Losing Weight Can Cause Hair Loss. How To Avoid It

Shedding a bit of hair daily is part of normal bodily functioning. However, there is a point where hair falls out in significant amounts, enough to cause alarm. In fact, NYU Langone explains that about 80% of men and 50% of  women experience hair loss. This problem can cause distress and worry, and finding the root cause can be challenging. Some of the main causes of hair loss involve stress, genetics, hormonal changes, and medications, to name a few.
One source that may surprise you is weight loss. When done gradually and correctly, one may not notice any significant hair loss. However, losing weight the wrong way can cause more hair loss than normal. Here’s how to
avoid it:

Low-protein diets

A specific type of restrictive diet is worth mentioning here because it contributes to hair loss the most. Amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, are required for hair growth. They are responsible for the production of keratin, the main structural protein of hair. WebMD explains how this pushes hair into the resting phase, causing hair loss and less hair growth. Aside from hair going into the resting phase, the body will also prioritize more important protein-dependent functions, such as tissue repair, hormone production, and digestion. Since hair growth isn’t necessary to keep a person alive, the body will divert its protein resources away from hair follicles, causing them to fall out.

Restrictive Diets

Restrictive diets cut out entire food groups. One example is the ketogenic diet, which is very low in carbohydrates and much higher in fat content. As popular as these types of diets have become, they aren’t the best way to lose weight because of how they put stress on the body. WeightWatchers believes the most effective weight loss plans are the ones with no restrictions at all. Eating whatever you want allows for a greater variety of foods in your diet, which is essential for supplying vitamins and nutrients required for hair growth. You can still have a healthy balanced diet as long as your preferred foods are nutritious, while less nutritious options are kept to a minimum.

Weight Loss Surgeries

Undergoing weight loss surgery when it isn’t absolutely necessary can cause various unwanted symptoms, one of them being hair loss. As discussed earlier, drastic weight loss can divert the body’s attention from cosmetic functions like hair loss to more essential needs like healing and repair. Weight loss surgeries will also change a person’s nutrient intake. In some cases, it can lead to malabsorption, which will require lifelong supplementation after the
surgery. We have written about ingredients like Mekabu seaweed in our blog post that may help with hair growth after such a procedure.

Conclusion

Hair loss can make anybody feel insecure. By understanding that stress, low-nutrition diets, and certain weight loss procedures can contribute to it, you can do what is necessary to prevent it.