Vegan Hair Loss – Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

1. Can a vegan diet cause hair loss?
2. Prevention
3. Vegetarian hair loss solution
4. Before and after
5. Conclusion

Embarking on a vegan lifestyle is a commendable choice that aligns with ethical, environmental, and health-conscious values.

However, as individuals navigate through the plethora of plant-based foods, ensuring a balanced intake of essential nutrients becomes paramount.

Vegan hair loss is a growing concern for those choosing to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Join us as we explore the underlying causes behind this hair loss, and find ways to reverse hair loss and restore healthy hair.

We aim to provide a comprehensive guide for vegans to sustain a head full of healthy hair.

Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or newly transitioning, understanding the connection between your diet and hair health is essential for ensuring your body receives all it needs to thrive.

Can a vegan or vegetarian diet cause hair loss in male?

A vegan or vegetarian diet, when not properly planned, can lead to a decline in essential vitamin intake. This causes nutritional deficiencies which may contribute to hair loss.

Key nutrients important for hair health include hair protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and certain other vitamins and minerals.

Let’s look at how a lack of these nutrients in vegan or vegetarian diets might contribute to hair fall.

Vegan and vegetarian hair loss causes

A vegan diet often fails to provide all the nutrients needed to maintain a well-functioning body. Here are some of the most common vegan diet-related issues and deficiencies that lead to hair thinning.

Protein deficiency

Hair is primarily made of protein (keratin), and inadequate protein intake can weaken hair, leading to hair loss.

Vegans and vegetarians need to ensure they’re getting enough protein from vegan sources. These include foods like lentils, beans, tofu, soy products and quinoa.

Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency is a well-known cause of hair loss. Plant-based diets can be lower in heme iron, which is more easily absorbed and is found in animal products.

Non-heme iron from plant sources is less easily absorbed, but its absorption can be enhanced by consuming vitamin C-rich foods.

Furthermore, taking iron supplements can also successfully resolve iron deficiencies.

Zinc deficiency

This mineral is vital for hair growth and repair. Zinc deficiency can lead to hair loss.

While zinc is found in a variety of foods, vegetarians and vegans might need to pay extra attention to get enough from plant sources like nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Vitamin D deficiency

Low vitamin D levels are linked to alopecia, a technical term for hair loss. Vitamin D is mostly obtained from sun exposure, but it can also be found in fortified foods and supplements.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

These healthy fats are important for hair health. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and hemp seeds are good plant-based sources.

Other mineral and vitamin deficiencies

B vitamins (especially B12), vitamin E, and selenium are also important for hair health.

Vitamin B12, in particular, can be challenging to get in adequate amounts from a vegan diet without supplements or fortified foods.

Vegan hair loss prevention

Preventing hair loss on a vegan diet involves ensuring you’re getting a well-balanced intake of essential nutrients that support hair health.

Here are several strategies to help prevent hair loss and promote healthy hair growth on a vegan diet.

1. Ensure Adequate Protein Intake: Hair is made of protein, making adequate protein intake crucial for hair health. Include plant-based protein sources in your diet, these can be things such as lentils, kidney beans, quinoa, tempeh, seltan or chickpeas and tofu.
2. Iron-Rich Foods: Since iron is critical for hair growth, focus on including plenty of iron-rich plant foods in your diet. Pair these foods with vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables to enhance iron stores.
3. Zinc: This mineral is essential for hair repair and growth. Include zinc-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, lentils, chickpeas, and quinoa.
4. Vitamin D: Consider supplementing with vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) derived from lichen, which is vegan-friendly, especially if you have limited sun exposure.
5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3s are important for a healthy scalp and hair. Include sources of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts.
6. B Vitamins: Ensure adequate intake of B vitamins, especially B12, which is crucial for overall health and can impact hair health. Vegans should consider fortified foods or a B12 supplement.
7. Other Nutrients: Selenium and vitamin E are antioxidants that can help protect your hair follicles from damage. Include nuts (especially Brazil nuts for excess selenium), seeds, and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
8. Varied Diet: Emphasize a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes in your diet to cover all your nutritional bases.
9. Stay Hydrated: Adequate hydration is vital for maintaining healthy hair, as it supports the health of hair cells and promotes hair growth.
10. Reduce Stress: Chronic stress can contribute to hair loss. Incorporate stress-reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation, yoga, or deep-breathing exercises into your routine.

Vegetarian hair loss solution

If your preventative measures were unsuccessful and you already suffer from noticeable hair loss, there’s no need to worry.

There are several ways to treat hair loss whether through topical hair loss medication, or surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a medication widely used for the treatment of hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia. Although it can be utilized for nearly all types of non-scarring hair loss.

It’s available over the counter in various formulations, including liquid, foam, and shampoo, with concentrations typically ranging from 2% to 5%.

Minoxidil increases blood flow to the hair follicles, improving their function and stimulating hair growth.

It may also prolong the anagen phase of the hair cycle, which is the growth phase of hair follicles.

However, you should remember that it may cause certain side effects such as scalp irritation, itching or redness.

Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that minoxidil only works as long as you’re using it consistently.

Once you stop applying it on a day-to-day basis, results will slowly fade and you’ll be losing hair again.

PRP therapy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is an innovative treatment aimed at combating hair loss by harnessing the body’s natural healing processes.

The procedure involves drawing a small amount of the patient’s blood, and centrifuging it to separate the platelet-rich plasma. This separated plasma is then injected back into the scalp or wherever the hair loss occured.

These platelets release growth factors that stimulate hair follicle activity and promote new hair growth.

PRP therapy is particularly promising as it’s showing potential where traditional treatments may have failed.

The effectiveness of PRP varies, with some patients experiencing significant improvements in hair density and others seeing more modest results.

Treatment typically involves multiple sessions, followed by maintenance treatments to sustain hair growth.

While PRP is considered safe, leveraging the patient’s biological material, it’s not universally effective for all types of hair loss.

Hair transplant surgery

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is a type of hair transplant surgery that involves individual follicular unit extraction from a donor area of the scalp.

This typically means the back or sides, the hairs ate then transplanted into the balding areas.

This minimally invasive procedure is favoured for its ability to leave minimal scarring and its shorter recovery time compared to older methods.

FUE is highly effective for treating pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss where the hair follicle is completely lost.

Each transplanted hair follicle acts independently, growing hair in the balding area, which can provide a permanent solution to hair loss.

FUE surgery may be a viable option for vegetarians experiencing hair loss due to genetic factors or conditions that are not responsive to dietary adjustments or medical treatments.

Vegan hair loss before and after

Listen to Kai-Lee as she explains how her plant-based diet almost made her go bald. Once she started eating meat again she managed to improve hair growth rate and achieve thicker hair.

It’s important to remember that the problem stems from a lack of a balanced diet and adequate protein intake.

However, despite what the video suggests, you don’t necessarily have to eat meat. It’s possible to get enough protein from plant-based foods as well. The key to regaining your hair is a balanced diet, not meat.

Conclusion

A vegetarian or vegan diet offers several benefits from lowered risk of heart disease to a lower risk of developing cancer.

However, vegetarian and vegan diets also pose certain risks, such as an increased chance of nutrient deficiencies and damaged hair.

Plant-based eaters are at a major risk of mineral deficiencies and they often lack enough calories and energy levels to maintain healthy hair growth.

Thankfully, with a well-planned diet and the use of supplements, it’s possible to get adequate nutrient intake solely from vegan food sources.

The hair loss often resolves on its own once the deficiency has been addressed. If you have concerns about your hair loss, it’s always best to consult with a medical professional.