Eating Disorders and Hair Loss
The diet plays a large part in the hair growth cycle in everyone, and a diet lacking slightly in certain vitamins and minerals will greatly impact on the health of the hair follicles, sometimes resulting in hair loss. This is why eating disorders usually always cause hair loss of some sort, whether it is temporary and moderate or permanent and severe. Eating disorders are one of the major contributors to hair loss in the population.
Severe eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa see's the anagen phase (the phase in which the hair grows) terminated, as follicles have been starved and acid levels changed in the body, as well as vital organs performing at a reduced rate. This causes the hair to enter the resting stage earlier than normal and fall before it normally would. This is also known as telogen effluvium – a hair loss disorder which usually only affects women who are expecting or have just delivered a child.
The mechanism which is disturbed relating to hair loss due to eating disorders is fairly easy to understand. As a lack of nutrients causes organs to function at a reduced quality, the hair shafts go directly from the growth phase to the loss phase.
While eating disorders are much more complicated to understand and are a psychological disorder with severely intricate issues, what patients sometimes don't realise is the damage done to other parts of the body, in this case, the hair.
One way to explain hair loss due to eating disorders is by using the same theory as those having a gastric band. Dietary restriction and rapid weight loss as a result of such surgery causes a major shock to the body, which in turn goes into protection mode in case any other vital organs and bodily functions are affected, temporarily ‘turning off' those less vital functions, like hair growth.
The way to guarantee healthy hair growth is simply through a healthy diet, where not too little and not too much is consumed. This relates to psychological conditions too – what we eat is just as effective as how much is eaten – healthy, like unhealthy foods spark off a chain reaction in the organs, which in turn affects the muscles, which affects the bones, etc.
If you are suffering from hair loss due to an eating disorder or through a hair loss disorder brought on by any other circumstance, don't suffer in silence. Find your perfect solution with Bloomsbury of London today.
Severe eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa see's the anagen phase (the phase in which the hair grows) terminated, as follicles have been starved and acid levels changed in the body, as well as vital organs performing at a reduced rate. This causes the hair to enter the resting stage earlier than normal and fall before it normally would. This is also known as telogen effluvium – a hair loss disorder which usually only affects women who are expecting or have just delivered a child.
The mechanism which is disturbed relating to hair loss due to eating disorders is fairly easy to understand. As a lack of nutrients causes organs to function at a reduced quality, the hair shafts go directly from the growth phase to the loss phase.
While eating disorders are much more complicated to understand and are a psychological disorder with severely intricate issues, what patients sometimes don't realise is the damage done to other parts of the body, in this case, the hair.
One way to explain hair loss due to eating disorders is by using the same theory as those having a gastric band. Dietary restriction and rapid weight loss as a result of such surgery causes a major shock to the body, which in turn goes into protection mode in case any other vital organs and bodily functions are affected, temporarily ‘turning off' those less vital functions, like hair growth.
The way to guarantee healthy hair growth is simply through a healthy diet, where not too little and not too much is consumed. This relates to psychological conditions too – what we eat is just as effective as how much is eaten – healthy, like unhealthy foods spark off a chain reaction in the organs, which in turn affects the muscles, which affects the bones, etc.
If you are suffering from hair loss due to an eating disorder or through a hair loss disorder brought on by any other circumstance, don't suffer in silence. Find your perfect solution with Bloomsbury of London today.
