Im 22, recently changed my diet, stopped eating bread and dairy. I noticed my hair is falling out, how can I fix it? New shampoo or diet?

Answers (3)

Carlene Thomas RD (Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Expert ) answered (7/15/2012)

It sounds like your diet could be the culprit of recent hair loss. When you cut out whole wheat bread and dairy, you're also cutting out sources of protein. Protein deficiency can cause hair loss. However, I'm not sure how the rest of your intake looks, for example how much tofu/meat/fish/eggs/beans you consume regularly. If you do not eat these other protein sources, I strongly recommend adding dairy back into your diet unless you eliminated it for medical reasons. If you DO eat alternative sources of protein, there is likely something non-diet related causing this.

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Meg Mangano, RD, CSSD, CLT (Registered Dietitian, Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics) answered (8/14/2012)

Have there been any other changes in your life or lifestyle? Change in stress levels or exercise? Have you lost a large amount of weight in a short period of time with these dietary changes? There are different factors that can contribute to an increase (or above normal) in hair loss. From a nutritional perspective, you will want to make sure you are getting enough nutrients and calories to support your lifestyle and health, especially if the nutrients/calories from bread and dairy constituted a lot of your intake before and aren't being replaced appropriately with other healthy items. Beyond nutrition, you can speak with your physician to have a complete check-up and make sure everything is on track with your internal health!

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Daniela E. answered (8/17/2012)

This happened to me as well. I not only eliminated gluten and dairy but also several other things that I suspected I was sensitive to. Slowly over a period of about three months, I got so depressed about my food choices, and became too busy to bother with adequate preparation, I lost my appetite. That's when I lost my hair. As soon as I realized how little I was eating, like how often I was skipping breakfast because I stopped feeling like making anything ("what the heck am I going to eat for breakfast?! Oh, forget it.") I made a menu plan and started making the time to prepare more. It takes a lot of learning about food alternatives when going gluten and dairy free. If those really bother you, it's very worthwhile cutting them out, but it's crucial that you educate yourself on how to eat without them. P.S. My hair is slowly growing back.