Hair Loss

[SOON TO BE]

im certainly starting to lose mine too, as it is longer it seems like heaps, I have quite thinhair anyway, sides seem to be getting really straggly, may need to go shorter.
I have notices quite alot of new growth around my hairline.
to those losing it check for new soft or spikey growth especially around the hairline, a good indicator its growing back.
Hair growth / loss generally happens in three monthly cycles, and any changes within the body eg hormonal, diet etc is reflected within the hair after this time.

The hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy se many people hair the best it ever is, but then the changes than happen with deliverly & breast feeding cause sometimes quite dramatic losses, as our body is using all nutrients for being & baby, sadly our hair & skin are last on the list so often first to miss out, hence the changes.
Once the body adapts to the changes & returns to normal losses seem to stop and normal growth resumes.

So hopefully once the body adjust to the new diet & life style changes, along with vitamins etc, things should return to normal, but the growth does take a while to be noticable again & catch up especially in longer hair.
Tara x

[bellabella]

Why do we lose hair on cohens? Is it because it is low cal? Really interested to hear the theory.

Is there us a way to prevent it?

My hair is thinning really badly and I can see my scalp. It is also growing back finer and lighter - think I am greying early!

Also losing heaps- all over the pillow and everywhere. Has been worse in last month.

Am really depressed about this and can't stop obsessing.

[shell]

I was luck and didn't loose any hair.

[New me]

Hi all,

I know there has been some discussion on this, but can't find the thread here. Can anyone help?

For the last month my hair has been falling out, not much at first and a lot now. I spoke to my consultant at the start of the month and she increased one of my multivitamins and recommended I take 1 tablet of Blackmores hair and name vitamins.

Does anyone know how long this could take to kick in and if/when it will stop? Any ideas on which foods I can eat to help complement the vitamins?

Assume it's because I'm getting towards the end of the program - I hate it!!!! Also, starting to feel a bit frustrated with Cohens for the first time - sort of feeling tempted now and getting hungry before meals - tummy rumbling in the night too. I know I'm not close enough to the goal yet for the HUGE hunger to have hit... just wondering. My clinic is closed now until after Christmas (and I'm going away too) so I can't check with them.

Thanks for any help.

Bron

[Mette]

Hi Bron,
I haven't had the problem of hair falling out, but a lot of people have experienced it. It comes right after refeed. There's a thread here about things you can do:


and another one here:


Hope this helps!

[New me]

Well, I knew I wasn't alone but the outlook is bleak by all reports. I have to wonder how healthy a diet is for you when your body is so stressed it loses hair.
Very sad.
B

[shell]

Not everything that happens to your body is always Cohen's related.
Just like not everybody looses their hair, there could be many reasons- have you checked with your GP?

I hope it sorts out for you soon.
Shell

[Annabelle Joy]

DC, I've just looked at this thread, and haven't checked through the others that Mette pointed to. I've written what I'm about to say before, but not sure where.

The reason you were losing hair is because you were on a very low calorie diet. When your body isn't getting all the nutrient it wants (as on any diet, not just Cohen's) it looks around for ways of cutting back on the energy it uses. One way is to stop growing hair. It's a non-essential use for the body's energy. Another way is not to stoke the furnace that keeps us warm as much, hence we all feel the cold.

I also didn't lose hair from my head, but I found that other hair on my body (e.g. legs) grew very slowly after removal. It started growing again shortly after I started maintenance. I suspect that the reason for continued hair loss may be that the hair that was retained was not well supported and your body has decided it might as well go now too. I would expect that you are also growing new hair to replace it, but that's just a guess.

NM, it's not that the diet isn't healthy. Many are probably eating a lot more healthily than they were before with a diet that included lots of junk food. It's just that it really is very low energy, and that's why you are losing hair. It will grow back once you start supplying your body with more food.

AJ

[lucylou]

I saw my GP yesterday for a check up post-Cohens and mentioned the hair loss (I'm still experiencing a lot of hair falling out, it wasn't a problem at all on the diet but since maintenance it's been quite dramatic). He wasn't worried about it at all, said it was quite normal after being on a strict diet, and said vitamin suplementation would fix it over time.

Oh and he was full of praise for the amount of weight I've lost.

However I am going to have my hair cut quite short, I like having long hair but it is very thin now. Just as well I like it a bit shorter in summer, this summer it's going to be a LOT shorter. I can see the new hair coming through but it will take a while.

x

Loulou

[Maya]

Hi!
During the diet I haven't lost my hair...but afterwards...it was TERRIBLE. I'm telling you, I was pulling them out the whole day. Hair everywhere!!!! i was soooo scared... One of the hairdressers recommended me this Hair factor from Twinlab...I got it, after 3 days, I STOP losing hair...but then...then this naturopath told me that this might be good for my hair but is very heavy on my liver (the pills), so I stopped taking them, as I calmed down, seing my hair WILL stop falling out.
I as well, got A LOT of new hair growing, must say...so, after all, it's not that bad, I guess...
but I am 100% sure it was from the diet, because never in my life did I have that...

[sundaymorningstaple]

I also had lots of hair loss. Unfortunately it was 30 years before starting Cohen's.

Didn't lose any more during the program or grow any afterwards. Bald is Bald!

[Annabelle Joy]

I can see why you are worried, DC. You've seen the photos of SMS and don't want to look like him.

AJ

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, getting married and the new husband finding his new bride has a hairy chest could cause some consternation for sure!

[Scotty]

If you are concerned about hair loss, muscle loss etc take a look at this information posted on another website. It is worth considering when you are trying to get down to that magic figure
"Someone close to me went on this diet at the end of June this year (200 and they have lost 60kg in a matter of 4 months. I was intrigued, as I have an analytical/questioning mind, and my son always jokes with me and says I should've been an investigative journalist LOL, because I always want to know what the cause and reason behind things, etc.
First of all I tried to find long-term success stories (2 years +) regarding those who had been on this Diet, but couldn't, unfortunately. This diet also goes by the title of "First Personal Diet", by the way.
First of all I was convinced it was a VLCD, as it does cut back on calories rather drastically - so it in effect does fall into that category. Secondly, it puts one's body into starvation mode, and this can be seen by various people who've been on it, who suffer from almost the same symptoms (to varying degrees) as those who go through starvation mode involuntarily, like hair loss, cessation of menstruation in women, feeling cold most the time, electrolyte imbalance (unable to maintain water), and various deficiencies like Riboflavin and most the of the Vitamin B group (irritability), iron (loss of especially women), etc, etc. This diet is totally unbalanced, that's why they tell people to take TWO vitamins each day, one at breakfast, and the other at lunch - this can be confirmed on the following forum: 1pdforum.com
The jury is still out as to what percentage of these vitamins are actually absorbed by the body, as they are manufactured in laboratories and don't contain phytochemicals or synergists (which are available in natural food) which assist in the absorption of these vitamins. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is quite difficult normally to be obtained and absorbed by the body when one is eating normally, so you can imagine how difficult it is for this to happen whilst on this diet, I guess that's why some of these dieters start craving things like RAW onions, as it's one of the foods that contain Riboflavin. Riboflavin is a water soluble vitamin, so it's mainly lost when cooking when the water is thrown out.
I was also convinced that this was a ketogenic diet as it's a close cousin to the Zone diet, not to mention Sureslim, especially in their initial stages.
Upon doing further research, I discovered that this diet actually falls into the PSMF category - it's a Protein Saving Modified Fast - hence the very low calories (fast). It is claimed that this diet will save your muscles and that your body won't go into catabolism, but this simply isn't true, because any very low calorie diet such as this which puts one's body into starvation mode will inevitably catabolise one's muscles sooner or later. The proof could be seen when my friend (who was on this diet, as mentioned above), had a urine sample taken by his General Practitioner and it came back with high creatinine ratio's. Creatinine is a waste product made from Creatine Phosphate, which in turn is an important component of one's skeletal muscle. I don't think there is enough protein in this diet to create high urine creatinine ratio's.
The body will always reserve most of it's fat in order for one to stay alive, that's why it prefers to use muscle as energy before hitting into the final fat storages, unfortunately. And one more often than not lands up being "skinny fat", i.e., retaining most of your visceral fat.
There are hundreds of PSMF's on the internet, one is the Lyle Johnson PSMF, - although I would think that it has more calories? I haven't really taken a look at it, I must admit.
I was in contact with one of the posters on one of the other Cohen forums, and they emailed me and said they had sat down with their doctor and worked out the calories on diet they were given by their Cohen Lifestyle Clinic - it worked out to 550 calories per day. A PSMF is between 500 and 1000 calories/day - depending on your height and other factors like gender, so the taller you are, and if you're male, the more calories they will assign you.
That's why it's so easy for them to see if you're cheating by just looking at your blood test results - because you're on a modified fast, which puts your leptin "to sleep" basically, any person whose body goes into starvation mode, loses their appetite after the 3rd day, that's why it's not that difficult for most people to remain on this diet for just over 3 months. One's leptin is again "awakened" when you go into Refeed - which mainly consists of refined carbs - refined carbs are known to awaken the body's leptin. That's why people on this diet can't understand why they lose weight on refeed, even though they're eating a lot, and refined carbohydrates at that. Once your leptin has been awakened, it burns up "everything in site", but this is rather short-lived unfortunately and it doesn't happen to everyone, as some gain weight on refeed.
One thing I have noticed when most people come off this diet, they tend to get the "munchies" - and it's mainly for sweet things or bad carbs like biscuits, chocolates, sweets, etc. Take a look at the maintenance diaries
Firstly, this is a high protein diet, basically as most the calories are obtained from protein, as opposed to carbs and fat - because it's not only low carb, it's low fat as well. Immediately the term "rabbit starvation" comes to mind. This diet, even in maintenance isn't very satiating, that's why people want to snack all the time and crave refined carbs mostly.
As stated before, these people tend to start suffering from cold, even in summer, this is a sign that their bodies have shut down, and conserving it's energy mainly to "stay alive". If this is prolonged, your body will start growing fur to keep warm - and I mean fur everywhere, even on your back and your belly - this is what happens to anorexics. On this forum : one can see people complaining about how cold they are feeling all the time, yet they don't know the reason for it.
Then there's the problem of visceral fat, compared to subcutaneous fat. It has been discovered that even skinny models have high percentage of visceral fat even though they look like they are starving.
If people want to know more about where a permanent low fat + low carb diet will lead them all they need to do is google "visceral fat" and "rabbit starvation" and "MRI scans".
"As someone once said, it's not insulin that makes you fat, it's all the extra carbs one eats that do, as they're stored as fat in the body. Insulin is mainly there to metabolize carbs, that which isn't used for energy is stored. It's a basic law of physics, eat too much of anything and it will land up either around your organs or beneath your skin.
My personal opinion : I think this diet is rather cruel as people think it is them that are slipping up by not sticking to the rules, but it's not.
The only good I can see is that it's good for extremely obese people who need to lose weight fast as they could die from a heart attack, as the health risks of their current state is far riskier than the health risks of the diet, after all that's what VLCD's were created for initially. "

[katiefrank70]

Can't say I ever "craved" raw onions

Interesting post Scotty. It has a lot of points there to consider. Perhaps the best way to come off this diet is to exercise gently (to rebuild muscle) and slowly introduce sweets etc back into the diet. Some food for consideration. I am almost at that stage now.

Shall keep this in mind for early maintenance.

Katie

[sundaymorningstaple]

Katie,

If one will go to my maintenance diary, you will note that that is exactly what I've been espousing since day one. Not to be in any hurry, tiptoe back into real life to see where you are going without using the "I'm ready for a reward because I finished the diet" kind of blowout.

I got on an elliptical cross trainer when I finished refeed as I could do that at night once getting home from work (4 hours transit daily). I've been slowly increasing the workouts and slowly increasing my carb intake at the same time. Watching the scales all the time to get a idea what it's doing. I occasionally deliberately go a little overboard and then sit back to see where it takes me. I don't do it more than 2 days in a row. My health is good, and all my vitals are good.

Oh, the bit in the article about the carotine levels...... This is one of the levels that is also monitored by Dr. C. in our blood tests just to make sure it is okay.

[Maya]

WOW, Scotty... I am amazed... Shocked...Kind of... hit with the reality, I guess...
I agree with what you wrote... I do...
I can't find your diary? So, are you on the diet? Your ticker show you are losing weight...

I must agree that diets aren't the solution...I know that deep inside... and I know there's the inner wisdom we have...I also know this diet IS very restrictive, if not only for the food and measurments, mostly for TIMING. I mean, I have never been on any diet that you simply can't have a bite of salad when you're hungry...but it works. It does. And fast. I think that's why we're so drawn by it..

I have to say I noticed that after I finished Cohens (yes, ok, went too low blablabala...ruined it all...) - when I put the weight back on, it got so much in my face - I have never had such big face I have now (still). Before when I was same weight as now, I was carrying it more in my butt and legs...now it seems like it went in my belly and my face. I know it's very unhealthy. I know it. The worse for the body is losing and gaining so much in such a short time.
I also wonder why people are so amazed with losing some more grams while on refeed...I mean, if you check the amounts of food, it's still A DIET...?!?!

But hormonal wise - nothing helped me more than this diet? I never never felt so good, all my hormonal problems dissapeared in first few weeks, which was magical for me. My head cleared up, my eyes cleared...so... there must be sth right..but I sooo agree with what you wrote...

I just hope I would be able to hear my inner voice when I'm at my weight... but really, I agree with what you wrote.
Thank You for that.
I just really really wish this was the last diet I'm doing and that after I'm done, I would stay wise, strong and determined to listen to my body and work for myself not AGAINSt myself.
And defenitley not go so low with weight..

[bellabella]

Originally Posted by Scotty

If you are concerned about hair loss, muscle loss etc take a look at this information posted on another website. It is worth considering when you are trying to get down to that magic figure
"Someone close to me went on this diet at the end of June this year (200 and they have lost 60kg in a matter of 4 months. I was intrigued, as I have an analytical/questioning mind, and my son always jokes with me and says I should've been an investigative journalist LOL, because I always want to know what the cause and reason behind things, etc.
First of all I tried to find long-term success stories (2 years +) regarding those who had been on this Diet, but couldn't, unfortunately. This diet also goes by the title of "First Personal Diet", by the way.
First of all I was convinced it was a VLCD, as it does cut back on calories rather drastically - so it in effect does fall into that category. Secondly, it puts one's body into starvation mode, and this can be seen by various people who've been on it, who suffer from almost the same symptoms (to varying degrees) as those who go through starvation mode involuntarily, like hair loss, cessation of menstruation in women, feeling cold most the time, electrolyte imbalance (unable to maintain water), and various deficiencies like Riboflavin and most the of the Vitamin B group (irritability), iron (loss of especially women), etc, etc. This diet is totally unbalanced, that's why they tell people to take TWO vitamins each day, one at breakfast, and the other at lunch - this can be confirmed on the following forum: 1pdforum.com
The jury is still out as to what percentage of these vitamins are actually absorbed by the body, as they are manufactured in laboratories and don't contain phytochemicals or synergists (which are available in natural food) which assist in the absorption of these vitamins. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is quite difficult normally to be obtained and absorbed by the body when one is eating normally, so you can imagine how difficult it is for this to happen whilst on this diet, I guess that's why some of these dieters start craving things like RAW onions, as it's one of the foods that contain Riboflavin. Riboflavin is a water soluble vitamin, so it's mainly lost when cooking when the water is thrown out.
I was also convinced that this was a ketogenic diet as it's a close cousin to the Zone diet, not to mention Sureslim, especially in their initial stages.
Upon doing further research, I discovered that this diet actually falls into the PSMF category - it's a Protein Saving Modified Fast - hence the very low calories (fast). It is claimed that this diet will save your muscles and that your body won't go into catabolism, but this simply isn't true, because any very low calorie diet such as this which puts one's body into starvation mode will inevitably catabolise one's muscles sooner or later. The proof could be seen when my friend (who was on this diet, as mentioned above), had a urine sample taken by his General Practitioner and it came back with high creatinine ratio's. Creatinine is a waste product made from Creatine Phosphate, which in turn is an important component of one's skeletal muscle. I don't think there is enough protein in this diet to create high urine creatinine ratio's.
The body will always reserve most of it's fat in order for one to stay alive, that's why it prefers to use muscle as energy before hitting into the final fat storages, unfortunately. And one more often than not lands up being "skinny fat", i.e., retaining most of your visceral fat.
There are hundreds of PSMF's on the internet, one is the Lyle Johnson PSMF, - although I would think that it has more calories? I haven't really taken a look at it, I must admit.
I was in contact with one of the posters on one of the other Cohen forums, and they emailed me and said they had sat down with their doctor and worked out the calories on diet they were given by their Cohen Lifestyle Clinic - it worked out to 550 calories per day. A PSMF is between 500 and 1000 calories/day - depending on your height and other factors like gender, so the taller you are, and if you're male, the more calories they will assign you.
That's why it's so easy for them to see if you're cheating by just looking at your blood test results - because you're on a modified fast, which puts your leptin "to sleep" basically, any person whose body goes into starvation mode, loses their appetite after the 3rd day, that's why it's not that difficult for most people to remain on this diet for just over 3 months. One's leptin is again "awakened" when you go into Refeed - which mainly consists of refined carbs - refined carbs are known to awaken the body's leptin. That's why people on this diet can't understand why they lose weight on refeed, even though they're eating a lot, and refined carbohydrates at that. Once your leptin has been awakened, it burns up "everything in site", but this is rather short-lived unfortunately and it doesn't happen to everyone, as some gain weight on refeed.
One thing I have noticed when most people come off this diet, they tend to get the "munchies" - and it's mainly for sweet things or bad carbs like biscuits, chocolates, sweets, etc. Take a look at the maintenance diaries
Firstly, this is a high protein diet, basically as most the calories are obtained from protein, as opposed to carbs and fat - because it's not only low carb, it's low fat as well. Immediately the term "rabbit starvation" comes to mind. This diet, even in maintenance isn't very satiating, that's why people want to snack all the time and crave refined carbs mostly.
As stated before, these people tend to start suffering from cold, even in summer, this is a sign that their bodies have shut down, and conserving it's energy mainly to "stay alive". If this is prolonged, your body will start growing fur to keep warm - and I mean fur everywhere, even on your back and your belly - this is what happens to anorexics. On this forum : one can see people complaining about how cold they are feeling all the time, yet they don't know the reason for it.
Then there's the problem of visceral fat, compared to subcutaneous fat. It has been discovered that even skinny models have high percentage of visceral fat even though they look like they are starving.
If people want to know more about where a permanent low fat + low carb diet will lead them all they need to do is google "visceral fat" and "rabbit starvation" and "MRI scans".
"As someone once said, it's not insulin that makes you fat, it's all the extra carbs one eats that do, as they're stored as fat in the body. Insulin is mainly there to metabolize carbs, that which isn't used for energy is stored. It's a basic law of physics, eat too much of anything and it will land up either around your organs or beneath your skin.
My personal opinion : I think this diet is rather cruel as people think it is them that are slipping up by not sticking to the rules, but it's not.
The only good I can see is that it's good for extremely obese people who need to lose weight fast as they could die from a heart attack, as the health risks of their current state is far riskier than the health risks of the diet, after all that's what VLCD's were created for initially. "

hi scotty,

interesting! i too am extremely analytical and have to understand the mechanisms of how something works. so why do you think we all have different amounts of weights in our individual food programs? it can't be based on body weight as the 2nd time round i forgot to put my weight on the form and my program was quite different from the first (put my height, shoe size the same) i have tried to look at it from a prot/carb/fat percentage and they seem roughly equal (around 30/30/30) in my "typical" cohens day. my cals are less than 800. and seeing they can't control which of the options we have at brek/lunch/dinner wouldn't there be some variance in terms of the ratios?

i did lose a lot of weight fast the first time - around 12 kg in about 6 weeks, but then ate "badly" and put on 20kg in 3 months. not only that i am a lot softer and flabbier even at the same weight i was when i started - and my body fat percentage is higher AND i have ugly purple stretch marks i didn't have before from the yo yo. i then went on cohens again and lost 10kg again very quickly- about a month. however my hair is thinning considerably and growing in a brownish grey (like some anorexics get) and i pick up every cough and cold around (even on 2 multi vits a day).

i know in obese people some loss of muscle is ok as the adequate protein will maintain enough muslce mass for us to build up when slim, so am not as worried about that. i am really concerned about the "shock factor" to our body though and wonder if we just ate the foods dr c recs with NO preservatives, sugar etc whether we would achieve the same effect without the massivel calorie restriction. are the good side effects people experience a result of the no alcohol, lots of lovely water and good food? esp on people whp prob didn't eat two- 3 portions fruit as well as vege everyday before? (like me)

don't shoot me - am just always naturally curious!!! i love cohens and i love the results when i am a good cohens gal.... i just like to understand what i am doing to myself and the process

[Betty_Spaghetti]

I have been on Cohen's for 3 months and I lost 16 kilos, most of it in the first 8 weeks. I look better size wise but to be honest I felt better when I was overweight (more energy, skin & hair heathier etc.) I had been taking Blackmores Hair, skin & nails, multivitamins plus one fish oil tablet a day the entire time. I am now on maintenance and my hair is falling out by the handful. My scalp is so itchy and I can't scratch it for fear of losing more hair.

I am annoyed and angry that not once did my consultant mention that as a result of doing the cohen's diet, that I would lose my hair! The clinic is shut for the Xmas season (so much for support at a crucial time of the year!!!!) so I have no-one to get advice from. The clinic never mentioned the other side effects as well, the lethargy, the chills all the time, muscle aches & cramps etc.

I've done a bit of internet research and I've found that the hair loss could be due to a lack of essential fatty acids. There is very limited amounts of this in the Cohen's diet, no oily fish, no vegetable oils & no nuts & seeds. I am now taking flaxseed capsules 3 times a day & I have an appointment with a dietician. It will be very interesting to see what she has to say about the Cohen's lifestyle.

I am extremely thankful that I was only on this diet for 3 months & I pray that I have done no further damage to my body. I know of people who have been on Cohen's long term & are now having bone density testing.

I have learnt that there is no quick fix and losing so much weight so quickly is just as bad for you as being overweight.

[Annabelle Joy]

Betty, are you growing new hair? Maya mentioned that her hair is still falling out, but new hair is growing. I've noticed that my nails have been flaky for the past few months, starting shortly before I finished, but now I can see where I finished the diet and the nail grown since then is healthy, and the flaky nail will soon all have gone. I didn't notice any hair loss over the nine months I was on the diet or since. On a low calorie diet our bodies cut back on the less essential functions to save on energy. Hair and nails are both likely to suffer, as is our ability to keep warm. It may be that the hair that you had through the diet is now being discarded and replaced with new, healthy hair.

Magnesium should stop the cramps. I took it through the diet, as soon as I first had signs of cramps, and it stopped them immediately. I took all of the vitamins that were suggested by Dr Cohen and don't think I have any ongoing problems from the diet. My doctor recently ordered an extensive set of blood tests for me and everything came back normal.

I'm suspecting that the sorts of problems you mention start to develop right at the end of the diet, and that they are the signal that it is time to start refeed as our bodies aren't getting enough nutrient. Continuing to diet beyond that point puts stress on the body. However, that is only my thoughts, no concrete evidence for it.

AJ