Most people are guilty of trying fad diets to lose weight. And notably, the results have often been disastrous and extremely unhealthy. With crash dieting, you may knock off the kilos but end up with dull skin, falling hair, and lethargy in return.
Let’s find out the nexus between weight and hair loss because of food intake. Nutrition Expert, Chandni Haldurai helps explain the connection and what you can do to prevent this.
The connection between weight loss and hair loss
As studies suggest, there is a strong connection between weight and hair loss, especially if you achieve the former via unhealthy means. What you consume has a direct impact on your body, and the quality of your hair is one of the first telltales of this.
A nutrition-rich diet contributes towards hair growth, lustrous tresses and helps in minimizing hair loss. At the same time, a nutritional deficiency could be one of the biggest reasons for hair breakage and falling. Clearly, there exists a strong connection between weight and hair, one that needs more prodding as below.
Degrees of weight loss and hair loss
Before digging deep into the causes of weight/hair loss due to nutritional intake, it is key to know the degrees of loss you’re talking about. Oftentimes, there’s confusion between the falling of hair with hair loss, but that isn’t the case.
Losing up to 100 strands of hair a day is normal, and it only means you shed hair faster than some others.
So when should you worry about hair loss?
- When you stop producing new hair or
- See patches of thin hair cropping up abnormally
While genes, age, environmental triggers and underlying diseases are all responsible for hair loss, weight loss too could trigger your body to lose hair at an alarming rate. And while weight loss by itself cannot contribute towards hair loss, it’s how you lose the kilos that matters.
How nutritional intake affects your weight and hair
As stated above, weight loss by itself cannot cause your hair to fall off. It is the underlying causes for the lost weight that can determine why you’re losing hair. Research has shown that weight loss due to nutritional deficiencies has a direct bearing on hair.
Iron deficiency, in particular, is one of the biggest contributors to hair loss. Similarly, studies also indicate that a deficiency of minerals such as zinc, selenium, biotin, fatty acids as well as vitamins such as A, E, D can lead to hair loss. At the same time, nutritional intake also causes hormonal changes, which could, in turn, lead to unsustainable weight and hair loss.
What steps can you take to curb unhealthy weight and hair loss?
- Your hair follicles need the right amount of nutrients to grow and prosper. In other words, eating right can help you curtail hair loss and attain shiny tresses. Similarly, your body needs the right amount of fuel to sustain itself. Nutritional deficiency can cause your weight to drop at the cost of health and, in turn, impact several of your bodily functions.
- To prevent unhealthy weight and hair loss, you can take several steps. There are scientific methods such as the usage of Minoxidil and Spironolactone in treating hair loss, but they mean medical intervention, high costs, and hassles along the way.
- To naturally boost hair loss while also keeping your weight under control, it is important to eat a balanced diet and to exercise sufficiently. You can also take oral vitamins and minerals to help improve the quality of hair and fight nutritional deficiencies in your body.
Do it the right way!
Ultimately, it is key to understand that fad diets or unhealthy weight loss gimmicks can cause more harm than good. Eating right and supporting weight loss via exercise is the right way to go – for your hair as well as your body as a whole.
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