hashi's?
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
    tlmeyn wrote: »
    I have traction alopecia and had been shedding hair, and my hair is thinning (just age). I started taking silicia about a month ago and my hair has gotten thicker. You might try that if you don't have an a problem taking it.

    What is silicia please? I googled it but didn't get much of a steer? Grateful for any help you can give me!

  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Yep. This is the one I remembered
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    See your doctor. Just do. Hair loss can be caused by a lot of different things, some serious, some not.
  • ettaterrell
    ettaterrell Posts: 887 Member
    Thanks!
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