Hello, I wanted to ask you guys if any of you have dealt with hair loss on the level I'm experiencing it. Every time I take a shower, a nice fat clump of hair comes out and I don't know what to do. I even increased my protein and started taking vitamins for a while but it still keeps coming out. I know weight loss will do that to you, but does it ever stop? My hair still looks okay, but I'm afraid that if it doesn't stop soon then it will start becoming noticeable.

Have you had your thyroid checked? that was like my only clue that something was wrong - hair loss.

Yes I have. I am here to tell you that it will be ok! When I first started losing hair, I FREAKED out. However, I went to the doctor who checked my thyroid (which was normal) and then he said it was most likely attributed to my diet. If you don't mind me asking how many cals are you eating a day? I was eating 1200 and exercising a lot and apparently I was not getting enough nutrients. My doctor said the stress on my body "shocked" it into the telogen phase and my hair began to fall. In most cases it reverses itself once the stressor is taken away. Mine is perfectly fine now and this only happened about 4 months ago. I'm now growing baby hairs which is annoying, but much better than losing it! I take a multivitamin and GNC's Ultra Hair Nourish which has really helped me. Also, rubbing castor oil into your scalp, leaving it for about 30 mins and then rinsing it helps the hair to grow in faster and thicker.

Hope this helps. Don't worry though, it's actually more normal than you would think. Make sure you do get your thyroid checked, though, as Melissa said.

*Edited to add that usually the hair starts falling out about 3-6 months after the event that pushed the hairs into the telogen phase occurred. So if you started your diet around 3-6 months ago, that could be a good indicator. Keep eating more protein and taking the vitamins. Although they will take a while to kick in, they will help in the long run. Unfortunately, you have to let the hairs that were pushed into the telogen phase fall out. After that they should regrow. If they are not, then you might want to visit your doctor or dermatologist.

I can't go to a doctor, I don't have insurance :/ I'm 6 months into my weight loss journey and my hair started falling out a few months ago. I do eat 1200 calories a day, but I can't exercise much at all. Actually, I kinda zig zag my calories. I never go below 1200, but a few days out of the week I'll go up to 1400-1600 and sometimes 1800-2000.

I just figured it would stop after some "weak hairs" fell out, idk. It's just that in the past week I think I've been actually noticing the hair loss. I've also been using a keratin treatment for the past month that replaces the lost protein in my hair. It has made my hair healthier, but it's still falling out.

How much does it cost to see a Doctor over there? It makes me really sad to hear that you can't go because of money. That's so unfair. Is there a free clinic or anything?

I hope it stops anyway.

Have you been stressed over the past couple months? That could be it too. Maybe you could just pay for a blood test to check your thyroid just to make sure it's not that? I know there are free health clinics around where I live but I'm not sure if they have them in your area. I'm sorry you can't see a doctor, that's not fair.

Ive heard it can be caused by not having enough fats in your diet too. Is your diet very low fat? You could try throwing in some healthy fats, like from fish or avocado if its looking low

Do you have any of these other symptoms or problems?
-slow metabolism
-bad breath
-short (like your height is very slow to grow)
-dry skin
-very irregular menstration
-muscle or joint pain
-bowel problems/constipation
-cholesterol issues
- any depression or anxiety issues
- fatigue
If you HAVE ANY OR ALL of these symptoms PLEASE have your thyroid check no matter what the cost... you do not want to mess around with that... Undiagnosed thyroid problems can lead to obesity, heart disease, depression, anxiety, hair loss, sexual dysfunction and fertility loss as well as the possibility of thyroid cancer.

However there are several other things that can cause hair loss in the description that you have said: rapid weight loss cause hair loss, any sort of crash diet or eating disorder can cause hair loss,.

Stress is also a huge factor in weight loss especially if your stressing over dieting and weight loss. An iron deficiency and low protein intake can increase your chances of hair loss as well.

If youre losing hair because of weight loss it will grow back and everything will be fine... however like I mentioned above if you have any of those symptoms listed above or several please see a doctor and get a TSH test done for your thyroid.

This. But also, check your thryoid. I had many symptoms, including hair loss and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis last year.

You could have something like alopecia areata.

That did happen to me when I was in the middle of losing weight, but it straightened itself out. Adding healthy fats can help if it's due to weight loss. Now my hair is falling out again, but this time it's due to having a baby! If you have any other symptoms of thyroid issues, it's a good idea to get it tested. Is there a health fair in your area? I know here we have an annual city wide health fair where you can get a blood panel for $45. It's very popular because even with insurance bloodwork can be pricey. You could also call around and see what docs will charge for a draw if you're self-pay.

I've been having this issue for a while now as well. I've probably been having this issue for the past 6 months, been on the diet 11 months. Every time I brush my hair, blow dry and get out of the shower I loose A LOT of hair and its gotten really annoying, I have to clean the bathroom almost daily with the amount of hair loss and my hair is already naturally thin as it is, I've been a bit worried myself, though I find a little comfort knowing that I'm not the only one going through this. I haven't read the other posts yet so hopefully someone might have some answers

Hairloss is a symptom of both PCOS and hypothyroid. (Lucky me )
But, if your calories and weightloss go too low too fast that can also be an issue. So, hairloss sometimes happens with anorexics, bulimics and extreme dieters.

It can also be from malnutrition. B and C vitamins in high doses will help some. Brewers yeast is another natural supplement you can try. Biotin is one of the specific B vitamins that helps with hair and nails. I take Super B Complex and Biotin.

I have lots of new growth. It doesn't always "stick." I do get a sort of fuzzy look from the tiny new hairs...but truth is it does make my hair seem fuller.