Hair loss issues

Hi i'm in the stages of Ed recovery and I am having issues with my hair loss. I literally used to have as much hair as Ugly Betty but now i have less than half of what I used to.

I know foods such as omega threes and all monounsaturated fats are essential for hair growth but i'm not such a fan of oily fish and i'll only add nuts or oil if I feel like it.

I try to at least get a serve of nuts in a day but thats all. I drink reduced fat soy milk and I only prefer tuna in spring water not oil. I can't eat eggs as I get stomach problems and I am partially lactose intollerant so its hard to work in calcium without making myself sick. I vary my breads from rye to wholemeal but have never tried other varieties such as linseed and pumpernickle. Also with Ed I find it difficult to eat certain foods but I am willing to change for my hair and for my minds sake.

What are the best foods for hair growth in your perspective or are there any good medications which I should be taking? Should I switch to full fat soy milk or at least a calcium enriched one? Is goats milk, full fat dairy and coconut other good alternatives? I do like cereals so is there a good brand (in Australia) which would help? I really want my hair to grow strong again because it has been coming out rapidly now and is becoming highly noticeable.

While on topic of hair loss what happens to the hair on arms and body in recovery? does it stay there or does it fall off?

sorry for the long message..... please reply MY HAIR IS IN NEED OF HELP!

liney

Hairloss is a symptom of being malnourished. i know, its depressing but it DOES get better. My hair used to be thin as a sheet of paper, but after months of refeeding and getting myself to a slightly better (still have some pounds to go) weight, my hair is pretty much back to its thick and crazy state.

Omega-3 fatty acids are for brain function actually, not hair growth.

OK. First of all, and this not even for hair repair, but for overall mental/physical health reasons - DO NOT have reduced/low/non-fat products. It perpetuates the ED thinking. It is better for you to have as many whole products and foods as possible. Given that you are lactose-intolerant - you are going to need many more kinds of fats and servings of it to make up for what you can't get with whole-fat dairy. You might try yogurt though - I have some lactose intolerance as well but its mainly with milk. Get whole fat soymilk (there really isn't much fat there anyways) and maybe try some whole milk yogurts and see how they are on your stomach

Vitamin E isa huge help to hair growth. All nuts are excellent - especially almonds and walnuts. Peanut butter or almond butter, any nut butter is excellent. As you mentioned, coconut milk or coconut flakes are great too - as well as dark chocolate. I know everyone worries about saturated fats. But you are in recovery from an ED and you need them to restore your health. Saturated fats help those of us recovering from periods of malnutrition/starvation to repair and replenish brain function and cellular integrity. As per cereals - go for whole-fat granolas versus low fat, or mix your own favorite cereal with nuts or top with nut butter. Dress vegetables and pastas etc with olive oil or dressing. Spread butter/cream cheese/nut butter or olive oil on things like breads, potatoes, etc.

I know fats can be a huge fear food, but they are an essential part of a human diet, and especially your diet right now. Getting a good, sufficient amount of fat in your daily diet will help reapir your hair, as well as the rest of you.

I've never experienced the hair on the rest of my body actually falling out. I did notice not needing to shave my legs as frequently as I had to in the past though. Probably because my body has better things to do with the protein.

thanks rebel. you helped me before on the weight gainers forum about your whole discussion on saturated fats. I've actually borrowed heaps of magazines which have articles about how coconut milk is good for you and all other natural fats found in cows, goat and soy milk.

Thankyou again for reminding me. I just find it diffiuclt to go to a shop and put something in the trolley due to its fat content.... no materr how good the fat is. Ed does this to me...  I will start using more fats now and butter is my major fear food so i'll do it at some point. need raisin toast first... or maybe schnitzels. now that would deffinitley scare Ed!

Thanks.

Original Post by liney_line:

Hi i'm in the stages of Ed recovery and I am having issues with my hair loss. I literally used to have as much hair as Ugly Betty but now i have less than half of what I used to.

I know foods such as omega threes and all monounsaturated fats are essential for hair growth but i'm not such a fan of oily fish and i'll only add nuts or oil if I feel like it.

I try to at least get a serve of nuts in a day but thats all. I drink reduced fat soy milk and I only prefer tuna in spring water not oil. I can't eat eggs as I get stomach problems and I am partially lactose intollerant so its hard to work in calcium without making myself sick. I vary my breads from rye to wholemeal but have never tried other varieties such as linseed and pumpernickle. Also with Ed I find it difficult to eat certain foods but I am willing to change for my hair and for my minds sake.

What are the best foods for hair growth in your perspective or are there any good medications which I should be taking? Should I switch to full fat soy milk or at least a calcium enriched one? Is goats milk, full fat dairy and coconut other good alternatives? I do like cereals so is there a good brand (in Australia) which would help? I really want my hair to grow strong again because it has been coming out rapidly now and is becoming highly noticeable.

While on topic of hair loss what happens to the hair on arms and body in recovery? does it stay there or does it fall off?

sorry for the long message..... please reply MY HAIR IS IN NEED OF HELP!

liney

 

Hi liney,   

I use omega 3,6,9 and CLA oils, that come in gelcap form, available at discount stores or online stores.  They don't leave that awful fishy taste. I think that might help you to get good oils.    Also, I do all cooking with olive oil, when oil is required.     Vitamin E is good. You probably need vitamin C and a good B complex vitamin to help you restore your health.  I also take Biotin. It's a B vitamin as well but helps especially with skin, hair and nails.    If you think of taking them as medicine it might make it easier get enough.

Have you considered using protein shakes or shots?  They will not replace meals, but, skin and hair need protein to grow. The shakes, and shots, that gastric bypass patients use to be sure they get enough protein are usually low volume products. That might be easier for you to deal with eating or drinking.

God bless you Liney,  I pray that you may find something that will help you in what I've written.

I suffered from hair loss earlier this year (starting in march). I was terrified whenever I finished styling my hair and saw the brush full. It became more and more noticable. Part of this may have been from the medicine I was on (topamax) which has a small incident for hair loss. I probably lost overall about 25% of my hair and had a bald spot in the back.

I didn't realize it when I was losing my hair but looking back now I realize that I was very malnourished. I only ate 1 time a day right before work in the evenings and it was just a chicken sandwhich (576 cal.) or something like that  and a water to drink.

Prenatal Vitamins will make your hair and nails grow like crazy (at least in my experience). They are loaded with Biotin (great for healthy hair growth).You do not have to be pregnant to take them. They won't hurt you in any way. They also won't make you gain weight,which I had thought they might. Store brand prenatal vitamins are just as good.

My hair normally doesn't grow very fast but since I've been taking the vitamins since April I've had about an inch of growth and very little hair coming out in the brush. It's been a real relief and very helpful.

PS>I got the idea for taking the vitamins from a hairstylist who had been through cancer and took prenatal vitamins to help her hair grow better.

lately i've been taking biotin which i have heard helps. i certainly hope so. went to the salon the other day and my hair was still coming out in chunks on the brush :(

thanks everyone for your advice. i'll go to the shops tomorrow and check out whats in stock.

thankyou, THANKYOU, THANKYOU!  

i will boost my oil and fat intake but as for protein shakes i'll have to say no. Its too expensive to buy a shake when I can easily assemble my own meal with nuts, oils and other protein, fibre, carbohydrate and vitamin rich foods. Plus I have tried stuff like Ensure and it tasted like the can. metal is not my taste!

yeh the exact same thing happened to me, although i don't know if its getting thicker it isnt coming out as much, i had to get it all cut off to my chin it looked so woeful. But thanks for all the tips!

hang in there! its one of my major motivations, i used to have awsome hair...

Hi guys,

I'm currently in recovery myself (am almost a technically healthy BMI). I don't have any advice to contribute to this thread, I simply wanted to say that I kind of WISH I had had hair problems during my ED. In a sense, I think for many, it is something you can be kind of grateful for - as this is one symptom that I've noticed manages to "snap" a lot of people out of the ED and provide the impetus for recovery.

^^ it is one of my many incentives to gain weight
I still find tumble weeds of hair around my room and I almost clog the shower drain with hairs
I have curly hair, so it is not as obvious, but I can't straighten it because it looks like I'm going bald :(
I have been gaining for almost two months now and my hair is still falling out.

the constant cold, 'sick' appearance, dry skin, brittle nails, dizzyness, fainting and extremely low bone density [it puts me at a high risk for osteoporosis] are all motivations to get better.
and I want my social life back

Oh Skipping xoxox your hair will grow back girl! Keep going strong, you can do it. I understand wanting your social life back. I can't believe how much ED destroyed my life in this regard - how ISOLATING these illnesses are. Ana has taken SO much from me and that angers/saddens me deeply, but what disturbs me more is the way that it tries to (at times almost successfully) tempt you back. The fact that I could even be tempted to revert to these tendencies is petrifying. So I tell myself what I tell you - continue to keep going strong and push through the weight gain fears. There is a better life on the other side of this hell. You deserve a better life - to be healthy and happy x

1 Brazil Nut = a days requirement of selenium (what keeps your hair and nails strong)

I'd stock up on the brazil nuts haha. But I'm honestly experiencing the same thing, it's SO gross washing my hair...I used to have the thickest hair ever. Now it's way too thin. I feel your pain darling!

xx

oh yeah forgot about brazil nuts.... coated in dark chocolate of course. I can't stand them that much.

I pretty much have the same issue with my hair as most of you do. I had really thick hair and now I have wicked thin hair. It is really sad because before I used to get compliments on my hair because it was gorgeous...now it is all breaking at the ends and looks really damaged. I was wondering do you think I should cut it all off and get a fresh start for my hair so it can grow back healthfully and thick. I think a fresh new hair cut will also make a great start for my recovery in my eating disorder :) What do you all think!? Lemme know!

I think a radical new haircut may indeed be a great idea - part of the transformation into the "new and improved" you :)

Agree with ninafish.

My hair started to get really thin about a year and a half ago, and still now it's very thin and pretty lifeless.

I have it coloured professionally, deep-condition it and keep it trimmed regularly, although I am actually growing it.

I am quite dismayed at how thin it has become, but I'm hoping that as I improve my eating and gain weight back to where (according to others) I should be, my hair will improve along with me, fingers crossed!