Vegetarian diet and hair?

[Fleur01]

I have consumed a vegetarian diet off and on for the last twenty years. I have not eaten red meat for 20 years and stopped eating white meat (ie chicken, turkey) about 4-5 years ago. I sometimes do eat a little fish but no very often. I feel like I have a pretty diverse diet, lots of veggies, fruit, beans, nuts, grains like quinoa and chick peas and lentils etc etc. So no I don't live on veggie burgers ha ha!! However ever since I stopped eating all meat except for the occasional bit of fish I have noticed that my hair has progressively gotten drier, frizzier, weaker and has this sort of crisp coarseness to it now. I used to have great hair that had a nice wave to it and was pretty strong and shiny, I could just wash and go and it would look nice. I moved right around the time that I stopped eating most meats and I now live in a very dry desert like climate so I'm not sure if that's the source of my hair issues or if it's my change in diet. Any thoughts on veggie diets and hair...does the hair texture change over time?

[princessp]

Do you eat eggs? Veggie for over 20 years here too, and I noticed when I went vegan for a spell that my hair did suffer. Once I added eggs back in, my hair greatly improved. I can't remember the ingredient in eggs that is vital for hair (not just the protein it is something else). There is a thread about this somewhere. Anyway, you do not have to consume flesh to get what you need. Search around here for "hair vitamins" and you'll find out what they are and where to get them.

ETA: You can be vegan and get all the vitamins you need.

[freckles]

anecdata: I've been vegan for 4 years, vegetarian for 6, and stopped eating red meat and poultry about 9 years ago, and my hair has always been fine and straight and fragile. :shrug: I can't say for sure it's not to do with your diet, but this is the first time I've heard of a vegetarian diet having an affect on hair texture (of course dietary deficiencies might cause hair loss or slowed growth -- but this is the first time I've heard anyone suggest a diet change might cause texture change).

It could be caused by climate. It might also just be normal changes that happen with time. Many people have different hair as adults than they did as children, for example. I hear hormones can change hair -- maybe if in the last 20 years you have been through puberty, pregnancy or menopause (sorry, I don't know your age), that could be a cause. I've also heard that hair can grow back very different after chemotherapy. I suspect, though, that if it's happened gradually over the last twenty years, it will be very difficult to narrow it down to one particular cause, even if there is one -- a lot of things have probably changed in the last twenty years that could affect your hair. :shrug:

[Madame J]

I notice a difference in my hair since I started eating more fat (I'm not vegetarian). It could be that you're not absorbing enough fat-soluble vitamins due to a lack of fat in your diet -- try adding things like coconut, avocado, and nuts. A vegetarian diet is not inherently unhealthy, but it's really easy to start being deficient in something whenever you decide to restrict your diet in some way. If you're not vegan, you can also look at eggs and dairy for some dietary fat, protein, AND a bunch of great micronutrients.

It also won't help to live in a dry climate -- a lot of products meant to draw moisture into your hair will actually draw moisture out into the dry air when you live in the desert. So things like glycerin will make your hair moister in a humid climate but drier in a dry climate.

My anecdata is that when I went vegetarian in high school, I started losing hair -- but I blame that more on a poor vegetarian diet rather than vegetarianism qua vegetarianism.

[Joliebaby]

I don't thinking eating meat is crucial at all. You just need to get enough protein, vitamins and fats!! Don't forget the fats :)
If you are lacto-ovo-vegetarian and eat fish sometimes too it should be really easy to get enough of everything. Vegans have to work more for the protein.

[Islandgrrl]

I'd suspect a combination of climate and diet.

That being said, I grew healthy, knee length hair as a vegan living in the So. California desert.

I was careful to incorporate lots of healthful fats into my diet in the form of flax seed oil, nuts, seeds and avocados. I also took care to limit sun and wind exposure both for the sake of hair and skin.

I'm still mostly vegetarian, although no longer vegan (considering a switch back, though).

I hope you get it figured out!

[Kristin]

I've been a vegetarian for 5 years and I don't think my diet has impacted my hair negatively. To be perfectly, honest my hair is softer and longer than it has been since I was a child (and back then it was more coarse and less shiny, too). I would make sure that you are eating a healthy vegetarian diet with lots of good fats from nuts, avocados, etc...And take vitamins since no one eats perfectly.:)

[tanya222]

Do you eat eggs? Veggie for over 20 years here too, and I noticed when I went vegan for a spell that my hair did suffer. Once I added eggs back in, my hair greatly improved. I can't remember the ingredient in eggs that is vital for hair (not just the protein it is something else). There is a thread about this somewhere. Anyway, you do not have to consume flesh to get what you need. Search around here for "hair vitamins" and you'll find out what they are and where to get them.

ETA: You can be vegan and get all the vitamins you need.

I think I know what you mean, is it sulphur? Or albumin?

[mellie]

There are some things that I've started supplementing for (I am glutenfree and don't eat animal products): DHA/EPA, and Choline*, as I've found how important they are and can be very lacking in a strick vegetarian diet. I don't know if those might help for hair, in addition to a good multivitamin that of course includes B12.

*DHA/EPA are in fish, and Choline is in high amounts in eggs

ETA: I also track my amino acids in Cron-o-meter (www.spaz.ca/cronometer). I noticed that I was often coming up a little low in Methionine. So I started having teff grain every day for breakfast. Now I easily get 100% of all my amino acids!

[Pixna]

I am gluten-free and vegan (for thirty years) and have not seen any adverse changes to my hair at all. Make sure you are getting sufficient DHA (Google it) and vitamin B12. If you are, then my guess is that the move and dramatic climate shift are responsible for the changes in your hair.

P.S. There are vegan sources of DHA available.

[mellie]

Pixna, we were posting at the same time and saying the same thing! :D

[Pixna]

Pixna, we were posting at the same time and saying the same thing! :D

Heehee! Well, ya know, great minds...and all that! :gabigrin:

[RachelRain]

I'm vegetarian, and I noticed within a month of kicking eggs and milk that my hair actually got shinier. not by much, but it was noticeable to my boyfriend and his mom, at least. my hair's always been superfine, but the thickness hasn't suffered and it only snaps if I'm pulling out a braid or yanking a brush through a snarl. maybe you need a multi?

[Elinda]

I've been vegetarian my entire life for health reasons with very limited dairy, and I've always been complemented on how shiny and healthy my hair looks, so it's not impossible to be vegetarian and have healthy hair.

That said, it's a tough diet to follow if you're not forced to, and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. It's not as simple as buying a fast food meal and only eating the fries. If your main source of nutrition is meat, cutting it out entirely without any other changes to your diet could very well make your hair (and the rest of your body!) much less healthy.

[eternallyverdan]

I'll join the crowd and say that I've managed to have reasonably thick, long, and healthy hair as a lacto-ovo vegetarian. My growth isn't the fastest in the world, but it's about average. I tried veganism for a few months and it didn't have any noticeable effect on my hair.

[bte]

I suspect that if you make a change, it takes time to adjust, and that adjustment will be seen in your hair.

I have been veggie for 20 years and I am sure my health overall is better. You just need to make sure not only that you are getting everything you need, but also are enjoying your food. Feeling good about not killling to eat can be part of that enjoyment, and experimenting with new foods can be fun too.

[Juanita]

I am also vegetarian. Live in a climate that is hot and very humid half the year and very dry and often with drying winds also colder then. I use shea butter heavily when my hair feels like is drying out. Seems to work better than oils whick I use during the wet season.
I also just run my hands through my hair after putting shea butter on my skin. I find it the best all round moisturizer for me.

[jera]

Do you eat eggs? Veggie for over 20 years here too, and I noticed when I went vegan for a spell that my hair did suffer. Once I added eggs back in, my hair greatly improved. I can't remember the ingredient in eggs that is vital for hair (not just the protein it is something else).


Egg yolks contain Biotin, and we all know the hair benefits of that nutrient. But, they're also a source of cholesterol which can lead to heart attacks and stroke due to artery blockage. :(

If you've been vegetarian for a long time but have only recently noticed a drying out of your hair, I wonder how are your iron levels? Do you get enough vitamin B12? Both are hard to get on an exclusively vegetarian diet and over time the effects of lack of essential nutrients will show up in your hair as thinnning, drying and brittleness.

You could add vitamin E to your diet along with omega 3 fatty acids such as cod liver oil, fish oil or flaxseed oil. If these don't help it could be a hormonal issue such as perimenopause. It might be worth checking out.

[Quezie]

I'm a vegetarian, so I definitely need to pay attention to this.

I eat eggs 1-2 times a week, which adds to 2-4 eggs.
And I also eat veggie burgers occasionally.

[Kaihino]

I'm vegetarian and my hair is BANGIN' ;). I'll +1 the EFA recommendations, along with other fat-soluble-vitamin-powerhouses like coconut, avocado, nuts, etc. A good multivitamin can't hurt, and prenatal vitamins work wonders on the hair, and are very complete for vegetarians.

[Othala]

I am a meat-eater who was a vegan for 6 years then went on a wilderness living course and decided to go back to eating meat.

Once I started eating red meat, I noticed that my hair became straighter, thicker and the roots became stronger. My hair growth rate is noticeably faster. On the downside, I have more spots then when I was a vegan.

So, for me, meat-eating has meant a change in hair quality for the better.

[Fethenwen]

My hair quality is definitely better since I started eating vegetarian foods, I think mostly because I just eat overall healthier. It is much much thicker than it was a few years ago, I always had problems with oily, thin and limp hair back in the days when I ate meat = more fat. I also shed very little hair compared to before, of course there could be other factors involved, but this is what has happened anyway.

Like others have pointed out, I too suggest you should make sure you're getting enough healthy oils. And keep yourself hydrated. DHA and EPA's are something that might be hard to obtain from plant sources only. So you might want to supplement on that.

[EdG]

I have been a vegetarian for longer than I have been a longhair. The changes that I've seen in my hair over the years have been due to aging.

You may want to try to include more fats in your diet. Putting olive oil on foods causes my scalp to become oily sooner. :)
Ed

[DiablitaNoir]

I've been vegetarian for almost 16 years (although there has been a brief period where I ate chicken, turkey and fish) and I just went vegan a year ago. I didn't notice any changes. I already have split ends anyway because I haven't trimmed my hair in over two years (not counting bangs) and I color it on top of that. I should give it a little trim but I'm waiting on that. I also use quite a bit of vegetable oils in my diet. You can't skimp too much on fats just as much as you can't go overboard on them either. Too little fat in the diet can dry out your hair and skin and make nails brittle. I would also say climate would have a definite impact. I imagine dry climate would be more likely to evaporate some of the moisture from hair. I live in Florida so I don't have that issue...I have a different problem: Humidity can cause me to look like Otto the bus driver from The Simpsons! :p

[florenonite]

I think I know what you mean, is it sulphur? Or albumin?

Albumin is the white of the egg, and IIRC is mostly protein and water.

To the OP: I've been a vegetarian for 7.5 years, and I never noticed a change to my hair when I switched. My hair is overall quite healthy. Do make sure you're getting enough protein and iron, though you say you eat a lot of beans and pulses so I would think you'd be ok in that area. I would recommend incorporating a few eggs (if you don't eat them already and aren't adverse to the idea) a week into your diet as they are a very good source of nutrition. I would caution you to be careful if cholesterol is an issue for you. However research is divided on whether or not the cholesterol in eggs, assuming moderate consumption, is a concern; personally I find that the benefits of eating eggs outweigh the risks, though YMMV.

[dropinthebucket]

My hair was growing super slow. I just wasn't getting enough protein. I really wanted to eat naturally, BUT ... i bit the bullet and got an organic, vegan protein supplement powder. Now I'm getting the usual half-inch per month (hooray!!!) and my hair looks thicker and stronger. The powder is a bit of a hit on my pocketbook, but then, i don't go to the salon or spend money on that kind of stuff, so .... ;)

[Fleur01]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I do eat eggs sometimes and also alot of avocados, nuts, olive oils etc. And I do love veggie burgers as well and eat them sometimes, I just don't live on them...I just wanted to clarify that I am a big fan of the veggie burger:) I think that my diet is missing a couple of things so I supplement with vitamin B12 and vitamin D. I've had my iron levels tested and they seem normal but I'm not sure if that can be trusted completely as levels fluctuate. I find on a vegetarian diet that if I do not eat well for a couple of days making sure I cover all the bases that my energy levels really drop quickly as I seem to have no reserve. I just feel like my whole body has weakened in the last couple of years and my hair is a reflection of that. Sometimes I feel a shortness of breath in my throat and a little dizzy at times when I get up...could be low iron??I am a natural born vegetarian...I love all the foods that I eat and I couldn't imagine eating red/white meat again. It does not match my belief system...I love animals!! I'm just feeling like I'm not getting everything I need and may need to boost things with a multi or EPA supplement.

[RachelRain]

I used to feel like that in high school, when I was extremely anemic. That's been fixed now with birth control, but my mom stuffed everything that contained iron in front of me, without much improvement. I think it was a couple years before they put me on the pill and had me change my multi before it stopped. Seeing a doctor might be a good idea, or at least a nutritionist :)

[Fethenwen]

My hair was growing super slow. I just wasn't getting enough protein. I really wanted to eat naturally, BUT ... i bit the bullet and got an organic, vegan protein supplement powder. Now I'm getting the usual half-inch per month (hooray!!!) and my hair looks thicker and stronger. The powder is a bit of a hit on my pocketbook, but then, i don't go to the salon or spend money on that kind of stuff, so .... ;)
Interesting! I have quite fast growth, but still, it couldn't hurt to make it grow even faster :p I did see some organic hemp protein powder for a good price at a health food store, it does look even more promising now.

[DiablitaNoir]

I'll have to try some vegan protein powder and see how it works for me. I'm also planning to get a container of coconut oil treatment from Sally Beauty Supply.

[Fleur01]

Hi Dropinthebucket, can I ask what protein powder you bought? I have looked at a few, hemp, brown rice, soy etc. I think I would like to buy some as well. Thx

[cuddledumplin]

Well, I've been veggie since I was 13, and I can't really recall a change inhair quality after becoming a vegetarian. I think that making sure you eat a balanced diet helps take care of that.

[dropinthebucket]

A balanced diet is definitely the way to go. Problem for me is I don't eat eggs or soy, and beans don't agree with me at all (don't think i need to say anymore there.... ;)) Did some checking online, and found out that I should have been getting a minimum of 50g protein a day!! Just for maintenance of healthy muscle tissue, etc. I was only getting maybe 15, on a good day. Well, that explained why I had so much trouble with muscle tone, too, in spite of weight lifting. For weight loss and building muscle, it would be more than 50g for my weight. NO WAY could I get 50g/day on a vegetarian diet! And no one would share a house with me if I had to eat enough beans to make up that kind of protein! :D So I took myself down to the HealthFood store and shelled out the bucks for Greens Plus Vegan Protein. Going well this last few months. Still looking for an organic whey protein - i was reading about protein cycling, and it's good to change supplements once in a while, they say.

[Xi]

If you are concerned about your iron, perhaps you could ask your doctor about checking your serum ferritin level -- it is a measure of your body's iron stores. (Anemia refers to a low hemoglobin level -- the amount of iron your body is using right now in red blood cells.) If you've got lots of iron stored up, your symptoms probably aren't due to iron-deficiency anemia -- but if your stores are a bit low, increasing iron intake may be helpful.

I've been a vegetarian for 5 years now, and my hair is actually quite a bit nicer than it was in my carnivorous days (but I attribute that to other changes -- e.g., the LHC). I've also found that beans and LOTS of whole grains provide plenty of iron -- in fact, I am a regular blood donor. :cheese:

Good luck finding the nutritional balance that will bring you health and well-being! :blossom:

[xoxophelia]

I did this as well and I was even pesco vegetarian (but didn't eat that much fish) and regardless of my best efforts my hair became pretty thin and frizzy. It might just be that my body type or activity level needed more protein but I eventually switched back to eating meat and my hair and energy levels recovered.

[Witchy]

Any thoughts on veggie diets and hair...does the hair texture change over time?
The quality of your hair and health in general isn't really affected by whether your diet is restricted or not, but whether its healthy. Are you getting everything you need?

For what its worth, I've been a strict vegan for 5 years, and there are only a handful of foods which have a noticeable affect on my hair. Anything containing a ton of sugar or fat (i.e. fries, soda, and tortilla chips) turn it into a stringy, oily mess.


I moved right around the time that I stopped eating most meats and I now live in a very dry desert like climate so I'm not sure if that's the source of my hair issues or if it's my change in diet.
I think climate has a bigger impact than diet. If your out in the sun for long periods of time, its going to dry up the oil and the sun will slowly microwave your hair until it crumbles. The sun will quickly dry up any oil on your scalp until its a crisp. Have you tried any conditioners with SPF or sun protection for your hair?

[Fethenwen]

A balanced diet is definitely the way to go. Problem for me is I don't eat eggs or soy, and beans don't agree with me at all (don't think i need to say anymore there.... ;)) Did some checking online, and found out that I should have been getting a minimum of 50g protein a day!! Just for maintenance of healthy muscle tissue, etc. I was only getting maybe 15, on a good day. Well, that explained why I had so much trouble with muscle tone, too, in spite of weight lifting. For weight loss and building muscle, it would be more than 50g for my weight. NO WAY could I get 50g/day on a vegetarian diet! And no one would share a house with me if I had to eat enough beans to make up that kind of protein! :D So I took myself down to the HealthFood store and shelled out the bucks for Greens Plus Vegan Protein. Going well this last few months. Still looking for an organic whey protein - i was reading about protein cycling, and it's good to change supplements once in a while, they say.
15 grams is not much, are you sure you did count in all the other proteins that comes with food? There is more protein than you might expect in things like bread and grains.

[Charlotte:)]

A nearly vegan diet is by far the most natural and healthy diet for a human. You may need more omega-3 oils (found in walnuts and coconut oil), but it's probably just the desert climate that is making your hair dry. Consuming about 1-4 tablespoons of organic coconut oil each day seems to help many people with dry skin/hair significantly :)

[Flynn]

Do you eat eggs? Veggie for over 20 years here too, and I noticed when I went vegan for a spell that my hair did suffer. Once I added eggs back in, my hair greatly improved. I can't remember the ingredient in eggs that is vital for hair (not just the protein it is something else). There is a thread about this somewhere. Anyway, you do not have to consume flesh to get what you need. Search around here for "hair vitamins" and you'll find out what they are and where to get them.

ETA: You can be vegan and get all the vitamins you need.

B-vitamins? That's the one mum has to watch -- she's on a strict-vegan-plus-seafood diet. (For MS. Yes, it probably makes no sense if you're vegetarian for any other reason.)

[emsahib]

I've been a vegetarian for 10 years and I don't think it actually effected my hair, well not like the dye and not going to the hairdressers enough did. Although my sister was also a vegetarian for a short while and I did notice a difference when she started eatting meat again; it seemed alot fuller. However she's really fussy and doesnt really like vegetables all that much so she wasn't getting all her nutrience etc

However your diet sounds really good and I believe you can get everything you need from a vegetarian diet like lentils are a really good sorce of protein and broccoli has some much iron in it, plus red meat especially is really bad for you.

I'm interested about fat being good for your hair. How much fat do you need? And is it a certain type of fat? I've just started cutting back on the amount of fat and sugars i eat in the hope to drop a dress size.

[christine1989]

My guess would be that your diet is lacking sufficient protein and/or fat. I know that both of these are common contributors to dry, frizzy hair. Luckily there are vegetarian ways to get all of the nutrients you get from meat. If you are really at a loss for what is causing your hair to be dry then you could always see a naturapath. They can do some pretty advanced blood testing that reveals a lot about what nutrients you are lacking- I found out that I had super low iron and since taking an iron suppliment my hair falls out much less.

[Chiara]

Hi OP,
First, have you noticed problems with your skin or nails as well? I was a lacto-ovo-veggie years ago. It did not work for me because of other health problems, but that was evident quite quickly (like within a year) as my skin, nails and hair all deteriorated. If your skin/nails are still behaving then it's less likely that diet is the problem.

Another thing, given the other health concerns you mention, is that you might want to ask a doctor to check your thyroid hormone levels are OK. This can also have an impact on hair quality, blood pressure (which could cause the dizziness) and energy levels.

If it's just your hair that seems to be misbehaving, then maybe it's a case of playing with your hair washing/conditioning regime? I know when I lived in northern Europe I could use shampoo. Now I'm back in Australia (much more extreme climate, as far as humidity goes), I have to use shampoo much less.

[morguebabe]

I dont know I've not eaten meat in 15 years, and haven't had dairy in about a year. I still eat eggs and seafood on occasion. I also dye and bleach my hair. I drink ALOT of water and make sure to get enough protein and fat.

[shawty]

I have been vegan for five years. During that time my hair growth has never slowed and its health has never faltered. But I did it right, and I had my mother's support. I would advise against a vegan or vegetarian diet for someone who doesn't have a plan to fill the niches left by other foods. =)