I'm having a problem with hair loss. This always happens to me when I am dieting. I have a very thick head of hair but it is really coming out in handfulls right now. I also have Crohns disease so I am always trying to find ways to get and keep more nutrients into me. I am taking a womens multi-vitamin. My doctor wrote me a prescription for B/12 nasal spray. (I can't remember to use it once a week) I'm going to work on remembering to use it. When I brush my hair the brush fills up with hair. When I shampoo tons of it is coming out. I have even been eating a piece of bread every day with some peanut butter on it trying to get a little more fat in my diet. I am a calorie counter...I eat about 1200-1600 calories daily: fruit, veggies, grilled chicken and fish, scrambled eggs, grits, skim milk, juice, water and coffee. Does anyone have any suggestions that would help me?
How many hairs are you losing daily? The average person loses 50 to 100 hairs from their head every single day, and shedding phases can increase/decrease seasonally, depending on hormones, due to stress, etc..
It might not be diet related at all. Do the hairs you shed have the root attached? Shed hairs from the root should have a small white bulb attached. If they do not, the hairs are shedding from breakage, and that can be from any combination of rough handling, wet combing, heat styling, dry hair (often from using harsh hair products), any other way your hair can be exposed to friction(like rubbing on a rough pillowcase or often tied up with elastic)...
If you have already ascertained that you're shedding more than is normal and most of the hairs are coming off with the root, and have already had non-diet related causes ruled out by a doctor, you want to make sure you're getting adequate protein, iron(and vitamin C to aid in absorption of that iron.. also, avoid caffeine and too much calcium because they inhibit iron absorption), and vitamin b12. I assume that your doctor suspects that your hairloss might have something to do with a b12 deficiency since you were prescribed b12 nasal spray? Make sure to use the spray consistently because b12 deficiency anemia can very well be the cause of your hair loss.
I was told to take iron, vitC and vit b12 to help with the same issue. When I diet, I also seem to lose more hair, and the tablets are really helping, I think!
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5000 mcg a day of Biotin is very helpful for hair loss. It takes several weeks to start seeing results so don't get discouraged too soon. There are also vitamins on the market specifically made for hair, skin & nails. I swear by them. I also take prenatal vitamins (NO, I am NOT pregnant!)
I take the Hair,Skin, and Nails vitamins with lots of biotin, and I take fish oil (I keep it in the freezer to avoid fish burps). I also use Nizoral shampoo - it's marketed for dandruff, but ketoconazole, the active ingredient, helps slow or stop hair loss for some - it's a active ingredient than other dandruff brands. I've also taken prenatal vitamins in the past (also when not pregnant), and I noticed a big improvement in my nails when on them.
Thank you for the great advise... Horo- I do use the blow dryer and curling iron, but I use a heat protector product on it first. My doctor told me I have a B/12 deficiency related to the Crohns disease. I think I am losing more than 100 a day. I will check into the iron and vitamin c. As far as the caffine I'm busted, I love my coffee!
Casandea- thank you I will get me some vit-c today!
JerseyGyrl- I will check into the 5000 mcg of biotin...thank you!