Registered dietitian, women’s health expert, and someone who’s seen both sides of the healthcare system.
“Hair loss” from the scalp is a generalized term that affects about 50% of women. Hair loss is reported to be devastating for many, and it is not just about appearance or vanity. It is important to share that loss of hair on the scalp is usually a “check engine light is on” sign, meaning something internal like a health or nutrition related problem exists.
One reason why this topic deserves more awareness is that the average female waits more than 4 YEARS to pursue medical help for hair loss and unsuccessfully tries to self remedy in the meantime, according the International Journal of Trichology (1). Could this be that many don’t know or realize that hair loss could signify a deeper problem?
How do we define “hair loss?”
Typical, daily hair loss is actually a normal shedding process of 50 to 100 strands each day according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Repeat: some hair shedding each day is perfectly normal; but when more then 100 stands each day are consistently lost from the scalp, this is problem territory and often Telogen Effluvium is the diagnosed culprit when a doctor is accessed. Telogen Effluvium is more of a temporary excess shedding situation triggered by something and occurs when the hair is in its telogen phase. There are other types of “hair loss,” such as various types of alopecia. The context of this article is speaking towards Telogen Effluvium.
Why does excess hair shedding occur in the first place?
Any or all of the following from this [non-exhaustive] list can be a contributing factor:
These are all potential culprits to consider when exploring the root cause for why excess hair shedding may be occuring. I must do my due diligence and say see a Physician for a work up, diagnosis and treatment especially if/when there could be a medical explanation.
In the same breath, as a Registered Dietitian (RD), I believe and research shows that exploring nutrition (and lack thereof) is another crucial avenue to consider in the pursuit of identifying and remedying excess hair shedding. Nutrition (and lack thereof) very much impacts the hair growth cycle.
Accessing the expertise of a Registered Dietitian in a consultation can help as RDs narrow in on what is lacking from the diet and also what could be in excess in the diet. Then based on findings, an individualized nutrition plan can be made to help support the hair growth cycle.
Telogen Effluvium most commonly affects women with poor diet quality and women in the postpartum period.
According to medical literature and almost 12 years of professional experience, these are common areas to highlight when it comes to nutrition to support the hair growth cycle (and aim to prevent telogen effluvium from a nutrition perspective),
This is the tip of the iceberg on this topic, but it’s high level overview purpose is to illustrate that nutrition positively influences that hair on the scalp, and lack of nutrition negatively influences it.
Consulting with a skilled and experienced registered dietitian can help narrow in on the problem, and then a tailored intervention can be designed. When my patients verbalize concerns about hair loss in consultation, I will review supplement history, labwork, and regular food intake history to ascertain whether the eating pattern and nutrient intake is adequate relative to the patient’s needs. I also recommend and often order labwork to get more objective data, which can determine the need for and dosing of supplementation with the end goal of optimizing nutrition.
**On a personal note, one of the reasons I am so passionate about this topic, is I struggled with my own hair shedding years ago. Discovering I had low ferritin and low vitamin D levels prompted me to research the crap out of this topic as it was personal. I do very much have a passion for hair health and its relationship to nutritional status because its personal. By addressing my own nutrient deficiencies (especially after blood loss from childbirth), working on stress management (which can help increase progesterone), improving scalp health by changing my hair care products to my new favorite brand – all this helped me to feel confident about my hair again.
The picture above shows my “before and after.” I had nutrition issues and my hair care products were definitely not helping. Made some changes and my hair and scalp health drastically improved! And as I said earlier, it is and was not just about hair appearance, but also about addressing and “fixing” medical and/or nutrition related conditions.
For best outcomes, women with perceived hair loss, shedding or thinning should be assessed by a medical professional and a skilled registered dietitian to help pinpoint problems. Then, an individualized plan can be made and followed to achieve improved health and improved hair density outcomes. Don’t tackle this alone.
Other lifestyle and environment related things that help support normal hair growth:
Remember, hair shedding is often a reflection of something deeper going on. We need to give the body what it needs and take out what it doesn’t to support normal physiology.
REFERENCES:
1) Siah TW, Muir-Green L, Shapiro J. Female pattern hair loss: a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center. Int J Trichology. 2016;8(2):57-61)
2) Rushton DH. Nutritional factors and hair loss. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2002;27(5):396-404.
3)8. Rasheed H, Mahgoub D, Hegazy R, et al. Serum ferritin and vitamin D in female hair loss: do they play a role? Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2013;26(2):101-107.
4)11. Alonso L, Fuchs E. The hair cycle. J Cell Sci. 2006;119(Pt 3):391-393.
5) 9. Le Floc’h C, Cheniti A, Connétable S, Piccardi N, Vincenzi C, Tosti A. Effect of a nutritional supplement on hair loss in women. J Cosmet Dermatol.
6) 24. Kantor J, Kessler LJ, Brooks DG, Cotsarelis G. Decreased serum ferritin is associated with alopecia in women. J Invest Dermatol. 2003;121(5):985-988.
7) Guo EL, Katta R. Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2017;7(1):1-10.
8)28. Kil MS, Kim CW, Kim SS. Analysis of serum zinc and copper concentrations in hair loss. Ann Dermatol. 2013;25(4):405-409.
9) Jugdaohsingh R, Anderson SH, Tucker KL, et al. Dietary silicon intake and absorption. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;75(5):887-893.
Latest blog posts, juicy new podcast episodes, weekly deals, and fresh recipe ideas straight to your inbox.
Follow me on Instagram for daily tips and tricks for overall health and wellness advice.