Have you ever run your fingers through your hair and noticed more strands coming loose than usual? If so, you’re not alone. Hair thinning and loss can be frustrating, and if you’re living with obesity, you might wonder if there’s a connection.

While many factors influence hair health, weight can play a role in ways you might not expect. From nutritional imbalances to hormonal shifts, several underlying causes could be at play. Let’s take a closer look at the link between obesity and hair loss and what you can do to keep your hair healthy while managing obesity.

The Connection Between Obesity and Hair Loss

Hair follicles — tiny structures in the skin that grow hair — get smaller as people age, which leads to hair loss. This happens because there are specific cells that help hair grow that start to disappear over time. These cells are called hair follicle stem cells. Scientists think that stress caused by obesity can target these stem cells and speed up the hair-thinning process.

Additionally, hormone changes, poor nutrition, bariatric surgery, and chronic inflammation can contribute to hair loss in people with obesity.

Hormone Changes

Hormonal changes are a common cause of hair loss. This is because hormones directly affect hair growth. Hormones are associated with obesity because they can affect metabolism and appetite. There are a few hormonal changes associated with obesity that may be the cause of hair loss.

Insulin Resistance

People living with obesity experience insulin resistance, a condition where cells don’t respond well to insulin. Insulin is a type of hormone that helps regulate your blood glucose (sugar) levels. When you have insulin resistance, it’s difficult for your body to balance glucose in the blood, which can cause it to build up and lead to type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and insulin resistance have been linked to a type of hair loss called androgenetic alopecia. Researchers don’t fully understand how androgenetic alopecia develops, but they know that it’s related to hormones called androgens. Androgens can shrink the hair follicles, causing hair loss. This form of hair loss is also associated with an increased risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS is a common cause of hormonal imbalances that lead to hair loss. PCOS develops when the body makes too many androgens. This may be due to issues with hormone signaling from the brain or insulin resistance causing too much insulin in the blood.

PCOS and obesity commonly occur together. According to the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome, about 60 percent of women in the United States living with obesity also experience PCOS. For those with PCOS, obesity can make insulin resistance worse. People with PCOS and obesity may have lower levels of a protein that controls how much testosterone is available in the body. When the protein levels are low, it can lead to symptoms like hair loss, acne, and thinning hair on the scalp.

Poor Nutrition

Obesity usually develops as a result of poor dietary habits and reduced physical activity. However, your hair needs a balance of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These help with cell growth, which encourages your hair to grow and keeps your hair follicles healthy.

If you don’t eat a balanced diet, you might miss out on important vitamins and nutrients that help keep your hair healthy. Over time, this deficiency can lead to hair thinning or loss. Researchers are still trying to figure out which nutrients are linked to hair loss. However, some research has shown that a lack of iron, vitamin B, and zinc caused hair loss in mice when they were exposed to a high-fat diet.

Bariatric Surgery

Hair loss is a common side effect of bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is a type of surgery where a doctor changes the digestive system to help someone lose weight. This can mean making the stomach smaller or changing the way food moves through the body. It’s a common treatment for people with obesity who have difficulty losing weight with only lifestyle changes and those who have serious health conditions associated with obesity. One study found that 57 percent of people who had bariatric surgery experienced hair loss.

More research is needed to understand the connection between hair loss and bariatric surgery. However, according to the journal Obesity Surgery, the side effects seemed to be more common in younger women and people with low levels of zinc, folic acid, and ferritin. After bariatric surgery, people eat much less food for about two months. After that, they still eat less than they did before surgery for one to two years. Eating less can cause vitamin and nutrient shortages, like those mentioned earlier, and may make hair loss happen faster.

Chronic Inflammation

Obesity is often accompanied by long-term inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation can damage your hair follicles, leading to hair loss and thinning.

How To Manage Hair Loss With Obesity

If you’re experiencing hair loss, it’s important to let your healthcare provider know. If you have an underlying health condition like PCOS that’s contributing to hair loss, they will recommend treatments that can help. Your healthcare provider can help you understand all of your options for treatment, depending on what’s causing your hair loss.

Here are a few methods your doctor may recommend to manage your hair loss with obesity.

Hair Loss Medication and Procedures

Your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter or prescription medication for hair loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a couple of medications for hair loss that may help with your symptoms.

Your healthcare team may also suggest:

• Grafting — Hair is surgically removed from one part of the body and placed in another area.
• Scalp reduction — The skin without hair is removed from the scalp, and the remaining skin with hair is stretched to cover the bald spots.
• Light or laser therapy — Hair growth is stimulated by targeting the hair follicles.
• Microneedling — This procedure helps stimulate the hair follicles.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy — This treatment helps prevent hair loss and promotes new hair growth.
• Hair tattoo — Also called scalp micropigmentation, this is a tattoo that can cover up any areas of hair loss.

Mediterranean Diet

Research shows that eating a diet rich in plant-based foods — like the Mediterranean diet — can help reduce hair loss and help your hair grow. This is because the Mediterranean diet is made up of foods that are anti-inflammatory and contain antioxidants, which can be helpful for hair growth. The Mediterranean diet can also be beneficial for helping prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease in people with obesity.

Take a Multivitamin

If you’re considering bariatric surgery for weight loss, your doctor may recommend you start taking a daily multivitamin, if you don’t take one already. This can help boost your vitamin levels, which might help prevent hair loss or lessen the amount of hair loss you experience. Always talk to your doctor before starting new supplements.

When To See a Doctor

If you’re concerned about hair loss, it’s important to consult with a healthcare provider. They can help determine the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatments. Seek medical advice if you’re:

• Experiencing sudden or patchy hair loss
• Seeing hair loss along with other symptoms like fatigue, unexplained weight changes, or skin changes
• Feeling concerned about the rate of your hair loss

The connection between obesity and hair loss can be complicated, but there are plenty of ways to help your hair and your overall health. Eating a balanced diet and taking care of any underlying health issues can help you move toward healthier hair and feeling better.

Talk to Others Who Understand

MyObesityTeam is the social network for people with obesity and their loved ones. On MyObesityTeam, more than 56,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with obesity.

Have you experienced hair loss because of obesity? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.