Keto And Hair Loss: What's The Link?

The keto diet is a popular weight loss strategy that involves eating a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate meal plan. While it can be effective for weight loss, one of its potential side effects is hair loss. This is mainly due to the restrictive nature of the diet, which can lead to insufficient calorie intake, reduced protein consumption, and micronutrient deficiencies, all of which are crucial for hair growth. Additionally, the stress associated with significant dietary changes can also contribute to hair loss. However, hair loss related to the keto diet is usually temporary, and there are precautions and supplements available to mitigate or prevent it.

Keto diet and hair loss

The keto diet is a weight-loss strategy that involves eating high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate foods. While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it can also lead to hair loss and changes in hair condition. This is because the keto diet can cause a deficiency in certain nutrients that are essential for hair growth. Additionally, the restrictive nature of the diet can lead to insufficient calorie and protein intake, which can impact hair health.

Reasons for Hair Loss on Keto Diet

Fewer Nutrients

The keto diet limits the intake of carbohydrates, including some higher-carb fruits and vegetables, which can result in a reduced variety of nutrients that the body typically needs for healthy hair. This can lead to increased hair loss or slower hair growth.

Body's Response to Cutting Calories

When calorie intake is reduced, the body prioritises energy distribution to vital functions, such as cell growth and organ function. This means that there may be less energy available for hair growth, potentially leading to hair loss.

Inadequate Calorie Intake

Rapid weight loss, which is a common goal of those on the keto diet, can lead to hair loss. When calorie intake is significantly reduced, the body may respond by shifting more hair follicles from the growth phase to the resting phase, resulting in increased hair shedding.

Inadequate Protein Intake

The keto diet recommends limiting protein intake to maintain ketosis. However, this can lead to insufficient protein intake, which is necessary for hair growth. A diet lacking in protein can contribute to telogen effluvium, the most common type of hair loss.

Micronutrient Deficiencies

The keto diet may result in deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals that are essential for hair growth, such as biotin, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. These nutrients play a crucial role in maintaining healthy hair and preventing hair loss.

Stress

Major dietary changes, such as transitioning to the keto diet, can cause increased stress levels, which can lead to hair loss. Stress can trigger conditions such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania, all of which can result in hair loss.

Gut Health Issues

The keto diet may impact gut health, as an unhealthy gut microbiome can affect the production of key hair health nutrients, particularly biotin. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is crucial for overall health, including hair, skin, and nails.

Preventing Hair Loss on Keto Diet

To prevent hair loss while on the keto diet, it is important to ensure adequate intake of nutrients, calories, and protein. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Calculate and track your keto macros to ensure you are meeting your calorie and protein goals.
• Eat more micronutrient-rich keto-friendly foods, such as meat, organ meats, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, low-carb fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and high-fat cheese.
• Take supplements to address any nutrient deficiencies, such as biotin, vitamin D, collagen, and zinc.
• Transition to ketosis gradually by reducing carb intake slowly and incorporating fermented foods into your meals to support gut health.
• Practice stress-relieving activities, such as meditation, yoga, or brisk walks, to keep stress levels under control.
• Use gentle hair care products and avoid harsh treatments, tight hairstyles, and excessive heat exposure.

Nutritional deficiencies

Calorie Deficits

Reducing your calorie intake too much or too quickly can cause a shock to your body, leading to the shutdown of less critical functions like hair growth. This is known as telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss that occurs after a stressful or traumatic experience.

Protein Deficiency

The keto diet restricts protein intake, and not getting enough protein can contribute to telogen effluvium. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, so adequate protein intake is necessary to maintain healthy hair.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

A lack of certain vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, biotin, and iron, can lead to hair thinning and hair loss. The keto diet may limit the intake of these essential nutrients, especially if you are not careful about replacing the vitamins and minerals that are flushed out during the initial phase of the diet.

Gut Health

Your gut health affects your hair, and an unhealthy gut microbiome can lead to leaky gut syndrome, creating stress on your body and exacerbating hair loss symptoms. Improving gut health through probiotics and biotin supplementation may be beneficial.

Calorie deficits

To prevent hair loss due to calorie deficits, it is important to ensure adequate calorie intake. Aim for a modest 20-30% calorie reduction from your maintenance needs for gradual weight loss. This will help prevent excessive calorie restriction, which can stress hair follicles. Including calorie-dense foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados can help prevent deficits.

In addition to calorie intake, protein and nutrient deficiencies can also contribute to hair loss. Hair is mostly made of a protein called keratin, so adequate protein intake is crucial for hair health. Include high-quality protein sources like fatty fish, eggs, meat, dairy, and plant-based proteins in your diet.

Furthermore, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also impact hair health. Biotin, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and iron are particularly important for hair growth. Address these deficiencies by including nutrient-rich foods in your diet and considering supplements if needed.

In summary, preventing hair loss on a keto diet requires a comprehensive approach. Ensure adequate calorie and protein intake, address nutrient deficiencies, and consider supplementing with key vitamins and minerals. This will help support healthy hair growth while following a keto diet.

Stress

Nutritional Deficiencies

The keto diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies, which in turn can cause stress. For example, a keto diet can lead to a biotin (vitamin B) deficiency, and biotin is strongly linked to hair health. Other nutritional deficiencies that can occur on a keto diet include a lack of amino acids, zinc, and iron.

Caloric Deficits

The keto diet can also lead to a caloric deficit, which is a common cause of stress. When the body experiences a caloric deficit, it responds by prioritising vital functions, and hair growth is not considered essential. This can lead to a process called telogen effluvium, where hair follicles shift from the growing phase to the resting phase, resulting in hair loss.

Extreme Calorie Restriction

Extreme calorie restriction is another form of stress that can occur on the keto diet. The high-fat nature of the keto diet can lead to reduced hunger and, consequently, extremely low calorie intake. This can send a shock to the body, leading to the shutdown of less critical functions like hair growth.

Psychological Stress

The keto diet can also cause psychological stress. Any major nutritional changes can cause additional stress on the body, and the keto diet involves significant changes in what and how much is eaten. This psychological stress can lead to conditions such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania, all of which are associated with hair loss.

Gut Health

The keto diet can also impact gut health, which is directly linked to stress levels. An unhealthy gut microbiome can prevent the production of key hair health nutrients, including biotin. This can lead to increased stress and hair loss.

Managing Stress

To reduce stress and prevent hair loss, it is important to ensure adequate calorie and nutrient intake, including biotin, protein, and iron, as well as vitamins A, C, D, and E. Additionally, including stress-relieving activities such as meditation, yoga, and gentle exercise in your routine can help keep stress levels under control.

Hair health and regrowth

The keto diet can be an effective weight-loss strategy but it may also lead to hair loss and changes in hair condition. This is not due to the nature of carbohydrates but is instead caused by not consuming enough calories and/or protein. Nutritional deficiencies, rapid weight loss, and stress are also factors that can contribute to hair loss.

Preventing Hair Loss on Keto

• Eat more calories and protein: Ensure you are consuming enough calories and protein by tracking your keto macros and staying within a 5-30% calorie deficit. Aim to get your protein from high-quality sources such as eggs and poultry.
• Address nutritional deficiencies: The keto diet may lead to deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals that are important for hair health, including biotin, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Include foods rich in these nutrients in your diet, such as organ meats, nuts, shellfish, poultry, eggs, leafy greens, and low-carb fruits and vegetables.
• Transition to ketosis carefully: The transition to ketosis can be stressful for the body, so it's important to do it gradually. Address nutritional deficiencies, increase your intake of electrolytes, and consider taking supplements such as MCT oil, collagen, vitamin D3, and coconut oil.
• Improve gut health: Gut health affects hair health, so focus on improving your gut microbiome by eating fermented foods, taking probiotics, and including prebiotic foods in your diet.
• Reduce stress: Stress can contribute to hair loss, so engage in stress-relieving activities such as meditation, yoga, or gentle exercise.
• Be gentle with your hair: Use gentle, moisturising hair care products and avoid harsh treatments, tight hairstyles, and excessive heat styling.

Regrowing Hair After Keto

If you have experienced hair loss after following the keto diet, there is good news: your hair will likely regrow. Hair follicles typically remain in the resting phase for up to 100 days, after which hair growth will resume. In the meantime, you can support healthy hair regrowth by ensuring you are consuming enough calories and nutrients, practising stress management, and being gentle with your hair.

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