If not done properly, dieting can be harmful to the body. Food contains vitamins and minerals that are vital for the body to function properly and stay healthy. One negative effect that may occur while dieting is hair loss. The American Hair Loss Council notes that people on average lose 100 to 125 hairs per day from their scalp; this is considered normal hair loss. Consult with your doctor before starting a new diet plan. You want to make sure that your body will still be getting properly nourished through food and/or supplementation while dieting.
Hair Growth Cycle
There are three phases in which hair is grown and shed. Anagen is the growth stage; this stage lasts the longest. Catagen is the second stage in which the hair is now preparing to be shed from the body. The final stage is telogen; the hair is shed in this stage, and as quickly as the hair falls out, a new hair is grown in the same hair follicle and the cycle begins again.
Telogen Effluvium
According to The American Hair Loss Council, telogen effluvium is a condition in which an increased amount of hair follicles enter the telogen stage prematurely. The hair will shed earlier than was intended, and the regrowth does not occur immediately like it should. Often months will go by until the hair follicles become active again and the new hair begins to grow in place of the shed hair.
Causes
Telogen effluvium may occur to those who have had a great deal of emotional and physical stress on the body. According to MayoClinic.com, excessive sudden weight loss, extreme dieting or nutritional deficiencies may cause this condition. MayoClinic.com also notes that once the stress on the body has been resolved, hair growth may return to normal.
Dieting
Poor nutrition from fad diets and crash diets can also cause severe hair loss. According to Procter & Gamble, those who go on a strict crash diets in which they are basically starving themselves, will start to lose hair six to 10 weeks later. Serious anemia from lack of protein and iron in the diet also affects hair growth, and inadequate amounts of these minerals in the diet will result in hair loss.
Considerations
Diet programs often consist of taking dietary supplements and vitamins. This is an important part of dieting, but you must also consider the effect of rapid weight loss on the body. A healthy amount of weight to lose on average is 1 to 2 lbs. per week; this will help your body adjust accordingly to the new dietary change. The American Hair Loss Council advises caution because some dietary supplements contain a high amount of vitamin A, which is known in large doses to cause hair loss.
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