Unexpected Health Benefit

This is kind of weird, but since I started eating healthier I've noticed I shed less. I used to have to clean out the shower drain every other day (I have long hair). Now I only have to clean it out every two weeks or so. Obviously I'm getting the vitamins and minerals my body needs now, and I wasn't before. It's a small observation, I know, but I just thought I would share.

Mon. Feb 20, 12:05pm

How do you eat? I shed like crazy (probably looks like it more b/c I have long dark hair). I think I eat healthily...

Monday, February 20, 2006, 12:32 PM

I've just been having whole grains, lean protein (I don't eat meat), fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy every day. I'm counting calories too so to fit all that in I don't have much left over for fat or sugar. Also I've been taking a multivatamin and a calcium supplement. I try to vary the fruits and vegetables I eat through the week.

Monday, February 20, 2006, 2:42 PM

You can shed up to 100 hairs a day and be perfectly normal. 100 long hairs looks like quite a bit!

I recently had horribly excessive shedding a few months after going off the Birth Control Patch. Fortuntely after about 3 nerve-wracking months where I was contemplating how i was going to deal with going bald, I now have gobs of new hair coming back in *whew*! However it was bad enough and sudden enough that I spoke to my doctor and below is a summarization of what she told me.

A few big culprits for excessive female shedding are:

1. Insufficient iron (could be diet or could be thyroid issues).
note: although red meat is the best source of iron there is iron in some vegetables (although this form is more difficult for your body to absorb) and many cereals are fortified with it. Your Dr can check this with a quick blood test.

2. Hormonal fluctuations (could also be related to thyroid issues, birth control or pregnancy)
Can be much harder to diagnose (some cases would require an endocrinologist), however a nutritious diet and regular exercise will help your body keep itself in balance with regard to hormone production and fluctuation.

3. Overstyling (excessive blowdrying, curling with a hot iron, pulling hair into tight ponytails etc).

4. Excessive build up of oils and dead skin on the scalp over time clogging hair follicles.

5. Stress - some women shed hair as their bodies respond to stress.

6. Heredity (that may be just 'you').

Maybe TMI, but since I had gotten the run-down I figured I'd post it here.

Monday, February 20, 2006, 3:21 PM

too much calcium when taking hormone therapy of any kind can also cause hair loss. If you take heart meds and dye or perm your hair, that can also cause hair loss, as per my hairdresser.

Monday, February 20, 2006, 11:45 PM

Thanks! I'm the 12:32pm poster. My mom sheds a ton too. My hair stylist (who's also my mom's hair stylist) says I have nothing to worry about, it's just heredity. Although she's not a doc, if your doc says that's possible, I'll just go with it. My hair is very thick, and I definitely don't have a shortage of it!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 10:30 AM

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