Hi

Try www.florisene.com - it has a good FAQ and info on the product. Apparently Tesco pharmacy sell it now, although I got mine mail order.

Cocoabear

I have just read through all of these post and want to thank everyone for their input. I thought I would be totally bald by now. I've been doing Atkin's since June. I went to the local GNC store where they informed me that you MUST take vitamin supplements while on this diet. Even though I take a multivitamin daily, apparently it is not enough to prevent the hair loss. I purchased biotin, iron and essential oils - but the store brand, not Atkin's brand. It was so much cheaper. Hopefully the hair loss will begin to turn around soon. And, yes, Dr. Atkin's should emphasize this problem more than he has! If he had said your hair will fall out unless you take the vitamins, I would have done so. Will let everyone know how long it takes before my hair returns, or if it all falls out.

I started the Atkins diet a few weeks ago and i am starting to notice my hair falling out too. It's nice to know I not the only one.

eikes
I am so glad I saw this thread tonight. I just called my Dr.s office today, because the last few days I have brushed out hands full of hair. I freaked out...because I've never had this happen before. I was crying and showing my husband how much of my hair fell out.
I still have to go and read that one thing everyone was talking about at the beginning of the thread...but I already feel so much better.
Cheryl

I was relieved by that article too, but the shedding is getting worse, 4 months into it, not stopping.
Now you CAN SEE MY SCALP!
I mean really see it.

I was in tears yesterday.

I've got a bit tearful at times too. I loved my hair, it was the nicest bit about me. Now I only wear it up, as its too thin and pathetic to wear down.
I'm going to try Florisene - it doesnt' sound like it can do any harm and I might benefit - I do have heavy periods and don't eat that much red meat.
Thanks for everyone who's posted after their hair has started to sort out - I appreciate that, it gives me hope!
I hope in a few months I'll be posting too, though presumably its going to take 3 years before my hair is back to pre-LC, as that's how long it took to grow this length

You know, one of my worst fears is that people will notice my thin hair and say 'its that diet, I told you it was unhealthy'!

I know its not true, but that would be hard to deal with.

Anyway enough rambling, here to everyone growing back thick healthy hair
Jay

Hello All,

Just wanted to let everyone know that the hair loss has gradually decreased since my last post two weeks ago. I've been taking 1200mg biotin, 18 mg chelated iron, and GNC's multi-oil formula for almost two weeks now and it seems to be working. Either that or it was going to stop on it's own now any way. I've also had my hairdresser cut my hair a little shorter and give me a perm so at least the hair I do have looks a little fuller, whether it is or not. She says it will take 3-6 months for it all to come back. This same thing happened to me two years ago. I had a stroke in June, 2000, and my hair started falling out two months later, from the stress. It all came back, but took about 6 months. Apparently any time you stress your system, with illness or diet or whatever, this can happen. I won't give up my diet, though; it's getting the weight off and I find I have lost my taste for sweets and starches. Good luck to all of you with the weight loss and the hair loss as well. We must persevere!

Here is what the Atkins Center has to say about hair loss.... Hope this helps!

I've noticed some hair loss while I've been doing Atkins. Is this a result of my new eating habits? What can I do?

It is natural to go through periodic phases of shedding hair. But if this is an ongoing problem, make sure you're not restricting calories or skipping meals. Any weight-loss regimen may lower your metabolic rate, which can result in hair loss. Unlike calorie-restricted diets, Atkins is the least likely of any weight-loss program to contribute to hair loss because the higher caloric content keeps the body from behaving as though it is in a starvation mode. When that happens, your metabolism is lowered as a survival mechanism.

Alternatively, you might be low in some specific nutrients that could affect your hair loss. You might try adding biotin, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), glutathione and lecithin to your diet. If excessive hair loss occurs, see your doctor.

This is from the lowcarbluxury.com newsletter.

Hello,

I have been eating low carb for about 3 months. For the last month or so, I have been noticing extreme hair loss. Have you ever heard of hair loss being associated with a low-carb lifestyle? I am really getting quite worried because I can't figure out what's causing this.

Thank you,

Donna

Dear Donna,

What you describe is called "Telogen Effluvium". The good news is, it's normal in about 10-15% of dieters. The better news is, it's temporary.

Telogen effluvium is when a stress (such as dieting/weight change) causes noticeable shedding of hair after the stressful event. The hair loss is always delayed, usually 3–4 months after the "stressful event".

The event can be a physical stress such as an illness (especially with a fever), sudden weight changes (the most common), or a major surgical procedure. Sudden severe emotional stress can also trigger telogen effluvium, including the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a job termination.

It's all about something called "Transition to Resting Phase". In telogen effluvium, the stressful event causes a high proportion of hair follicles to halt their growth phase prematurely, and to begin a transition to the resting phase at the same time. 3–4 months after the stressful event, a high proportion of follicles shed their hairs all at about the same time, as they prepare for a new cycle of growth.

The confusion comes in here –– What triggers the hair loss begins 3–4 months before the loss of the hair actually occurs. Usually, the person losing hair has recovered from the event (or stabilized from the weight change or dietary change), and then they start shedding their hair in clumps! The condition is almost always temporary, and new hairs soon grow back in. Within a few more months the normal random cycle of hair follicle growth and rest resumes.

Usually telogen effluvium results in random hair loss from all over the scalp. Often the effect is not noticeable to others, although seeing the increased quantities of shed hairs is disturbing to their owner. Treatment for telogen effluvium includes waiting for the new hairs to grow in, and styling to give a fuller look in the meantime.

Rest assured this phenomenon is not restricted to low-carbing, and in fact because our diet is high in protein, we often recover more quickly. Make sure your diet is TRULY TOTALLY sugar free. Sugar greatly exacerbates the condition. It also helps to do the following:
Up your protein by 15% each day over whatever levels you've been eating.
Make SURE you are taking in at least 1500 calories per day.
Drink LOTS of water. 64 ounces is a minimum per day.
Take your supplements! At a minimum, you should be taking:
A good multivitamin with NO iron
CoEnzyme Q10 – 75-150 mg per day.
Acetyl L-Carnitine – 1000 mg per day
A good Essential Fatty Acids supplement if you don't
eat some form of salmon, tuna, or olive oil every day.
Hope all of this is of some help, Donna. I know it feels scary, but it's not as abnormal as it may seem. I've seen people go off their diets because of it and then attest that after going off and eating "normally" their hair came back. Of course it would have come back anyway, but because these cycles are delayed, they draw the wrong conclusion. You'll find posts all over the web about how this or that diet caused their hair to fall out so the diet is DANGEROUS. They scare a lot of people with misinformation. I appreciate that you took the time to come to me and ask.

I am new to the Atkins program (little less than a month). I was relieved to find this hair loss forum as my hair has been falling out like crazy. I was horrified every time I looked at my hairbrush! I will start some vitamins, etc., in hope that the hairloss will stop.

I have been to the Dr. and they ran every test known to man...they were all fine.

So, then he said that maybe it is heriditary....well, now I think it is not....especially after reading all of this. I too was feeling a bit freaked out about the loss. I have NEVER lost hair like this. I noticed it in the shower at the gym and now that I am back on induction it is worse....it is a good thing that I have alot of hair. I am still worried...

Has anyone had this happen and noticed new hair growth or it stopping....?? When ??? How long before it stops...??

Anybody keep track of calories (fitday.com)?

I find it hard to eat a min. of 1200 cal per day - the ABSOLUTE min. I will go for my height. Just a though.

I have been low carbing for 5 weeks now, and I wasn't sure at first, thought it might be my imagination, but I've noticed new hair growth this past week. Have no idea how this started, but before I started the Induction Phase, my hair was thining out. So, I don't know if this is a common occurance or not. Hope this is helpful for you.

Never say that, even in jest. I had tons of hair, and it's a good thing, cuz even losing alot, it doesn't look weird except to me. Y
You never know what life brings.

My hair originally started thinning4-5 months AFTER going on HRT. Skip forward a couple of months, starting on Atkins and 2-3 months later, another heavy shed starts.
Synthetic hormones can cause hair to thin. Hormones go way out of balance. It may be a low progesterone, with the ratio of estro/porge being unbalanced. http://www.johnleemd.com/

How is your hair now???