Does Poor Nutrition Lead to Hair Loss? An Expert's Perspective

Nutrition plays a vital role in the health of our hair. Poor nutrition can lead to hair loss, as well as other hair-related issues. Nutritional deficiencies can affect both the structure and growth of our hair, leading to conditions such as acute telogen effluvium (TE) and diffuse alopecia. Drastically reducing calorie intake can also lead to a lack of essential nutrients, such as protein, fatty acids, and zinc, which can cause telogen effluvium.

Fortunately, this condition is generally reversible with healthier eating habits.Eating large amounts of unhealthy foods or insufficient amounts of nutritious foods can worsen hair loss. When the body does not get the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs from the diet, this can cause hair loss. For example, too little protein in the diet can damage healthy hair and inhibit the body's ability to build new hair follicles. This can lead to noticeable hair loss after two or three months of a protein-deficient diet.Very strict weight-loss diets can also cause noticeable hair loss, usually occurring three months after losing 15 pounds or more of body weight.

Protein is essential for the growth of thick, luxurious hair. If you are eliminating most of the protein from your diet (other than plant proteins), your hair could start to fall out. Along with that, your nails can become brittle and your muscles can wear out.If you have baldness and still want to follow a plant-based diet, you should consider adding protein shakes, eggs, and nuts to your daily eating habits. Scalp ringworm, called ringworm, can cause the scalp to become scaly and hair to fall out in patches.

Research suggests that certain foods and nutrients can improve hair health rather than cause direct hair loss.Vitamin A is essential for hair follicle function. Excessive amounts of this nutrient in the body can cause hair loss. Illumiflow is designed to effectively treat hair loss in both men and women with various levels of hair loss rating. Hair disorders such as androgenetic alopecia (hereditary thinning or baldness) are the most common cause of hair loss.If a prescription medication is causing hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative medication.

Smoking has also been linked to the autoimmune condition alopecia areata, which causes hair loss. Certain high-temperature styling appliances can damage your hair and break it, which can look like baldness.If you lose weight very quickly after an intensive diet or bariatric surgery, you may experience hair loss. Research has found that total abstinence from alcohol and increased exercise duration were also associated with hair loss. Stressful events may also lead to excessive hair loss a couple of months later.If you underwent major surgery and experienced excessive hair loss about three months later, anesthesia combined with the surgery itself may be to blame for the hair loss.

Poor nutrition is a major factor in causing hair loss; however, there are other causes that should be considered as well.