Weight loss related hair loss. Hair and me?

[puffinchuffin]

Has anyone used the hair and me subscription for the oral minoxidil for hair loss? Has it helped?

I have been using mounjaro, i have lost 45kg, now maintaining on a low dose and have been for 2 months. Weight loss was over 12 months. Ive lost over half my hair, started at month 4 or 5 and its not improving. I know the hair loss is the result of the weightloss, and is likely to grow back, however im trying to encourage it. I have taken biotin, collegen and zinc supplements the entire time. Are there any other supplements anyone could recommend?

Thanks

Iron supplements and folic acid OP.

I honestly wouldn’t waste your money tbh. I’d focus on a nutrient dense diet and ride it out. Check your bloods and make sure your iron is ok too

I know it’s bloody depressing though. And I’m almost convinced that it’s an actual side effect of the MJ in a lot of people and not ‘just’ weight loss

Ive recently had full bloods and my ferritin was a little low, hb and electrolyes etc all within ranges. My ferritin wasnt so low they prescribed anything, but i can add that too my supplements. Thanks

OP not weight loss related but diagnosed with breast cancer last year and on hormone suppressants. Hair loss was getting me down and on advice from my hairdresser, who is also a trichologist, l started vitamin D and folic acid supplements. Improvement has been slow in coming, but it’s definitely getting better. She also recommended washing hair with head and shoulders as it contains zinc and other follicle strengthening ingredients - but no conditioner as it can block pores. Hair washing regime is no more than twice a week and no less than once every ten days. Hope that helps.

Also, are you eating enough protein OP?

But it’s a long known Side effect of large and rapid weight loss so why would you come up with some theory when none is needed?

@yakkity Lol. I haven’t ‘come up with it.’

studies currently ongoing regarding whether hair loss could be a side effect of the actual GLP 1 medications in some people. Of course hair loss is connected to large or rapid weight loss regardless of how you’ve lost the weight but maybe have a google and educate yourself on ongoing studies?

I lost a lot of weight last year through diet and exercise and also experienced hair loss. I didn't really plan to lose as much as I did, it was a very difficult time in my life and it just kept on coming off. When I realised my hair had thinned a lot I made a big effort to focus on making sure I have enough protein every day and started taking a vegan supplement. It has improved. I now take menopace and still track my protein every day. I used the Nutricheck app to lose weight but now use it to maintain and log my protein.

Thanks for the replies. My protein intake is probably a little low, i do try to make sure i get enough but it probably should be higher. Ill try an up it. Extra protein foods are all horrible though, or sweet and i dont have anything sweet anymore. The MJ killed the sugar addiction fully

Get some protein powder OP. Add it into your yoghurt daily. 20g protein just from doing that.

What was your ferritin OP? I think it should be around 100 for hair growth. I started shedding hair after I had what I thought was a mild bout of Covid and my ferritin was around 35. My GP didn’t prescribe me iron tablets so I bought ferrous fumarate and took once daily for about 6 months and did notice new hair growth (it may have come back naturally without iron tablets but I felt much better on them anyway). I wouldn’t want to take oral minoxidil due to the side effects but I use topical minoxidil and think it works well for me so would recommend that. I use the 5% men’s version.
I also try and have around 100g of protein daily and have sugar free protein shakes each day (25g protein) while I work out.

Ive tried so many and they are all horrible, can you recommend one that doesnt have the, i dont even know how to describe it, but the protein taste? I also cant have any artificial sweeteners, plus some other sweeteners that claim not to be artificial but i still react to them, so it limits the options of what i can have massively.

I do try to include food naturally high in protein, and eat the protein element of meals first, and make sure i have less carb more protein in my portions.

I’ve been taking Hair & Me’s oral minoxidil for nearly 3 months now. I’ve had zero side effects and I think I’m just starting to see the signs of an improvement but I know they say it takes 6+ months really so just being patient and waiting to see.

A few years ago I discovered that my ferritin was low (18) as part of some other blood tests so I started taking Ferrograd C every few days and my ferritin levels have improved and so has my hair growth. Ferritin needs to be 70 or above for hair growth.

It was in the low 50s . I do actually have an iron + vit c b12 and folic acid supplement already that i forgot i had from nutrition geeks when i bought a “kit” so ill start taking that too.

It’s being researched now as a side effect of the drug.

I take hair and me and I’ve got a lot of baby hairs now where the hair loss occurred. I’m really happy.

@puffinchuffinI don’t think the iron in supplements will be strong enough. I would def recommend ferrous fumarate instead.

Are you eating enough calories OP? A relative of mine found her hair didn’t grow back til she was eating more calories as it not just protein that matters. She was on mounjaro and only eating 800 - 1000 calories most days. She had to increase her calories to about 1400 and then after a few months her hair came back.

Try listening to this episode of Toast on BBC Sounds. It is full of excellent information about different causes of hair loss and the efficacy of different treatments. I hope you find it useful.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025l23?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

thanks i shall have a look and get some instead of these

I dont really track accurately as i find it overwhelming and it takes over my life, so since the MJ i keep an eye on them, but not fully. Id guess im on around 1300-1400 to maintain now. Im am quite short, and in the past to lose weight i have had to go under 1000 a day which is why i went to the MJ. When i do my TDEE on my current weight it says 1398 to maintain at the moment, thats at sedentary but im also really not moving very much due to another health issue that effects my mobility. When im in work and doing 20k steps a shift my intake is higher.

I’ve lost a huge amount of weight a few times (10 stone) and always had hair growth not hair loss, due to eating better. So might be the actual drug

As long as you’re now eating around that, I think it’s just a case of being patient then. My friend was getting worried but her doctor assured her that her hair would start to grow once she had been eating enough calories for at least a few months, which it did.

Lots of people seem to think it’s just about protein but if you’re eating too few calories for a long period, your body just stops doing the unnecessary jobs as it doesn’t have enough energy, and hair is one of them.

If you’ve been eating around 1300/1400 for a couple of months now, then your hair should start to come back over the next 3 or 4 months.

Iron levels need to be above 70. Take ferrous sulphate if under this

When I lost a lot of weight my hair went very thin, and my B12 was low. I started eating liver a few times a week, and taking a B12 supplement. My hair is back to normal now. Protein powders are awful, but a chicken liver salad is delicious.