Experiencing hair loss during weight loss is quite common. When you subject yourself to the rigorous weight loss regime, it is sure to affect your hairs sooner or later. In most of the people the hair loss becomes substantial within one month of starting of the weight loss regime; but it can also appear any time between 2 months to 5 months after starting the vigorous weight loss program. However, if the hair loss is triggered only due to weight loss, normally, the hairs again start to grow back within a year after the body has reached a stable condition. Losing weight is surely great, but losing hair is one of the most dreaded things for all. So, if you are really worried about losing hair because you are about to get into a weight loss regime to stay in shape, here is the ways that can prevent hair loss during weight loss.
Before getting into the ways of preventing hair loss during weight loss, it is important to understand why weight loss triggers hair loss. Dieting makes one of the most vital parts of weight loss, which shows quick and effective results; but as you get into a diet program in most of the cases, your body starts to miss the essential micronutrients like biotin, pantothenate and essential fatty acids and a deficiency of these nutrients trigger hair loss.
To put it in simple words, hairs are one of the least important parts of the body and as you start to restrict your diet, your body starts to get in a pre-starvation condition and as a precaution it stops the supply of nutrients to the hairs. Lack of nutrients naturally causes hair fall. The other reason of hair loss during weight loss can be the increased amount of stress on the body caused by weight loss. This increased stress can cause hormonal changes in the body, which can lead to hair fall. So, in order to prevent hair loss during weight loss what you have to do is to ensure that your hairs are not starved of nutrition. The hair loss caused due to hormonal changes in the body can also be controlled by ensuring that your body is not highly stressed. Let us see how you can do that.
Do not opt for a crash diet
Well, this is surely the first way to prevent hair loss during weight loss. You can lose weight even without subjecting your body to crash dieting. Including sufficient amount of foods that are rich in nutrients but low in fat and carbohydrate content can be of actual help. Instead of taking one big meal, start taking small meals for a number of times along with proper exercise and rest. This will help your body to not to get into the pre-starvation condition, when it stops sending nutrients to the hairs causing hair fall.
Include high dosage of vitamins and minerals in your diet
Go natural
This is one of the most effective ways to control hair fall during weight loss. Including all the essential vitamins and minerals in your diet will not add an ounce of weight to your body, but will help you to stay nourished. If there is an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals in the body, it is most expected that you will not experience the heavy hair loss.
The best natural source of vitamins and minerals are the vegetables and fruits. Every green vegetable is low in calorie and they come loaded with nutrients. Include foods that are rich in anti-oxidant, in your diet. Vegetables like kale, spinach, beet-roots, carrots and tomatoes can provide you a high amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Fruits like pomegranate, guava, berries, and papaya can be the best friend for you to ensure that your body is not suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiency due to a controlled diet. Include all the foods that are rich in Biotin, zinc and pantothenate in your regular eating habits.
Opt for food supplements
In case you are not able to maintain a diet that is most recommended for controlling hair fall and mentioned above while dieting, you can opt for medicinal supplements. Start taking a multivitamin tablet along with supplements of minerals like iron and zinc.However, before you start with any food supplement discuss with your doctor to know about any side effects.
Include proteins in your diet
Cutting down severely on your daily protein intake can harm not only your hairs but also your body as a whole. So, while you are on a dieting plan, include lean proteins in your diet in moderate amount instead of cutting them out totally. Chicken, fish, egg whites, soya beans, paneer, sprouts, tofu, curd can be the best source of protein without added fat and these foods can be actually helpful to supply the required amount of protein to your body without adding to your weight. The Omega-3-fatty acids present in fishes like salmon, tuna and seeds like flax seeds can also be very helpful to control hair loss.
Consume Vitamin C rich foods
Vitamin C helps to prevent hair loss. This is a synthesis of collagen that can turn and support hair follicles and helps to keep your blood vessels in the scalp healthy. Vitamin C can increase iron absorption from foods. The Vitamins such as C and E are best and helps to reduce hair loss due to its ability. This helps to boost circulation to the scalp. Vitamin C and E protects each other, which is more effective when consumed together.
Eat plenty of Vitamin A food
The Vitamin A rich foods prevent hair loss. Include vitamin A that helps to promote the growth of healthy cells and tissues. Vitamin A in hair loss helps in thinning hair. Beta carotene is found in yellow or orange and green vegetables such as spinach, carrots, squash, apricots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mango, melon, which helps to promote healthy hair due its anti-oxidant properties as a role of precursor to Vitamin A.
Eat food that is high in Vitamin B
Vitamin B food is good to get healthy looking and strong hair. This gives a complex essence, that work together with co-exists in the same foods. Pantothenic acid and biotin can slow down hair loss and improves absorption of zinc. The pyridoxine with folate and riboflavin helps to form hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is needed for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the other tissues in the body, including hair. The undisrupted supply of oxygen is necessary for healthy hair.
Eat enough foods that contains copper and zinc
The human body requires a small amount of copper. This improves proper functioning of the body, which includes healthy hair growth. Copper prevents hair loss and contributes hair thickness. Copper has an intensifies hair color and helps in preventing premature graying of hair. The trace of mineral that is more important for hair health is zinc, which is an important role in production of new cells. Zinc and copper consumption can balance too much zinc interferes with copper absorption. This is rich in amounts of copper that has toxic. The black sesame seeds are used as a home remedy for hair loss, which are an excellent source for both copper and zinc.
Apart from implementing the above, also ensure that you are drinking sufficient amount of water regularly, because water is important not only for your body but also for your hairs. In addition to that, also start a hair care regime right at the time of starting your weight loss program. Your hair care regime should be planned according to your hair and scalp condition to ensure maximum results. Also keep in mind that you need to opt for those treatments that directly aims the hair roots and nourishes them. In case you have any scalp condition like dandruff or scalp itching treat them even before you start with the weight loss program, and during the program continue taking preventive measures for those conditions so that they do not come back again.
Here are some hair care treatments that can ensure the best nourishment of the hair follicles and when followed religiously along with the above diet plans can be very effective to prevent hair loss during weight loss.
Egg white with a banana: This is a very nourishing hair pack that can give your hairs a boost of the required nutrition that it might be missing due to the weight loss program. Egg white is rich in protein and other nutrients whereas the banana can be excellent to give your hair maximum nourishment.
Mix the white of an egg with an overripe smashed banana and apply this pack onto your scalp and hairs. Leave on for 45 mins-1 hour covering your hairs with a shower cap and then wash off with a mild cleanser.
Amla with Shikakai: Amla is rich in Vitamin C and Shikakai has natural moisturizing properties. Prepare a hair pack by boiling both the ingredients in water and then smashing them together in a mixer. Apply the pack onto your scalp and hairs. Let it set for 45 mins-1hour without letting it get dry. Wash off with plenty of water and a mild hair cleanser, if required.
Honey, almond oil and curd: Mix 2 spoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of curd and 1 spoon of almond oil. Apply this pack onto your scalp and hairs; massaging the scalp lightly with your fingertips. Let it set for 1 hour; wash off with a hair cleanser.
Fenugreek seeds with neem leaves: Fenugreek seeds can rejuvenate the hair roots due to its specific enzyme content. Mixing it with neem leaves you ensure that your scalp is free from any infection. Soak a handful of fenugreek seeds in water overnight. In the morning, grind them along with 15 neem leaves. Apply this smooth paste onto your scalp and hairs, massaging lightly, leave on for 1 hour and wash off with a mild cleanser.
Hot oil treatment: Hot oil treatment is another way to nourish your hairs that can be very effective to control hair loss due to weight loss. Heat a steel container and mix almond oil, olive oil and coconut oil in it in equal amounts. Massage this oil mixture onto your scalp and hairs before going to the bed. Wash off with a cleanser in the morning.
So, now you know what you should do to prevent hair loss during weight loss. Here are some don’ts to prevent the same,
Do not brush your wet hairs roughly which can damage the already weak hair roots causing more hair fall.
Stay away from frequent blow drying, which can make your hairs even drier, intensifying hair fall.
Do not opt for chemical based hair treatments, like hair coloring, perming, straightening, while you are on a weight loss plan.
During this time do not put on a hairstyle that can put extra stress on the hair roots.