Losing weight to become healthier is an amazing accomplishment. You feel better and have more confidence, but the key is to lose weight at a healthy rate. It can be tempting to jump on an intense dieting program. However, extreme dieting can lead to serious health problems and may even result in hair loss. If you notice that your hair is becoming thinner or falling out, your weight-loss diet may be to blame. Here's what you need to know about the risk of extreme dieting and hair loss.
How Can Extreme Dieting Cause Hair Loss?
There are two primary ways that intense dieting can result in temporary hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss due to dieting, one or both of these may be a contributing factor.
Consuming Inadequate Nutrients
In order to lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories than you burn. In cases of nutrient deficits, your body allocates available resources to systems that are essential for life first (e.g., the respiratory system). Hair growth is not a system necessary to sustain life, so in cases of extreme dieting, your scalp and follicles may not be getting the nutrients they need to produce healthy strands of hair. Hair growth will slow or stop until adequate nutrients are available.
Prolonged High Levels of Stress
Stress can make your hair fall out, especially high levels of prolonged stress. Loss of hair due to stress is known as Acute Telogen Effluvium, and it can affect both men and women.
Extreme dieting places a tremendous amount of stress on the body, which, in turn, can trigger hair loss. Once stress levels are reduced to normal levels, normal hair growth should resume soon after.
How Long Does it Take for Hair Loss to Occur?
You will not see your luscious locks fall out right away. It typically takes 3-4 months after beginning an intense diet to notice hair thinning. Temporary hair loss can last up to 6 months.
Common Diets That Lead to Hair Loss
Not every diet will cause hair loss. Typically, if you are on a slow and steady diet, hair loss is something that you shouldn't have to worry about. However, if you are aiming to lose weight at breakneck speed, be prepared for hair loss. Here are the most common types of diets that lead to thinning:
- Restrictive diet - Failing to eat certain foods can deprive your body of the nutrients needed for hair growth
- Crash diet - Not consuming enough calories leads to malnutrition and can lead to a very unhealthy head of hair and severe hair loss
- Low-carb diet - These types of diets eliminate many nutrients that your body needs to produce healthy hair
- Weight loss surgery - Surgery is stressful on the body, and this stress can lead to hair thinning and hair loss
When It's More Than Dieting
If you've eliminated dieting as the cause of hair loss, then it is time to seek professional treatment from a reputable hair restoration studio. LH Hair is North Carolina's most trusted hair restoration studio. Our certified hairstylists will thoroughly analyze the root of the issue and present you with hair loss solutions based on your needs and budgets. We offer a full line of hair loss solutions for both men and women, including trichological treatments, wigs, toppers, extensions, and non-surgical hair replacement systems.
You do not have to live life with hair loss. Contact us today to schedule your FREE consultation and get back to living your best life!
