Low Carb and hair loss

[lovinlowcarb]

I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing hair loss while on a low carb llifestyle. I did low carb 2 years ago and really lost a lot of hair but I want to try low carb again because I currently 242lbs and want to lose a lot of weight before the hot summer gets to Alabama. If anyone knows what I can do to prevent the hair loss I would greatly appreciate your advise.

[nolcjunk]

It's pretty normal to lose hair when you start a weight loss program because of the stress on your body, whether it is Atkins or not. The good thing about Atkins is that you are eating adequate protein, fat, and getting nutrients from vegetables so when your hair grows back it will be stronger and healthier.

[KimmieCat]

I began low-carbing almost exactly one year ago and have lost 57 lbs. About 6-8 months in I experienced significant hair loss (on the magnitude of 300-500 strands of hair a day). It was very concerning and I began taking a hair/skin/nails supplement with biotin. The hair loss has slowed, but I have not noticed substantial regrowth. I had a lot of hair to start with, so it's not noticeable to others, but I can definitely tell a difference.

I wish I had advice for you. From what I understand, sometimes when the body undergoes stress, some hair follicles shut down and stop growing. But they don't fall out until several months later. I was losing hair in August, which my hairdresser thinks stemmed from my large weight loss in April-June.

On a side note, over November and December I started eating more carbs in the way of donuts (my husband started working in a donut shop and it was hard to turn down free donuts every night). I noticed that my hair (what was left of it) was shinier and felt better. Since January 1, I have returned to induction and my hair feels dry and straw-like. am going to play with my carb levels (non-donut related) and see if that helps my hair look/feel better and regrow. I only want to lose 15 more pounds or so and don't mind if it takes a year.

[Rhubarb]

I'd been having some hormonal hair loss for a couple of years, but was experiencing a nice regrowth up until about three months ago when I started to shed tremendously. It's quite thin now. I don't know if it's related to the diet or just a resumption of the previous hormonal shifting. (menopause... ugh.)

I've been taking biotin (5,000 mcg), evening primrose oil(1000mg) and Inositol with choline (1000 mg) every day for the past couple of months in the hope that it will help. I can't say that I've seen any regrowth but I think the hair loss is slowing. But again, it could just be normal hormonal fluctuations.

This is very disturbing, but if it's really related to your diet you should get regrowth. Dr. Eades at Protein Power has a great explanation of why this happens and why we shouldn't panic.

In my case, it may be a permanent thing because it's related to menopause. Apparently as many as 30% of women suffer from rather severe hair loss in mid-life. (Nobody ever told me about it.) I guess that explains why so many older women have weird hair styles.

[svenskamae]

I take biotin, and my hair has never looked as good as it does now on a lowcarb/moderate protein/high fat very clean diet. I haven't been experiencing hair loss, but I lose weight very slowly, so I goes my body isn't undergoing as much "weightloss stress" as some other people. From what I have read on this board, weight-loss-related hair loss is usually temporary and not limited to low carb diet approaches.

[Macc0021]

I had this happen when I was looking weight pretty quickly... it went away after my weight stabilized and I stopped losing so much. It IS kind of scary, but I did a lot of research and found that it is a 'normal' reaction to stress on the body (e.g., weight loss). I'm not sure if you can prevent it, unless you want to try to lose weight very slowly?

[Phranquie]

Yep, I have had this happen twice when I have had a drastic change in my eating and fairly rapid weight loss. Both times my hair loss was pretty significant and lasted about three months. Your hair is just shedding out of turn and it is temporary and the hair does grow back.

[Becky]

I actually had the opposite happen, my hair was thinning probably from my perimenopause, started low carb, did it for 3 months hair was growing back in! Unfortunately I was a raving grumpus on low carb that time so I moved to JUDDD and my disposition improved (added carbs back in) oh, and my hair started falling out again!!! UGH!

I'm now combining low carb and JUDDD to see what happens. My life is one huge science experiment!

[Just Beachy]

Sorry this is happening to you. Like others have said, it could be only a temporary thing.

I know I lost a lot of hair on a low fat diet, and it was quite noticable. Now, with a LCHF diet me hair, skin, and even nails are looking better than ever -- but esp my skin. Funny how we are all so different.

Beachy

[That Girl]

I have had this happen...my husband pulled a wad of hair out of the tub drain and I was mortified! It looked like a pony tail. The palm of my hand was completely covered with hair..I have bald spots and severe thinning of my hair. I am very self conscience about it now too. I used to have beautiful hair, I don't know if its the diet or my Metformin, or the two BP pills I take. When I talk about it with my family, or rather they comment about it, they say it's because of the diet I am on. I just wanted to add that I am worried now about coloring my hair, it's so fragile and dry, like straw, I don't know what to do...any gentle hair colorings that you know of?

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by That Girl

I have had this happen...my husband pulled a wad of hair out of the tub drain and I was mortified! It looked like a pony tail. The palm of my hand was completely covered with hair..I have bald spots and severe thinning of my hair. I am very self conscience about it now too. I used to have beautiful hair, I don't know if its the diet or my Metformin, or the two BP pills I take. When I talk about it with my family, or rather they comment about it, they say it's because of the diet I am on. I just wanted to add that I am worried now about coloring my hair, it's so fragile and dry, like straw, I don't know what to do...any gentle hair colorings that you know of?

Metformin made my hair fall out so much that I stopped using it. High blood pressure medicine, low potassium and low iron also contributed to my thinning hair. My hair started thinning around 50 years of age. Later I was diagnosed with hypothyroid. So, there was a whole host of contributing factors leading to thinning hair with me. Now at 60 with the correct thyroid meds and dose, no vitamin deficiencies and diet-controlled blood sugar and blood pressure, my hair is much thicker. However it is not as thick as when I was young.

[Taxbane]

Sort of. As a measure of symbolic control over my body, I shaved my head when I started LC WOE and still do whenever I restart into ketosis. It is motivating for me. Of course, being a guy it is not an issue sporting a shaved/bald head, and also saved $20 every month.

That said, this is the first I have heard of hair loss accompaning a change to LC (or to any diet for that matter). I know hormones and genetics control alot of what happens to hair, so it seems plausible changes in insulin, glucogon, testosterone, and HGH should have some effect.

Additionally, my hair-line has been receding (and salt and peppering is poping up) as I age, but I have not noticed any significant increase from the time of changing to LC WOE. However, I did notice it all started when my kids were born....

[lisabinil]

[QUOTE=Taxbane;16196248]Sort of. As a measure of symbolic control over my body, I shaved my head when I started LC WOE and still do whenever I restart into ketosis. It is motivating for me. Of course, being a guy it is not an issue sporting a shaved/bald head, and also saved $20 every month.

That said, this is the first I have heard of hair loss accompaning a change to LC (or to any diet for that matter). I know hormones and genetics control alot of what happens to hair, so it seems plausible changes in insulin, glucogon, testosterone, and HGH should have some effect.

Additionally, my hair-line has been receding (and salt and peppering is poping up) as I age, but I have not noticed any significant increase from the time of changing to LC WOE. However, I did notice it all started when my kids were born....[/QUOTEI


If you research hair loss is a quite common side effect of weight loss or dieting especially rapid weight loss. In fact before you undergo wls this is specifically mentioned.

[Taxbane]

[quote=lisabinil;16196670]

Originally Posted by Taxbane

Sort of. As a measure of symbolic control over my body, I shaved my head when I started LC WOE and still do whenever I restart into ketosis. It is motivating for me. Of course, being a guy it is not an issue sporting a shaved/bald head, and also saved $20 every month.

That said, this is the first I have heard of hair loss accompaning a change to LC (or to any diet for that matter). I know hormones and genetics control alot of what happens to hair, so it seems plausible changes in insulin, glucogon, testosterone, and HGH should have some effect.

Additionally, my hair-line has been receding (and salt and peppering is poping up) as I age, but I have not noticed any significant increase from the time of changing to LC WOE. However, I did notice it all started when my kids were born....[/QUOTEI


If you research hair loss is a quite common side effect of weight loss or dieting especially rapid weight loss. In fact before you undergo wls this is specifically mentioned.

Thanks.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by Redeemed

Metformin made my hair fall out so much that I stopped using it. High blood pressure medicine, low potassium and low iron also contributed to my thinning hair. My hair started thinning around 50 years of age. Later I was diagnosed with hypothyroid. So, there was a whole host of contributing factors leading to thinning hair with me. Now at 60 with the correct thyroid meds and dose, no vitamin deficiencies and diet-controlled blood sugar and blood pressure, my hair is much thicker. However it is not as thick as when I was young.

I have lost probably 40% of my hair since starting LC in Sept. of 2011. It has not grown back at all, although the loss does seem to have slowed a lot. Taking fish oil seems to help, though I can't be sure.

I take 1,000 mg. of Metformin daily; I have never heard of hair loss as a side effect. I also take a very small dosage of lisinopril and a small dosage of Synthroid. I was hypothyroid for years before my diabetes dx, so I don't think that's the cause. I'll have to look into the Met as being a possible cause.

It's so distressing to me. My hair has always been my best feature, and I feel so lost with so much of it gone.

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I have lost probably 40% of my hair since starting LC in Sept. of 2011. It has not grown back at all, although the loss does seem to have slowed a lot. Taking fish oil seems to help, though I can't be sure.

I take 1,000 mg. of Metformin daily; I have never heard of hair loss as a side effect. I also take a very small dosage of lisinopril and a small dosage of Synthroid. I was hypothyroid for years before my diabetes dx, so I don't think that's the cause. I'll have to look into the Met as being a possible cause.

It's so distressing to me. My hair has always been my best feature, and I feel so lost with so much of it gone.

Google Metformin - hairloss, and lisinopril - hairloss. You will find that a lot of people believe that Metformin and/or lisinopril caused their hair to thin. I was taking lisinopril and hctz, when I first started noticing my hair thinning. However, again, I was around 50 years old. My hair came out in clumps when I tried Metformin. It obviously does not cause this side-effect for everyone, so maybe there is another factor contributing to your hair situation.

Controlling calories and carbs, eating healthy, and losing weight gradually have been of great benefit to me. I know how distressing your hair loss is, and sincerely hope you can come to identify the factors causing this miserable delimna.

[Bamboozled]

No I have not had any hair loss but I did quit gluten and sugar almost entirely a year ago so I think my body has not gone into stress mode from LC. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[nolcjunk]

Originally Posted by Vilya

I take 1,000 mg. of Metformin daily; I have never heard of hair loss as a side effect.

Metformin can cause a B12 deficiency and that can lead to hair loss.

[mountaingirl30]

Do some research on Telogen Effluvium. Most diets, depending on how rapid the weight loss, cause some level of it. Also check your iron and ferritin (iron stores) levels. I started losing major hair awhile back and it was scary. I had other symptoms too and I took a blood test and I was mildly anemic. You can be deficient in iron, enough to lose hair, while being far from actually anemic. So I was really bad off. My mom is not anemic at all, her serum iron and hemoglobin is fine, she just has low ferritin and hers is falling out.

[Vilya]

I do take B-12, but not consistently. That's easy to fix, I will start taking it every day like I'm supposed to! I might also be able to lower my Met to 500 mg. and see if that helps.

[thealything]

I actually found that my hair grew more on atkins, possibly because of the protein. when I take multivitamins and extra biotin, it seems to be the best. sorry that probably doesn't help much

[trishthedish]

Yes, my hair has thinned after losing weight on Atkins. This happened to me before after a 75 pound weight loss. I'm grateful to have such thick hair to begin with.