Why the Keto Diet Is Making Your Hair Fall Out (and How to Stop It)

2. You May Not Be Getting the Protein Your Body Really Needs As mentioned, to maintain ketosis on a standard keto diet , it is recommended that you limit your protein intake. While in a typical American diet, we get enough protein, “it’s possible that being so focused on fat in the keto diet, you’re not getting adequate protein,” says Lustgarten. A healthy person has 80,000 to 120,000 hair follicles on their head, of which 85 to 90 percent are in the anagen , or growth, phase.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d17bc73c-ed72-4d00-a12c-d9c362e61782 This means they need adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals to maintain a healthy head of hair. Without enough of these nutrients, including protein, your mane may suffer.
1. You May Be Eating Too Few Calories on Keto For a diet that allows butter and cheese , you’d think you’d be packing in the calories. “Because of the high fat intake, people generally are not as hungry and end up cutting calories,” says Alicia Galvin, RD , who is based in Dallas. This is one reason people following the keto diet may lose weight. However, going too low on calories too quickly is a risk. It sends a shock to your body, which can shut down less critical functions, such as hair growth, Galvin says. The rapid reduction of carbs and weight loss means the body prioritizes vital organs over hair growth.
3. You May Be Losing Weight Rapidly Due to Ketosis Many people on the keto diet report quick, temporary weight loss, which is one reason why it remains popular. Yet the stress of both rapid weight loss and reduced protein intake can contribute to telogen effluvium (TE).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ab5bdbaf-1b5d-4d5e-98e4-027eea03eb1d TE is the most common type of hair loss and occurs when hair shifts from the growth to the resting phase. It is often temporary, and hormonal, autoimmune, or nutritional imbalances can trigger TE. Many women experience TE after giving birth due to hormonal fluctuations, for instance. Certain medications, emotional stress, and crash diets are also known causes.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ab5bdbaf-1b5d-4d5e-98e4-027eea03eb1d
How Can You Prevent Hair Loss on the Keto Diet? To help prevent hair loss, take a multivitamin to cover any potential deficiencies , says Galvin. “A multi will act like an insurance policy and at least provide some base nutrients,” she says. You should also aim to get the protein you need from high-quality sources, such as eggs and poultry, she says. Biotin-rich foods include: Eggs Liver (beef and chicken) Salmon If you are already losing your hair and feel like you’re struggling despite having a well-planned diet, “you may need to consider liberalizing your diet a bit or work with someone who can help personalize your eating plan based on your goals,” she says. If you are looking to lose weight and are experiencing side effects from keto, there are other approaches you can take to both lose weight and feel better while doing it, such as the Mediterranean diet or intermittent fasting.
The Takeaway Some individuals may experience hair loss when following a ketogenic diet due to insufficient calorie intake, reduced protein levels, or rapid weight loss, impacting hair growth or causing stress to the body. Nutritional imbalances, such as a potential biotin deficiency, can occur on the keto diet, but more research is necessary to draw firm conclusions about its effects on hair health. To prevent hair loss while on keto, consider taking a multivitamin to address potential nutritional gaps and include biotin-rich and protein-rich foods like eggs and salmon in your diet. If you notice hair loss that seems concerning or isn’t resolving or need more support with dieting, consult a registered dietitian nutritionist, as they can offer personalized dietary recommendations or suggest alternative weight management strategies.
4. You’re Missing Out on Key Nutrients That Contribute to Healthy Hair Limited, older research suggests that following a keto diet may mean that you don’t get enough biotin, which may impact hair health. Biotin is a B vitamin that promotes healthy hair, and a biotin deficiency can lead to thinning hair or body hair loss.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297c64cc55-ea49-4a1b-ab73-d8213ecc0aca Although biotin is plentiful in many animal-based foods, such as eggs and salmon, Lustgarten notes that there is limited evidence that a strict keto diet may lead to biotin deficiency, based on a small, older study in mice.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296caff177-d303-4a02-a291-f03fc2e8d05e Lustgarten does highlight that the research is limited and only involves animals (meaning, it’s far from conclusive, and human studies are necessary). “The data isn’t strong enough to say that everyone on keto needs to take more biotin,” she says. Still, being sure to include biotin-rich foods might help you limit hair loss while on keto.
Before you started the ketogenic diet , you may have been aware of some of the side effects, like fatigue, constipation, “keto breath,” and nausea.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762905780a0d-cce4-4ba3-8dc9-3fe4b97540a7 Others — such as potential hair loss — may come as a surprise. “The ketogenic diet, which is an extremely low-carb but high-fat diet, is a really restrictive diet,” says Rachel Lustgarten, RD, of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Keto is not just a different version of a standard low-carb diet , such as the South Beach diet or Atkins , though. You must also stick to moderate protein intake, and it also cuts out many healthy foods, including grains, beans, most fruit, and many vegetables , she says. Hair loss is one of many side effects that can occur during the initial stages of a keto diet.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d92539d6-8e63-49d2-9288-cf270dca10a3 “If you’re not following keto carefully, something that’s difficult even for dietitians themselves to [guide you on], it’s quite possible that you miss out on important nutrients,” says Lustgarten. These nutrients support hair growth. Here are four potential reasons keto is causing hair loss.