I have heard other people on the Atkins program say that there hair is thicker and there fingernails are longer and stronger....... mine is the opposite. I am lossing hair like crazy and my fingernails are splitting and not growing like they use too. Am I DOING something wrong or might Something be wrong??
Please help
If there is something out there that will halp with the hair loss please share that information. Thanks for any help you can give

Anything can happen the first two weeks, but since you have lost all that weight, I assume you have been LCing for months.

Are you taking high quality "mega" multi-vitamin and Omega 3s?

I'm reading a lot about women's hair loss and not enough sulfur. Atkins Vita nutrients page 182-183, Earl Mindell, etc.

You could just try eating a lot more eggs since eggs contain a high level of sulfur. For example, "rotten eggs" having a sulfur smell.

Sulfur supplements include MSM

Sulfur can also be found in Glutathione = N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

Silicon / Silica is also recommened

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-c...steine-nac.html

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-silicon.html

http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-m...yl-methane.html

http://www.vitacost.com/store/produ...earchBy=HL&ss=1

http://www.vitacost.com/store/produ...ss=1&.x=14&.y=7

http://www.vitacost.com/store/produ...ss=1&.x=17&.y=3

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshe...525,809,00.html

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshe...525,807,00.html

I have been LCing jince july 1/05 I am in Canada I will certainly chek those things out thanks alot Kebaldwin

angel I have also lost a scary amount of hair. Part of it is the shock to your system.

Try adjusting your fat/protein ratio. It turns out for a while I was eating too much fat, not enough protein given my size and work out habits. Hair is made out of protein.

I'm finally starting to get a lot of regrowth.

I also agree that you need to take a good vitamin.

Great thread, I have also lost hair. But its inally getting thicker again. I will try a few things above. Thanks for the advice.

I lost a boat load of hair right around the 5-6 month mark. I had to cut my waist length hair because it was getting too stingy. I kept loosing for about two months and then is leavled off a bit. At the time I had been taking all supps including selenium and omegas. I did not try the sulpher supp, but did/still do eat a lot of sulpher containing eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, brussle sprouts ect.

Seems that you hair follicles make the decision to end thier life cycle long before they fall out.

The good news is that your hair can grow back! I know it is nerve wracking to see all that hair go down the drain. Untill it stops, I would look for a shampoo designed to crate volume. I think pantene has one and there are some others. Just go to a store with good variety of products.

Oh here is a link to what most likley is going on with your hair
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic416.htm

Im sorry that you are going though this,

PS: If is is any consolation to know, my hair has grown back to its normal thickness. As the new hair grew in, it created thickness at the scalp (all lost hair seemed to grow back at once). Just be paitient (I know...hard to do when your hair is falling out) There seemed to be a lag time until I noticed the new hair. By the time I did notive it, it was already 1/4-1/2 inch long.

This month is starting the 5th month and I have lost about 10 pounds a month. It is unfortunate but it is good to know I am not alone in this
I do eat alot of eaggs and broccoli/cauliflower and brussel sprouts but I will try the omega 3 I haven't taken those
thanks it is nice to know I can count on other LC-ers in hard times

Congrats on your excellent success -- and being patient. Many people quit because they don't lose 50 pounds the first month

My body freaked out for the first two weeks or so -- but then started to settle down. Within six months I was off blood pressure medicine and everything. I remember that acid reflux was 10X whenever I cheated for several months -- but that went away after some months (that may have taken six months).

What I am saying is that it will continue to get better and better.

Ouch. How short did you have to cut it?

My hair is long enough to sit on, and I really, really ought to cut it back up to mid back to get a decent fullness, but I can't bare to, so I've taken to wearing it up, which I can't usually do because I have too much. I swear I now have less than half of what I should.

But its growing in fast and thick now.

I was on pills for diebetes and now I am on nothing at all I feel great

Same here... yes there is lag, the hair falls out a few months after a shock, and it takes a few more months to notice the regrowth, so stopping LC wouldn't help at this point. Any shock or weight loss can do this to you, unfortunately it seems to be fairly common on Atkins - probably because actual weight loss is also common on this WOE!

I will add my name to the list of people who experienced this and then had their hair grow back just fine. Plently of protein is great advice, and in a few more months you will suddenly notice that your hair is growing fast and you are trimming your fingernails constantly. Supplements are important, and evening primrose oil also seemed to help me, in my case burning fat tends to upset my hormonal balance a little (the fat stores excess hormones and they are released when you lose weight) and I think that contributed to the loss, but the EPO really balanced that out.

Angel47, please don't fret, everything will go back to the way it was in a little while, and maybe even better!

I started noticing hair loss at about my three month mark. It continued for about three months, stopped, then started again.

I've been in maintainance for about three months, and it seems to have stopped now....but I haven't noticed regrowth. My hair grows FAST since LCing (and what I have is silky/healthy), but it doesn't appear to be regaining its thickness yet.

I did find in my PP book just yesterday that taking excess selenium can cause hair loss/fingernail breakage, and I'm wondering at this time if this is the culprit along with or instead of TE. If one eats a lot of meat, only 100 mcg. of selenium a few times a week is needed....I've been taking 150 mcg. a day for the past year in my multi, and considering discontinuing it.

I've noticed those who are reporting regrowth have been in maintenance for a year or longer. How long is the lag? Am I looking at 6 months, a year before my hair regains its thickness?

Does anyone know WHY low carb causes hair loss? It seems to me that a diet of protein and veggies should be good for your hair and nails, especially if you're also taking a multivitamin for extra B.

Most LC'ers dont take supplements therfore lacking vital nutrients and vitamins needed for healthy skin, hair, nails, and bones. Calcium is a pretty much no-no on a LC diet which contributes to a breakdown in healthy skin, hair, nails, and bones. Getting a full physical and bloodowrk from your physician is an excellent idea b4 and while ingesting such a smal amount of carbs. He/she can tell u what u might be lacking nutritionally instead of playing the guessing game.

Just a suggestion for overall good health and esp I know it can be traumatic to lose hair at anytime in ur life.
Happy carbing

It isn't LCing that causes it.....it can happen to someone any time they "shock" their body in some way, including losing a large amount of weight. A stressful event, hormonal changes (menopause, thyroid problems or pregnancy), or extreme dietary changes can do the same thing.

A diet of protein and veggies IS good for the hair and nails. I have definitely noticed a difference in how fast both my hair/nails actually grow. I have to dye and trim my hair once a month now, prior to LC, it was once every three months.

I want my original thickness back tho! My hair has always been fine which doesn't give it a thick appearance even tho I had alot, and tho I am far from bald now, the thinning IS noticeable.