hair question for you who bulk and cut

[mamaherrera]

I've been reading that a lot of people who lose weight, start to lose hair (temporary but still) some months after the weight loss. For you who bulk for months and cut, do you find any hair loss/major shedding from the stress of upping/lowering calories???

[maeva27]

Nope, no difference here.

[oregonchick76]

I think hair loss should only occur if someone is in a severe deficit and is deficient in particular nutrients or fat intake.

[anonymous]

Only hair loss I would have anticipated would have been back in my severe ED days - and even then, didn't lose any hair. So no, bulking/cutting did not affect my hair growth whatsoever....

[mtnliones5]

No hair loss when I'm cutting. However when I had my ED my hair got really dry, coarse and was a different texture.

[Amanda76]

I also do not experience hair loss when leaning up. I keep my calories relatively high (still leaning up eating 1,800 calories at 127 lbs) and don't overuse activity to create a deficit (weight train 3-5x per week depending on what my schedule will allow, no cardio). If I find myself wanting to become leaner than this will allow, I'll lower my calories further and/or add cardio, but until it stops working there is no need.

It would make sense that people who eat closer to, or under their BMR to lose weight, deprive their bodies of the nutrients necessary to have healthy hair (and a healthy body), over time. It would also make sense that women whose body fat is close to or under what is considered "essential fat" (12%) may experience hair loss from the stress of not consuming enough nutrients/activity level. Again, the longer a person attempts to maintain this, the more chance they'll experience negative effects or that negative effects they are experiencing will become more severe.

Just make sure to lose fat in a slow and steady, healthy manner and don't aim to become (or struggle to remain if you plan to compete) overly lean and you should be fine.

[runliftandlove]

With shock to the body (weight loss or gain) comes changes in your body. Hair is your body's least priority so it is the first to go.

[TubbyKitty]

I haven't had any issues with my hair when bulking or cutting. If you try to cut to the extreme and deprive your body of what it needs then your body will have serious issues. Doing a cut to the extreme is very unhealthy and never advised. You can do a bulk and a cut and still be healthy.

[BubsNBean]

Agree with others- hair loss shouldn't happen unless you're malnourished.

[MadCatLady]

Never had hair loss. I eat a varied diet even when cutting, and keep my fat intake up, and have never gone lower than 1500 cals (and only then for 2 weeks) I think a healthy cut shouldn't have these severe side effects.

[runliftandlove]

Agree with others- hair loss shouldn't happen unless you're malnourished.

Not true. When you cut, some vitamins can be neglected, stress causes hair loss, among other factors. Hair loss can literally happen because of PMS. Hair is your body's least priority so it's the first to go.

[WolfBeast]

What are your calories at? Your stats look a tad low IMO if they are accurate.

[rockangel]

Not true. When you cut, some vitamins can be neglected, stress causes hair loss, among other factors. Hair loss can literally happen because of PMS. Hair is your body's least priority so it's the first to go.

hair loss is a sign that something is wrong, be it stress (in which case you should find healthy ways to deal with the stress), neglected nutrition/vitamins (in which case you should work on nutrition), hormones (in which you may need to see a doc), or something else.

the body will tell you when something is not right in many ways, and by paying attention to it, you should minimize the issue.

The point the others were making is that if you are dieting and losing hair, something is off and needs to be addressed. Simply cutting calories does not equal hair loss, but if you cut calories too much and neglect nutrition, it can be an issue.

Many times competitors who do bad preps by cutting their cals down severely, dont get enough fats and vitamins, stress the body too much, tend to start losing hair among other issues, but its a combined issue that is easily avoidable by not doing bad preps in the first place.

[BubsNBean]

Not true. When you cut, some vitamins can be neglected, stress causes hair loss, among other factors. Hair loss can literally happen because of PMS. Hair is your body's least priority so it's the first to go.

Which equates to malnourishment. Micros or macros, if you're not getting enough you're malnourished.

[runliftandlove]

Which equates to malnourishment. Micros or macros, if you're not getting enough you're malnourished.

Stress is not malnourishment.

[Artemis00]

Stress is not malnourishment.

Amazing what stress can do to you. Definitely can cause hair loss, loss of menstruation, weight loss...tons of things. Can also cause weight gain too, all depends on how your body handles it.

[runliftandlove]

Amazing what stress can do to you. Definitely can cause hair loss, loss of menstruation, weight loss...tons of things. Can also cause weight gain too, all depends on how your body handles it.

^^ Agreed!

[SMB2003]

I experienced hair loss on my last cut, nothing crazy, but I noticed a lot more hair in the shower. I was also training for a half marathon at the time and eating 1550 calories so I probably should have been eating more. Things did eventually go back to normal and I started supplementing with biotin.

[BubsNBean]

Okay, we're just having a semantics issue. If you're not absorbing nutrients that's malnourishment, regardless of the reason.

Agree to agree

[Artemis00]

I experienced hair loss on my last cut, nothing crazy, but I noticed a lot more hair in the shower. I was also training for a half marathon at the time and eating 1550 calories so I probably should have been eating more. Things did eventually go back to normal and I started supplementing with biotin.

That stuff is great. Started using that about two months ago. Definitely noticed that it doubled the speed of my hair growth. That part is great, having to trim my nails more frequently...well I could live without that.

[jessic2952]

I supplement with biotin and silica complex (from horsetail extract). I noticed my hair only really started growing out, including my eyelashes, once I began adding silica. The biotin definitely helps my nails though; I've been taking it for years. Only started silica bout 6 months ago. I LOVE IT

[mamaherrera]

Thanks for all support from all. I just wanted to get lots of people's experience, because I have read that just changing up calories, going up, going down, it's all change/stress for the body so I didn't want to be causing more stress to my body since I stress enough as it is. I guess what you are all saying is to do things slowly, and don't take anything to the extreme. I guess it's also because everyone's put in my head that yo-yo dieting is bad, but I'm beginning to understand that this is all down slowly and is not anything like a yo-yo diet. Thanks for sharing!

[EPolis13]

Fats are usually the culprit with stuff like this. This is why going below 0.4g/lb on fats is a no-no.

[SMB2003]

That stuff is great. Started using that about two months ago. Definitely noticed that it doubled the speed of my hair growth. That part is great, having to trim my nails more frequently...well I could live without that.

I concur! I was surprised it made a difference, but even the girl who does my hair mentioned that my hair seemed fuller to her after I had been using it for some time.