Recovering & Recovered Anorexics!

[archaic]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently recovering from an eating disorder. The shedding has gotten a lot lesser and I see lots of regrowth! :) I would like to know if it's possible for recovering anorexics to recover their thick hair back as well. If you have recovered your hair after anorexia, please post your experience, and if you don't mind as well, a picture of your lovely hair! It'll really motivate me to recover. Thank you!

[Thoughtcriminal]

I haven't gotten my full thickness back yet, but the crazy shedding stopped a few months after I started eating better (hair tends to have a delayed reaction). Most of what I lost has started growing back, although it isn't as long as rest of it yet so my braid taper is pretty strange looking! The changes were more apparent by feel rather than appearance, but I'll attach a few pictures if I can find any.

I might get all my hair back once I'm fully recovered, but I at least know it's possible to get most of it back. My current growth rate is also higher than average (7-8 inches a year), which isn't something you get without eating properly :D

Good luck on your recovery!!

[AutobotsAttack]

its taken me an extremely long time for my hair to recover. My eating disorder was coupled with bulimia for a gruesome 14 years, and to this day i still cringe because i am surrounded by tons of triggers. I will say that patience and good sources of proteins will help in the recovery process (Not trying to peach or be condescending). Once your body has enough energy to do other functions aside from just struggling to keep yourself alive your hair will thrive almost 10 fold i promise. In my avatar is my current length, and if i can find one ill you a picture of when i wasnt doing so good and how thin and lifeless my curls were. I'm not even "fully" recovered yet, But i wish you the best of luck in your recovery sweetheart. Life is too short to deny yourself that wonderful slice of pizza :)

[lapushka]

I'm currently recovering from an eating disorder. The shedding has gotten a lot lesser and I see lots of regrowth! :) I would like to know if it's possible for recovering anorexics to recover their thick hair back as well. If you have recovered your hair after anorexia, please post your experience, and if you don't mind as well, a picture of your lovely hair! It'll really motivate me to recover. Thank you!

I was borderline anorexic as a 16/17 year old. My mom almost took me to the doctor, but I got a grip and changed my ways. Threatening to have to go see someone was enough for me. Thank God! I mean... It could have been a lot worse. I did lose thickness in my hair, though as a lot just up and fell out when my weight dropped. I didn't have my menstruation for a month, and that was when my mom said, you are going to the doctor if this doesn't change. She kept a hawk eye on my period, as you would do with any teen.

Your hair will grow back as soon as you start eating normally again (and keep it up, otherwise it's just not going to work).

[luxurioushair]

I've never had an eating disorder but I've been very underweight before, and it took a while to recover by putting on weight (I don't gain weight easily). It may be encouraging to you that I am still "underweight", just not to the extent that it affects my health, and my hair is doing great. You don't need to be in the "normal weight" category to feel better and have nice hair.

However I don't know how long it took my hair to recover because, my health was already restored long before I thought of growing my hair. Or maybe I actually thought of growing my hair because my health was better?! ;) If you're asking about thick hair, my hair is thick now after being thin most of my life and it's growing fast too, so don't worry, you'll get there. What I do to avoid getting too underweight is, I remember to eat 2-3 meals a day, and that excludes snacks. I also drink a lot more water, so you can try that maybe.

[jupiterinleo]

Hi, all! I am still in recovery from an eating disorder (for me, a symptom of anxiety and depression) that I've had for many years.

I recently had a terrible shed; holiday stress which resulted in never being hungry. I lost a few pounds but I am still above my lowest weight which is good. I was really bummed about the loss in thickness at first but I'm mostly over it now, I just have to remind myself that it's only temporary and it will grow back if I continue to take care of myself. I normally have a faster growth rate anyhow so I'm not too worried.

What's made a big difference for me in terms of shedding is taking a multivitamin every day. If I forget for a few months I'll noticeably shed more.

[beefox]

This thread is super important. I went to treatment a couple years ago. When I was actively participating in eating disorder behavior I didn't really see how much I was shedding. I also had blonde hair so my scalp wasn't as obvious. I think I was so wrapped up in other things that I didn't really care about it at the time. When I started to pick up the pieces, I was devastated at the amount of hair that I had lost. Often times we don't hear about how much the additional issues anorexia and bulimia leave behind. Hair loss is so psychologically traumatic. I had such thick hair as a teenager, it had never been this fine and sparse. It's been a long road to recovering lost hair but don't let that discourage you! I take a ton of vitamins. Here's what I take:
-Biotin
-Vitamin D
-Biosil
-Probiotics
-Magnesium

I'm no doctor, but it seems to be helping. I know vitamins are expensive, but Walgreens usually has them BOGO. I've slowly amassed my collection that way. A few other things that seem to be helping are:
-running 3 times a week
-lots of water
-twice a week scalp massages with coconut and essential oils(I posted the recipe in the shedding thread)
-being very gentle with my hair

I've also heard the Aveda Invanti line has been pretty successful in slowing shedding and encouraging re-growth. There are also a lot of tips in the shedding thread. Again, try not to get discouraged. It may take a while but it will come back. :)

[Sweets]

I've gained weight very slowly, and I'm now noticing regrowth. I started working as a restaurant manager at a buffet (crazy, right?!) and I eat lots of veggies, fruit, and good proteins. In addition to taking vit d3 and biotin, I also am drinking more water and using a CoWash with coconut oil and castor oil. It has been a long, slow process, but with results after 8 months, I'm ecstatic.

At my worst, my crown showed through and my intestine ended up telescoping in on itself resulting in abdominal surgery for intussusception (google it...incredibly painful). That won't happen to everyone, I just had congenital adhesions and combined with AN, I was apparently a ticking time bomb. Surgery fixed my duodenum, but that was 2.5 years ago. It was a long battle.

[archaic]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your reply! :) My shedding has reduced by a substantial amount and my period returned. I'm so grateful and thankful, but I'm also very sorry because all of you had to go through a similar experience like I did as well. I know how hard it can be watching your hair shed without being able to do anything. Biotin really helped me too! I wish the best for all of you and hopefully all of us would be able to recover all of our hair back!

Sending all my positive vibes to all of you!!

[archaic]

This thread is super important. I went to treatment a couple years ago. When I was actively participating in eating disorder behavior I didn't really see how much I was shedding. I also had blonde hair so my scalp wasn't as obvious. I think I was so wrapped up in other things that I didn't really care about it at the time. When I started to pick up the pieces, I was devastated at the amount of hair that I had lost. Often times we don't hear about how much the additional issues anorexia and bulimia leave behind. Hair loss is so psychologically traumatic. I had such thick hair as a teenager, it had never been this fine and sparse. It's been a long road to recovering lost hair but don't let that discourage you! I take a ton of vitamins. Here's what I take:
-Biotin
-Vitamin D
-Biosil
-Probiotics
-Magnesium

I'm no doctor, but it seems to be helping. I know vitamins are expensive, but Walgreens usually has them BOGO. I've slowly amassed my collection that way. A few other things that seem to be helping are:
-running 3 times a week
-lots of water
-twice a week scalp massages with coconut and essential oils(I posted the recipe in the shedding thread)
-being very gentle with my hair

I've also heard the Aveda Invanti line has been pretty successful in slowing shedding and encouraging re-growth. There are also a lot of tips in the shedding thread. Again, try not to get discouraged. It may take a while but it will come back. :)

I'm sorry you had to go through such a terrible experience. I know how it feels! I'm glad your hair is recovering now. Does running really help? I really love running but I've stopped running after my eating disorder as I've heard that running will cause you to lose weight and this might lead to losing hair... again :( Not sure if it actually does shed more hair, but hopefully not for you :) If running does not shed hair and actually works to promote hair, I'll start running again! I'm so excited :) Thank you for all your tips!

[lapushka]

I'm sorry you had to go through such a terrible experience. I know how it feels! I'm glad your hair is recovering now. Does running really help? I really love running but I've stopped running after my eating disorder as I've heard that running will cause you to lose weight and this might lead to losing hair... again :( Not sure if it actually does shed more hair, but hopefully not for you :) If running does not shed hair and actually works to promote hair, I'll start running again! I'm so excited :) Thank you for all your tips!

There's no issue if you eat extra before you run, or drink a protein shake! It is when you don't substitute the calories you lose, and you are actually doing it to lose weight when you can't stand to lose more.

[AJNinami]

I'm sorry you had to go through such a terrible experience. I know how it feels! I'm glad your hair is recovering now. Does running really help? I really love running but I've stopped running after my eating disorder as I've heard that running will cause you to lose weight and this might lead to losing hair... again :( Not sure if it actually does shed more hair, but hopefully not for you :) If running does not shed hair and actually works to promote hair, I'll start running again! I'm so excited :) Thank you for all your tips!

Running is great for your hair! Running improves blood circulation and nutrient absorption, as well as keeping the weight you are gaining back as muscle instead of fat. If you run consistently it should help decrease stretch marks from your skin filling in again. Since you are a recovering anorexic, I wouldn't do more than run a mile every day for a long while. You can do anything from walking the full mile to walking 3/4s or 1/2 or the first quarter and just run if you feel like it. Walking is also extremely good for you, especially if you haven't been exercising for a while and are trying to get back into it. It strengthens and lengthens the muscles without near as much impact damage or risk of over-reaching. As for eating, eat a meal with carbohydrates (pasta is a good one) 24 hours before running any kind of distance. Carbohydrates are stored energy that the body draws from to do extended physical activity like jogging or running. Sugar is an example of unstored energy, so sprinters will eat chocolate within half an hour of running. Just don't eat much sugar for an hour after running, that actually negates health benefits. Another recommendation is to drink pre-workout drinks (gatorade, etc.) for replenishing electrolytes. You have to drink these 24-16 hours before working out though, otherwise it's useless. Running actually causes you to lose weight much slower than other types of workouts. It will slim you down like all exercise will, but is pretty safe as far as extreme weight loss. Cardio is the biggest weight loss tool, and running paired with weight lifting is what will really cause you to lose weight.

tl;dr: Running is great for you and your hair as long as you don't overdo it. Eat a meal with lots of carbohydrates (pasta or bread) the day before running distance, or once to twice a week if you run regularly. Running isn't a good way to lose weight quickly, and shouldn't be a problem if you eat more or equal to what you burn.

[beefox]

I'm sorry you had to go through such a terrible experience. I know how it feels! I'm glad your hair is recovering now. Does running really help? I really love running but I've stopped running after my eating disorder as I've heard that running will cause you to lose weight and this might lead to losing hair... again :( Not sure if it actually does shed more hair, but hopefully not for you :) If running does not shed hair and actually works to promote hair, I'll start running again! I'm so excited :) Thank you for all your tips!

I think it helps a lot. I'm sure most of the hair loss was nutrition related and not related to the running. As long as you are eating enough, exercise in general should help in regrowing lost hair. :)

[Agnieszka]

sorry had to remove this post.

[archaic]

Thank you so much guys! Really. I'm seriously grateful for all the advice :) I'll heed all the advice you've given me. Cheers for a better, healthier lifestyle! I'm excited to start running again :)

[Sweets]

Even if you don't "go for a run"... take a walk! Take it slow. The world is a beautiful place, and I know that I'm grateful to be here. I took my dog for a walk this morning.. the sun was shining, the clouds were fluffy and there is snow on the mountains around Reno. I would say happy things to my dog, and he would look up at me and smile and get an extra spring to his step. Breathe life in!

[dollyfish]

I've had restrictive type EDNOS for around 7 years or so now (never met the criteria for AN since I was on the pill at my rock bottom and thus never lost my period). Though I consider myself "recovered" in the sense that I no longer meet the major criteria. I've been mostly free of disordered behaviors for almost 3 years now, and I'm 5 years past my worst point. I feel like this is sort of like alcoholism though, in the sense that "recovered" people at AA meetings still call themselves alcoholic. This is something that'll be with me for life, in a way. But I've lost 90% of my body dysmorphia, which to me is the biggest marker of progress.

My hair no longer comes out in handfuls when I run my fingers through my hair. It's pretty much back to its full thickness, which is amazing. The texture isn't as wavy as it once was, but with careful pampering I can bring out the wave to a satisfying degree.

The most important thing isn't how much weight you gain per se, it's that you eat regularly, don't restrict, and eat a balanced diet with plenty of various different kinds of nutrients. Like, in recovery I never overate or forced down extra calories (no ensure, etc), I just ate regularly as often as I could. It seemed to be the lack of restriction that helped me the most, in terms of recovering my normal neurotransmitter balances and making my skin and hair go back to normal. Excess protein is helpful though. Your body won't dump anything into unnecessary places (e.g., hair) unless it has more than it needs for the essential parts of you!

RE: Running—In general, it's being healthy and encouraging your body to send resources to non-essential places that makes hair regrow. So anything that gets your heart pumping and blood flowing is good for your *overall health*, which in turn affects your hair and the rest of you too! Just try not to sit still all day everyday, is the take home.

[winnifred17]

I've had restrictive type EDNOS for around 7 years or so now (never met the criteria for AN since I was on the pill at my rock bottom and thus never lost my period). Though I consider myself "recovered" in the sense that I no longer meet the major criteria. I've been mostly free of disordered behaviors for almost 3 years now, and I'm 5 years past my worst point. I feel like this is sort of like alcoholism though, in the sense that "recovered" people at AA meetings still call themselves alcoholic. This is something that'll be with me for life, in a way. But I've lost 90% of my body dysmorphia, which to me is the biggest marker of progress.

My hair no longer comes out in handfuls when I run my fingers through my hair. It's pretty much back to its full thickness, which is amazing. The texture isn't as wavy as it once was, but with careful pampering I can bring out the wave to a satisfying degree.

The most important thing isn't how much weight you gain per se, it's that you eat regularly, don't restrict, and eat a balanced diet with plenty of various different kinds of nutrients. Like, in recovery I never overate or forced down extra calories (no ensure, etc), I just ate regularly as often as I could. It seemed to be the lack of restriction that helped me the most, in terms of recovering my normal neurotransmitter balances and making my skin and hair go back to normal. Excess protein is helpful though. Your body won't dump anything into unnecessary places (e.g., hair) unless it has more than it needs for the essential parts of you!

RE: Running—In general, it's being healthy and encouraging your body to send resources to non-essential places that makes hair regrow. So anything that gets your heart pumping and blood flowing is good for your *overall health*, which in turn affects your hair and the rest of you too! Just try not to sit still all day everyday, is the take home.

Did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[winnifred17]

I haven't gotten my full thickness back yet, but the crazy shedding stopped a few months after I started eating better (hair tends to have a delayed reaction). Most of what I lost has started growing back, although it isn't as long as rest of it yet so my braid taper is pretty strange looking! The changes were more apparent by feel rather than appearance, but I'll attach a few pictures if I can find any.

I might get all my hair back once I'm fully recovered, but I at least know it's possible to get most of it back. My current growth rate is also higher than average (7-8 inches a year), which isn't something you get without eating properly :D

Good luck on your recovery!!

Is your hair back to the way it was before you had anorexia? And did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[winnifred17]

its taken me an extremely long time for my hair to recover. My eating disorder was coupled with bulimia for a gruesome 14 years, and to this day i still cringe because i am surrounded by tons of triggers. I will say that patience and good sources of proteins will help in the recovery process (Not trying to peach or be condescending). Once your body has enough energy to do other functions aside from just struggling to keep yourself alive your hair will thrive almost 10 fold i promise. In my avatar is my current length, and if i can find one ill you a picture of when i wasnt doing so good and how thin and lifeless my curls were. I'm not even "fully" recovered yet, But i wish you the best of luck in your recovery sweetheart. Life is too short to deny yourself that wonderful slice of pizza :)

Is your hair back to the way it was before you had anorexia? And did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[winnifred17]

This thread is super important. I went to treatment a couple years ago. When I was actively participating in eating disorder behavior I didn't really see how much I was shedding. I also had blonde hair so my scalp wasn't as obvious. I think I was so wrapped up in other things that I didn't really care about it at the time. When I started to pick up the pieces, I was devastated at the amount of hair that I had lost. Often times we don't hear about how much the additional issues anorexia and bulimia leave behind. Hair loss is so psychologically traumatic. I had such thick hair as a teenager, it had never been this fine and sparse. It's been a long road to recovering lost hair but don't let that discourage you! I take a ton of vitamins. Here's what I take:
-Biotin
-Vitamin D
-Biosil
-Probiotics
-Magnesium

I'm no doctor, but it seems to be helping. I know vitamins are expensive, but Walgreens usually has them BOGO. I've slowly amassed my collection that way. A few other things that seem to be helping are:
-running 3 times a week
-lots of water
-twice a week scalp massages with coconut and essential oils(I posted the recipe in the shedding thread)
-being very gentle with my hair

I've also heard the Aveda Invanti line has been pretty successful in slowing shedding and encouraging re-growth. There are also a lot of tips in the shedding thread. Again, try not to get discouraged. It may take a while but it will come back. :)

Is your hair back to the way it was before you had anorexia? And did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[winnifred17]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your reply! :) My shedding has reduced by a substantial amount and my period returned. I'm so grateful and thankful, but I'm also very sorry because all of you had to go through a similar experience like I did as well. I know how hard it can be watching your hair shed without being able to do anything. Biotin really helped me too! I wish the best for all of you and hopefully all of us would be able to recover all of our hair back!

Sending all my positive vibes to all of you!!
Is your hair back to the way it was before you had anorexia? And did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[lapushka]

Winnifred, hold on a bit... :o you seem to keep asking the same question. Can I ask why the interest in the thin vs. thick hair?

I thought a lot of us answered that question for you already, but... apparently not. :(

[winnifred17]

I've gained weight very slowly, and I'm now noticing regrowth. I started working as a restaurant manager at a buffet (crazy, right?!) and I eat lots of veggies, fruit, and good proteins. In addition to taking vit d3 and biotin, I also am drinking more water and using a CoWash with coconut oil and castor oil. It has been a long, slow process, but with results after 8 months, I'm ecstatic.

At my worst, my crown showed through and my intestine ended up telescoping in on itself resulting in abdominal surgery for intussusception (google it...incredibly painful). That won't happen to everyone, I just had congenital adhesions and combined with AN, I was apparently a ticking time bomb. Surgery fixed my duodenum, but that was 2.5 years ago. It was a long battle.

Is your hair back to the way it was before you had anorexia? And did each individual hair strand grow out thinner when you were unhealthy and then grow out thicker again when you recovered?

[winnifred17]

Winnifred, hold on a bit... :o you seem to keep asking the same question. Can I ask why the interest in the thin vs. thick hair?

I thought a lot of us answered that question for you already, but... apparently not. :(

I'm trying to figure out how many people regained their thickness. It's a way of gaining reassurance that my hair will eventually go back to the way that it was.

[lapushka]

I'm trying to figure out how many people regained their thickness. It's a way of gaining reassurance that my hair will eventually go back to the way that it was.

Well, I think the best way to find out is to recover and experience that for yourself. :flower: Not everyone is the same, but in general it should go back to normal as soon as you're back to normal, there is no reason that it wouldn't do that!

[AutobotsAttack]

I’ve been recovered for about 2 years from suffering 14-15 years of an eating disorder.

As soon as I worked on bringing my metabolism back up, and exercising again my shedding stopped immediately and my thickness came back.

But I’m glad to see people getting better, and working on their health. Keep going guys!

[gossamertresses]

It's definitely a relief to know that y'all managed to regain your thickness! Good luck to everyone!