It has been well-documented that people following a vLCD (very low calorie diet) suffer from sudden hair loss, and the Kimkins starvation diet is no exception.
Here is a post from yesterday from the Kimpound:
"Help with hair loss!!
Where can I find info on hair loss? From what I understand it could be normal, but I am starting to get nervous. I am still losing quite a bit of hair. Have been for about 2 months. I was really bad about taking my multi-vitamin for the first few months, but am now taking it regularly. I know there have been some things on here about it, but am not great with computers and visit very little. People are starting to ask me why my hair is so thin. I am 29 with no health issues. Hoping it is just from losing 50 lbs. I haven't really noticed any neww hair growth."
This member of Kimkins was then provided with various solutions to her hair-loss problem:
"I would like to add my two cents. When I started again in October as quickly as the weight was coming off so was I losing my hair. It was coming out by the handfuls, like when I was going through chemo. It was a very distressing time but the funny thing is that when I increased the suppliments that I was taking My hair is no longer doing that. I am so glad that my hair is now thickening up again. My husband is wondering what I am doing because his hair is thinning. LOL I was told drastic changes to your body and your body reacts! It is that simple!!! But with all that to say , if you have a concern go to a professional to rule out any underlying issues".
And then SingingLass chimes in and addresses her bald spots which were evident during her recent stint on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet:
"Hi everyone. Hair loss unfortunately is a common side-affect that happens with any kind of weight loss. Some of us just have that kind of reaction to any kind of stress or change to our bodies---I know a lot of women who have complained of major hair fall-out after pregnancies, stressfull break-ups, illnesses etc....I myself have been prone to it...the very first time was when I originally did atkins for a while back in 2001. I also have had fall-out from high stress, and then again after my pro-longed illness. Its a little distressing to me because I have a thing with long hair....but I figured my health comes first, and that the hair will fill back in. I have shortened it a bit---it used to be almost long enough to sit on.
I actually have not had any fall-out for several months now. Most of what I did lose was about a year ago while I was still on atkins, and that very well could have partially been due to illness recovery as well. I have had some brief periods where I would see more coming out in my brush and shower...but it has always passed. I now have A LOT of new growth...I have this puff of thickness around my neck due to having a lot of hair in the 3 inch- 6 inch length underneath...basically it is the regrowth of the hair I initially lost. Something to keep in mind that is encouraging...is the whole reason we lose the hair is simply because the hair growth cycle is sped up/ interupted....and is pushed out by a new hair coming in. Its not like the hair is falling out for good---it is being replaced. My stylist has like-wise said it is something she sees happen a lot with people who are losing weight. Right now I am letting the new-growth come in for a few more months to thicken it up a little, then think I will get a shorter more trendy cut and let it all grow back out to a longer length again.
Contrary to what some people said after seeing the M&J taping...i do NOT have any bald spots, lol. The lighting and angle just were hitting my head in a funny way. I had two top sections of hair clipped back ( common way i have worn it for years to keep it out of my face) and my part branches off a little into a " y" shape at my bangs...and it was that spot in my part I think they were obsessing over, lol. Nope, sorry. The loss I have experienced has just been general all-over and not a targeted area. I have lots of whispies and new growth, but i still get frequent compliments on my hair despite all of this.
I think part of what has helped the last few months is that i switched to a women's vitamin---made by Nature's Made, and also have been taking biotin. Oddly enough, i tried several of the expensive shampoos that did not seem to help...but what did, and I got this tip off of the "other site" while I was still on atkins...is the tresseme ( spelling?) anti-breakage. Its funny because that stuff is inexpensive, but every time i start to get fall out and use it it stops it. I now use the shampoo every day, but a different regular conditioner I like, and am seeing good results. Its worth a shot at least....that stuff only costs like $3 for a huge bottle. So, even though people like to try to say this is a big draw-back to this diet plan, it really is common place...and you can see that by looking at other weight loss boards and their threads on this very issue. The opposers just like to try to skim over-that because this is one of their only negatives they have to go with. I saw many many threads on it from people doing atkins and other plans long before I ever even heard of kimkins.
Its not fun, but it comes back."
And another Kimkins member reports her hair loss:
"Hi -- here's an update for me.
I saw my doctor last month because of symptoms I was having that we were almost sure were thyroid -- hair loss, slow hair regrowth on my legs (not necessarily a bad thing!), brain fog, feeling cold all the time, etc. My blood work came back fine -- especially the thyroid tests. The doctor suspects anemia, as my levels for that were on the lower side, and since I was already taking multivitamins with iron AND began a low iron supplement two weeks before having the bloodwork done, the levels should've been higher than they were. Anemia can cause hair loss as well as the other symptoms. He also suspects that the rapid weight loss may have contributed to the hair loss, but had nothing to do with anemia.
I've been faithful with my supplements, specifically taking a multivitamin product that is high in Biotin called "Hair, Skin, & Nails" as well as using Nioxin 4 -- which is for visibly thinning hair. I've seen quite a bit of regrowth, and although still thinner than before, my hair has definately improved.
I had taken a break from Kimkins, but was eating like South Beach, and I have maintained my losses, fluctuating only a few pounds back & forth. I'm glad I took that break because I feel like it gave my body a chance to catch up to the loss -- in fact, I still lost a size after I went on maintenance because I think my fat cells were shrinking and my skin was toning up. I especially noticed loose skin in my neck, and that has been tightening up.
Now that I'm done freaking out about my hair, I'm going to go back to a Kimkins way of eating to get the rest of these pounds off.
Blessings and peace,
[USERNAME REMOVED]"
And another member chimes in:
"Hi [USERNAME REMOVED] - I did the same thing while my hair was going thru the worst part of falling out. I decided to maintain until I saw improvements.
In addition to maintaining, I also take a mutli-vitamin, biotin, and omega-3 fish oil capsules.
Seems like the worst is over. Although I am still losing hair, its not as much as it was. So I am not doing maintance anymore and I am ready to lose the rest of my weight.
I know I will continue to loss some more for awhile but knowing that its growing back gives me some comfort. I will watch it closely so it doesnt happen again. I am keeping my calories and fat a bit higher then before and my carbs still under 20. I do that by adding in healthy fats and some walnuts, cheese, etc." (all bolding mine)
Ladies, ladies, ladies...the reason your hair is falling out is because you're not taking in enough calories and fat.
Dr. Michael Eades explains your hair loss:
"You are experiencing a common problem called telogen effluvium, which is the medical term for acute hair loss due to a metabolic, hormonal or drug stress." (*see below for link)
Both Deni and Christin had severe hair loss when they followed Kimkins. See their comments in my blog post here:
KIMKINS & PRO-ANA / PRO-MIA: LA DANSE MACABRE
And here are some more links addressing the problem you're experiencing with sudden and massive hair loss by following a starvation diet:
* Dr. Michael R. Eades specifically addresses Hair Loss and Kimkins here:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/hair-loss-and-kimkins/
Kimkins Exposed:
http://kimkinsexposed.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/kimkins-very-low-calorie-diet-courts-health-risks-death/
Laura Dolson's About.com: Low Carb Diets...read the posts in the Closing Comments section from Christin, Julie and others. They all suffered from massive hair loss:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/populardietplans/a/kimkinsdiet_3.htm
Read Cindy Moore's excellent blog post here:
http://cindyslowcarblife.blogspot.com/2007/09/kimkins-survivors.html
And the very powerful posts by ex-members of Kimkins at Kimkins Survivors
Experiencing sudden hair loss is a frightening thing. But losing your hair is nothing compared to what will eventually befall you by following the deadly Kimkins starvation diet.
As I understand it, your hair keeps growing when you're six feet under, but a lot of good it does you then.Link to photo:
http://www.prevention.com/
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7 comments:
Yeah, Kimkins did a number on my hair, too. But, by going back to eating - you know, more fat, more calories - and continuing a good vitamin regimine including biotin and lecithin, the fall-out has stopped and I am seeing new growth.
Oh, and I've continued to lose weight. You listening, Heidi?
Oh pooh! Who CARES about hair loss?! Thanks to Kimkins I am totally BALD but do I care? No! I'm saving a lot of money not having to buy shampoo etc. Bald is the new thing anyway, so wake up and smell the fashion statement, you haters. You're just jealous because YOUR head isn't shiny. Everybody is jealous of my shiny head. My entire team of doctors and nurses here at the clinic just can't accept that my head looks so much better than their with their old-fashioned hair. My husband, children and family members, and all my friends and neighbors are JEALOUS of my shiny head -- they've all turned against me and my lovely gleaming scalp. Personally I think it's cool the way it matches all the shiny medical equipment I'm hooked up to. Everybody's jealous of that too!
Singinglass is correct. Any stressor will cause hair loss. Any quick weight loss will cause hair loss.
This is true with most any diet. Don't try to say this is only a Kimkins thing. It is clearly not.
Why would you want to lose your hair just to be slimmer quicker?? Just eat a good low-carb diet with sufficient nutrients and there shouldn't be any hair loss. If there is the body is not getting the nutrients it requires. What nutrients it does get is used to perform important tasks in the body. Hair on our head is not so important for our survival so will show nutrient deficiencies.
What other harm are you doing to your body other than hair loss? Chances are you are damaging your body and for what a slim body in record time that will most likely result in weight re-gain.
I forgot to say that you'll regain the weight just like Kimmer (Heidi Diaz)but, that's right Heidi never lost any weight - she just scammed us all. She just couldn't do the Kimkin diet it was too strict but she told everyone else to do it.
Thank you for clarifying the cause for the hair loss, Medusa. Maybe some people will learn about this. I'm afraid most will just hear what they want to hear.
It's true that physical trauma can cause hair loss. Extended periods of poor nutrition is traumatic to the body and can do permanent harm.
"Any quick weight loss will cause hair loss"
Oops, I guess countless gastric banding/bypass patients with adequate medical supervision didnt get the memo. That "any"=ain't.
No, weight gain associated with *unhealthy* restriction/deficiency may cause hair loss. Dramatic hair loss is the dead canary in the dieter's mine. Things are not OK, ergo not excusable/to be dismissed or defended.
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