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I'm a vegetarian and have been for about 6 years now. I have noticed that my hair has been getting thinner and thinner. What could be causing this? And what can I do to change this?:

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Hair loss is a complex issue. For those who suffer from diffuse hair loss (not just in a patch) the causes are many. Iron-deficiency, zinc-deficiency and malabsorption of the proper vitamins in the diet can cause a diffuse loss of hair. A low thyroid condition or an elevation in the function of the parathyroid glands can cause diffuse hair loss, as can some genetic or hereditary conditions.

The best recommendation I can make is that you first determine that your thyroid is functioning properly and that some other medical condition like the post-pregnancy state is not causing the problem. If all is normal, then I would reevaluate the mineral and vitamin content in your diet and, if it seems that diet alone won't give you what you need, a good multivitamin with iron and zinc in it may replace what your body needs to grow a healthy head of hair.

Hair that falls out in patches is called alopecia areata and is an auto-immune condition that needs medical attention. Both men and women can develop some form of male-pattern baldness if it runs in the family. Women do not have such a noticeable condition but can lose hair around the crown of the head or around the temples as a result of a parent or grandparent having the same condition

C. Traxler , MD

Other questions in this category:

	Hi I am 28 years old male. Recently I have done the South Beach Diet to lose some weight and it worked. This actually helped me with my GERD as well , which I am glad. However I started to lose hair (or I just noticed it after I went to the second phase of the diet). I did some research online and learned that FAD diets with which one loses weight rapidly may cause hair loss. My question is "is it reversable" because I am off the diet now. I looked at male pattern hair loss and mine did not look like that, my hair loss is more diffused and mostly affects the top part of my head. Do you think my hair loss will reverse and hair fill back in since I am off the diet for the most part?"

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