Keto And Hair Fall: What's The Real Connection?

The keto diet is a popular weight loss strategy, but it can have some surprising side effects, like hair loss. While it's not a common occurrence, hair loss can happen two to five months after starting the diet. This is often due to nutritional deficiencies, rapid weight loss, and the body's stress response to dietary changes. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate hair loss on keto, such as ensuring adequate nutrient intake and making dietary adjustments.

Calorie deficits

The body responds to a calorie deficit by prioritising vital functions, such as cell growth and organ function, over non-essential functions like hair growth. This can lead to a slowdown in hair growth or hair loss.

In addition, a calorie deficit can cause rapid weight loss, which is another trigger for hair loss. The stress of rapid weight loss can contribute to telogen effluvium (TE), the most common type of hair loss. TE occurs when hair shifts from the growing phase to the resting phase. It is often temporary and can be caused by various factors, including hormonal changes, nutritional imbalances, and stress.

To prevent hair loss due to calorie deficits, it is important to ensure adequate calorie intake and avoid extreme calorie restriction. A well-planned keto meal can help mitigate hair thinning by ensuring the correct amount of food is consumed. It is also recommended to focus on slow to moderate weight loss, rather than rapid weight loss, to reduce the risk of hair loss.

Micronutrient deficiencies

When embarking on a keto diet, many people forget to replace the essential vitamins and minerals that are lost during the initial transition phase. As you eat fewer carbohydrates, your body produces less insulin, and your glycogen stores become depleted. This, in turn, leads to your kidneys excreting water and important electrolytes such as sodium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and iodine.

Zinc is one such mineral that is associated with hair loss. A study observed that a lack of amino acids and micronutrients such as zinc was responsible for hair thinning in participants. Another study on mice also found that a low-carb, high-fat regimen caused biotin deficiency. Biotin, also known as vitamin H, helps the body convert food into energy, and deficiencies can lead to hair loss.

Iron deficiencies can also cause hair loss. Ferritin, the main iron storage molecule, is a protein. Inadequate ferritin levels can cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, which directly affects hair health.

Vitamin D and iron are commonly supplemented with hair loss, but it is important to only supplement these if you are deficient, as taking too much can be dangerous.

A well-formulated ketogenic diet should not cause micronutrient deficiencies, and therefore hair loss. It is important to ensure you are consuming a balanced variety of whole foods and getting enough calories to avoid this.

Stress

Reasons for Stress on the Keto Diet

Nutritional Deficiencies

The keto diet restricts many food groups, including grains, beans, fruit, and starchy vegetables. This increases the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies, as the body may not be getting enough calories, protein, or specific micronutrients to support optimal health.

Major Caloric Deficits

The keto diet's high-fat content can reduce hunger and lead to lower calorie intake. While this can contribute to weight loss, rapid and excessive calorie restriction can shock the body, leading to the shutdown of less critical functions like hair growth.

Extreme Calorie Restriction

The keto diet is often associated with extreme calorie restriction, which can be a significant stressor for the body. This is especially true if the diet is not well-formulated and does not adequately replace the calories usually obtained from carbohydrates with healthy fats and protein.

Psychological Stress

The very act of starting a new, restrictive diet can cause psychological stress. This is further compounded by the potential side effects of the keto diet, such as fatigue, constipation, and nausea.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a condition characterised by the sudden loss of large clumps of hair from areas around the scalp.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen Effluvium is a common hair condition at the start of the keto diet. It is a temporary condition where more hairs than usual are ready to fall out. It typically lasts for two to three months and is triggered by stress, including that caused by dietary changes.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is a habitual condition caused by stress, where a person pulls on their hair without realising it.

Managing Stress on the Keto Diet

To minimise hair loss due to stress, it is important to keep stress levels to a minimum during the initial stages of the keto diet. This can be achieved by:

• Ensuring adequate calorie intake to prevent extreme calorie restriction.
• Consuming sufficient protein, especially from high-quality sources like eggs and poultry.
• Taking a multivitamin to cover any potential nutritional deficiencies.
• Liberalising the diet or working with a specialist to personalise your eating plan.
• Engaging in stress-relieving activities like meditation, brisk walks, hiking, or yoga.

Weight loss

The keto diet is restrictive, and it can be challenging to get enough calories, especially at the beginning when your body is adjusting. This can result in a large calorie deficit, which may cause a shock to your system and lead to the shutdown of less critical functions, like hair growth. During low-calorie intakes, your body will prioritise vital functions and spend less energy on hair growth.

The keto diet is also high in fat and protein, which are very satiating, so it's easy to eat fewer calories than you need without realising it. This is especially true if you are used to a higher-carb diet, as carbohydrates are less satiating.

Additionally, the keto diet is often used for rapid weight loss, and significant weight loss in a short period can contribute to hair loss. This is because sudden weight loss signals to the body that there may be a scarcity of food, triggering a diversion of resources away from non-essential functions like hair growth.

To mitigate this, it is important to ensure you are eating enough calories and getting adequate nutrition on the keto diet. A proper meal plan can help prevent hair thinning by ensuring you are eating the correct amount of food. It is also crucial to replace the calories from carbohydrates with healthy fats and protein to avoid a drastic calorie deficit.

It is worth noting that slow and steady weight loss is generally recommended to reduce the risk of hair loss and other unpleasant side effects of the keto diet.

Protein intake

Protein is essential for healthy hair as hair is mostly made of a protein called keratin. When following a keto diet, it is important to ensure you are still consuming adequate amounts of protein, as many protein-rich foods like beans, lentils, and grains are restricted.

To maintain healthy hair on a keto diet, it is recommended to consume at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which equals 45-55.5 grams of protein daily for most adults. For active individuals, this amount may be higher. Good keto-friendly sources of protein include fatty fish like salmon, pasture-raised eggs, bone broth, nuts, seeds, and low-carb dairy products.

In addition to ensuring sufficient protein intake, it is also important to consume enough calories. Very low-calorie ketogenic diets can lead to reduced protein levels, which is detrimental to hair health. Aim for a modest 20-30% calorie reduction from your maintenance needs for gradual weight loss. Calorie-dense foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados can help prevent deficits.

If you are following a vegan or vegetarian keto diet, it may be more challenging to obtain adequate protein. In this case, it is crucial to include plant-based protein sources such as soybean products like tofu, edamame, and tempeh, as well as nuts and nut butters.

By ensuring sufficient protein and calorie intake, you can support healthy hair growth while following a keto diet.

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