Reversing malnutrition hair loss is possible for many, but there are limited options. Nutritional deficiency – hair loss link can be revealed through medical history, physical exam and dietary history. As current treatments, the popular solutions of specialists are dietary changes, collagen boosting and hair transplantation.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association indicates that 1 in 2 people will experience hair loss by the age of 50. Other statistics say that 70% of men experience some degree of androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) globally. Even more interesting, approximately 1.7 billion men and 1.1 billion women worldwide are affected by some form of hair thinning or shedding. How many of these people experience hair loss due to malnutrition and how? Let’s read and find out.
Key Nutrients and Their Role in Hair Health
Nutritional deficiencies present themselves initially in the hair. The earliest indications are thinning strands, split ends, a lackluster appearance, frizz, and disruptions in hair growth and thinning hair. These are signals of internal changes in the body. The underlying reason for this is that hair cells are the fastest-dividing cells after intestinal cells.
Protein
Proteins such as keratin make up 91% of hair. Protein malnutrition is the main cause of hair loss. When you don’t get enough protein in your diet, your body tries to save protein by forcing more follicles into a telogen (resting) state. If you consume less protein, you will see the effect in 2-3 months on your hair.
Fatty Acids
The hair shaft is composed of keratin, a fibrous protein, and lipids. In hair biology, lipids – fats – play an essential role in maintaining the structure, appearance, and health of hair. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) and other lipids make up the cell membranes of hair follicles. They help hair retain moisture, keep it hydrated, and prevent it from becoming dry and brittle. They also give hair a shiny appearance and smooth texture while protecting it from pollution and UV rays.
Minerals
The daily value of iron is 18 mg and heme iron is found in foods like beef, lamb, seafood and beans. It is the most valuable mineral for hair health. Another element for healthy hair is zinc. It’s a key component of metalloenzymes and therefore critical for follicle morphogenesis. Zinc deficiency is associated with telogen effluvium (TE), a temporary hair loss condition.
Vitamins
Vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E are of great importance in hair loss from malnutrition. Vitamin A activates hair follicle stem cells, but excessive intake can lead to hair loss. On the other hand, vitamin E acts as a potent antioxidant and supports the health of the scalp. Its deficiency can cause skin dryness. Moreover, vitamin D is important for hair follicle cycling. Although the relationship between vitamin D and hair loss is still unclear, it is a vital vitamin for the development of scalp tissues.
Water
To maintain hair’s elasticity, strength, and smoothness, our bodies need water to provide hydration and moisture. When the body is dehydrated, hair can become dry, brittle, and more susceptible to damage. Furthermore, water helps to regulate the production of sebum, the natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands in the scalp.
Causes of Malnutrition-Related Hair Loss
Malnutrition in hair growth causes deficiencies in key nutrients such as iron, zinc, proteins, vitamins A, D, E, and B complex, and essential fatty acids. Hair strand function, strength and growth of the hair shaft depend on a balanced diet. Hair rejuvenation isn’t possible without a protein-rich diet.
The economic conditions of the individual, an unhealthy diet based on fast food, some nutritional disorders and the body’s inability to digest some minerals are among the main causes of nutritional hair loss.
Signs of Malnutrition Hair Loss
A malnourished body has specific signs. The following are common symptoms, but it is also possible to have more personalized symptoms:
* The body will use the remaining nutrients and energy to keep organs and systems functioning.
* Hair loss occurs at a rate of more than 100 hairs per day.
* Dry and flaky skin.
* Diffuse thinning occurs during hair loss stemming from malnutrition.
* This is because the follicles enter the resting phase too soon, and the hair is not nourished.
* Lack of nutrients makes the hair brittle and prone to breakage.
* Severe deficiencies can cause bald spots.
Treatment and Prevention for Malnutrition Hair Loss
To stop hair loss, monitor your diet. Keep track of what you eat and drink for a week. If you’re on a keto or vegan diet, you may have problems with not enough carbohydrates, nutrients, hormones, and calories. Some current treatment options are:
Eat protein-rich food
Increase protein production to eliminate nutritional deficiency hair loss. Take foods such as chickpeas, yogurt, cheese, eggs, quinoa, turkey meat, red meat, chicken. Additional information: adding melanin-rich foods to your diet also prevents hair graying.
Collagen supplementation may help
Fish collagen peptides help hair grow. They help hair growth by boosting the activity of cells in the scalp that are involved in hair growth. The body makes more hair growth factors and less of the ones that slow hair growth thanks to fish collagens. It is easy to absorb and has fewer side effects, so it may encourage new hair growth.
Hair transplant is permanent solution
If you have experienced long-term malnutrition hair loss and balding symptoms have started, the best permanent treatment is hair transplant surgery. You can have a shaved or unshaven hair transplant with current treatments like FUE, unshaven FUE, DHI. In a hair transplant clinic, a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, etc. who specializes in hair transplantation can perform your operation successfully. A good clinic can make your surgery 97% to 99% successful.
A lock of your hair (2-3 strands) is taken along with a small amount of scalp and transplanted to bald areas. The average recovery time for patients is 3 months. New hairs usually re-grow by the 4th month and it takes up to a year to grow completely. On average, 3000 to 4000 grafts are transplanted. We invite you to Vantage Clinic for treatment of malnutrition-induced hair loss at the best clinic in Turkey!
Malnutrition Hair Loss Photos
You can view before-after photos of diet-related hair loss below. You can see the hair transplant surgeries we have performed to treat hair loss caused by malnutrition. We can advise you on a special diet for malnutrition that causes the progression of problems such as female pattern hair loss and male type hair shedding, and offer a personalized hair transplant procedure to stop your hair loss permanently.
FAQs
- How quickly can you reverse hair loss from malnutrition?
With a combination of dietary changes, vitamin supplements and hair transplant surgery, you can stop hair loss within a week or two.
- How to tell if hair loss is from malnutrition?
Blood tests show vitamin deficiencies and mineral deficiencies such as iron and zinc. Depending on the results of your blood test, doctors can determine the root cause of your hair loss.
- Which vitamin deficiencies cause alopecia?
The vitamin B group, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin E are the most important vitamins in the hair growth cycle. In addition, biotin, zinc, magnesium, selenium and copper are the building blocks of hair structure.
- How to stop hair loss from malnutrition?
A protein-intensive diet gives results in 90 days, but for the fastest solutions, you can use the supplements recommended by your dermatologist and start topical treatments recommended by hair transplant clinics.
- What’s in diets that prevent hair loss?
Eat iron-rich foods to nourish your hair. These include red meat, eggs, legumes, molasses, green vegetables, tomatoes, dried fruits, and oil seeds. Zinc helps your hair grow; so eat seafood, meat, brewer’s yeast, legumes, and mushrooms to get more zinc. Plus, foods rich in essential fats are rapeseed, flaxseed oil, green leafy vegetables, seafood, and vegetable oils.
- How long does hair loss due to nutritional deficiencies last?
Except for chronic telogen effluvium, other malnutrition related types of alopecia take 6 months. With intensive treatment, you can stop hair fall out in 3 months.
- How does diet lead to hair loss?
Oxygen, water, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and fats nourish and stimulate the hair follicles, promoting hair growth and thickening the hair strands. If your diet is lacking in these nutrients, your body may be unable to support normal cell growth, and leads to hair loss.
- What steps can I take to prevent hair loss during weight loss?
If you’re consuming low-calorie foods to lose weight, make sure to follow a plan prepared by your dietitian. Especially, do not follow low-calorie diets like intermittent fasting or vegan diets without a plan. Be sure that you’re getting enough protein, water, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats. You can use supplements only if prescribed by your doctor. Exercise, healthy eating, and reducing smoking and alcohol consumption are valuable steps for the development of your hair.
- How to understand the effect of lack of amino acids and proteins on the hair?
Protein malnutrition, as seen in conditions like marasmus and kwashiorkor, can lead to changes in hair, including thinning and loss. A study explored the impact of L-lysine, a nutrient amino acid, which may influence the absorption of iron and zinc.
- What are the symptoms of hair shedding caused by anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is a psychological eating disorder characterized by very short sleep, excessive activity, and insufficient food intake. Symptoms of hair shedding caused by anorexia include:
* Thinning hair
* Brittle or dry hair
* Severe hair fall
* Dull, lifeless strands
* Slow hair growth
* Hair breakage
* Patchy hair loss in severe cases
References
- Hair loss: Who gets and causes. www.aad.org. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). Androgenetic alopecia. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ . Accessed November 5, 2024.
- International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS). Global hair loss statistics. Available at: https://ishrs.org . Accessed November 5, 2024.
- Viviscal Hair Expert. Nutrients & Vitamins for Hair Growth and Thickness. Viviscal. Published May 17, 2024. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://www.viviscal.com/blogs/hair-blog/nutrients-vitamins-for-hair-growth-and-thickness
- Guo EL, Katta R. Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use. Dermatology practical & conceptual. 2017;7(1):1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.5826/dpc.0701a01
- Connor KO, Goldberg LJ. Nutrition and Hair. Clinics in Dermatology. 2021;39(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2021.05.008
- Hwang SB, Park HJ, Lee BH. Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/β-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(19):11904. Published 2022 Oct 7. doi:10.3390/ijms231911904
- World. Malnutrition. Who.int. Published March 2024. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_qG5BhDTARIsAA0UHSI8JVk8WumJLEKEKOhRffyWkl8KH-xLmnypzeZBUOdVUZGkwd7WY90aAieFEALw_wcB#
- McKenzie CA, Wakamatsu K, Hanchard NA, Forrester T, Ito S. Childhood malnutrition is associated with a reduction in the total melanin content of scalp hair. The British Journal of Nutrition. 2007;98(1):159-164. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114507694458
- Almohanna HM, Ahmed AA, Tsatalis JP, Tosti A. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review. Dermatology and therapy. 2019;9(1):51-70. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-018-0278-6
