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infinity_girl
September 23rd, 2011, 01:18 PM
Have any of you seen a significant change to your hair, whether it be faster growth, change of texture, health etc or anything else by changing your diet?

My hair has always been coarse and dry and prone to frizz. I am trying to lose weight and am reading a diet book which advises you to cut out cows milk and wheat/gluten. I haven't managed the wheat bit so far (I don't eat much wheat anyway) but I have switched my milk to soy/rice milk and the psoriasis patches on my elbows and knees are clearing up quickly. It made me wonder what effects changing ones diet can have on ones hair type, if it can have such a significant effect on ones skin, so I thought I would ask this question.

nobeltonya
September 23rd, 2011, 01:33 PM
My hair seems to be much healthier, stronger, shinier, etc.. since I stopped eating fast food and started on Indian food [rice, bread, veggies, lean meats, lentils, etc]. It also helped that I learned to care for it correctly, but food made a huge difference. I also gained like 10-15 lbs after meeting my husband and starting on healthy food. :)

bunzfan
September 23rd, 2011, 01:36 PM
Yes for me totally. Let me explain i used to eat junk food and hardly ate any protein so its no surprise i couldn't get my hair past shoulder, once i started eating much better my hair has grown so much i also take a daily multi vitamin.

pink.sara
September 23rd, 2011, 01:38 PM
I think my diet has stopped my hair growing :(

I was diagnosed as coeliac last year and am also intolerant to dairy products but it's only been the past 4-5 months I have actually completely cut them out of my diet. And unless I use Monistat my hair is growing less than 1cm every 6 weeks :(
I think my hair and nails miss the dairy fats and calcium so will be adding suplements as soon as I can afford some decent ones. I have noticed my hair is less oily since I cut out these things though.

longhairedlady
September 23rd, 2011, 01:43 PM
I am a vegetarian, I havent noticed a difference from when I was a carnivore.

julierockhead
September 23rd, 2011, 01:58 PM
Yes, when I eat a healthy diet I get one inch of growth a month, and when I am too busy to cook and rely on my husband and take-out food, it slows to 3/4 or even 1/2. Food is huge. On a good diet my hair seems thicker too, not so fine, and I have fewer sheds.

buttercupmcgee
September 23rd, 2011, 03:13 PM
I am a vegetarian, I havent noticed a difference from when I was a carnivore.

Ditto! So much for the protein myth....I've been seeing sheen, volume, and growth like never before since cutting out animal protein and going instead for lentils, soy, and greens.

Ava666
September 23rd, 2011, 04:46 PM
I'm an undiagnosed celiac, with other food allergies (such as soy, and sensitivities to some fruit.) after cutting out the gluten and soy from my diet my hair started growing faster, and it wasn't as nasty looking (could also be from not using chemicals.) also living more naturally.

julierockhead
September 23rd, 2011, 05:34 PM
Ditto! So much for the protein myth....I've been seeing sheen, volume, and growth like never before since cutting out animal protein and going instead for lentils, soy, and greens.

How is protein a myth? Vegetarians can get plenty of protein in their diets, it's very easy.

FrozenBritannia
September 23rd, 2011, 05:37 PM
I'm an undiagnosed celiac, with other food allergies (such as soy, and sensitivities to some fruit.) after cutting out the gluten and soy from my diet my hair started growing faster, and it wasn't as nasty looking (could also be from not using chemicals.) also living more naturally.


That would be me too..

I was on a vegan diet for a year and my hair and skin was wonderful, too.

greentealeaf
September 23rd, 2011, 05:40 PM
Next month will mark my second year as a vegan. I think it really has contributed to my hair growth and the overall health of my hair and skin.

Swan 92
September 23rd, 2011, 05:50 PM
My hair became shinier when I turned vegetarian.

NotInPortland
September 23rd, 2011, 05:57 PM
I hope it makes a good difference, right now my diet is pretty poor due to sheer laziness to be honest but I hope to get myself into gear and eat a lot healthier. My hair looks pretty shiny and okay now but hopefully a healthier diet might improve growth and thickness ( I would love some more thickness!!).

Roscata
September 23rd, 2011, 07:15 PM
It makes me happy to hear that going vegetarian/vegan hasn't affected your hair in a bad way. Even though I've been vegetarian/vegan (I go back and forth) for 5 years now I'm still scared. I had a friend that said she lost half her hair when she went vegetarian. I was scared that would happen to me when I gave up daily multivitamins but I'm not sure I've seen any changes yet. I eat healthy most of the time and that's how it's always been, so apart from going vegetarian no big diet changes ever happened and I didn't notice any big changes in my hair from it. :D

colormeindie
September 24th, 2011, 10:40 AM
@Roscata
your friend and i are having the same problem. And i still take a multivitamin, and others daily.. i've only been a vegetarian for a year and a half and my hair has thinned out to where you can almost see through it. I should have asked my mom or dad if they had any problems with anemia, and they did. Now i have heart palpation's, trouble breathing, MAJOR hair loss, and constantly numb hands. She SAID she would look for a doctor so i can get a few blood tests but oh whats this? she just stops looking as things get worse. thanks for caring mom.
I'm 15 and im going bald. awesome :'(

Sundial
September 24th, 2011, 10:49 AM
It has made quite a bit of difference. I used to hate eating meat/fish and would only eat them if I had to (in social settings where we share food etc). My hair was dull and rough then.

Since I started increasing my intake of protein and made an effort to eat more stuff with healthy fats like salmon and avocado, there's been a remarkable difference! My hair has a noticeable shine now. There's also less shedding which I attribute to the increased amount of iron I get from red meat and iron supplements.

Safira
September 24th, 2011, 10:55 AM
I donīt eat meat. Not because Iīm vegetarian, but because I donīt like how meat tastes. I usually eat chicken or other variaton of food. At work I usually eat salades. I donīt like breads, I rarely eat those.

I think mostly oils makes my hair grow and skin looking good.

tinywife
September 24th, 2011, 11:03 AM
I am desperately hoping to see some improvement. At my current rate of 1/2 inch a month, it's a loooong way down to my goal. However, I've also been eating about 1,000 calories a day for the last two years. I'm attempting to double that now.

buttercupmcgee
September 24th, 2011, 01:02 PM
Yes, when I eat a healthy diet I get one inch of growth a month, and when I am too busy to cook and rely on my husband and take-out food, it slows to 3/4 or even 1/2. Food is huge. On a good diet my hair seems thicker too, not so fine, and I have fewer sheds.


How is protein a myth? Vegetarians can get plenty of protein in their diets, it's very easy.

The protein myth is that veg-heads can't get enough protein.

gazelle
September 24th, 2011, 01:17 PM
My hair turned healthier and growth is better after dietician. (I was diagnosed hypotyroidism and high cholesterol and gained weight very fastly.) My diet includes lentils, boiled and raw vegatables, fresh fruits and sometimes meat. I see it is beneficial for hair

coneyisland
September 24th, 2011, 01:35 PM
@Roscata
your friend and i are having the same problem. And i still take a multivitamin, and others daily.. i've only been a vegetarian for a year and a half and my hair has thinned out to where you can almost see through it. I should have asked my mom or dad if they had any problems with anemia, and they did. Now i have heart palpation's, trouble breathing, MAJOR hair loss, and constantly numb hands. She SAID she would look for a doctor so i can get a few blood tests but oh whats this? she just stops looking as things get worse. thanks for caring mom.
I'm 15 and im going bald. awesome :'(

Please go to your physician first thing Monday morning and tell the physician everything you said in that post.

Aeris
September 24th, 2011, 02:55 PM
@Roscata
your friend and i are having the same problem. And i still take a multivitamin, and others daily.. i've only been a vegetarian for a year and a half and my hair has thinned out to where you can almost see through it. I should have asked my mom or dad if they had any problems with anemia, and they did. Now i have heart palpation's, trouble breathing, MAJOR hair loss, and constantly numb hands. She SAID she would look for a doctor so i can get a few blood tests but oh whats this? she just stops looking as things get worse. thanks for caring mom.
I'm 15 and im going bald. awesome :'(

It sounds like you might be malnourished, maybe a B vitamin deficiency. Or, it could definitely be something else. Please go see your school nurse at least, if your mom still won't do anything. The nurse really can help by talking to your mom about how serious it might be, and referring you to someone. You can become deficient in a certain vitamin even with a multi - I've struggled for a long time with very low vitamin D, despite how diligent I am with supplementing it. They can easily do vitamin B injections, my sister has had to get them before.

I've dealt with all those same symptoms, but it was many years ago when I was anorexic - I know how horrible it feels to lose hair so young!

Good luck! :flowers:

ktani
September 24th, 2011, 04:23 PM
I agree, see a doctor. I had a friend who went entirely vegan and did get a serious Vitamin B deficiencey. She is fine and it was corrected fairly easily.

There is nothing wrong with going vegan but there are things one can do to prevent deficiencies if that is what is causing this.

Re diet, my nails do not peel as much and are much stronger when my diet is rich in protein. My hair is long so I cannot see immediate benefits from that like I can with my nails.

I eat a fair amount of protein, not much from meat and my hair and nails growth rate is very good. My hair growth rate is even better with catnip use.

Starr
September 24th, 2011, 05:30 PM
My hair has grown a lot faster and is healthier since eliminating processed food from my diet and switching to a diet of whole foods, focusing on clean eating. And I've lost weight which was a huge bonus.

Elle
September 24th, 2011, 06:45 PM
I've been getting 6" of growth a year pretty regularly since joining LHC nearly 10 years ago, but this past year it grew 8". I changed my eating habits to a more primal/paleo food plan which is mainly meat and veggies with a bit of fruit here and there, no grains or protein supplements, minimal sugars. I've been eating like this for most of the past year. I also added in a couple of supplements - Vit. D and magnesium. I don't know if any of the above has affected my hair growth. It might just be a coincidence.

arcane
September 24th, 2011, 08:12 PM
When I eat a well balanced vegan diet my hair grows like a weed. This summer was the summer of the junk-food cab based vegan diet and man my hair barely grew at all. Hair and nails are some of the first things your body skimps on when you aren't getting enough nutriants, so it makes sense that when we get enough our hair grows faster.

canny badger
September 24th, 2011, 08:30 PM
YES!
A year ago my hair started falling out.
Like every time I was in the shower or bath, a big hunk.
It was scary.
I'd been feeling really tired all the time for a while, and a colleague persuaded me to go to a nutritionist.
Now I'm a real Nature Girl.
So I was shocked to be told that I was malnourished.
It was totally unintentional.
I'm mostly vegetarian but I had very little protein in my day to day.
She amped that up- I eat fish almost every day.
Beans and rice, yogurt etc.
My hair is just now recovering- and I have a TON more energy!
Eating is absolutely connected to hair growth and vitality.
Badger

ange1ito
September 24th, 2011, 08:58 PM
Totally agree with canny badger i had the same experience with my diet. I only ate chicken as my protein for years, i rarely ate eggs, fish or red meat. A few years back I simply got sick of chicken and cut it out. I also became too busy to cook much in the week mostly eating junk if I had the energy to even put that on. Since I actively changed my diet and stuck to the correct food groups I have seen less shed. I also kicked the working your ass into the ground habit which has helped. Your whole well being definitely helps hair growth.

Heatherzilla
September 25th, 2011, 05:08 AM
When I eat a well balanced vegan diet my hair grows like a weed. This summer was the summer of the junk-food cab based vegan diet and man my hair barely grew at all. Hair and nails are some of the first things your body skimps on when you aren't getting enough nutriants, so it makes sense that when we get enough our hair grows faster.

^ This. I definitely notice when I fall off the wagon and start eating vegan junk. When my diet is good, my hair is good.

I've been trying to incorporate more good fats into my diet too, because I'd been eating a fairly low fat diet and it's made a big difference to my dry skin. It's too early to tell if it will do anything to my hair, but I'm hoping. =]

alyanna
September 25th, 2011, 05:27 AM
I've found that being attentive and mindful of my diet has made a huge difference in my hair's health.

I eat a balanced diet that is slightly high in protein. I go out of my way to incorporate red meat and other sources of protein into every meal/snack.

I am able to maintain a slim figure, a high energy level and stronger hair that sheds less.

When I've been neglectful of my eating and when I have dabbled in vegetarianism, I was pale, had brittle, very miniaturized hair that fell out a lot. Making sure I'm getting enough iron has made a huge difference.

erialc
September 25th, 2011, 05:34 AM
Yep. Full fat products, meat and less carbs have changed my hair into the better :)

WinterButterfly
September 25th, 2011, 05:49 AM
My hair grows better when I avoid processed foods. It also does better when I remember to eat red meat once a day. I struggle with anemia all the time and supliments upset my digestive system. I am intollerent to eggs and soy and most beans. But milk, cheese, whole grain breads and red meat are so nice to my body. Now if only I could stomach fish... my hair grows about 10 inches a year when I have regular animal product. It grows about half my normal rate when I do not consume milk and bread and meat and yogurt,ect.it also slows down when I have a lot of sugar. For some people, I could understand why soy would help their hair grow. It is full of protien, combined with the right foods it is great for many. Soy has been known to increase estrogen. Higher estrogen usually means thicker faster hair growth. I love soy milk! I wish I could have it without the digestive problems! For that matter, I wish I could eat eggs, blueberries, mango, passionfruit, dragonfruit, blackbeans and red beans and beans in general (instant stomache ache for most including nausea, throat swelling shut for the fruit) and I would like to have some of the other wild berries I cannt have. Apples get so boring. I think that the key to the best health you can have starts with avoiding processed foods and high doses of salt and sugar. Some people can't have certain foods. I know a man who can't absorb whole grains. I know another man who is in dialisis (he took care of his body. He's just unfortunate) he can't eat lots of fruit or whole grains. He also has to be careful wit fluid and potassium inntake. Some people can't eat grains. Some can't eat certain meats. I know a lady who eats a mostly vegan diet because she gets digestive problems with most animal products. She eats meat about every 6 months for the vitim b 12 since the shots don't help her. Everyone is different and everyone needs different things to thrive. I do think processed foods are probably mostly bad for everyone though. The funny thing is that the foods that help me feel the best and make my hair grow the fastest are the ones I don't like that much. If I could live off only letteuce tomato and avacado, I probably would. And I do mean those three things in particular. I love salad. Ii used to get in trouble as a child for eating all the stuff for salad. I can't stand most dressing though. Ruinating perfectly good letteuce. Wow I can ramble! I'm not usually up before 7am.

colormeindie
September 25th, 2011, 01:30 PM
thats just it.
we dont have the money to just up and see a doctor on short notice.

spidergoat
September 25th, 2011, 01:52 PM
thats just it.
we dont have the money to just up and see a doctor on short notice.

Your school nurse shouldn't cost you money, and if you are a minor, there are government programs to help you get the medical care you need. Ask your mom to check under 'Job and Family Services' in the yellow pages, or call your city's Department of Health for assistance. I hope this helps; I know first-hand how frustrating and scary it can be to not be able to easily access health care.

coneyisland
September 25th, 2011, 04:55 PM
thats just it.
we dont have the money to just up and see a doctor on short notice.

colormeindie, your School Nurse can neither diagnose you nor order treatment for you. Going to your School Nurse instead of to a Physician about it would only make for needless further delay in your getting diagnosed and treated.

Unless you all are fine with possibly having even more expenses in the alternative -- say, a series of wheelchairs or transport chairs; perhaps diapering for the rest of your life; lots of assistance for ordinary life activities -- then you cannot afford not to go to a Physician, and you cannot afford the risks of further delay in having your health problem/s diagnosed and treated.

You could have a condition that permits only a limited time window of opportunity for starting treatment to be able to reverse its effects or even to stop its advance. The possibility of devastating consequences is a real risk of delay in getting diagnosed and treated.

Please, first thing tomorrow morning, go to your Health Department Clinic, a "Doc-in-a-Box," or even to a hospital Emergency Department -- anywhere you can go to be checked out by a Physician who would see an urgent walk-in. If your mother refuses to take you, go anyway, and ask the personnel to report your case to the agency responsible for Child Protection.

TheBluffs
September 25th, 2011, 05:19 PM
I've added some vitamin supliments, and am drinking more water and the growth looks less 'dry".

getoffmyskittle
September 25th, 2011, 05:22 PM
I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian and have been for 2.5 years (I previously ate meat). I have not seen a change that I would attribute to my diet.

However, getting on a multivitamin did seem to help keep my shedding from cycling wildly (i.e. hardly shedding at all sometimes and shedding massive amounts other times). That took several months to happen, though.

owlathena
September 25th, 2011, 10:21 PM
I've never noticed any change in my diet affecting my hair, but I eat fairly healthily, so perhaps I've never been deficient in anything. I was vegetarian my whole life and became vegan about 6 months ago, haven't noticed a difference in growth/texture at all.

MrsGuther
September 25th, 2011, 11:55 PM
I am now on the see-food diet... I see food I want and I eat it!! I eat whatever I want whenever I want and my hair has never grown faster. Whenever I've been on a diet and restricted my calorie and fat consumption my hair doesn't seem to grow as fast.

LunaMoon
September 26th, 2011, 01:32 AM
Hi everybody!
I did some changes in my diet in the past 2 months, cut all the procesed foods and carbs/sugar intake as well. I am a kind of "not so low carb diet" but much less than the 300 gr intake that is advised from most of doctors. No fake sugars or diet stuff.
I can't notice a real change in my hair grow, but my acne and scalp problems are complety gone. I have been able to wash my hair every 3 or 4 days, instead every other day and my hair is much more healthy because of that. I am also taking multivitamins and minerals as I always did. The only change is the carbs/sugar intake.

gazelle
September 26th, 2011, 05:06 AM
I am now on the see-food diet... I see food I want and I eat it!! I eat whatever I want whenever I want and my hair has never grown faster. Whenever I've been on a diet and restricted my calorie and fat consumption my hair doesn't seem to grow as fast.

It is intresting. Since I went to dietician and started to lose weight, my hair improved too. I restricted the fat consumption and don't eat everything. Every body is different :)

macherie
September 27th, 2011, 12:07 AM
DH told me all about the tennis player Djokovic who cut out gluten from his diet (coeliac disease) and overnight went from good to become unbeatable - so diet it seems can make BIG changes with our body and how it behaves.
But I'm not an expert to say if there is a similar "magic move" we can make with our hair care.

Nicci4
September 28th, 2011, 09:41 AM
my hair, nails and skin really like prenatal vitamins. I need to start taking them again or something similar. I also just felt much better on them. Of course multi-motherhood may have something to do with my dull, disheveled and blah state.