Do Vegetarians Risk Hair Loss?

[wprevil]

Hi everyone,

As a vegetarian, I haven't been eating meat for some time for ethical reasons. My diet consists of rice, veggies, milk and beans. Of course I want to keep my hair and protein from meat is no less essential to hair growth than other other nutritional factors but may be even more important. That said, do vegetarians risk greater hair loss than someone who eats meat and isn't a vegetarian?

[Viney]

I've been a vegetarian for 3 years and I was losing my hair long before that time.

I've also experienced some decent hair gains from reintroducing hairloss medication 10 months ago while maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Consider blood tests to ensure you're not lacking in any essential vitamins and then adapt your diet/multivitamins accordingly (I haven't done this but it's been on my to do list!)

You should be fine.

Edited January 21, 2023 by Viney

[HappyMan2021]

Vegetarians risk inserting vegetarianism into every facet of their life 🤣

[AlexMeister21]

From my own experience, I experimented with a vegan diet for the first time about 5 years ago. After three weeks on the diet, I had some crazy itching going on in my crown area that lasted for a couple of days. Coincidentally, my crown started thinning after this, and I didn't have thinning in my crown area before trying a vegan diet. I experimented with a vegan diet for a second time several years after this and I again had the annoying itching in my crown area after about a week on the diet. I don't have any recollection of my crown being noticeably itchy in the past 5 years outside of the two times I tried a vegan diet. I don't think veganism caused hair loss in my crown, but maybe it accelerated it for some reason. Perhaps I wasn't getting the proper nutrition and had inflammation.

[Bb111]

If you eat a well balanced diet and get your essential nutrients I don't see how being a vegetarian would affect your balding.

 

Also, The only way to figure out if there was a casual link would be to follow two large groups of men with similar demographics. One group would be vegetarian the other one not. They would have to be followed for decades. In other words I doubt we ever see a study like this. 

[EvoXOhio]

I’m vegan and it’s had no impact on my hair loss 

[MissMyLongHair]

Vegan for over 2 years and started receding long before then. I eat almost exclusively vegan junk food and my my hair still looks the same as when I ate more healthy food, vegan or otherwise. The Dutasteride is what's keeping things looking good.

[wprevil]

On 1/22/2023 at 12:07 AM, EvoXOhio said:

I’m vegan and it’s had no impact on my hair loss 

Does your or anyone's vegan diet have a negative impact on their sexual libido?

[EvoXOhio]

3 hours ago, wprevil said:

Does your or anyone's vegan diet have a negative impact on their sexual libido?

It doesn’t for me nor my wife 

[mavigo]

As long as you don't have a nutritional imbalance, I don't think it'll effect your hairloss. I think its the quality of you diet and not the protein source per se. 

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@wprevil,

Extreme malnutrition may cause a certain type of non-genetic related hair loss known as children effluvium. But that’s only if you’re not getting the right nutrients for a long period of time. But more than your hair would be affected, you would feel extremely unhealthy, fatigue, hunger, and all sorts of other symptoms. This would include extreme weight loss, etc. Many vegetarians still eat healthy amounts of protein and other vitamins, some of which are healthier than those who eat meat.  So unless you are starving your body of the necessary nutrients it needs to survive, becoming a vegetarian won’t affect your hair or your health in a negative way. Just make sure you substitute meat eating with other proteins such is that what you can be found in beans, tofu, and other non-meat related foods. 

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant

[BaldDude]

Yeah I ate meat all the time while I lost my hair

[wprevil]

On 1/23/2023 at 2:11 PM, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

@wprevil,

 Just make sure you substitute meat eating with other proteins such is that what you can be found in beans, tofu, and other non-meat related foods.

Hey good advice. What foods can provide all the protein a vegetarian needs?

Is it true that meat protein is superior to non-meat protein like beans, spinach, avocado, etc?

[Dr. Guncel Ozturk]

Vegetarian diets could contain all of the nutrients required for hair development, including protein, if they are well-planned and balanced. While meat contains protein, it is not the sole source; beans, spinach, avocado, and soy products can also supply significant quantities.

Before & after hair transplant, vegetarians must be cautious of their nutritional consumption and ensure they obtain enough protein and other key nutrients. A dietician may assist in ensuring a well-balanced and healthy diet.