losing hair!

Hello I recently turned vegetarian and i was wondering if there was a connection and if there is some way to not let my hair fall out so much. It turned half the volume than it was before if you put it in a ponytail.

[knightofalbion]

Anyone adopting any sort of new diet needs to ensure that it is all-inconclusive.
It sounds to me like your diet is not supplying all your dietary requirements and needs looking at.

Various deficiencies e.g. zinc, iron, iodine, essential fatty acids, amino acids ... can be a factor in hair loss.

Looking at the general deficiency symptoms for these nutrients will highlight which particular one, or ones, you are deficient in.

Once identified, an adjustment to your diet or supplementation should put things right.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

Anyone adopting any sort of new diet needs to ensure that it is all-inconclusive.
It sounds to me like your diet is not supplying all your dietary requirements and needs looking at.

Various deficiencies e.g. zinc, iron, iodine, essential fatty acids, amino acids ... can be a factor in hair loss.

Looking at the general deficiency symptoms for these nutrients will highlight which particular one, or ones, you are deficient in.

Once identified, an adjustment to your diet or supplementation should put things right.

I second this, and of course, talk to your doctor.

Vitamins worked for me ( talk to your doc or research, not all vitamins work for the same folks). I eliminated a lot of foods in my diet, halfway vegetarian here, Lol and I noticed my hair more dulled and lifeless so I started taking certain vitamins and using more quality shampoos.

I highly recommend not using cheaper shampoos.Google informtion on it ( one particular brand that is super commercial and starts with a P), people are known to lose hair by the gobs. I can imagine if your hair is at a weaker state that it could make things worst. I starting losing tons of hair and I switched to a higher end salon shampoo ( about 15-20 bucks a bottle). It's worth it and reduces the high volume of residue and chemicals that weighs hair down.

Good luck.

[Heaven]

Stress can cause hair loss.

[Tobi]

Another factor in hair loss can be hormonal changes.
And lack of sleep.

thank you for all of your replies
I think ill take some vitamins and see how it will work out.

If you went veg very recently, then it's quite likely that the process of hair loss started before you changed your diet. Notice I said process, not the actual hair loss. It takes weeks, months or even years for nutritional deficiencies to show up outwardly.

Take 4 high-quality multivitamins (2 twice daily) and see if that helps. If it doesn't, it's likely a problem with iron, and iron deficiency requires a much higher dose of iron while your body gets back to normal. Iron chelate is usually tolerated well (as opposed to other types of iron supplements). If you even suspect it's iron, see your physician for the right dose of iron.

(Iron deficiency, btw, is not associated with vegetarianism or veganism. I've been iron deficient my whole life, most of which I spent eating other animals. I've been veg for 24 years, and thankfully not one of my doctors has ever been so ignorant or backward to suggest it's b/c I'm a veghead. I lost over half my hair at one point, so I know what you're going through. It does come back!)

[BlueSky]

I wandered by this thread and am currently studying Traditional Chinese Medicine so I thought i'd look up what it says about hair thinning or loss.
Here it is if it's of any interest to you:

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner believes that hair growth is closely related to the health of the blood, both amount and circulation. People often lose hair due to physical or pathogenic conditions where they lose much blood, such as long-term illness, big operations and chemotherapy



Some believe Traditional Chinese Medicine is effective when treating hair loss and the underlying conditions which cause hair loss. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for hair loss is focused on creating balance and harmony in the body by strengthening the blood, balancing hormones, restoring Qi and directing blood to the scalp. In other words, if you want to have healthy hair, you should care about the quality of your blood and its circulation.

Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge suggests the liver stores blood and circulates blood to the sides and top of the head. If the liver is stressed or under pressure it will dysfunction and decrease blood flow to the head, causing hair thinning and greyness in these regions.

Kidneys dominate the growth and development of the body, including hair. If someone has a strong kidney essence, hair is shiny, thick, strong and healthy and they will have fewer grey hairs when they are old. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners recommend dietary plan that is rich in essential fatty acids, proteins, and minerals. Supplements may be recommended. Herbal therapy may also be used, for example, Quine Fruit, Ginseng, Foti Root, He Shou Wu, Rehmannia Root, Dong Quai root, Gotu Kola, and Gastrodia Rhizome.b