Paleo Diet - Lost weight losing hair....

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ChantalAguiar
ChantalAguiar Posts: 55 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My friend who was very overweight started the Paleo diet at the begining of the year. She doesn't eat many carbs nor does she eat fruits with a great deal of sugar.

She's done great, she's dropped 70lbs , met her goal weight, she looks amazing and most importantly she has her self confidence back!

But, I've noticed she's started to lose her once full, thick and long head of hair. It's so thin now that it won't grow past her shoulder's. I'm worried she's suffering from malnutrition.

Does anyone know if this is common with the Paleo diet or is she just not eating enough of the foods that you are supposed to eat on this diet? And how do I go about telling here that I think she's taken this a bit too far without upsetting her or damaging her new found confidence?

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  • Tiffanydepiano
    Tiffanydepiano Posts: 169 Member
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    I lost my hair once when dieting too hard.
    If she is really involved she might not hear you when you tell her to slow down.
    Maybe recommend that she include a womens daily multi-vitamin in her diet?
    It's not the answer but it might help.
  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
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    Well for one, Paleo is not a low carb diet. It's a "natural food" diet that eliminates grains, legumes and diary (for some).

    I've heard of a few people (myself included) who actually get fuller, bouncier hair when they start eating Paleo.

    Maybe she isn't eating enough? If she's losing hair, she's not doing something right.
  • ChantalAguiar
    ChantalAguiar Posts: 55 Member
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    Sorry about the missinformation about the diet...The only thing I know about it is from watching her eat that way and she doesn't eat anything with a high number of carbs in it. Just protien, fruits and veggies.
  • nanodot
    nanodot Posts: 154 Member
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    I haven't heard of this. With all the protein, Paleo should be great for hair. Likely she is missing a critical vitamin, but I wouldn't know which one. I don't have enough info to offer any better suggestion.

    As to how to bring it up, I'm clueless.
  • leahsevilla
    leahsevilla Posts: 127 Member
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    Losing hair is definitely a sign of malnutrition OR that she's not getting enough nutrients (even if she's eating enough) i lost my hair once when i lost weight to fast and wasn't eating the right amounts/types of food. it was scary!
  • Jennifernellwebb
    Jennifernellwebb Posts: 209 Member
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    I am on the HCG diet and I "heard" that you could possibly lose hair. I bought Biotin. It is a skin, hair and nail support supplement. It works great for me. No hair loss to date!! :wink:
  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
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    Sorry about the missinformation about the diet...The only thing I know about it is from watching her eat that way and she doesn't eat anything with a high number of carbs in it. Just protien, fruits and veggies.

    No biggy!! Fruits have quite a few carbs in them though :)
  • Xtina_Beba
    Xtina_Beba Posts: 218
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    It is not the Paleo diet that is causing hair loss, it's undernourishment.She is not eating enough. You should just tell her that you're worried about her and care for her.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    She needs to supplement with Biotin.

    Most people lose hair regardless of how they lose the weight.
  • SarahRuth♥
    SarahRuth♥ Posts: 609 Member
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    I always lose hair when I am on a restricted calorie diet and when I lose significant amounts of weight. I have been losing weight the right way, and I have been thoroughly checked out by a doctor. It could just be a side affect of losing weight, and is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong or that she is malnourished. It could be a sign of those things, though. She really should get checked out by a doctor just to be sure. But I wouldn't press the panic button yet.
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
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    chantelA.

    sounds like your friend's diet is not to blame but perhaps she has a bad thyroid? There are many causes of hair fall out. Hair falling out is usually a symptom of an illness in the body.

    Hair falling out is a symptom of a bad metabolisim caused by hypoglycemia, diabetes, thyroid disorder, allergies, anemia, enviornment, stress, or any other thing that produces ill health in the body.

    Observing her diet and then assuming that is the cause is not very logical. Why don't you ask her if she has gone to a doctor? I am sure she is noticing it too.
  • writtenINthestars
    writtenINthestars Posts: 1,933 Member
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    Well for one, Paleo is not a low carb diet. It's a "natural food" diet that eliminates grains, legumes and diary (for some).

    I've heard of a few people (myself included) who actually get fuller, bouncier hair when they start eating Paleo.

    Maybe she isn't eating enough? If she's losing hair, she's not doing something right.

    I have to agree with this comment.
    It sounds like she is low on some obvious important nutrients but not because she's doing "Paleo" but seems she's going a bit extreme. Otherwise, she may have some underlying medical condition and should get that checked out!
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    It is not the Paleo diet that is causing hair loss, it's undernourishment.She is not eating enough. You should just tell her that you're worried about her and care for her.


    I agree, it sounds like she's just not getting enough to eat.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    She needs to supplement with Biotin.

    Most people lose hair regardless of how they lose the weight.

    I'm sorry, I had to comment on this - what the heck are you talking about? Maybe people who are too restrictive and don't eat correctly lose hair when they diet but if you're doing it in a healthy way, you shouldn't be losing hair. I know everyone's different but I've lost 75 pounds and still have a TON of hair and have never heard of hair loss being a side effect of healthy weight loss.

    Hair loss related to diet is due to malnutrition.

    It's my understanding that paleo isn't necessarily low carb, it's just focused on getting carbs from natural sources like fresh fruits and veggies. OP, I think maybe your friend wasn't fully educated on the plan - kind of like a lot of people weren't back when Atkins was popular 6 or 7 years ago - they just heard "you can eat lots of bacon and cheese" and got all excited. I might be wrong but either way, she's your friend and you should be able to address your concerns with her. Just let her know you noticed and you're worried about her health. You don't think she needs to change much or go back to eating how she used to, but maybe she needs to see her doc or at least take a multi-vitamin.
  • SarahRuth♥
    SarahRuth♥ Posts: 609 Member
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    I'm sorry, I had to comment on this - what the heck are you talking about? Maybe people who are too restrictive and don't eat correctly lose hair when they diet but if you're doing it in a healthy way, you shouldn't be losing hair. I know everyone's different but I've lost 75 pounds and still have a TON of hair and have never heard of hair loss being a side effect of healthy weight loss.

    Hair loss related to diet is due to malnutrition.

    Not always true. Probably shouldn't be stated as if it is fact. I commented above already. I have never been malnourished, and I have always lost weight in the healthiest way possible. The first time I dieted I lost 55 lbs on Weight Watchers, and I lost so much hair that I actually had bald spots. I was thoroughly checked by a doctor, including blood work, and I was perfectly healthy and not lacking in anything. The doctor attributed the loss to stress, or assumed maybe that was it. Or she said I might have a mild case of alopecia.

    I stopped dieting, and unfortunately gained some of the weight back, but during the time I was not dieting my hair came back completely.

    Now I am dieting again, still perfectly healthy, and losing hair. Luckily this time I haven't noticed any actual bald spots, but it's falling out like it was before and it's thinning. My pony tail tie wraps around at least one more time than normal, and it's still a little loose.

    I am not malnourished, I'm perfectly healthy, but for some reason my body reacts to dieting by losing hair!

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