Hair falls out on a diet

10.10.2020 10:00

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Unbalanced and poor nutrition can harm your health. A lack of nutrients will immediately affect the condition of your hair. When we limit ourselves to certain foods, the body mobilizes its resources, while depriving areas of nutrition that are not vital. Our hair is among the first to suffer.

It’s surprising that when trying to achieve a slim figure, we completely forget about other components of beauty. When we set ourselves the goal of achieving an “ideal weight,” we are ready to adhere to even the most strict diets. However, an unbalanced and poor diet can harm your health. A lack of nutrients will immediately affect the condition of your hair. When we limit ourselves to certain foods, the body mobilizes its resources, while depriving areas of nutrition that are not vital. Our hair is among the first to suffer.

Sudden weight loss in itself is a great stress for the body. It is optimal to lose weight by 1 kg per week. Unless a woman is obese, rapid weight loss causes mineral imbalances and leads to protein deficiency. Therefore, it is very important to undergo examination and consult with a doctor before starting any diet. Otherwise, a poor diet will cause severe hair loss and ruin its appearance.

Why does hair fall out when losing weight through dieting?

How is hair structured? Each hair has a living (invisible) and relatively non-living (visible) part. The living part of the hair is the hair follicle, i.e. its root along with the surrounding tissues, glands, muscles, blood vessels and nerve endings. Here the cells of the outer part of the hair are synthesized. These cells multiply at tremendous speed, and for normal division they need high-quality nutrition. The lifespan of hair is from 3 to 7 years. When it falls out, a new hair grows from the same bulb. In order for the process of nucleation and creation of new hair to go smoothly, you also need a lot of nutrients.

Why are diets bad for curls? On a diet, the body does not receive a whole range of vitamins, microelements, and sometimes proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The “emergency mode” is switched on - nutrients are supplied primarily to vital organs. Naturally, hair is not one of them.

Due to lack of nutrition, the cycle of hair growth and formation is disrupted: they “freeze” in the follicles, their structure is damaged, they become weak, thin, and dull. The longer the diet lasts, the more serious the defects in the follicle and the worse the condition of the hair.

Diets in the spring are especially dangerous, when the body is deprived of useful elements that are vital for it after winter.

When does hair start to fall out after dieting? As a rule, curls begin to thin out three months after the start of weight loss. By this time, 30% of hair follicles are already seriously damaged. Diffuse alopecia begins when hair falls out evenly throughout the head.

The remaining hairs lose their tone and shine, become thinner, break off, which makes the hairstyle untidy and disheveled. The condition of once long hair is especially deplorable - after all, the bulb does not have the strength to withstand its weight. The daily hair loss rate (approximately 100 hairs) increases by 20–30%.

In what cases can you completely lose your hair after a diet? You need to be especially careful with weight loss through diets if there are cases of early baldness or increased hair loss in your family, or if you have a history of autoimmune, endocrine, or dermatological diseases.

Important! Choosing your own diet is “Russian roulette” not only for your hair, but also for your overall health. Therefore, contact specialists - nutritionists, nutritionists. If the diet is prescribed by a professional, you will not have problems with your hair: the doctor will calculate the amount of nutrients your body needs based on your condition, habits, and lifestyle.

Normal hair loss

The first step is to understand whether you are really losing that much hair. There is a physiological norm: a person loses from 70 to 100 hairs per day. Such losses, as a rule, remain almost unnoticeable; the hair is simply washed during a shower or combed out. But if there is a whole clump left on your comb, if you find strands on your pillow in the morning, and bald patches on your head, then it’s time to see a doctor.

Particular attention to this problem should be paid to pregnant women and women who have just given birth. During pregnancy, the amount of hair on the head increases, but after that it begins to fall out naturally. During breastfeeding, this process can become irreversible, and the previous volume of hair cannot always be restored.

What diets cause severe hair loss?

Hair literally comes out in clumps after severe weight loss on “fast-acting” diets. What to do - this is how our body reacts to severe stress, which is sudden weight loss. Reasons for this:

Hormonal imbalance: subcutaneous adipose tissue is involved in the synthesis and distribution of progesterone and estrogen. If there is a sudden deficiency of adipose tissue, the body does not have time to adapt, and hormone levels can drop to critical levels.
Metabolic disorders: due to extreme weight gain, the body turns on a protective mode. Now he will put any food, even low-calorie food, in reserve, cutting down on the expenditure of calories on the functioning of the immune and other vital systems.
Malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract: strict restrictions in food lead to the fact that gastric juice corrodes the mucous membranes of the stomach and duodenum, and due to a lack of dietary fiber, intestinal motility decreases.
Negative effects on the cardiovascular system: the heart and blood vessels are accustomed to your body weight, and a sudden decrease in weight will put a lot of stress on them. The volume of blood decreased (after all, the volume of tissue supplied with blood decreased), and the vessels remained stretched. Result: arrhythmia, pressure surges.
Loss of muscle tissue: sudden weight loss occurs mainly due to muscle mass, which can lead to muscle dystrophy.

Any disruption in the body’s functioning instantly affects the quality of hair, skin and nails. That is why experts advise losing no more than a kilogram per week. Even minus 5 kg during this period is already a serious sign of baldness.

However, sometimes the diet does not seem so strict, and causes no less damage to the hair.

On the keto diet that is fashionable today, hair falls out very rapidly. The principle of nutrition involves eliminating carbohydrates, consuming large amounts of fat and moderate amounts of protein. A decrease in carbohydrates in the diet leads to weakened immunity, deterioration of brain nutrition, and excess fat causes changes in blood lipids and provokes kidney problems. All this is a serious blow to the quality of curls.
Diets with limited meat cause the greatest damage to hair: they provoke a lack of iron and silicon in the body. Silicon deficiency makes hair brittle along its entire length, and with a lack of iron, the consequences can be of varying severity: from excision of the ends of the hair to complete baldness.
If you go on a mono-diet, for example, kefir, you can provoke a deficiency of the most important elements for hair development and growth: copper, zinc, selenium. Hair will lose elasticity, begin to tear, fall out, and grow thin and slowly. The consequences of such diets can be long-term, since a severe lack of elements is very difficult to restore.
If you remove fats from the diet, your curls will lose their lipid mantle and will be deprived of fat-soluble vitamins - A, E, D. The result is thinning hair, dull lifeless strands with deep damage. And since many women are afraid to regain (or gain) kilograms and eat too little fat, the body suffers more and more over time from a lack of microelements.

Important! When going on a strict diet, do not rely on vitamin complexes - this is not a panacea. Hair needs not only vitamins, but also a balanced combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, as well as a system that delivers all this to the follicle - i.e. a healthy gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels, smooth metabolism , etc.

Losing weight without harming your hair

The best weight loss program for healthy hair, doctors say, is a reduced-calorie diet that sheds pounds gradually and includes a healthy diet from all food groups.

Diets low in protein and iron, such as vegetarian diets and very low fat diets, very often lead to nutritional deficiencies . However, high protein diets, such as the Atkins diet, which begin by eliminating fruits and vegetables, can also lead to hair loss. Typically, complaints about thinning hair come from patients who have lost about 10 kilograms in a short period of time.

A spokesperson for the Atkins Center referred this question to the company's website, where the topic of hair loss is included in the "frequently asked questions" section. He noted that any weight loss can lead to hair loss. The company's website states that the likelihood that the Atkins diet will cause hair loss is minimal. However, dermatologists say there have been no scientific studies to determine which diet is less harmful to hair growth.

How to get your hair back and stay slim?

Do you really have to make a choice between a great hairstyle and a toned figure? No! You can reduce your weight to the desired numbers, and at the same time, after losing weight, your hair will not fall out terribly. The main thing is a reasonable approach based on scientific achievements, as well as a comprehensive effect on the body - inside and out.

Specialist help

Trichology is a relatively young science that helps maintain healthy hair and scalp. Dietetics and nutritionology are areas of medicine that deal with issues of competent individual nutrition. Consultation with a trichologist and nutritionist is the first step towards an ideal appearance.

Doctors will definitely conduct a comprehensive examination of the patient. For a trichologist this is:

computer diagnostics of the scalp and hair (trichoscopy);
blood test for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH);
blood test for the level of male hormones;
blood test for hemoglobin.

A nutritionist will assess your health status and identify existing diseases. Will be held:

clinical tests;
ultrasound examinations of internal organs;
impedansometry (determination of muscle-fat composition of the body).

Proper examination is a guarantee of effective treatment. The trichologist will select cosmetics that are suitable specifically for your hair, and, if necessary, recommend pharmaceutical preparations and vitamins. A nutritionist-nutritionist will develop an individual health maintenance program, including treatment and rehabilitation measures, diet and nutrition. As soon as the reason that caused your curls and figure to suffer goes away - improper metabolism, poor nutrition and self-care - your hair will be restored and your weight will return to normal. Finding both the desired shape and luxurious hair is a long process. Many people start treatment, but, not seeing any brilliant results, get tired and quit. Do not forget that the extra pounds appeared over several years, and hair fell out for several months. Therefore, we must mentally prepare for the same long recovery process. Let you be inspired and motivated by the fact that this slow result will definitely stay with you for life!

Important! Curls “fix” everything related to our diet: they reflect both the nature of the diet and its duration. A spectral analysis of your hair will show how much your body is supplied with minerals and how exactly you exhausted yourself by abstaining from food - down to days.

Diet

Until experts have developed an individual nutrition system for you, you can use publicly available recommendations. The best weight loss program for hair is a healthy diet.

The diet should include all food groups:

vegetable and animal fats (in small quantities, 1 tablespoon per day);
fresh fruits and vegetables;
meat (low-fat varieties);
seafood;
nuts and seeds;
cereals;
dairy

To gradually lose weight, you need to reduce your daily calorie intake (portion size) by about 20% of your usual amount. Such a diet adjustment will not harm your curls or interfere with their growth and restoration.

In your daily diet you need to maintain a balance of BZHU. B is proteins, the main building material of the body. Without it, the metabolism will not be healthy, and the immune system will malfunction. F are fats; they help the body absorb many vitamins and produce hormones. Y - carbohydrates, our main source of energy for all reactions and processes in the body. If the balance of these components is imbalanced in the menu, serious problems with hair thickness may arise. To prevent this from happening, use the rule of quarters: one quarter of your plate should be occupied by protein foods, the other by complex carbohydrates (porridge, wholemeal bread, dark wheat pasta, etc.), the third by vegetable salad seasoned with fats (butter, sour cream), and leave another part for a snack with fruit or dairy products.

Important! There are “bad” sources of BJU and “good” ones. Preference should be given to good ones - these are all natural products, as well as those that have undergone minimal heat treatment. Industrially produced products containing excess salt, harmful food additives, and trans fats are considered “bad.”

What should you give up to lose weight and improve your hair?

From eating salt. Don't worry, you'll get enough sodium from the foods you eat. But excess water will stop accumulating in your body. A salt-free diet will reduce weight, eliminate swelling, improve kidney function and make hair lush, elastic and shiny.
From the habit of eating sweets. Believe me, this is just a habit - try to stay without sweets for just a week, and you will notice how the craving for sweets and cookies has decreased. Lack of sweets in your diet will help you quickly get rid of extra pounds, and also reduce oily skin and hair.
From fatty, spicy, fried, canned, smoked. Fast food, chips, nuts, sausages and other unhealthy goodies are the main cause of obesity and hair problems. A person who is accustomed to eating such food chronically lacks nutrients, which negatively affects his health in general and the condition of his hair in particular.
From baking made from premium white flour. Along with extra pounds, bloating, belching, flatulence and constipation will disappear from your life forever. Replace regular wheat bread with flour products made from whole grain, rye flour with added bran, and you will get vitamins B, E, K, zinc, selenium, chromium, manganese, magnesium, and dietary fiber.
From alcohol. In addition to the fact that it is a toxin that damages the cells of our body, and especially the sensitive cells of the hair follicle, alcohol is also extremely high in calories. Allow yourself only a glass of dry red wine several times a week - this way you will not harm yourself, but rather replenish your body with fructose, vitamins B1, B2, C, organic acids, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc.
From overeating. The best thing for healthy functioning of the body is a stable, balanced diet. Try to get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger - your brain will receive a signal of satiety only 20 minutes after you finish your meal. However, if you did attend a feast and ate too much, do not torture yourself with fasting days. This will cause your body to experience stress, which will not benefit your metabolism or your hair. Just eat as usual and drink more water.

Important! To get your hair in order faster, you should take a suitable vitamin and mineral complex. However, it is better if it is prescribed by a doctor. Agree with your specialist on the duration and frequency of taking vitamins: the complex is usually prescribed 1 tablet per day for three months. We remind you: vitamin complexes are not a replacement for a complete diet, but a supplement to it.

Special hair care

If your curls have suffered from weight loss, then, in addition to normalizing your diet, you will need special care for them. Hair after a diet is weakened and often damaged, so your task is not to injure it even more, but, if possible, to strengthen and strengthen it.

In the morning and evening, carefully comb your strands with a comb or massage brush. Start combing your hair from the ends to the roots, gradually unraveling the curls. The procedure will increase blood circulation in the scalp and help the fatty mantle to be evenly distributed along the entire length of the curls.
Massage your scalp several times a week. Use special massagers, applicators, or your own hand for this. Using gentle massaging movements, move from the temples to the back of the head. Increasing blood circulation in the scalp is the key to good nutrition of hair follicles and intensive hair growth.
If you are experiencing hair loss due to diet or for any other reason, do not perm, straighten, bleach or dye your hair. You should refrain from tight hairstyles and complex styling. Give your curls more freedom.
The money saved during the diet (on cakes, ice cream, alcohol, etc.) should be spent on hair cosmetics. It must be of high quality, without aggressive elements, enriched with natural extracts and vitamins. The main rule is that shampoo should match your scalp type, balms and conditioners should match your hair length type.

Important! Read the label on cosmetics carefully: look for ingredients that will support the protective sheath of the hair, i.e. lipids and keratin. The former may be listed as oils, phospholipids, ceramides, linoleic or linolenic acids; the second are chitosan, proteins, dimethicone or cyclomethicone, keratin itself.

Tune in to the fact that self-care, moderation at the table and healthy eating are for life. Then your health will be in order from head to toe, and you will become the permanent owner of chic shapes, thick hair and a great mood!