My hair is ruined… low carb…

[LibbyL92]

I’ve been doing low carbing for a year.

Around May I noticed a massive difference in my hair. Beginning of last year it was glowing and in great condition.
It started looking lifeless and breaking. It’s now in such a bad state. I was trying to work our what’s changed and it was only last night my mate suggested it might be the low carb lifestyle..

I can’t believe it’s never clicked before.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so what can I do?? I don’t want to go back to old habits but my hair is really suffering…

Yes, it's (largely) avoiding highly processed foods - many of which are high carb, which is key.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Low carb gives you awful breath and does make your hair fall out. It just isn't right to cut it right out or healthy. I just make sure I eat wholegrain carbs never processed.

Bad breath from ketosis is only temporary. As is hair loss.

No-one says you should cut out carbs, and if you look at the OP's diet you can see that she hasn't cut out carbs, because she's getting them from the vegetables and salad that she's eating.

Need greater diversity of fruit and veg - a full range of colours

You might find that including whole grain carbs would not hurt

@BIWI

That's a good loss in a year, so nothing untoward there, and your BMI is probably just above normal weight. (I was a bit worried you might have disordered eating, but it doesn't look like you have!)

But I'd definitely say you need to up the fat and protein (and therefore calories) going forward. A very low calorie diet is fine for a short period, but not in the longer term.

You’ve been so helpful. Thank you so much!

I’m almost at a target weight. So very proud of my progress, just need to be a bit more mindful with what I’m actually eating, and be better at researching!

I've been low carbing for a long time (albeit with the occasional falling off the wagon ) and have lovely thick hair - my hairdresser says both my hair and scalp are in fabulous condition. I've even gone through the menopause and it's still lovely and thick The only "extra" treatments I give it is a few drops of tea tree essential oil in my shampoo (it's the only thing that seems to work for me to stop my flaky scalp). I don't even condition it (partly because I found that conditioner seems to exacerbate my flaky scalp )

I dropped from my heaviest of just under 15st 4.5 years ago to 11st 12lb +/- 10lb (depending on whether I've fallen off the wagon or have just completed a Boot Camp )

So I would think (as others have suggested) that you need to up your fat - and if that doesn't resolve it, you should see your GP.

This picture was taken just after I'd been to the hairdresser for a cut and colour (blond and copper highlights) last year, after having been on Boot Camp for 10 weeks and losing over a stone, so I was about 11st 2lb.

@LibbyL92

Thank you *@Rubyglitter* I will definitely take that on board.

I’m going to start writing things down moving forward and incorporate more of the suggest foods. Thank you

That’s good to know!

@prettybird

I've been low carbing for a long time (albeit with the occasional falling off the wagon ) and have lovely thick hair - my hairdresser says both my hair and scalp are in fabulous condition. I've even gone through the menopause and it's still lovely and thick The only "extra" treatments I give it is a few drops of tea tree essential oil in my shampoo (it's the only thing that seems to work for me to stop my flaky scalp). I don't even condition it (partly because I found that conditioner seems to exacerbate my flaky scalp )

I dropped from my heaviest of just under 15st 4.5 years ago to 11st 12lb +/- 10lb (depending on whether I've fallen off the wagon or have just completed a Boot Camp )

So I would think (as others have suggested) that you need to up your fat - and if that doesn't resolve it, you should see your GP.

This picture was taken just after I'd been to the hairdresser for a cut and colour (blond and copper highlights) last year, after having been on Boot Camp for 10 weeks and losing over a stone, so I was about 11st 2lb.

Stunning hair!!!

I’ll definitely up the fat. I’m really glad I posted here, fingers crossed it works for me!

@LibbyL92

I came across this video on my FB timeline today, which talks about the importance of potassium in our diets.

At 6m52sec he also talks about how a diet that is very high in protein may not have enough veg/salad, therefore the potassium intake will be too low, and hair loss can occur.

I wondered if this might apply to you, as your diet (as outlined originally) is a high protein one - although you are eating some veg, clearly!

Might be worth including an electrolyte supplement into your daily routine?

Sorry - the link didn't work! here it is

Thank you @BIWI

That’s very interesting, could be a reason why it’s happening to me.

I may try that cup of kale and berries.

I’ve tried adding more fat into my diet this week.

A good yesterday was

Smoked salmon
Fried eggs
Spinach cooked in butter
Iced coffee using full fat cream
Avacado

Dinner
Roast chicken
Asparagus
Greens
Green beans all cooked in butter

Snacks I had
Cheese
Olives

I also have re started putting electrolytes into my bottled water once a day. The water size is 1.5 litres (I do drink more than this)

Going to continue to try adding more fats and cut out the old habits.

Hope all that works for you

@BIWI is there a thread with any lists of high fat foods you could share?

There isn't a list, but - off the top of my head here are a few ideas:

• the obvious - butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lard - use these to cook with, liberally; if you're making a stir-fry, drizzle the finished dish with sesame oil. If you're making soup, serve it with a drizzle of olive oil

• avocado - either on its own (with an oily dressing) or as part of a salad

• butter on your veg when you're serving it up

• double cream in/on foods - make a cheese sauce with 300ml double cream and the same quantity of cheese; fry sliced mushrooms and add cream to make a sauce for beef/pork steaks

• cheese; on its own, or added to anything!

• fattier cuts of meat; shin of beef in a slow cooked casserole is beautiful. The meat just falls apart. Just avoid braising steak as it's usually too lean. In the supermarket look out for stewing steak as that's most likely to be shin. Just cook it long and slow - and don't trim anything off other than the outer skin.

• chicken thighs, with the skin on, rather than chicken breast without the skin. And ideally, roast a whole chicken, with plenty of oil on the bird, or butter under the skin

• roast pork, with the crackling. Belly pork is a fabulous cut of meat - again, cooked long and slow, but also in a hot oven at the end, so that you end up with lots of lovely crackling

I'm sure I'll think of something more tomorrow but hopefully this gives you a good idea!

@BIWI that is perfect! Thank you so much for that. I’ve screen shot it and will definitely be using this

@MaybeHeIsMyCat

This is meant to be v good, I keep meaning to order it

[[https://www.allbeauty.com/gb/en/128505-joico-k-pak-deep-penetrating-reconstructor-treatment-150ml?abref=GoogleShoppingCsGoogleUkSandgoogleUkB&utmsource=pla&utmmedium=cpc&ref=%7Badtype%7D&utmcampaign=%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29AllProducts-ME-Brand&utmadgroup=&gclid=CjwKCAiArOqOBhBmEiwAsgeLmZ-ojclP1jAItLgoDjJRaM6uck2qArT3KjIqL3JzgZ6AKk9eeJ8ORoCkaQQAvDBwE]]

Biotin makes me break out so I take the feel beauty probiotics supplement and it's definitely helping - my medication causes hair loss, and the pic attached is 7 months of growth

This link doesn't work for me, what is it please?

Ah ignore me, i've read in the link what it is

Don't forget most eg now a days is picked before its fully 'ripen' e.g. has enough vitamins etc in it so you have to eat more to even get the amount you need daily. Thats why I supplement with wellwomen multivitamin and fish oil. Plus I take spatone for iron every day.

I notice it on my hair when I dont take those supplements

Only time I can get away with not taking supplements is if I grow my own salad and spinach. Becuase I only pick when it's properly ready you notice how much darker green they are and I get everything from that. My nails in particular are always super strong when I eat what I've grown.

Some people don't realise low iron causing hair to thin out too.

Came on to say I have VERY thick hair. I have been dieting since Frb around 1200 cals a day and lost 12lb. Hair fine.

Switched to Fast 800 for 5 days, loggin on an app. So far

Used hair straighteners on dry hair. For first time EVER I burnt some hair off. It literally cracked under the straighteners.
I had a properly frizzy hair strand which I have not had for decades sinces I was an undernourished student
Lots of hair coming out in the brush

Fortunately I have so much hair I don't mind too much but I am going to make sure I take spatone and I think I may look at a hair supplement multivitamin. I have been taking some separate vitamins but good to combine I think. Also increase fats, follow recipes from Fast 800 next week.

This happened to me when I first started low carbing. I lost loads of weight but my hair started falling out at an alarming rate. I saw a nutritionist and the first thing she got me to do was to give up 16:8 as fasting just doesn’t suit some people’s bodies and it is too stressful and she mentioned something about it causing adrenal stress. The second was to eat at least 10 different types of vegetables in a day making sure I was ‘eating a rainbow’ and also to have one meal a day with a higher carb component that I had previously been having. I did also self medicate with iron supplements but my last blood test showed my iron levels were too high so I think I was getting enough from food as I do eat a lot of iron rich foods.

The other thing that helped to prevent further hit loss was Aveda Invati products. Giving up 16:8 definitely slowed down my weight loss, but it’s a year later now and my hair is almost back to how it was before. It’s a shame that intermittent fasting and very low carb diets can affect some people’s hair but I guess all our bodies are so different what works for one person is not great for another.