The best zinc source is oysters, then red meat AKA as beef and organ meat, shellfish, wheat germ, yogurt, legumes. Bread may be rich in B-vitamins, not zinc.
cheers,
Dina

Started a low carb/low cal regimen based on Atkins 13 months ago and for the last six months I have experienced thinning on the crown of my head. (55 yo female)

It seems to have stopped now - may be even filling in a little.

Dr. suggested thyroid problems not diet - but thyroid function is ok. Obviously Dr doesn't know much about stress, diet effects on hair loss.

I posted the same message to a different thread, hoping that more people can hear my problem.

A question for those of you who experienced TE(telegen effluvium) due to LC, what was the duration like, how many weeks, months? Mine started in mid-April until now they're still falling. I started taking a cocktail of Vitamins late May the only thing I noticed that improved are my nails they have been stronger and they grow faster than normal, but I didn't see any hair growing? Everytime I read something about it I freak out! Seems like the facts that I've gather are non sense to me but part of me is still hoping that it will grow back.

Now that I looked up TE to see what it is - I don't have that. My hair loss has been gradual until I was able to see my scalp on the crown of my head. There are no actually barespots - just thinning. I think the thinning may have stopped, but my original estimation that I may be growing hair back is probably wrong.

I was trying to keep at 1200 calories and below 30 carbs for the entire time I was dieting because I basically have no metabolism and I didn't want to start exercising then - I am starting now - to maintain my weight loss and to get healthier.

Now I'm guessing the hair loss may be a response to "starvation" - or something else - not specifically that I am doing l/c.

I have found my hair and nails grow very fast - my nails even seem slightly stronger - so what gives?

hey guys! I wanted to add a comment to this post.

About 2 years ago I noticed that my hair was thinning. This was about 1 year before I started LCing. I decided to start the MPB BIG 3,-Rogaine, Propcia, and Nizrol Shampoo. Because of the meds, I now have more hair than 2 years ago. I dont know how long it is going to last but Its worth a try for MEN (Women cannot take Propcia) who have the same issue.

I am glad that I saw this, for the last few weeks I have been losing a LOT of hair and I didn't really put it together with the change in diet until now- I just hope it stops falling out soon and starts growing back fast!

Don't blame Atkins for hair loss. It is not his fault or the fault of the diet. You loose hair anytime the body goes through a period of change. I lost hair while I was pregnant and I was not doing Atkins, so please, do not blame the diet. It will stop and grow back. It happened to me now too and it has stopped and is growing back just like it did when I was pregnant. At the time I went to see a Dermatologyst who recomended I use Daragen shampoo. It worked.

My hair has been falling out in small 'chunks'. Like after a shower, I can pull (well not <pull> just really gently) out like 30-40 hairs, and 3-4 at a time all day long. I've been freaking out for a couple of weeks now. But I'm glad to finally have figured out it is probably LC WOE, since I started it a little over 3 months ago. I hope that's what it is anyway, it's been coming out for about 3 weeks now. But at this rate, I'll be bald in 3 weeks. I'm gettin really, really nervous...

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about your problem. It is scary to see your hair raining out in your head. I experienced it about 4months after I started LCing. I panicked!! What I can suggest you do is to see your doctor, you need to be tested for your ferritin level, coz when you exercise you loose iron and if you're low in iron your hair will fall out but if you have too much iron it will fall out also, so I would recommend to see your doctor. Please do take your vitamins it helps a lot. Take extra Vitamin B-12 and B-complex and some fish oil-omega 3s. Thirdly, do some research on hairloss. The good thing about this is that this temporary, until now I'm still hopeful that it will grow back. I lost about 40% of my hair but it stopped in mid July and I owe it to the vitamins and Viviscal.

I have been doing Atkins since January and at the beginning of June I noticed a large increase in the amount of hair that I shed daily, after 3 months of hair loss it is very noticable to me, but not to others. I have had a battery of blood & urine work-ups done and my endocrinologist said that I basically have a slight (is that possible?) case of PCOS. Of course even though I'm already low-carbing she wanted to put me on med's. I am taking a good multi, biotin, msm, a great omega 3/6/9, and flax seed oil vitamins. Can anyone share with me exactly how long their hair loss went on? I don't think I can afford to loss much more hair. Thanks!

I have had the same problem...it seems I have about 1/3 of the hair I had 6 months ago...it really bothers me...I can run my hands through my hair and come out with 5-10 strands. It has gotten better in the past 2 weeks, but I am so tired of having hair all over my car, furniture, clothes, not to mention food. I hope it goes away soon, and that my hair does grow back...its a scary thing.

I was losing lots and lots of hair, but it has slowed down tremendously over the last 2 weeks. I believe that it is just due to the dieting in general and not because of low carb. I started my diet in Feb and as of today I have lost about 85 pounds in 8 months. Thank goodness that I had very thick hair to begin with. I am taking vitamins and supplements so hopefully that will help. It is getting less and less every day so hopefully it will stop before I am bald! :-)

I did lose hair in the beginning, lots of it, to the point where my ponytail was as thin as my index finger. I gave the matter some thought: my hair was thin, I wanted to go natural and get rid of the dye anyway... so I went to the extreme and cut it really really short, 1 inch short. After a while, not seeing the long strands of hair on the brush and in the shower, I forgot about it.

Then, a couple of days ago I was in front of the mirror, just about to comb my hair and I was literally stunned at how gorgeous my hair looks now! It's grown back and it's shiny and bouncy and everything it never was before! I have a 5 inch long ponytail now and it's double as thick than when I started. Have I mentioned how shiny it is? I haven't done anything out of the ordinary with it lately, just the same old shampoo and conditioner... and my hair looks so much better than when I used all sorts of hair masks and egg yolks and olive oil and what not. Plus, I've had no split ends since starting Atkins, 14 months ago. And it's growing like crazy, faster than ever!
So my advice to all shedders out there: don't panic, let the dieting shock on your hair wear out. Atkins is healthy for the body and, in time, given the opportunity to regenerate, that health will show in your hair as well. That is, unless I'm a freak of nature and my experience is completely out of the ordinary (I somehow doubt that).

For me eggs is my answere to the hair lost..now no problem. Good luck to all.
Anna

I know it's a problem for some, I wish I had it, I have thick hair and lots of it. My hairdresser always comments on it and would keep forgetting that though it's thick it dries quickly, he'd always have to redampen it before styling