Have you been noticing big chunks of your hair falling out? Not only from your head but also from your body? If yes, then you might be having celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disease that affects your small intestine and prevents you from eating gluten-rich food. While gluten is regarded as a fat-increasing substance, it is also a protein that is required.
So, you must be thinking, if it attacks my intestine, how am I losing hair? Yes, that is how it is perceived, but celiac disease does not directly affect hair loss. A malnourished diet and inability to absorb nutrients can also lead to falling out of hair. In this blog, we are going to understand the connection between celiac disease and hair loss, and how to stop hair loss from celiac disease.
Relationship Between Hair Loss And Celiac Disease
The medical term for losing your hair in round patches is called Alopecia. This is also an autoimmune disorder where the cells attack the hair follicles which results in massive hair loss and weight loss. In 1995, a study on the relationship between celiac disease and alopecia areata came into the picture.
The doctors in Italy noticed that patients suffering from celiac disease were also suffering from alopecia. This correlation was later confirmed when a gluten-free diet plan was introduced for the patients, and the patients saw hair growth from the bald patches. Both diseases can show symptoms from childhood and there is no cure for them yet.
Another variant of celiac disease giving way to hair loss is the inability to absorb nutrients. In this case, there are no bald patches as a symptom of hair loss, but the texture of hair, color, and volume play a part. You can notice that your hair may become brittle, dry, very light in color, and fall out in one brush.
Losing 50 strands of hair in a day is normal, but more than that indicates an unhealthy diet and underlying conditions. Nutritional deficiency can be taken care of if you include supplements, a healthy diet, and an ideal lifestyle. This will not only promote hair growth but also affect your overall health.
Effective Ways To Prevent Hair Loss
While there are many cosmetic solutions to reverse hair loss from celiac disease, we have listed natural ways to manage it.
👉 Adopting A Gluten-Free Diet Plan
Eating gluten is what fuels celiac disease. So to ensure that you need to avoid wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives. This includes no baked goods, beer, regular pasta, cereals, or processed meat that has gluten in it. You can switch to freshly squeezed juices, homemade meat food, vegetables, rice, quinoa, millet, and legumes.
For boosting hair growth you can try including eggs, berries, bell peppers, lean meat, oysters, and dark chocolate in your diet. With the help of a dietician come up with a weekly plan that suits your needs and taste.
👉 Consider Taking Supplements
Supplements are potent extracts of dietary substances, herbal medicines, and plant extracts. These can be in the form of pills, tinctures, or liquid. The dosage of these supplements always comes on the back of the bottle, or consult with your dietician for it.
Make sure that you are choosing gluten-free supplements to manage celiac disease. Taking supplements is just a means to balance the nutritional deficiencies in your body. Do not treat them as a meal and skip the actual food.
👉 Managing Stress
Stress can be a bigger factor that contributes to hair loss. Whether it stems from a job, family, or mid-life crisis, it can negatively affect your overall health. Start working out, or things that you love to distract yourself from the negative thoughts. Sleeping at least eight hours a day is a step forward in conquering your stress.
👉 Keep Yourself Hydrated
When you drink sufficient water you are flushing toxins from your body. Studies have shown that drinking two liters of water every day can improve your hair texture and promote hair growth. It also adds moisture and eliminates the chances of dandruff.
Conclusion
Hair loss is a dreadful experience to undergo as it defines our appearance. Having beautiful locks is wished for by everyone and maintaining them requires simple yet consistent efforts. Managing celiac disease and hair loss together is difficult but not impossible.
