Welcome to Our Journey of Faith. My blog is a place where I share the joys and trials of living a faith-filled life as the mother of an extra large (12 children) homeschooling family, and my prayer is that it brings encouragement to others to live their lives as an adventure of faith, as well.
Pages
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A Very Serious Downside of Getting Skinny: Hair Loss
Okay, Ladies.
This is a HARD one for me to even bring up.
But, I need your help, wisdom, tips, ideas.
About 15 years ago, I did the Atkins Diet.
I lost 40 pounds in 4 months, and was quite excited about it.
However . . . there were two major downfalls.
#1 I started losing my hair.
#2 My fingernails started thinning, breaking, cracking.
I vividly remember telling Jim,
"You can have a fat wife with hair and nails,
or a skinny and bald wife with no fingernails."
I chose to be the "fat wife with hair and nails".
No more diets for 15 years. Healthy hair and nails.
Fast forward 15 years . . .
I am sooo... excited to have lost so much weight,
and REALLY want to lose another 50 pounds.
However . . .
I am devastated that I am also losing my hair.
Truly heartbroken.
I don't know what to do.
I still have fingernails . . . only because I now have Acrylic Nails.
However, I definitely know my own nails are not doing well,
as my Acrylic Nails are breaking and falling off more frequently.
I am eating HEALTHY foods.
I am eating lean protein, along with fruits and veggies,
and low fat dairy products (with lots of Greek Yogurt).
I am eating Fiber (usually in the form of oats or whole wheat).
I am taking Iron and Vitamin D supplements.
(due to long standing deficiencies in both).
The only foods that I am really cutting out are:
Sugar, Pasta, Potatoes, and Rice
I have NO IDEA what could trigger the hair loss.
I have tried to do internet research,
but am not coming up with any answers.
My family does not have hereditary female hair loss.
(or male hair loss, either)
I noticed a bit of hair loss almost immediately
after starting the diet last summer.
However, it has gotten significantly worse.
I was just comparing pictures taken just
4 months ago, and my hair is noticeably thinner.
I don't want to stop the diet now.
I so don't want to regain all of the weight.
I don't want to give up after all of my hard work.
But . . .
I don't want to be bald, either.
Plain and Simple: I don't want to have to choose.
Oh so hoping and praying that one of you might have some answers for me.
Have you lost hair when you've lost weight?
Do you know if it is tied to a specific nutritional deficiency?
And . . .
oh the most humbling question of all:
do any of you use Rogaine???
(you can email me privately if you
don't even want to "put it out there")
Remember . . .
I have no health insurance,
so I can't start going from doctor to doctor.
I haven't inherited a bundle of money,
so I don't have thousands to spend on this.
(I read an article of women who spend several thousand
dollars every few months for treatment of hair loss.)
Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear!
This is really troubling me.
Yes.
I know there are worse things in this world than being bald;
but please don't judge me for wanting to take care of my body and my hair.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I know that it takes 3-4 months for any effect to show in our hair. Also it is the lack of protein in our diets that cause the hair loss. I had gastric bypass about 7 years ago so I did all this research about it. :-) I wish you all the best!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it can't be a lack of protein. I am on a high protein diet, eating protein 5 or 6 times per day. Chicken, Eggs, Protein Shakes, and Greek Yogurt are the primary components of my daily eating.
DeleteThanks for sharing. I hope the surgery worked out for you. Have you been able to keep the weight off?
I work in apothecary at a whole foods store and if you came in with this problem I would immediately suggest that you try taking a B complex vitamin and start adding some more healthy fats into your diet like olive oil and coconut oil or avocados and salmon on a daily basis. B vitamins are vital to so many things in our health but particularly our hair and nails and when we go low-fat with no healthy fats, our bodies cannot absorb the vitamins appropriately. Many vitamins are fat-soluble. I hope that helps!
DeleteThanks, "Vertical Mom".
DeleteI do take Fish Oil supplements daily, but haven't eaten much oil in my diet recently. I will definitely pick up a B complex vitamin and add some avocados back into the diet. I love avocados, and was actually eating a lot of them when I started the diet. Somehow, they just haven't made it into my shopping cart the past few months.
Thanks much!
:) :) :)
Add a biotin supplement first. Second, wait. Your body isn't in growth mode and this often affects hair and nails. The body won't "waste" energy on hair when you are dieting. When you go into a maintenance phase it should help. One thing you could do is maybe take a few weeks on maintenance phase now and go back to weight loss mode after 2-3 weeks. Maintenance is hard and any time spent practicing is worth it!!
ReplyDelete(10 years ago I lost 65 lbs and have kept mot all of it off since then with only 10 lb swings or so that I struggle with, so I sort of "get" where you are at! Keep movin', mama!)
I did add biotin supplements a couple of months ago, but . . . no luck. :(
DeleteThe "growth mode" really makes sense, though. I just want to get to my goal weight without going bald first. :)
Congrats on keeping your weight off! I know it won't be easy, but I am definitely trying to focus on lifestyle/eating changes, rather than "a diet".
:) :) :)
I've heard biotin as a solution, though it hasn't been scientifically verified. I also know that it's the influx of folic acid that promotes hair & nail thickening for pregnant women. You could try a prenatal vitamin, which will include a higher dose of folic acid, in addition to your daily multi-vitamins.
ReplyDeleteTried biotin for the past couple of months, didn't help.
DeleteBut . . . I could certainly try a prenatal vitamin. Great idea!
Thanks,
:) :) :)
Sorry to hear this, I have no words of wisdom for you but did find all this info on LiveStrong.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.livestrong.com/article/182193-how-to-prevent-hair-loss-while-dieting/
Way to go girl on the weight loss!!!!!!! Hugs, Trish
Thanks for the link . . . and the encouragement!!!
DeleteAlways good to hear from you.
:) :) :)
Just a thought: Are you getting enough healthy fats? After my 4th child was born, the big craze was everything fat-free or very low fat. I remember shedding hair like crazy, but I thought it was b/c of giving birth. I notice, though, that I can have different skin/hair issues when I don't eat enough healthy fats (nuts, avocados, olive oil).
ReplyDeleteI had no idea, but it is definitely something I am going to try. I haven't been eating "fat free", but I have certainly been eating "low fat". The first couple of months, I was eating a lot of avocados, but they just kind of slipped off of my shopping list the past few months. Back to the top of the list they go.
DeleteThanks so much for sharing. I am oh. so. desperate.
Hugs,
Laurel :)
If I were in your situation, I would go to one of the gals at a health food store and talk with them. The hair loss may not have anything to do with your weight loss. (I have hair loss and its is due to aging) That wouldn't be your problem, but it does begin to thin as we get older. Another thing may be the cutting out of fat in the diet--I am an olive oil user, making sure that I have at least a tablespoon daily, usually with vinegar for my salads.
ReplyDeletePlease don't give up on your new healthy eating plan. If "push come to shove", there are some wonderful wigs out there for under $100!!
Thanks, "Granny",
DeleteI'm just assuming that it is diet related, since the same thing happened 15 years ago when I was on a diet. I am DEFINITELY going to add more healthy fats to my diet (even though they do add calories).
Thanks for your continued encouragement and "cheerleading".
Laurel :)
Sometimes I read a facebook page called "Food Renegade"...the ideas I find on their are certainly different than any diet I've ever read about...you might want to check that out. Of course I find internet research hard because you can find conflicting results to pretty much anything you search...
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of Food Renegade, but look forward to checking it out.
Deletethanks,
:) :) :)
It might be you are not getting enough good fat.. try eating some Avocodos and use coconut oil when you cook.
ReplyDeleteYea! I am soooo.... glad I asked you all. I had no idea about the "fat" connection. Avocados have just jumped to the top of my shopping list.
Delete:) :) :)
Hello MamaD, I'm sorry about the hair loss, I did a google search "weight loss hair thinning" and this is the first link that came up on the search: http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/weight-loss/losing-weight-hair
ReplyDeletePeople are asking questions like you, and it's possible that weight loss causes hormone imbalance, and that may cause hair thinning. There was a suggestion to have a blood test taken and perhaps that will pinpoint what exactly it is and it may be easier to remedy it.
Hope your hair and nails will grow back stronger and healthier! :)
Thanks, Susan.
DeleteA blood test just might be in order. I hadn't thought of a diet related hormonal connection.
Hope you are doing well!
Laurel :)
We have been looking into a very restricted diet for my son to help control his seizures (ketogenic diet). One of the most common side effects seems to be hair loss. Most parents have found that supplementing with selenium helps. I know it's not the same diet you are on, but selenium supplements are a fairly cheap idea to try and wouldn't interfere with any further weight loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Thank you.
DeleteI can certainly give Selenium a try.
Blessings,
Laurel :)
I second the "good fats" idea, we really do need fat in our diet. Nuts are great high fat snacks. Adding flax seed to your smoothies might also help. Gelatin capsules can make your nails stronger but it taks a couple of months to notice a difference. I saw a big difference in hair and nail growth when I started taking pre-natal vitamins instead my regular vitamins, you can just buy them over the counter now.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!
DeleteMy shopping list is growing:
Prenatal Vitamins
Vitamin B Complex
Selenium
Good Fats: Avocados, Nuts, and Flax
Anything else I need to add to the list?
You ladies are GREAT!!!
:) :) :)
Well your not alone, sort of. I have always had tons of hair, and last summer globs (like handfuls) were coming out for about 6 weeks. I literally have half the hair I use to have which felt really freaky til I adjusted. For me, I do believe it was stress. Apparently when under a specific stress, you hair can go in 'release' mode more at the same time. (did you know hair has a grow and release pattern?). Oddly enough, the results of that stress (hair falling out) is about 4 months after the stressful episode occurred. This would be especially true for people who emotional implode (keep their feeling inside) rather than those that explode (display emotions). Umm, yeah, the first is definitely me. Good grief. The upside is the hair will eventually grow back again (much like the loss after pregnancy).
ReplyDeleteJust another angle to think about besides nutrition itself...
Well . . . if hair loss can be caused by stress, we certainly know I've had enough of that to last a lifetime. Hoping that the Lord continues to bring healing where there has been pain, which will relieve much stress . . . and then praying the Lord will choose to help my hair grow back in.
DeleteHugs, Sweet Friend.
:) :) :)
ps... Super Mom vitamins are great in replacement of prenatals. *smile*
ReplyDeleteHmmm . . . haven't heard of those. I like the name.
Delete:) :) :)
Thank you for posting about this problem. I wouldn't have thought that my hair loss and thin nails had anything to do with the diet I was on last summer. I lost 35lbs in 3 months on a high protein diet as well but also lost a lot of hair and my hair is thin to begin with. I have been on maintenance for awhile now and I can see my hair growing back...finally. I too will start the prenatal vitamins with selenium and good fats and hope it will help my hair and nail growth.
ReplyDeleteSo glad I had the guts to "put this out there". Great discussion for all of us.
DeletePlease let me know if these suggestions work for you.
Thanks for joining the discussion, and congrats on the weight loss.
Laurel :)
There is also a hair products(s) called Nioxin....I think there are 3 components to it, shampoo, conditioner and maybe a strengthener. I had to have hairdresser get it from the beauty supply store....did my hair come back to its original fullness? No, but it did stop its terrible thinning I have had several surgeries over the past few years so anesthesia did not help with hair issues. This is worth a try.....you only need to use a small amount. Also, I tend to be anemic and I don't know if that has any bearing on hair loss, but just got blood results back today and I'm anemic again so guess I'll go looking that up. Hope that you get some good results....you look great, your hard work is paying off. And by the way, we had your taco soup for dinner tonight....it is a new regular on our dinner menu.
ReplyDeleteI check into the Nioxin. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteThanks for the encouragement with the weight loss.
So glad you enjoyed the Taco Soup recipe. I always like to hear from others who try my recipes.
Hope your week is BLESSED!
Laurel :)
Sorry to hear of this big bump in your awesome weight loss! I saw that someone mentioned a blood draw to check hormonal balance, perhaps ask in that blood draw to check your your complete thyroid panels. When my thyroid is out of balance I lose my hair and my skin gets dry. Keep up the great work! Even tho I don't comment, I read daily ;)
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it's time for a blood draw. Thanks.
DeleteCoconut oil, for sure!
ReplyDeleteLaurel,
ReplyDeleteI know someone mentioned stress. I went to the Dr. about 6 months ago and was losing my hair. I thought it was still hormones from pregnancy, but...I had also been through so much stress. The Dr. explained that hair goes through 3 month cycles and maybe I was going through that after all the stress. I did have a blood draw to check on a few things....I had low iron (slightly) but everything else was fine. Maybe some Omega oils would help?? They are good for hair and skin. I have noticed mine has just started slowing down....finally. Keep up the good work. I think you look spectacular!! And was going to tell you that at Haley Kate's adoption party, but...did not get the chance.
April