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Hair loss for a woman

Goonergal said:
Just had a look - no. Seems to be MSM, Red Algae, Vitamin C, L-Lysine, L-Proline, Zinc and Copper.
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Oh I so nearly went for an MSM supplement cos I thought it would also help my arthritis. Well my bottle of Biotin will last till Christmas and then I will review what I do. Why is nothing ever straightforward! Thanks for info though
 
Eek! I've just seen a photo of myself and have realised how thin my hair is! I have very fine hair anyway and it was thinning already. I'm only 42! My Mum has had the same problem, so I put it down to genes and dodgy hormones! I've been on LCHF for about 3-4 months now to support my husband who was diagnosed in June. I've lost stacks of weight (over 3 stone) but I'm now worried about my hair! I'm sure it has got worse. When I get to my target weight, I plan to go back to moderate carbs (probably around 100-150g). Hope it thickens up a bit, or else I will need a wig!
 
Brunneria said:
It isn't always about keto and diabetes, although I think it is usually about hormones (thyroid is a biggie, as mentioned above).
Also menopause and oestrogen/progesterone balance.

In my case my hair was going haywire in my 30s. Dry, crinkly, breaking, falling out. Did some heavy duty reading on it, including a book called 'What your doc doesn't tell you about menopause', which highlighted that the hormonal changes leading into menopause often start in our 30s, not our 40s.

Anyway, eventually I got diagnosed with a benign tumour of the pituitry gland, and been on medication to (partially) block the production of prolactin, ever since. It took about a year after the treatment started for my hair to go back to normal, and it has stayed that way since. Except for the colour change to grey, of course. lol. Been eating low carb and keto for all that time, and not aware that diet or bgs have had an impact.

So I suppose what I am saying is that don't assume it is just keto. Could be a lot of different other stuff going on, some of which just needs a diagnosis and treatment to resolve.
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This is true. It can be a number of reasons for the hair loss. I have heard this so many times though about the hair loss a few months into Keto, it is very common. Weight loss will play a massive part also. As soon as I ate 4 lunches a day instead of one meal and a Multivitamin it did not take long for my hair to resume back to normal.
 
Hi I’m also suffering hair loss/ thinning. Newly diagnosed T2 - a month now & on low ch diet - but 130gms so not very low. I’m on Gliclazide & Sitagliptin & was advised diabetic drugs can block Vit B12receptors so taking 1000mg (I tend to be low Vit B anyway - aged 60). I was through the menopause 20 years ago & on HRT so am sure it’s not that. It’s very distressing- another thing to worry about, though I know it will grow back but can take 6 months..
 
Paule Foster said:
Hi I’m also suffering hair loss/ thinning. Newly diagnosed T2 - a month now & on low ch diet - but 130gms so not very low. I’m on Gliclazide & Sitagliptin & was advised diabetic drugs can block Vit B12receptors so taking 1000mg (I tend to be low Vit B anyway - aged 60). I was through the menopause 20 years ago & on HRT so am sure it’s not that. It’s very distressing- another thing to worry about, though I know it will grow back but can take 6 months..
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I noticed that the original messages were from 2018. I did not have a problem then. But my hair-loss started 20+ months ago. I am posting because I have a very itchy scalp, as well as the hair-loss. My scalp feels as if ants were crawling on it. First GP ignored the problem 14 months ago, but now a temporary GP has prescribed steroid cream for the itchiness. Of course that is not going to help with the hair falling out.
 
I lost a huge amount of my head hair during the Menopause from Hell, some symptoms of which I still suffer despite it being 30 years later! Going keto for the last (almost) 2 years, my hair has improved, but only I would notice - I still look like a very thin on top woman to everyone else. My family has the genes for male baldness, so maybe it sneaked over into me as well. Interesting about Viviscal, which I've taken for years (balding worsens when I stop) and biotin doesn't seem like the answer to a balding woman's prayer, so if anyone finds out more, please share!
 
I had varying degrees of hair loss since diagnosis and menopause, I’ve always had fine hair but a lot of it, I talked to my hairdresser about it a few months ago when my hair was getting really thin at the temples. She said many many things can result in hair loss, hormones, change in medication, any diet change, keto diet is notorious, though temporary for it she said (I accepted this from her as although not diabetic she eats keto- we often have a good chin wag about that) age related,

She recommended taking biotin alongside collagen, B12 and folic acid. Not a quick fix could take up to 12 months, I’ve been taking them all for about 8 months and there is very definite improvements, my hair is thickening up again, I have baby hairs growing at the thinning parts and a lot less hair in my brush.

I buy all the supplements from H&B when they have offers on
 
Paule Foster said:
Hi I’m also suffering hair loss/ thinning. Newly diagnosed T2 - a month now & on low ch diet - but 130gms so not very low. I’m on Gliclazide & Sitagliptin & was advised diabetic drugs can block Vit B12receptors so taking 1000mg (I tend to be low Vit B anyway - aged 60). I was through the menopause 20 years ago & on HRT so am sure it’s not that. It’s very distressing- another thing to worry about, though I know it will grow back but can take 6 months..
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I noticed a lot of hair loss before my original diagnosis in 2020. That was the reason I went doctors and had a blood test. The doctor told me it would stop and grow back when blood sugars were better. I was googling all sorts and wasn't very optimistic as it seemed to take ages but after a year or so it did suddenly seem thicker and no problems since
 
lovinglife said:
I had varying degrees of hair loss since diagnosis and menopause, I’ve always had fine hair but a lot of it, I talked to my hairdresser about it a few months ago when my hair was getting really thin at the temples. She said many many things can result in hair loss, hormones, change in medication, any diet change, keto diet is notorious, though temporary for it she said (I accepted this from her as although not diabetic she eats keto- we often have a good chin wag about that) age related,

She recommended taking biotin alongside collagen, B12 and folic acid. Not a quick fix could take up to 12 months, I’ve been taking them all for about 8 months and there is very definite improvements, my hair is thickening up again, I have baby hairs growing at the thinning parts and a lot less hair in my brush.

I buy all the supplements from H&B when they have offers on
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Thank you - that’s very useful. I’ll try the biotin.
 
Well I am a hairdresser and noticed my hair going into what I call the sleep stage. I originally put it down to the bp medication as 4 days in my hair was coming out in clumps at the back. I never had a problem before and gave my gp a lecture on the subject of hair, she was not amused! I was on the tablets for about 3 years - reluctantly. Forward on 3 years or so later, off the tablets and now low carb. After 3 years my hair is now growing back. I have previously used all sorts of pills, potions, expensive shampoos, conditioners all of which help the condition of the hair, but didn't kick start the sleeping stage. For the last 2 months I have been using Pantene Menopause shampoo and conditioner and for me it has helped regain the texture it previously had before the meds, my hair is thickening and y hair is growing on the temples so much so, that hubby has noticed and that says a lot! I don't take biotin and I only wash my hair once a week and co - wash after my workouts. The Pantene is supposed to be good for dry itchy scalps, a symptom of menopause. Its expensive for what it is, but its a lot cheaper than other products I have used on both myself and clients. You don't get much for your money but you don't need much. The last thing you want is product build up on your scalp which itself can cause problems like an itchy scalp! I have hair half way past back and I don't need much of the product. My advice in the profession would be to lay off heat, let the hair dry naturally as much as possible and avoid very hot water. However, if the follicles have no life in them, that's it basically but the overall texture of the hair will improve with time and a lot of patience. I still have thinner patches but hat season is on its way so I am not that bothered! My hair is long with very few layers, just a few mid lengths. I avoid heavy layers as it thins the hair out even more. You can get stuff from the doctors but the only downside is that once you stop the medication, the hair growth stops and you are back to stage one again. If only hair that grew faster in other places, grew back on heads we would all be a lot happier!
 
PenguinMum said:
I have always had thick hair but I cant ignore this any longer. For the past 3 months or so everytime I wash or brush my hair it comes out in handfuls. Drying with a hairdryer and brushing is particularly bad. I can now feel a very slim ponytail compared to what is normal. I researched on Google. I dont have iron deficiency or thyroid problems. Apparently there is a condition called Telogen Effluvium which is linked to very low carb/keto diet. Hair goes in a resting stage (as opposed to continuous growth and renewal). It doesnt happen to everyone and kicks in 3-6 months after changing diet. It usually but not always only lasts a few months. Suggestions are to eat enough protein and supplement with biotin (raises BG not suitable for diabetics), zinc, collagen (bone broth good) and MSM.
Anyone else had this?
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Absolutely it has! I had fine hair anyway but within a couple of months of changing my eating I noticed far too much hair coming out whenever I washed it. I stopped washing it so often and also stopped using the hairdryer after every wash and now it seems to be improving! I actually thought it was the Metformin and hadn't even thought of a diet connection!
 
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