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?
From the Atkins Nutritionals Website:
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.
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Stimulating the scalp can also help reverse this kind of hair loss. Use a firm-bristled brush and 100 strokes a day all over the scalp. This technique will not replenish pattern baldness of any kind. But it can help stimulate the scalp and hair in the symptoms mentioned above.
