Hair falling out...
mirelaavdich
Posts: 41 Member
Over the last two months I noticed that my hair was falling out a lot. I usually have increased hair loss with change of seasons so I did not pay much attention to it until I started pulling out fistfuls of hair. I started taking an iron supplement and eating a lot more of green leafy veggies. Also, a friend recommended using collagen powder. While the hair continues to fall out at about same rate I did notice a lot of new hair growth. I used the collagen for two weeks and experienced a lot of bloating and gain of 2lbs. I stopped it a week ago and finally lost the two pounds plus one.
Anyone experience this? Anything else I can use to help with the hair loss?
BTW, I am not stressed and have lost 76lbs since September 2016.
Anyone experience this? Anything else I can use to help with the hair loss?
BTW, I am not stressed and have lost 76lbs since September 2016.
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Replies
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Hair loss is sometimes a protein issue - how much are you getting daily?
Also what kind of deficit are you running and what has your weight been doing during this time?7 -
Hair loss can be due to malnutrition. Unfortunately, it shows up long after it has become a problem and is not cleared up in just a few weeks of eating better. How much are you eating? (calories?)5
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How many calories are you eating on average per day? And for how long have you been eating at that level?1
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What kind of deficit are you running? How's your protein?2
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Long term aggressive calorie deficits will cause hair loss. How many calories a day are you eating? I'm guessing that you restricted your food pretty significantly to lose 76 pounds in seven months.
I'd say, #1 see a doctor - it also could be thyroid or some other deficiency that needs to be addressed. #2 eat at maintenance for 3-6 months, making sure you hit your protein goal every day.4 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »Over the last two months I noticed that my hair was falling out a lot. I usually have increased hair loss with change of seasons so I did not pay much attention to it until I started pulling out fistfuls of hair. I started taking an iron supplement and eating a lot more of green leafy veggies. Also, a friend recommended using collagen powder. While the hair continues to fall out at about same rate I did notice a lot of new hair growth. I used the collagen for two weeks and experienced a lot of bloating and gain of 2lbs. I stopped it a week ago and finally lost the two pounds plus one.
Anyone experience this? Anything else I can use to help with the hair loss?
BTW, I am not stressed and have lost 76lbs since September 2016.
I think therein lies your answer. You've been losing at a pretty good clip (>10lbs/month, by my quick math). Hair requires energy to grow. A prolonged deficit, even with good nutrition, can cause hair loss. I don't expect collagen powder supplements would have any effect on hair growth.8 -
I think everyone brought in some great points feel free to respond to questions asked to get additional information . I would reccomend seeing a doctor to get some help as well. Good luck!!2
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I have been eating 1200-1400 calories per day since September. On days that I am active a lot I eat about 1500 calories.
I started exercising slowly (walking, Pilates, 7 minute workout) but for the last 4 months I have exercised 6 days a week (alternate running and strength training).
I do have Hashimoto's, and PCOS (insulin resistant). I was pre-diabetic at my August 2016 check up. Just had the labs done in March. My thyroid levels are great and no longer pre-diabetic (A1C is 5.6). Doctor said I am doing great.
I could be protein deficient as I eat mostly plant based and looking at my food diary protein intake is usually around 20%-30%. I am not vegan and do eat eggs daily. I am not a fan of meat (texture issue) but do eat a lot of beans and legumes.0 -
I would strongly suggest eating at maintenance and making protein your biggest priority. It's not just hair that is suffering once you are at this point, you do understand that, right? It is your body eliminating unnecessary energy needs to stay alive. You've likely been under eating for a long time. 1200-1400 is very low unless you're tiny, older, sedentary.8
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cmriverside wrote: »I would strongly suggest eating at maintenance and making protein your biggest priority. It's not just hair that is suffering once you are at this point, you do understand that, right? It is your body eliminating unnecessary energy needs to stay alive. You've likely been under eating for a long time. 1200-1400 is very low unless you're tiny, older, sedentary.
I have been debating changing to maintenance because I am only 14lbs to my goal of 145. Although it does not feel like I am under eating. My job keeps me very sedentary and I am only 5'5".
After being so diligent about diet and exercise for some time it is difficult to determine when to slow down or change things up. And, most if it is for fear of reverting back to old habits.0 -
If you're losing around 10 pounds a month, that's quite aggressive. I don't think you said how much you weigh, but you'd want to be 250+ pounds during that whole time in order for that weight loss rate to be even superficially a reasonable idea. But hair loss, even if you have the body weight to sustain that loss rate, is a Bad Sign.
If you're getting 60-75g of protein a day consistently, that's maybe not terrible if your healthy goal weight is in the low 100s (like 100-125), but more wouldn't hurt anything, and could help. For those of us getting a high percentage of plant-sourced protein, I'd argue that getting more grams rather than fewer is a good thing, since some of the plant sources don't have a complete set of essential amino acids. Mixing multiple different plant protein sources helps with that, but some extra grams for insurance can't hurt.
How long have you been eating plant-based? Is that new, too? When I turned vegetarian, I lost some hair. I assume it was because of consuming less protein, maybe/probably under-consuming protein, but that was 40+ years ago so I don't recall for sure.1 -
I agree with others, upping your protein, healthy fats and calories closer to maintenance wouldn't hurt.
PCOS can definitely cause thinning hair. It would be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor.0 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I would strongly suggest eating at maintenance and making protein your biggest priority. It's not just hair that is suffering once you are at this point, you do understand that, right? It is your body eliminating unnecessary energy needs to stay alive. You've likely been under eating for a long time. 1200-1400 is very low unless you're tiny, older, sedentary.
I have been debating changing to maintenance because I am only 14lbs to my goal of 145. Although it does not feel like I am under eating. My job keeps me very sedentary and I am only 5'5".
After being so diligent about diet and exercise for some time it is difficult to determine when to slow down or change things up. And, most if it is for fear of reverting back to old habits.
But at some point you have to listen to your body. Apparently you've been ignoring other sign of impending problems like hunger or fatigue or irritability or restless sleep.
Your body is asking for something, I agree with AnnPT, I have a friend who went vegan and she lost a lot of hair at first until she got her nutrition dialed in. Try eating beans and rice and cornbread a lot. Those complete proteins are super important.2 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I would strongly suggest eating at maintenance and making protein your biggest priority. It's not just hair that is suffering once you are at this point, you do understand that, right? It is your body eliminating unnecessary energy needs to stay alive. You've likely been under eating for a long time. 1200-1400 is very low unless you're tiny, older, sedentary.
I have been debating changing to maintenance because I am only 14lbs to my goal of 145. Although it does not feel like I am under eating. My job keeps me very sedentary and I am only 5'5".
After being so diligent about diet and exercise for some time it is difficult to determine when to slow down or change things up. And, most if it is for fear of reverting back to old habits.
But your current habits are making your hair fall out. That is a clear sign that something has to change...8 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I would strongly suggest eating at maintenance and making protein your biggest priority. It's not just hair that is suffering once you are at this point, you do understand that, right? It is your body eliminating unnecessary energy needs to stay alive. You've likely been under eating for a long time. 1200-1400 is very low unless you're tiny, older, sedentary.
I have been debating changing to maintenance because I am only 14lbs to my goal of 145. Although it does not feel like I am under eating. My job keeps me very sedentary and I am only 5'5".
After being so diligent about diet and exercise for some time it is difficult to determine when to slow down or change things up. And, most if it is for fear of reverting back to old habits.
Holy c**p! If you're still losing 10 pounds a month at 155, and/or even if you have been averaging 10 pounds a month since weighing around 231 but have slowed down a little, then please eat more.
At 155 and 5'5", you want to be losing more like a pound a week, tops, and that's kind of on the extreme upper edge of sanity. I started on MFP at 150-something and 5'5" (after losing close to 30 pounds pre-MFP), and quickly discovered that 1200 calories was way too few (even though I'm 61 & sedentary outside of intentional exercise), that losing 2 pounds a week was way too fast, and I adjusted calories upwards within a very short time when it became obvious I was losing too fast.
At this point, it's likely that you're not just losing hair, you're probably losing more than minimum lean tissue (i.e., muscle), and may be risking other health problems. Please eat more - slow down your weight loss to 0.5-1 pound per week. I just want to see you stay strong and healthy!
Your own weight loss rate (along with subjective feelings and other physical symptoms) is your best guide to whether your weight loss rate is healthy. The calculators just give you a caloric starting point . . . you should adjust to keep the actual weight loss rate sensible & healthy!5 -
For me, it's all about hormones and if I have a major hormonal shift, I lose my hair in horrific clumps. Trying to keep my hormones and stress in check along with bosley shampoo has really helped. I'm actually in one of those cycles now and it's not a whole lot of fun....1
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How's your fat intake? Lots of those micronutrients are fat soluble; if you've been doing very low-fat in order to hit your calorie goal try bumping it up to 30-40% intake. This doesn't take a lot ... coconut oil, avocado, butter, nuts, etc.
Usually hair loss follows an aggressive deficit because people don't get adequate protein or fat intake.
Also a higher fat diet proves to be beneficial to many people with Hashimotos and PCOS; you might want to do some reading on this.1 -
Your BMI is normal. Talk to your doctor and also work on getting enough protein (egg whites, Greek yogurt, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, fish if you can handle it.0
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For me it was a vitamin D deficiency, a pretty severe one. Had to up the fat in my diet a hair and started a heavy duty RX supplement for 12 weeks. Hair was clumping out in an alarming way.2
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I agree that Vitamin D is often the culprit in hair loss.0
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fitoverfortymom wrote: »For me it was a vitamin D deficiency, a pretty severe one. Had to up the fat in my diet a hair and started a heavy duty RX supplement for 12 weeks. Hair was clumping out in an alarming way.fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »I agree that Vitamin D is often the culprit in hair loss.
I am already taking 10,000IU daily, along with B12, B Complex, Iron and probiotic. Should I up the dosage?0 -
RedSquadronLeader wrote: »How's your fat intake? Lots of those micronutrients are fat soluble; if you've been doing very low-fat in order to hit your calorie goal try bumping it up to 30-40% intake. This doesn't take a lot ... coconut oil, avocado, butter, nuts, etc.
Usually hair loss follows an aggressive deficit because people don't get adequate protein or fat intake.
Also a higher fat diet proves to be beneficial to many people with Hashimotos and PCOS; you might want to do some reading on this.
I use nut oils (macadamia, walnut) and coconut oil for cooking. I eat avocados, nut butters (almond, cashew, hazelnut) and the bread I make at home is full of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and amaranth. I also use lots of tahini paste as a sauce/dressing. I will up my calorie intake by adding more fat and proteins as carbs are never an issue with all the fruit I consume.0 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »For me it was a vitamin D deficiency, a pretty severe one. Had to up the fat in my diet a hair and started a heavy duty RX supplement for 12 weeks. Hair was clumping out in an alarming way.fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »I agree that Vitamin D is often the culprit in hair loss.
I am already taking 10,000IU daily, along with B12, B Complex, Iron and probiotic. Should I up the dosage?
No, you need to eat more. Your body is struggling because you are not giving it enough fuel. Increase your calories slowly over the course of a couple of weeks until your rate of loss slows down to no more than 1 lb per week.
And it probably wouldn't hurt to get a checkup.7 -
For me, it's all about hormones and if I have a major hormonal shift, I lose my hair in horrific clumps. Trying to keep my hormones and stress in check along with bosley shampoo has really helped. I'm actually in one of those cycles now and it's not a whole lot of fun....
I will have my endocrinologist order more detailed labs. At the last one they only checked thyroid function and A1C. My testosterone is usually elevated due to PCOS... In the past, I would massage coconut oil into my hair 1-2 hours prior to washing it and that always seemed to help alleviate that 'sesonal' hair loss. Not this time.0 -
Thank you all for your suggestions! My husband is reading your replies and saying: "I told you so!" Okay I'll let him have this one
Although, I do believe you all are right to recommend slowing down and increasing calorie intake I do want to say that, aside from the first 5-6 weeks, I did not feel hungry, tired, or deprived. I feel happy, I am full of energy, I want to be up and doing things all the time. Last August I could not walk a mile without breaking out in sweat, cramps in my legs and absolute exhaustion. I came a long way, but it seems to be a bit too quick.
I did change up my diet a lot. I have not eaten anything that was not cooked by me since day one and everything was cooked from scratch. I do not consume any processed sugar and I do not eat dairy products (my #1 nemesis). But at the same time I am not a 'salad' eater either.
I will gradually up my minimum calorie intake to 1500-1700 calories a day and report back in few weeks.7 -
Reverse diet slowly to maintain your loss- and hopefully you can get full health back.
We aren't the best at judging hunger because we get overweight from eating too much, too much sugar, too much fat, too much carbs, too much salt. Eating too little is the same thing just on a different swing of the pendulum.1 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »Thank you all for your suggestions! My husband is reading your replies and saying: "I told you so!" Okay I'll let him have this one
Although, I do believe you all are right to recommend slowing down and increasing calorie intake I do want to say that, aside from the first 5-6 weeks, I did not feel hungry, tired, or deprived. I feel happy, I am full of energy, I want to be up and doing things all the time. Last August I could not walk a mile without breaking out in sweat, cramps in my legs and absolute exhaustion. I came a long way, but it seems to be a bit too quick.
I did change up my diet a lot. I have not eaten anything that was not cooked by me since day one and everything was cooked from scratch. I do not consume any processed sugar and I do not eat dairy products (my #1 nemesis). But at the same time I am not a 'salad' eater either.
I will gradually up my minimum calorie intake to 1500-1700 calories a day and report back in few weeks.
Sounds like a solid plan! No doubt your are in much better health than you were 8 months ago Now it's a matter of managing the details. A blood panel to check for deficiencies like Vit D, as mentioned above, might not be amiss as well. 1 -
mirelaavdich wrote: »fitoverfortymom wrote: »For me it was a vitamin D deficiency, a pretty severe one. Had to up the fat in my diet a hair and started a heavy duty RX supplement for 12 weeks. Hair was clumping out in an alarming way.fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »I agree that Vitamin D is often the culprit in hair loss.
I am already taking 10,000IU daily, along with B12, B Complex, Iron and probiotic. Should I up the dosage?
I upped my calories also once I figured it out from 1250 to closer to 1500. I was in a place where I shouldn't have been losing 2lbs a week anyway, and went to the 1lb per week formula. Not only did I feel better, I've continued to lose. I was really scared at first that all my progress would be wasted or it wouldn't be fast enough, but that's just self-sabotage talk.
I wouldn't increase supplements like that without talking to a doctor, but yes to eating more. Your body and brain function will thank you!2 -
Just an FYI, my hair thinned significantly when I was on a steep deficit and that was eating pretty high protein. It stopped falling out as badly when I upped may calories, but has not thickened back up.0
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I thought being a "vegetarian" was a good idea and burning more calories than I was taking in was a good idea. You can say that I starved myself. Bad, bad idea. I was 186 in May of 2007 and dropped to 120 by October 2007. My hair fell out in glops, I had bald spots, I looked anorexic so I started to eat meat/protein again. My hair grew back after two years of repairing the damage.1
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