If you're just starting a weight loss program, you may have questions about possible side effects, such as hair loss. On the other hand, if you've already started your weight loss journey, you may have already noticed your hair seems to be thinning. Either way, it's important to learn about the connection between weight loss and hair loss to rule out other potential causes.
Why Can Hair Loss Occur After Weight Loss?
Hair loss while dieting or on a weight loss program can be caused by nutritional deficiencies and the effects of sudden weight loss on your body. For instance, restrictive diets and sudden weight loss are associated with a common hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium often occurs about three months after a triggering event like sudden weight loss and can last for around six months.
Sudden weight loss and nutritional deficiencies from restrictive diets are also associated with other forms of hair loss, including chronic telogen effluvium, which lasts more than six months, and androgenic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness. Here are some causes of hair loss linked to dieting and weight loss.
Crash Dieting
Your hair needs adequate nutrients to grow properly and remain healthy. When your body doesn't get the nutritional requirements it needs, side effects like hair loss commonly occur.
The connection between crash dieting and hair loss is well documented. Studies have found a link between hair loss and rapid weight loss, calorie restriction, nutrient deficiencies, and psychological stress, all of which are associated with crash dieting. Crash diets that are poorly planned can lead to deficiencies of essential fatty acids, zinc, protein, and overall calories, which can all cause hair loss.
Low Protein Diets
Protein is essential for the growth of healthy hair. Your body breaks protein down into amino acids, which in turn produce proteins such as keratin, the main structural protein of hair. When your body doesn't get enough protein, it can lead to a protein deficiency that results in hair loss.
When your diet lacks adequate protein, it prioritizes vital protein-dependent functions such as tissue repair, digestion, and hormone production. Because hair growth is not as essential as these other functions, your body diverts protein from your hair to these vital systems, and hair loss may occur. Research has shown that protein deficits can lead to deficiencies of specific amino acids, such as histidine, leucine, and cysteine, which are common in people with hair loss.
Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery alters the shape and function of your digestive system. For many people, weight loss surgery is an effective solution for losing weight and managing medical conditions related to obesity.
In addition to reducing stomach capacity, some weight loss surgeries allow food to bypass part of the intestines. Unfortunately, this can lead to difficulty in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, increasing the risk of nutritional deficiencies. The rapid weight loss caused by this surgery can cause protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies and commonly causes hair loss.
Restrictive Diets
Restrictive diets, like crash diets, eliminate entire food groups from the diet. Nutritional deficiencies of protein, iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids from very low-calorie diets have been shown to cause hair loss. Additionally, restrictive diets often cause major stress, which can also lead to hair loss conditions.
Is My Hair Loss Because of Diet or Something Else?
Many factors affect the growth of your hair and determining the exact cause of your hair loss can be complicated. For example, while diet and weight loss are common causes of hair loss, there are many more.
At New Image Hair Clinic, we are experts in helping people with their hair loss. Whether caused by weight loss or something else, if you are experiencing hair loss, we can help. Contact us today and schedule your FREE initial consultation to learn more about how weight loss could contribute to hair loss.
