Shrinking Waistlines Shrinking Hairlines - MSN Health

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When Denise Bryant had weight-loss surgery last year, she was thrilled to lose 100 pounds within six months—but less joyful when she began losing hair too. "I felt like I was shedding," says the 39-year-old Norfolk, Virginia, receptionist and photographer.

In fact, Bryant's bad hair days were all too foreseeable. Her quick drop in weight, abrupt change in diet and increased nutrient needs from the physical stresses of surgery are all likely to have played a role in causing her tresses to thin.

"It's a larger problem than people realize," says Bruce Fuller, M.D., a dermatologist and hair-growth specialist in Newport News, Virginia. Virtually any unbalanced diet can impose damage to the hair follicle, he says, since healthy hair depends on protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Inadequate nutrition shunts hair from an active-growth phase into a terminal, "resting" phase, causing the hair to drop within three to six months. What's more, low-calorie diets can cause hormones to shift, another hair-loss trigger. While it's normal to lose about 100 to 125 hairs daily, anything more is a cause for concern.

What to do if you see too much hair on the shower floor? See a physician, urges Fuller, to get to the root of the problem and rule out medical conditions, such as a thyroid disorder. He also recommends dieters take a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement, but not to bother with unproven (though well-advertised) hair vitamins or miracle hair cures. "Some of this stuff is crazy, and some is downright dangerous," he cautions.

For her part, Bryant keeps an eye on her protein intake, takes a daily multi—and relies on beauty-aid magic to fill in the gaps. "I put mousse or gel in my hair to keep the fullness," she says.

Bottom line:

Extreme diets or unbalanced eating can cause hair loss. The best prescription? A balanced diet, not supplements.