Has this happened to you?

[Mysstic]

I have been low carbing since last September. I have lost 36 pounds of fat and about the same amount in hair. My hair has been thinning terribly!
My nails are so thin, and have tiny lines or ridges in them. They seem to split or break if you just look at them.
I take supplements daily. Stay under 20 carbs a day. My weight loss seems to have hit a plateau.
Would the Atkins vitamin supplement package be better for me than buying my own? Atkins seems to be very pricey.......
Any advice would be most helpful.
Mysstic

[tofi]

Do a search using the green button above your post. Look for "hair AND loss". There have been lots of threads about it.

After a large weight loss in a relatively short time, some hair loss is usual as the follicles shed their hair and wait to regrow.

I don't really think that the Atkins vitamins are the best. But don't buy the cheapest brand either.

[pliskin]

I have a friend that is an herbalist and accupuncturist...she works with a lot of women that have this problem...you might try that route. Fortunately, I have lots of hair...lucky I guess

[Mysstic]

Thanks that is an excellant idea, there are several people here in my area I can consult. Be glad you have lots of hair, take my word it SUCKS to be in my position and not know who to listen to. Thanks again. Mysstic

[rishamoon]

What supplements are you taking? Also, are you consuming any soy products? (Soy can interfere with the functioning of your thyroid which can in turn cause the symptoms you described as well as others.)

[Mysstic]

I take a multi-vitamin, biotin(for my hair), gulcosomine(for joint pain), vitamin C, B-complex, potassamin, evening primrose (for estrogen replacement), iron, zinc, and finally 20 mg of celexa (seratonin replacement) on doctor's orders. As far as I know I am not consuming soy products. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post. Thanks, Mysstic

[Rosebud]

Hi Mysstic,

Have you looked at the Low Carb Luxury's info on hair loss? (http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/newsletter/lclnewsvol02-no07.html#letters) There's a fair bit of good advice there that should help. :)

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

[Mysstic]

Thanks Rosebud, I am not taking some of things listed and my water consumption isn't that high so I will increase that and pick up the ones I don't have. Thanks, Mysstic

[detroitlad]

HI, I was starting to wonder if it was just me but my hair is thining too & i need all the hair i can get!!! i take vite's q day & have loads of protein with every meal

[Mysstic]

I have included iron along with my other vitamins. It might help as well. Thanks for responding.
Mysstic

[nikotyme]

I had the hair loss BEFORE I started low carbing, but I figured that was likely due to Menoupause which is a common effect for hair loss in women. Since I've started LC'ing I'm still losing some hair but it seems to be less than before. Also a friend who was having the same problem had her thyroid checked and there was some problem there and her doctor told her that it was responsible for the hair loss.

[sandi24]

I too was suffering from thinning hair and my doctor ran blood tests to rule out zinc and iron defficiency and thyroid but that came back okay, she said it could just be menopausal or hereditary groan.. not much help to me! Since then I started LC'ing and it seems to be improving .. fingers crossed..

[mem2]

My hair is thinning but I thought it was old age! I will check out the suggestions above. Good luck to you. I empathize.

[Jael]

I lost a ton of hair on this WOE...finally I had to get a new short cut, which I did just before Christmas. Last month it stopped coming out and is now starting to grow back.

[y2valerie]

mystic i read on atkins we are not to have iron that mite be causing you to stall als i think you mite have a thyroid prob check the net to see in you have any other symptoms and get it checked i have hypothyroid and they are classic symptoms

[SadLady]

HI, it happened to me when I was pregnant and the dermatologyst recomended a shampoo called Daragen. I happened again last year after about 4 or 5 months of low-carbing. I got the shampoo again wich is made a pure protein (I guess) and it solved the problem within a couple of weeks. The hair is growin back now.

[tomsej]

Hi,

The most common thing I have seen is a mal-functioning thyroid. Have you been a regular dieter and gone on starvation diets?

If you have dieted a lot in the past, especially if you have let yourself go hungry, it palys havoc with your thyroid gland function.

I would have a thyroid series done before you do anything else!

Tom.

[Lowcarber]

I recommend incorporating more Flax Seed Oil and Olive Oil into your diet.

[Mysstic]

Where did you buy the shampoo? Is it a perscription shampoo? I want to get some this week. My hair is a wreck. Thanks so much for all of your responses. I will heed all of your suggestions. Mysstic

[SadLady]

You can search the Internet and get it there, but I went to Walgreens and had them order it for me. It costs about $18 a bottle but it is very good. You shampoo a fist time and wash it out, then a second time and leave it for about 3 to 4 min. They don't have a conditioner, but I use one after the shampoo because otherwise my hair is very dry. My hair started to grow back already and it stop falling out after about 2 weeks of using the shampoo.

Here is a link that shows you the shampoo: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/yhst-1479787505842/69906.html

I ordered from the Pharmacy area at Walgreens.

Good luck.

[Mysstic]

Sadlady thank you so much. This is the best news I have had about the hair loss situation. I am so thrilled. Mysstic.

[musicmama]

I was having serious hair loss, and started taking CoQ10 and flax seed oil along with my vitamins. the other day at church a lady asked me what I was doing to my hair, it was looking so full and beautiful!! I really have thicker hair now,,and its healthy. You might try that.

[Mysstic]

Thanks musicmama, I am willing to try anything. Is the flax seed oil in a capsule or liquid you have to drink. Mysstic

[musicmama]

Its in a gelcap,,,and they are not expensive, about 5 dollars a big bottle at walmart. Only take one,,,they are really good for keeping ya regular too, if ya know what I mean. And they make your skin soft too, I started my daughter on em and she could tell a diffence in that in a few days.

[Mysstic]

Thanks musicmama, I will post when I start to see results, and yes I do know what you mean. Thanks, again. Mysstic

[rdroghetti]

I have been taking Prozac, an antidepressant, for years while I was NOT on a low carber diet. Anyway, I got my hair thinning and then, by chance, found out on the web that tons of people reported AD may cause it. I don't know about Celexa, but I am afraid that might be the reason for your thinning hair also.

[Mysstic]

rdroghetti,
You know I thought so too, until I checked the web for information about Celexa and it is not listed as a side effect. I am stilling collecting any and all data concerning hair loss and I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Thanks Mysstic

[csoar2004]

ooh! ooh! Can I chime in, too? :D
My hair started thinnning when I hit perimenopause (ALL of my forties!! :help: Thanks, mom-NOT!! Dang genes, anyhoo) and flushing a lot of weight accelerated the process. I'm sure this advice is posted in the threads already cited by others, but to save others the hassle of looking there, here's what worked for me:
1) flax oil, definitely. It's the only "good fat" allowed in the Fat Flush Plan for the first two phases (Phase 3 - lifestyle/maintenance phase - allows EVOO, nut oils, rice bran oil). I now take 1 Tbsp Flax oil and 1 Tbsp other P3 oil, daily. I think it's cheaper (and tastier!) to buy flax oil rather than the capsules 'cause 1 Tbsp oil = 9 1000mg capsules (by volume). ;)
2) biotin - 5 mg daily
3) ferrofood (iron supplment) 10-20 mg daily
4) kelp granules - I take about 6 capsules daily
5) GLA - in the form of evening primrose oil or borage oil or black currant seed oil, 360-400mg of GLA, daily (the FFP balances the omegas of flax oil to the GLA)

hmmmmm...sounds like a lot of supplements when I lay it all out. :D Thing is, I'm typically getting the flax oil in my food (in oil & vinegar-type salad dressings, or in roasted red pepper sauce, etc.). The others are simply part of my daily supplements. I have this sorta halo effect of new hair coming in (since it's shorter, it stands out around my head). :thup:
And as others have stated, the flax oil gives hair a glowing healthy appearance. I don't even use hair conditioners any longer and I live in a sagebrush desert! :dazzle:

hope you have hair-improvement. LOL
best wishes,
charli

[Mysstic]

Wow Charli, that is a lot of information. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I will look into the supplements. Mysstic