Telogen Effluvium Secondary to Starvation Diet
May 1976
in “Archives of Dermatology”
TLDR Starving yourself can cause hair loss, but stopping the diet can improve it.
In 1976, a case report was published describing a 20-year-old woman who experienced telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss, following significant weight loss due to a starvation diet. The patient lost 15.8 kg (35 lb) on a 200 calorie per day diet, which led to a hair loss with a 30% telogen ratio. After stopping the diet, her hair loss improved over the next two to three months. A recurrence of hair loss happened when she lost an additional 6.3 kg (14 lb) on a less severe diet, with a subsequent telogen hair count of approximately 27%. The patient saw improvement once again after discontinuing the diet. This case added to previous reports suggesting that substantial weight loss from crash dieting could precipitate telogen effluvium.
View this study on archderm.jamanetwork.com →
Related
research Hair Loss With Rapid Weight Loss
Eating more protein during fast weight loss can prevent hair loss.