Hair Loss

[ETLC]

I began the Atkins diet in February. Have really stuck to it pretty well and have now lost 30+ lbs. so I am very happy about that. But now I am losing hair. Lots of it. I read an older thread where several people stated that they also had hair loss 2-3 months after starting the diet. Is this common? Is this a temporary thing? The older thread seemed to indicate that it was a tempory situation and would reverse. Anyone out there that that has happen this happen to? Approximately how long before it comes back? I just am not ready for the baldness. I have some spots that are bald. Not thinning, but bald!!!

I take a good multivitamin everyday and extra Vitamin E and calcium each day also.

Give me some feedback, please.

[Joye]

I have been really worried about the same thing. I've been on the program [no one could call this a diet . . yum yum] for 7 months now and have never felt so good in my life. I'm at my normal weight and have maintained it. My problem is that I never had hair loss until the last 4 months. It's pretty bad. Each time I even brush it, it comes out a lot. I'm concerned and if you find out anything we can do, please let me know. My name is Joye - pronounced "Joey" - It is not a nickname. Hoping to hear something from somebody with a solution.

[DebPenny]

I'm on The Schwarzbein Principle, have been for four months, and I'm not having any problem with my hair. In fact it's getting thicker.

I also have PCOS and my facial hair problem is diminishing.

If Atkins causes hair loss, I'd be concerned about why. TSP allows a higher level of carbs from the start and we are not encouraged to go into ketosis. We don't necessarily have spectacular weight loss, but I have dropped 26 pounds in just over 4 months and have settled into a 2 to 3 pound drop each month. I'm happy with that and feeling great!

We are also encouraged not to use sweeteners, caffeine, alcohol (although I cook with it a lot), or over-the-counter drugs.

I don't know how much of this is different from Atkins either Induction or OWL, but I enjoy the freedom of TSP greatly. I've been converting people in my family to right and left. ;)

HTH,
;-Deb

[Janice]

ETLC, if these areas are actually bald, you might look into the possibility that you are afflicted with alopecia areata. A girlfriend of mine had it and it was cleared up with a cortisone cream and a couple of cortisone shots into the bald patches. I think it's an autoimmune phenomenon.

As for "falling hair", I have also been shedding more than my golden retriever. Look at your hairline, you'll be reassured seeing new growth along your forehead and temples.

Good luck!

Janice

[leighamaw]

Help. My hair is also falling out. By the handful. I have always had a healthy head of hair...really thick. I started noticing about 2 months ago that my hair was thinning on top. Thought it was my imagination. Now when I wash my hair, the drain is full. When I brush my hair...the hair brush is full. I have been on Atkins for 5 1/2 months. I take a multi vitamin nearly every day...I am bad at taking any type of pill or medication but try to take the multi vitamin. Should I add another nutritional supplement??? I am kind of freaking here because even when I was at my fattest, I had a marvelous head of thick red hair. Not so any more!

[tofi]

Any large weight loss in a short time by ANY method including low fat or low cal MAY result in a temporary period of hair loss about 3 - 4 months later. It IS temporary. It has been discussed at length in other threads so you can do a search for 'hair loss'. In fact, I think that someone has already bumped it up so it's near the top of this forum. Happy reading.

:wave:

[ETLC]

Thanks for all the input. Wanted to know I was not alone, but most of all wanted to know that it was a temporary thing. I did get the cortizone shots in scalp and I have increased carbs somewhat, so guess we will see.

If anybody out there has started growing new hair again and the loss has stopped, about how long did the hair loss last until you noticed a slow down or stop? When did hair start growing back?

[judy130]

I would also be interested in this as it is 3 months since your last post. Has your hair grown back yet?

I don't like the idea of the injections into the scalp, but I have a big patch at the side of my head which has no hair and shows up a lot now as the hair no longer covers it as well as it did.

Still losing more hair every day so I'm getting desperate - I thought it would reassure me to know your hair has now grown back.

Thanks

Judy

[leighamaw]

As for myself, I think I can see some new growth and I don't think it is still falling out at the rate that it was. But it fell out steadily for at least 4 or 5 months.

[Bevb]

Hi

Have you had your thyroid checked? Thats what happened to me.
When they took a thyroid test, and got me on medication it all grew back. Just a thought.
My hair has been thinner since then, ( I have very heavy hair) but now it is growing like crazy and I have a ton of new hair about an inch long now around my hairline.
So don't get discouraged, it will grow back.
Bev :)

[judy130]

I was tested for thyroid a couple of years ago, but it was negative.

Thanks - it seems I'll just have to stick it out and hope the hair returns, but it is good to know it does eventually come back.

Judy

[Talon]

I was losing hair for about 3-4 months, it has slowed down to a normal loss now and I have new hair sprouts everywhere - a little annoying as it is hard to get things to look "smooth" with little wisps everywhere - but it is coming back.

This happens to a good majority of the people who lose a good amount of weight - not just to those who eat low-carb. Any stress on the body can cause thinning/hair loss.

My only suggestion would be to do what you are doing - taking a good multivitamin everyday.

[jaykay]

This is in the other hair loss thread, but there's a supplement called Florisene, which is extra iron plus some other bits, that apparently helps with some cases of chronic hair loss. It takes about a month to work, I've just started with it, so can't report yet. Its especially recommended if you might be low in iron, ie you have heavy periods or some other reason.
I've been losing hair in brushfuls for 3 months now, but I think (fingers crossed) that its slowing down.

Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone, its good to know it'll be back to normal eventually :)

[coquina]

I've been on Atkins a whole year, have not lost huge amounts of weight at any time, just a steady 2 lbs/month. I've always taken supplements and take even more since starting Atkins. But now I am getting very concerned about hair loss. My hair is very fine so it really shows when it gets thin, and it's really getting thin now, especially on top! I'm wondering if I need to add something to my diet to counteract this?

So far I've lost 25 lbs, had all my blood tests done (baseline and one year), and my doctor and I are both very happy with the results. All except my hair, which seems to be disappearing!

Coquina

[leighamaw]

Have been on Atkins for nearly a year. Posted to this forum some months back because my hair was falling out by the handful. Now, after many months of watching my hair gunk up the drain in the tub, I can report that I see new growth...lots of it. Never really added any supplements to my diet as I am not a pill taker...can't seem to get the routine down of taking pills every morning. I do try to take a multi-vitamin but only manage to remember about 3 times a week.

Anywho....hair fell out...hair came back...I did nothing to encourage it. And fortunately I did not have to order the "spray on hair" as my husband suggested some months back.

[katiesmom]

I developed a spot of alopecia areata on my head about the size of a half dollar about 3 months ago. It was just as smooth as a babys bottom. I went to my dermotologist and she said its from your bodies immune system attacking yourself. She said sometimes stress can cause this. I hadn't thought I was stressed at the time but I certainly became stressed when I saw that bald spot. She gave me shots of cortozone in the bald spot, and then I went back 6 weeks later and got more shots because it still wasn't growing back. Now its grown in enough where its not so noticeable. She also said I should start using minoxidil. I'm at the age (48) when the hair starts thinning, so to keep my hair shafts from shrinking and stop growing I now use minoxidil twice a day and my hair does look better.

[mariemarie]

I lost over 150 pounds on Dr. Bernstein's. The diet is based on ketosis just like Atkins. After about 5 months on the program, I noticed my hair falling out in the shower. At Dr. Bernstein's, I was told it was normal. I was so obsessed with losing weight that I listened. Soon, my hair was falling out constantly and felt very thin. I had always had very, very thick hair and I knew something was very wrong. I eventually reached the point that my hair was so thin that I couldn't style it and it kept me from wanting to leave the house. This didn't help with my body image. I found a hair salon that does weaves on african american hair. Because I'm white, the hair dresser told me that weave could only be a temporary solution because the braiding and weaving process would only do more damage. I had no other choice and I decided to start eating carbs again. Anything that causes your hair to fall out the way mine did can not be considered healty. I was taking 4 different kinds of vitamins and using special shampo and nothing helped. Once I was eating normally again my weight all came back and my hair still isn't. It's gotten thicker, but no where near what it used to be and it's been almost a year since I was on the diet. I hope that my experience will help you... I don't want to see this happen to anyone else. Not only has it been emotionally horrific... it's also been a huge financial strain since the weaving is extrememly expensive. So everyone on these low carb diets should decided whether it's worth it.

[CherishJoy]

Okay....now you are all scaring me! I am in the third week of induction and only have lost 6 pounds.

Hair loss is certainly something I DO NOT WANT TO EXPERIENCE!

[realdeal31]

I know what you mean, the hair on my scalp started behing very dry and falling down too.

I still low carb but go the low glycemic way, and take in some flax oil and whey protein and B-complex, vitamin C-E, Calcium and Zink each day.

Also i use Nioxin cleanser, scalp therapy and vitamin spray, this is working fine has of now.

My hair is thicker and the hairloss has stopped.

Many times hairloss related to a low carb diet is simply a lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet

[Grimalkin]

Mine feel out like crazy 3 months after starting Atkins, and continued for another 3. It stopped at the end of February and it's starting to thicken up again now. I've got tons of silly shorties, but at least it looks denser all over.

I'd only lost about 7 lbs before the hairloss started, and my carbs were already pretty low - I switched from around 50-60 to 20-25. So the only thing I can see causing it for me was going into ketosis. That's it. I guess making my body burn fat for the first time in my life was somewhat stressful. I'm glad I waited it out, because once it starts shedding there's not much you can do but wait. If I had reintroduced carbs I would never have known if it was growing back anyway or because of the carbs - and I would have lost my benefits of LC to that point. The waiting was a little scary, though.