Day 7 (kind of) - what is happening to my hair??

[lbeck021]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am having a problem and I need help! I will try to summarize what's been happening since I started this whole health journey : 

First things first, I am 25 years old, 5'9, and I weigh about 150 lbs. 

 

I started my first whole 30 on Jan 27th. I made it about 3/4 of the way through, had to restart, realized I was addicted to sugar, was doing well and then lost track when I went to Paris. When I got back I wanted to get back to where I was but I went too extreme and struggled with binge eating as a result. I  am now back on track (I would like to think ). When I went too extreme (decided I wanted to lose weight), I was trying to reach ketosis. My hair started to break off in the front like crazy. My sister calls the hair my 'rhino hairs' cause they just stick up in the front.  My skin was also extremely oily (....probably from all that extra fat....). I was drinking bullet proof coffee every day in the morning with breakfast and only had fruit in the evening if at all. Tried to have as much fat and protein as possible with some veggies thrown in there (as few carbs as possible, i wasn't counting but the goal was to have as little as possible). I didn't feel good, my skin and hair annoyed the heck out of me, and I eventually cracked and had 2 hard core binge days. I decided that if I kept doing that i would probably develop a serious eating disorder (the binges were bad.) so I was going to go back to whole 30, JUST whole 30, and exercise too.

 

So, today is day 7 of doing whole 30, normal amounts of veggies, fruits, nuts, protein and good fats; I have been using the 'couch to 5k' app to exercise and I feel really great. My hair has gotten better, my skin too, I am slimming down (no more bloating!) and its easier to wake up/fall asleep. More balanced, not trying to be crazy restrictive with the fruits and vegetables, getting creative with food and spending a good amount of time outside, exercising and in the sun. I feel like I have found the right balance for my whole 30/45/??? (who knows how long it will take to ditch my sugar problems). 

 

Now for the problem. I am losing my hair. Especially at the temples. The hair is much, MUCH thinner at my temples than it was a week and a half ago when I was deep in the 'trying to reach ketosis mode' and it is starting to break further back too. The texture of my hair hasn't changed and there is no noticeable different at anywhere else, but I look like someone who is starting to go bald. What the heck? I have never, ever had this problem before in my life and the only thing that I have been experimenting with is the food I eat. Anyone have any idea what is going on? I don't understand how only putting good things in my body could possibly cause my body to produce something 'bad' ! Help/explanations/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 

 

Thanks.

[LadyM]

So glad you've returned to Whole30, though I'm very concerned about your disordered eating behavior. Are you fully embracing the program and including good starchy veg a couple times a day in addition to greens, fruit, protein, and fat?

 

My guess is that the hair loss hasn't happened in response to the last seven days of Whole30 eating, but has roots deeper than that. 

 

There's a thread in the ladies only section devoted to hair loss. It's a complex problem and is related to hormones, first and foremost thyroid. But all the hormones work together and when one is off, the others scramble to compensate and everything can get out of whack. My thinning hair sent me to a functional medicine doc when my GP offered no help and through supplementation and a Whole 9 lifestyle, my hair is back to normal.

 

Also, I just want to note that given your height, you're already in a healthy weight range. I hope you can let go of the mania stirred up by desire for weight loss and get and remain on a healthy path.

[missmary]

yeah, what's happening to your hair is usually a result of something from one to two weeks earlier. It just takes that long to come to the surface so to speak.

 

Do you have anyone you can talk to (in person) about these food issues? A counselor or a doctor you trust? Whole30 is a fantastic program but sometimes issues are deeper and need more specific assistance. Go get it if you need it.

[MeadowLily]

Hair loss.  When you see hair swirling down the drain the size of   SOS pads, it's time to add some  real food carbs back into your program.   Wild caught salmon, eggs and real food carbs help prevent hair loss. .Keratin, protein that protects cells from damage or stress.