Plant-Based Hair Loss

Eating a plant-based or vegan diet can be extremely beneficial to your health. Eating plant-based foods can lower your risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and even support your weight loss goals. So with all of these health benefits, you might be wondering why you are experiencing sudden hair loss or hair thinning. The truth is, it might not be your diet that is causing hair loss, however if it is you can still stick to your new healthy way of eating and maintain healthy hair, you just need to ensure you have the right nutrition in place. 

Hair Loss Causes

Hair loss can have many causes from genetics, to diet, and can even be caused by ageing. Here are a few of the most common causes of hair loss:

• Menopause
• Genetics
• Stress
• Medications
• Ageing
• Nutritional deficiency 
• Calorie restriction 
• Hormone issues
• Immune disorders

With such a long list of potential causes, your diet is not always to blame, sometimes your hormones or even your stress levels can break down healthy hair. If you think you might have a medical condition causing your hair loss, then reach out to your health provider to rule out this possibility. 

Plant-Based Diet Hair Loss

Now that you know there are many potential causes of hair loss, let’s focus on diet and lifestyle related hair loss. If you do not have a medical condition, then it’s time to take a look at your nutrition and lifestyle choices. While the vegan diet is healthy, there is the potential for nutritional deficiency. It is important to eat in a balanced way that offers your body a variety of nutritious foods and vitamins. 

If you think your nutrition might be to blame, here are the vitamins and minerals you should be adding to your diet:

• Iodine
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• B12

Along with the right supplements, most of your nutritional needs can be met with the foods you eat. Some of the best foods for hair growth included Dr. Fuhrman approved favorites like, greens, beans, berries, and seeds. 

If you are getting the right foods but still experiencing hair loss, you might be restricting too much. Sometimes when you start a new way of eating, you might cut back on calories which puts you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. That combined with over exercising can stress out your body, causing hair loss. The beauty of a plant-based diet is that you can enjoy tons of calorie dense foods that fill you up and keep your body happy. 

If you are following plans like Eat to Live, then you know that you can simply follow the protocol without counting calories. It’s all about enjoying the foods you eat and trusting the process. 

How To Grow Back Your Hair 

If you are already experiencing hair loss and need support to grow back your hair, there are some natural remedies you can use to hit those #hairgoals faster.

Get The Right Supplements

As mentioned above, Dr. Fuhrman does encourage you to supplement iodine, b12, zinc, and vitamin D. Your body needs these nutrients to support healthy hair and your overall health. You can also track your foods to see what micronutrients you might be missing out on and add these foods into your diet or grab a supplement.

Try LLLT

LLLT or low-level laser therapy is a safe and effective hair loss treatment that uses the power of light to grow back your hair. In a way, LLLT works like photosynthesis. The light helps energize your cells and pumps healthy oxygen and nutrients into your scalp, causing hair growth. This hair growth method can easily be combined with supplements and diet to encourage faster hair growth. 

Focus On Stress Management 

Feeling stressed? In all honesty, who isn't these days? There is a lot going on daily that can elevate our stress levels and trigger hair loss. Stress induced hair loss is also known as telogen effluvium. This condition can come on suddenly and is caused by trauma, exposure to extreme stress, and even child birth. While this condition is not permanent, in order to restore your hair it’s important to focus on your mental health. 

Some great ways to manage stress are:

• Going for a walk
• Meditation 
• Yoga
• Exercise
• Spending time with loved ones
• Self-care
• Setting boundaries 

With work, family, responsibilities, and a long to-do list it can be easy to put yourself on the backburner and ignore your stress, however stress can cause a lot more than hair loss. Exposure to long-term stress can also cause health issues like stroke, insomnia, headaches, weakened immune system, and obesity. So try your best to spend some time working on managing stress and your hair will thank you in the long run. 

Now that you know some plant-based ways to improve your hair health, we hope you try them out. This way of eating is a lifestyle change so take your time to find what works best for you. 

About The Author:

Tiffany is a content creator for illumiflow, a brand dedicated to holistic wellness.