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Does Keto Cause Hair Loss

Does Ketogenic Diet Cause Hair Loss

Does KETO Cause Hair Loss? FIND OUT…

Being on the Keto diet can undoubtedly trigger some of the side effects mentioned above. Many people, including me, have experienced temporary hair loss during the first few months. Obviously, being less hungry on Keto and eating less often will likely mean you are reducing calories. And adapting to a new way of eating can be stressful, both psychologically and physically. Combine those factors with a vitamin and mineral deficiency, and hair loss is a common result.

What Is The Keto Diet

The keto diet has been around since the 1920s and was originally and still is used as a treatment for epilepsy. More recently, slight adjustments made it into a popular diet that can deliver rapid weight loss. Instead of eating a typical American diet , on the keto diet you eat mostly high-fat foods while moderating protein intake and restricting carbohydrates.

On a typical diet, carbohydrates convert to glucose in the body and then cells burn that glucose for energy. But, when the body gets a low-carb diet, it must start using ketones and fatty acids for fuel in a process called ketosis.

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Read Also: What Medical Conditions Cause Hair Loss

Understanding Female Hair Loss

When we say female hair loss is multifactorial, there is never just one cause. Here is a list of the main causes.

I have been researching female hair loss for over eight years and it is clear that female hair loss is caused by a unique set of factors and circumstances which can be different for each woman.

Female hair loss is generally the result of the combination of an underlying cause or causes, and a trigger.

Underlying causes tend to be systemic and/or metabolic and have been occurring over a long period of time. Menopause is an example of an underlying cause.

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Does a Ketogenic Diet Cause Hair Loss or Thinning Hair?

It is not that your hair loss is going to stay forever, it is completely reversible. Most of the times, people notice hair loss after following the keto diet for two to three months. It can be due to too much stress and too little protein intake. Also, don’t follow keto and intermittent fasting together as it can be harmful to you.

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Next Steps To Supplement Keto Hair Loss:

Zinc Zinc promotes good thyroid function and stimulates the hair growth repair cycle. You can find a good supplement, or get these from Pumpkin Seeds !

Caffeine Studies show caffeine can help spur on hair growth.

Essential Oils Peppermint Oil applied to the scalp has been shown to quickly induce the Anagen stage. Lavender, Rosemary, Cedarwood, and Sage have also shown positive results.

Hydrate: To help keep the hair you have, hydrate it well so it will be less brittle. Try to drink at least half your body weight in water ounces.

Coconut Oil Stimulate your scalp by massaging in coconut oil before a shower. Be gentle so as not to rip out any hair, but this should moisturize your scalp to make it more healthy.

Keto And Hair Loss Does Keto Diet Cause Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common occurrence with low carb keto dieters mainly due to the lack of protein and severe calorie restriction.

Luckily, like all the other side effects of keto, this too is a temporary and short-lived side effect that will go away.

And the good news is, after a few months your hair follicles will begin to regrow just as thick as before.

In this article we will discuss the reasons for hair loss on keto diet and how you can prevent it.

Theres no doubt that a keto diet can be an effective weight loss strategy. But its restrictive nature can sometimes lead to hair loss.

If youre not following keto in a careful way, its quite possible that you might miss out on important nutrients which are essential for healthy hair.

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Youre Experiencing A Caloric Deficit

The big thing with a keto diet is that youre mainly consuming fat, which is very filling. This means that your body is probably getting many fewer calories than its used to getting. One of the most common signs of a caloric deficit is your hair falling out. Try to use a calorie counter app on your phone to make sure youre still getting the number of calories your body needs.

What You Can Do To Stop Hair Loss On Keto

HAIR LOSS SUFFERER REACTS: DOES THE KETO DIET CAUSE HAIR LOSS? MY STORY Why I Gave Up Low-Carb/KETO

Although hair loss on keto does not affect everyone, there are some actions you can take to help support the health of your hair while on keto.

Get enough nutrients

Keto is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, so the key is definitely not starvation calorie intake is important, even if youre intermittent fasting. But not just any calories. You want to be sure to consume enough keto-friendly macronutrients to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Protein intake plays a key factor here. You want to consume enough protein, not too much or too little protein. Micronutrients are also important the B vitamin biotin is responsible for the shiny, lush look of healthy hair, and a biotin deficiency can impact hair growth. An iron deficiency can also cause hair loss.

You can make sure your macros and micronutrients are up to snuff by tracking your macros . You may also want to take a multivitamin.

While eating to your macros may not stop you from losing some hair while transitioning from a high-carb diet to a high-fat, low-carb diet, it will help your body adjust faster, so you can get past the transition period and get back to your normal hair-growth cycle.

Reduce your stress level

Heightened cortisol levels can contribute to temporary hair loss, whether youre on a keto diet or not. To ensure stress isnt adversely influencing your hair health or making your hair fall out, do the following:

Get enough sleep

Explore underlying causes with your doctor

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What Nutrients Are Important For Your Hair

As with any function in your body, you need key vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for everything to work well. Your hair is no different. Specific nutrients are essential for healthy hair growth and to prevent hair loss.

With the emphasis on high fat, low carb foods, some key nutrients may be less abundant if youre following a keto diet and trying to stay in a state of ketosis.

To protect the health of your hair, you may want to look at ways to add more of the following vitamins and nutrients to your diet.

If its hard for you to get these nutrients through food, consider adding them as supplements to make up for any deficiencies in your eating plan.

Why Might Keto Cause Hair Loss

First off, its not yet clear that keto causes hair loss. While keto may cause hair loss, it might just be a lurking variable .

For example, energy restriction alone can cause hair loss. However, weight losses were similar between keto and non-keto diet groups in Fosters study. Thus, greater hair loss on keto cannot be attributed to lower calorie intake among keto dieters.

However, weight loss was greater among keto dieters in Morenos study, so perhaps greater calorie restriction can explain the extra hair fall seen with keto.

Additionally, nutrient deficiencies can cause hair loss, and Calton found that Atkins dieters risk micronutrient deficiency. As such, some portion of keto dieters may have lost hair because they were nutrient-deficient, not because they were keto. Therefore, keto may only cause hair loss if it promotes a micronutrient deficiency. Yet, for this to be true, wed need evidence to suggest that keto increases risk of micronutrient deficiency by more than a low-fat diet would.

Lastly, its not clear whether the ketogenic state of metabolism, or a lack of carbohydrates, would have more to do with hair loss .

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The Two Reasons A Keto Diet Might Trigger Hair Loss

I first heard about the keto/hair loss connection on one of my favorite podcasts. It mentioned how this effect often occurs a few months after transitioning to a keto diet, but the hosts didnt delve too much into why this happens or what you can do about it. So I reached out to integrative dietitian Ali Miller, R.D., who personally eats keto and has been using nutritional ketosis in her clinical practice for 10 years.

According to Miller, the reason some people may experience hair loss on a ketogenic diet is two-fold: stress and/or malnourishment.

First, keto may be an added stressor that your body just cant handle right nowunless you make some tweaks to your lifestyle. While keto can be a powerfully healthy diet, its also a stressor on your body, says Miller. There are many health-supporting behaviors that are stressors, like intermittent fasting. But if youre someone whos type Aover-caffeinating, under-sleeping, intermittent fasting, and doing ketothats just too much.

How Can You Reduce Hair Loss When On A Keto Diet

Does Keto Cause Hair Loss? Why and Solution

The ketogenic diet may help you shed pounds quickly, but it may not be wholesome in terms of nutrition. The same goes for expensive keto supplements. The nutrient deficiency during ketosis triggers side effects like hair loss.

To reduce the risk of hair loss when on a keto diet, it is best to compensate for the nutrient deficiency. This can be done by either using dietary supplements or introducing foods rich in micronutrients to your diet.

Here are a few foods and their nutrients you should consider adding to the keto diet to reduce hair loss:

  • Biotin: To compensate for ketosis-caused biotin deficiency, you need to have an adequate intake of about 30 mcg of biotin. Foods high in biotin are :
  • Beef liver
  • Cod liver oil
  • Eggs

You can also use dietary supplements to control hair fall. However, consult your nutritionist/doctor for the right dosage. Apart from addressing nutrient deficiency, ketosis-induced hair fall can be reduced by:

  • Frequently nourishing the scalp with oils and vitamins.
  • Being gentle while washing the hair.
  • Avoiding heat and harsh chemical treatments.
  • Following medical advice.
  • Using softened water to wash hair.
  • Treating hormonal imbalance issues .
  • Avoiding stress and tension.

In Summary

It may, however, take a few months to recover from ketosis-induced hair loss. Talk to your nutritionist or healthcare provider about treatment options. Stop stressing about hair fall and focus on nurturing your body and mind because that is all that matters.

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Male And Female Characteristic Changes

DHEA is known to cause virilism in women, characterized by facial hair growth, a deepening voice, baldness, weight gain in the abdomen and clitoral enlargement. In men, it can cause testicular wasting, breast enlargement and other “feminine” characteristic side effects. That’s because DHEA is a precursor to both female and male sex hormones, called estrogens and androgens, that are responsible for male and female characteristics. 7 Keto DHEA is supposed to have a lower conversion rate into these male and female hormones, thus being able to provide benefits without side effects like female virilism or male breast enlargement. However, no long-term studies of any form of DHEA supplement have been conducted, advises the Mayo Clinic, so the potential for side effects still exists.

Diet Changes Are Stressful

While the Atkins diet is similar in eliminating carbs, it does so in a much more gradual fashion. Keto has the change happen drastically. This can cause stress, as well as just being a big change for your body to get used to. Telogen Effluvium occurs when your body is stressed. Youll notice a big increase in shedding, whether its on the pillow when you wake up or in the shower. The bright side is that this type of hair loss is fortunately temporary.

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How To Live With Hair Loss While On A Keto Diet

As mentioned earlier, if you are on a keto diet and you are losing your hair, dont stop the diet! For all the reasons mentioned here, conquering obesity is part of the process to healing your body, your inflammation and your hair loss. If your hair loss has resulted in a visible scalp and you find that embarrassing, then a female hair fibre product is an instant, simple solution. Female hair fibres like Boost N Blend come in a range of female hair colours. You simply shake the fibres into the hair and they disguise visible scalp and provide an instant volume boost.

Since the stress caused by hair loss exacerbates hair loss, the daily application of a female hair fibre can stop that vicious cycle. More on the stress of hair loss and how to regrow hair here.

How To Tackle Hair Fall Due To Keto

Does A Ketogenic Diet Cause Hair Loss or Thinning Hair?

Hair fall can be controlled but you need to take care of it on time. “Eating a balanced diet is the best way to deal with hair fall due to keto. One should add nutrition-dense foods to diet,” Dr. Anuja added.

Low nutrient intake and stress are the major contributors to hair fall due to keto diet. You can practice methods to control stress. Along with stress management strategies add protein to your diet in moderation. If you are suffering from hair fall due to keto then you have to make changes in your diet. Consult your dietician to make the necessary changes.

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Stress And Keto Hair Loss

The last thing on this list could easily be the first. If youre dealing with hair issues on your keto diet, it may be best to reevaluate the advantages of lugging around that stress versus giving in to whatever keto-related thing is making you stress. For example, if youre so strict with a keto diet that you havent eaten high carbs in months, its probably a good idea to loosen up on yourself. This, in fact, could be your problem as carb loading has been known to help many people on a keto diet. And it will help lessen your stress.

If youre losing your hair, stressing out about it unfortunately makes things worse. What I think helps , is watching a bunch of Jason Statham movies, so you can see that pulling off the bald look is very doable. But chances are it is a temporary issue. Just wait it out and forget about it after taking care of any of these 9 possible causes for the fallout.

If this hair loss has come on 1 to 3 months after starting a ketogenic diet, then rest assured this is temporary. One thing you can do to ensure a speedy return to normalcy is the following 5 natural hair loss remedies. They can all be done concurrently.

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