Can Rapid Weight Loss Cause Female Hair Loss?
A receding hairline or thinning hair can cause embarrassment, especially for women. No matter your cause of hair loss, the doctors of Chicago Hair Institute can customize a treatment plan to restore fullness to your hair.
One lesser-known cause of female hair loss is major weight loss. If you are on a diet or about to start a diet, it is important to know how that could potentially impact the health of your hair. If you live in or around Chicago, IL, and have suffered hair loss due to major weight loss, our office offers multiple hair loss treatments for women. Here, we discuss female hair loss and weight loss.
How Does Weight Loss Cause Hair Loss?
Exercising and losing weight can benefit your health, but rapid weight loss can be bad for the health of your hair. It all comes down to the availability of nutrients. Healthy hair requires a healthy diet and balanced caloric intake.
With rapid weight loss, the body can become depleted of iron, proteins, and other dietary supplements. In the same way that depriving a plant will cause it to wilt and wither, depriving your hair of nourishment will eventually lead to thinning of the hair and hair loss.
If you do suffer hair loss due to major weight loss, the good news is that the health of your hair can be restored by taking steps to replenish lost nutrients. Our Chicago doctors will be glad to provide additional advice and treatment options.
Steps to Avoid Damaging Your Hair
If you are about to undergo major weight loss, the best way to protect the health of your hair is to ensure that you are consuming nutritious foods and that you are losing weight at a steady rate that isn’t unhealthy. Weight loss of one to two pounds per week falls within healthy guidelines, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
While slightly cutting back on calories and increasing your daily exercise routine, consider the following advice.
- Intake proteins from a wide range of sources that include beans, fish, and other types of meat
- Eat a variety of non-processed foods such as spinach, eggs, fruits, nuts, carrots, and avocados
- Make sure your diet reduces daily caloric intake by no more than a few hundred calories
- Consider taking vitamin supplements that can replenish vitamins and minerals
Take a Long-term Approach
Dramatic weight loss is often unsustainable. Work with a nutritionist or another health professional to create a realistic plan. Losing weight slowly or in stages is often healthier and easier to sustain. One added benefit to taking a long-term approach to dieting is that you will maintain a full head of healthy hair.
Schedule Your Hair Loss Consultation Today
Losing weight can have many benefits for your health and self-esteem. Being mindful of your nutrition intake can ensure that you lose weight in a healthy manner, without damaging the health of your hair. If you do suffer hair loss, the doctors of Chicago Hair Institute can customize a treatment plan that restores fullness and health to your hair. To schedule your next visit, please contact our office online or call (630) 932-9690.