Hair Loss Due to Malnutrition: What You Can Do to Address It

The way we eat affects everything in our bodies, including our hair. A good diet is one of the many factors that contribute to healthy hair. And when people experience hair loss due to a poor diet, it causes them to feel self-conscious about their looks.

Certain nutrients are essential for hair growth, and excesses can have a negative effect, causing hair loss and even baldness. See how diet affects hair loss and what you can do to address this underlying issue.

How Diet Affects Your Hair

We naturally shed 25 to 100 hair strands daily. When we lose more than these numbers, it becomes a concern. Aside from genetics, diet can severely affect hair health. In fact, it’s one of the top causes of male hair loss.

Here’s how certain dietary habits can harm your hair:

Micronutrient Deficiency

Micronutrient deficiencies can lead to serious health issues, including losing your hair. Low amounts of iron and zinc are some of the nutrient deficiencies that cause hair loss.

Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency that can cause hair loss. This issue is linked to telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss caused by an imbalance in the hair growth cycle. Low iron levels impede hair growth by redistributing the body’s iron supply away from the hair follicle.

On the other hand, zinc is essential for healthy hair follicles and prevents their size from decreasing and their growth rate from slowing. Insufficient zinc in the body has been linked to hair loss. Research has shown that people with certain hair loss conditions have lower zinc levels than those without hair loss.

Weight Loss

Another common cause of hair loss is weight loss. Drastic weight changes, such as those due to malnutrition, can also affect hair growth. Not getting enough to eat can negatively affect other body parts, including the hair.

Weight loss due to surgeries and extreme diet routines can also result in major hair loss problems. For instance, gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries involve modifying your gastrointestinal tract to facilitate weight loss. Bariatric surgery is done when diet and exercise fail, or weight-related health issues are severe. The surgery’s stress and the following nutrient deficiency cause people to experience hair loss.

Excess Supplement Intake

Taking dietary supplements can help maintain healthy hair growth. However, specific vitamins have reverse effects. High doses of some nutritional supplements can damage your hair, even if you do not have a deficiency. Among these vitamins or supplements is vitamin A.

Retinol, or vitamin A, contributes to good eye health and clear vision. However, too much vitamin A runs the risk of leading this dietary habit to cause hair loss. When there’s an excess of vitamin A, the liver can’t process it. This results in elevated levels of the substance in the blood. And since vitamin A is required for healthy hair follicle function, having too much of it in the body results in hair loss.

Mercury-Rich Diet

Hair loss has been linked to high levels of mercury. Fish is one of the most common ways people get their mercury intake. Certain fish have higher than average levels of mercury and should be avoided. Sushi, mackerel, swordfish, and some types of tuna fall into this category.

High-Glycemic Food Consumption

Foods with a high glycemic index, including pasta, bread, potatoes, and cheeseburgers, are rapidly converted to sugar. Therefore, these foods are highly detrimental to hair health and growth. An increase in sugar intake will cause an increase in insulin and androgens in the body, harming hair health.

How to Address Hair Loss Due to Poor Diet

Fortunately, you can fix hair loss due to malnutrition without breaking the bank. All you need are changes to your eating habits and help from experts to speed up the recovery process. When you do them, you’ll get your crowning glory back in no time!

Reduce Processed Sugar From Your Diet

Processed sugar damages hair, among other things. Sugar intake raises blood glucose, requiring more insulin. In turn, this causes an increase in androgens, also known as male sex hormones, which can cause hair follicles to reduce in size, ultimately leading to baldness. To prevent hair loss, try reducing your processed sugar intake. Avoid overeating foods like candy, ice cream, and sweetened beverages.

Eat Less Refined Carbohydrates

As delicious as they may be, refined carbohydrates have been linked to hair loss. Refined carbohydrates, such as those found in bread, cake, pasta, pizza, and other similar foods, interfere with the body’s natural stress response. Furthermore, when consumed, these turn into sugar. So, avoiding these foods is a good idea if you are experiencing hair loss due to stress or diet.

Lessen Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol, the staple of every social gathering, can wreak havoc on your hair. Alcohol, in the most basic sense, causes hair to lose moisture. When hair is dehydrated, it becomes brittle and more easily broken. Alcohol also adversely affects your body’s zinc levels, a vitamin crucial for hair growth and thickness. Consider reducing your alcohol intake to maintain your hair’s moisture and prevent further hair loss.

Consider Hair Treatments

Complement alterations to your diet with hair treatments to hasten your recovery and restore your hair’s shine right away. You can stop hair loss progression and achieve healthier hair growth with hair therapy, such as DHT blocker treatments. Popular among those dealing with genetic hair loss, this hair treatment prevents DHT from reducing hair follicle size and halting further hair thinning. Unlike surgical procedures, DHT treatments for hair loss can be performed immediately, with no downtime or recovery required.

Fight Hair Loss Due to Poor Diet and Rejuvenate Your Crowning Glory

Hair loss affects every aspect of our lives. It can drastically change your confidence and self-esteem without treatment or specific lifestyle changes. So, ponder more about how diet affects hair loss and consider these tips to ensure a full recovery. Keep in mind that a healthier diet can improve not only your hair but also your entire body. Moreover, we suggest consulting a doctor if your hair loss worsens despite dietary changes.

Got any more questions about hair loss? Feel free to contact us today, and we’ll gladly answer your inquiries.