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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Malnutrition Cause Hair Loss?

After a very bad cold which started 1/18/18 and lasted about 4-5 weeks, I started shedding hair like crazy, I also had brown marks at the base of my fingernails, at the end of the cold, which I assumed were from malnutrition ....I lost quite a bit of weight. I m 5 1 and weighed around 148 & got down to 137 after cold. I m now back to @ 144lbs. My question: could this hair loss be due to malnutrition, and will it grow back?
Tue, 28 Aug 2018
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Dermatologist,  's  Response
Hi,

You seem to be having Telogen Effluvium i. e sudden increase in hair shedding secondary to a precipitating/stressful event like a prolonged medical illness, significant weight loss etc.

The stress of an illness causes the hair follicle to shift from growing phase (Anagen) to resting phase (Telogen) which manifests as increased hair shedding during recovery.

Over a period of time this the follicle shifts back to the growing phase (Anagen). I suggest you maintain a good healthy diet. You may also take an oral biotin supplement for a few weeks to support hair regrowth.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
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Does Malnutrition Cause Hair Loss?

Hi, You seem to be having Telogen Effluvium i. e sudden increase in hair shedding secondary to a precipitating/stressful event like a prolonged medical illness, significant weight loss etc. The stress of an illness causes the hair follicle to shift from growing phase (Anagen) to resting phase (Telogen) which manifests as increased hair shedding during recovery. Over a period of time this the follicle shifts back to the growing phase (Anagen). I suggest you maintain a good healthy diet. You may also take an oral biotin supplement for a few weeks to support hair regrowth. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.