Why Does My Hair Fall Out When I Lose Weight

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — By Anna Schaefer — Updated on April 7, 2020

You can lose hair due to factors like nutritional deficiencies and stress. Hair loss can also occur as a medication side effect or if you have underlying health conditions, such as lupus.

Finding hair in your brush is normal: We shed. But if a person starts losing an unusual amount of hair, it can be cause for concern.

When Hair Loss Is Not Genetic

Losing hair normally doesn’t have much effect on your appearance or warmth, as your head has plenty more to make up for the daily loss. But there may be a more significant reason for your hair loss when you start seeing your scalp or bald spots.

When you think of hair loss, you may think of the genetic factors, such as male pattern baldness. Hormones, thyroid problems, and other diseases can all cause hair loss too.

Aside from genetic male pattern baldness, men can lose hair as their hormonal composition changes with age. Hair loss is caused by your follicles’ response to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

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Perhaps one of the most common hormone-related causes for hair loss is a thyroid problem. Both too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) and too little (hypothyroidism) can lead to hair loss. Treating the thyroid disorder can often reverse the hair loss.

Physical and psychological stress can cause hair loss. Surgery, high fevers, and blood loss can cause enough stress to result in excessive shedding. Childbirth can result in hair loss for several months after delivery.

As for psychological stress, the link is less well-defined. However, many people have reported losing hair at times of extreme mental stress or anxiety. And hair loss for other reasons can still be stressful.

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Pharmaceuticals can come with a long list of side effects, including hair loss. Chemotherapy is the most well-known cause, but others include:

These medications affect people differently and may not cause hair loss in everyone. Learn more about the medications that can cause hair loss.

Zinc and iron deficiency are the most common nutritional links to hair loss. But some evidence indicates that low intakes of the following vitamins and nutrients could also be to blame:

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Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause hair loss. Generally, the hair loss is patchy and accompanied by lesions on the scalp.

Skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis can occur on the scalp and interfere with hair growth. Infections such as ringworm of the scalp and folliculitis can also cause hair loss.

The search for causes and potential treatments by people experiencing hair loss is understandable. Research has tied hair loss to lower self-esteem, body image issues, and increased anxiety. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology recommends assessing for anxiety and stress when diagnosing hair loss.

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Talk with your doctor about your concerns and the potential causes for your hair loss. They can recommend a treatment that’s right for you.

Has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Most of us grow up with a full head of hair, and we’re used to seeing it whenever we look in the mirror or see ourselves in a photo. It’s part of who we are, and some folks even use it to show off their personality.

And while a lot of us may expect to lose our hair as we get older due to age or family genetics, it can sometimes happen unexpectedly for a variety of reasons.

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If you look on the floors of your home, inside your vacuum cleaner, or in your favorite brush or comb, odds are you’re going to find plenty of your own hair. And this is normal since every hair on our body has a lifespan before it falls out and a new hair begins growing from that follicle.

“At any given time, roughly 90% of our hair is in the growth phase and not at risk of falling out, but roughly 10% is in the final phase where it’ll fall out in the next few months, ” said Andrew Peterson, MD, a family practice physician at OSF HealthCare. “This prevents us from losing our hair all at once but makes it very normal for us to shed between 50-150 hairs daily, which isn’t noticeable in terms of how we look.”

When it comes to hair loss, the most important things to monitor are the pattern and timing of the loss as well as the health of skin in the affected areas.

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“People should see their primary care physician when they notice any hair loss accompanied by a skin rash, visible scarring or other abnormality, ” Dr. Peterson said. “Another concern would be rapidly losing random patches of hair as opposed to the slow loss and pattern typical of male and female pattern baldness.”

The most common cause of hair loss in men and women is androgenetic alopecia, which is a genetic condition commonly referred to as male or female pattern baldness.

Typically, this hair loss isn’t related to any visible skin abnormalities and can affect the front hair line and top of the head. It tends to spare the sides and back of the head, and it varies greatly in how much it affects different people.

I'm 14 And My Hair Fall Out A Lot, I Could Do As Simple As Just Running My Fingers Through My Hair And A Few Strands Of Hair Will Fall Out, Is

In men, it can result in the easily recognized M-shaped hairline as well as balding on the crown and top of the head. In women, it starts at the center part line and results in thinning or balding on the top and crown of the head.

“When diagnosing the cause of hair loss, much of it is done in the evaluation of the scalp and discussing the pattern and timing of the loss with the patient, ” Dr. Peterson said. “Occasionally, a basic blood test or skin biopsy is required.”

“Hair loss due to stress tends to happen two or three months after the stress onset, ” Dr. Peterson said. “We classically see this in women after the birth of a child, but other medical conditions or certain illnesses can also be the root cause. If there’s no obvious cause, a blood test would likely be done to evaluate for a possible undiagnosed condition that could be stressing the body.”

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Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor will provide guidance on possible treatments, which may include topical therapies, prescription therapies, treating the underlying issue or sometimes just giving it a little time.People joke about tearing their hair out when they’re stressed, but for the many women dealing with real hair loss, it’s no laughing matter.

Seeing a lot of hair fall out can be frustrating, surprising and downright disheartening, especially if it's sudden. And, according to the American Hair Loss Association, women represent 40 percent of those with hair loss in the U.S.

Hair is falling out in the first place. sought out the experts to explain how to tackle hair loss with confidence.

Does Coloring Make Your Hair Fall Out?

“There are numerous causes of hair loss from such causes as hormonal issues, certain types of hair styling that can cause hair loss over time, systemic diseases such as thyroid gland problems, lupus and others, ” said Dr. Alan Parks, board-certified dermatologist and founder of DermWarehouse.

Alopecia is basically a fancy medical term for hair loss and, like many conditions, no two types of alopecia are the same. “There are a number of different types of alopecia and they are generally characterized by thinning hair or complete loss of hair, ” said cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Sejal Shah of New York City's SmarterSkin Dermatology.

Although several types of hair loss exist, the two most common are androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss) and telogen effluvium (excessive daily hair fall), according to Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist (a hair and scalp expert) for Philip Kingsley hair care.

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“Androgenetic alopecia is a slow and progressive reduction in hair volume, ” Kingsley said. “It occurs when you have a genetic predisposition that causes hair follicles on your scalp to be sensitive to normal levels of circulating androgens (male hormones).”

In other words, your hair follicles gradually shrink and produce hairs that are slightly finer and shorter with each passing hair growth cycle. Even though this type of hair loss is mostly reliant on genes, Kingsley said other factors can influence it as well. For instance, certain contraceptives and hormone-replacement therapies that effect hormone levels can aggravate the problem if there's already a genetic predisposition to follicle sensitivity.

Telogen effluvium, on the other hand, is characterized by excessive daily hair fall with more hairs falling out when women shampoo or brush/style their hair. It can take 8-12 weeks for hair to fall out after a triggering event. “It is a reactive alopecia, triggered by an internal disruption, ” Kingsley said. “As hair is non-essential tissue, it is very sensitive to fluctuations to general health.”

Telogen Effluvium: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Regrowth

Certain vitamin deficiencies — like Vitamin D, iron and ferritin (stored iron), for instance — and other factors like crash dieting, thyroid issues and pregnancy (postpartum hair loss) can also trigger telogen effluvium.

Alopecia areata, another type of alopecia typically