If you've lost weight recently and you're noticing your hair is going with it, you're not alone. Before you panic, know this: What you're going through is not out of the ordinary, and there's an explanation for it. “We know that, clinically and anecdotally, hair loss is associated with rapid weight loss or weight loss associated with stress,”
Written by: Olivia Luppino, Korin Miller on Nov 7 2024. https://www.aol.com/prevent-hair-loss-youre-losing-185600423.html
And, the more weight you lose, the more likely you are to experience some form of hair loss, says Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living a Real Life with Real Food.
Here's why your hair might be falling out if you're losing weight—and what you can do about it.
Meet the experts: Ken L. Williams Jr., DO, is a hair restoration specialist, surgeon, and author of Hair Transplant 360 - Follicular Unit Extraction. Beth Warren, RDN, is the founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living a Real Life with Real Food. Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, is an obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Why Does Weight Loss Cause Hair Loss Anyway?
It all comes down to nutrients—or lack thereof—says Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, an obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. People often don’t take in enough protein when they lose weight, she says. (And, FYI, your hair is made of protein.) When you don’t get enough protein, your body has to decide where to send what it does have. Given that your hair isn’t crucial to your survival, it doesn't take priority, Stanford says, and that can lead to hair loss. Ready for the good news? This is temporary. “When people stop losing weight, the hair loss usually resolves itself,” Warren says.
What To Do About It
If you’re noticing your hair is falling out amid losing weight, consider it your sign that you're not getting enough nutrients. Start with keeping tabs on how much protein you’re getting. Especially if you're active, women should aim to eat 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, experts say.
It’s also a good idea to try to get some zinc in your diet, Stanford says, since it's a key mineral for hair growth (as well as skin and nail growth). Zinc-rich foods include:
Veggies like broccoli and spinach
Fruits like avocado and fig
Animal-based proteins like eggs and lean beef
A well-balanced diet goes a long way to make sure you're getting everything you need, but you may also want to take a zinc supplement to be totally sure you’re getting enough, says Stanford. You can also try a multivitamin, which can make sure you're getting enough of other hair-helpful nutrients like vitamin D and iron. (Just check in with your doctor first, which is a must before taking any kind of supplement.) There's also minoxidil (a.k.a. Rogaine), which stimulates hair growth.
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