CRASH DEITING CAN CAUSE INCREASED HAIR FALL
Posted by Manny Y on 7th Apr 2015
Are you thinking about going into a crash diet because of an upcoming event and you desired to look very thin and fit into your nice little dress? Well, this is what the majority of us do, we love to rush things instead of plan ahead, but be warned, crash dieting may make you shed weight really fast, however, it can also causehair loss.
Image via Wikipedia
Crash dieting causes a kind of sudden massive hair loss called telogen effluvium. Due to lack of intake of vital nutrients like proteins and vitamins, the follicles fail to produce hair. Keep in mind that the hair follicle or the hair bud to be exact is among the most active cells in the body and can produce half to one inch of hair per month. The follicles need a lot of protein because hair is predominately made of protein. So basically, no protein intake means no hair.
Telogen effluvium causes sudden hair loss because it somehow converts all the follicles to enter telogen phase. Normally, there are actually three growth cycle of hair. Anagen, catagen and telogen phase.
Anagen phase is the stage of hair growth. About 85% of all hairs in the scalp are at this stage at any given time and this last for about eight years.
Catagen phase starts right after the anagen phase. Also known as the transitional phase, comprises about 10% of all hairs and this phase last for about two weeks.
Finally, telogen phase or resting phase starts right after the catagen phase. About 10 – 15% of all hairs are on this stage and last about two to four months. In this stage the old hair shaft is slowly pushed outwards hence the hair fall. This is in preparation of new hair growth and the cycle repeats again.
Due to this, it is not advisable to practice dieting, but if you’re already doing it, then be attentive and look for any signs of increased hair fall. As a preventive measure, it is also great to use a nutrient rich hair loss treatment shampoo. These special shampoos contain all the nutrients the hair need for optimum growth whether you’re on a diet or not.