Selfish Sacrifice for Thinness

by Serene
(Singapore)

I am an 18 year old female student and I started feeling extremely unhappy about my body weight because I could not fit into any strapless of sleeveless dresses and I wanted to look good. So I went on a crash diet in at the end of May, limiting only an apple and a sandwich for each meal and much to my delight, I lost 2 kg in 5 days and I was immensely pleased.

However, I found it hard to maintain my eating regime and gradually went back to my old eating habits and gained back the 5 pounds. Then suddenly about 2 weeks ago during mid July, I noticed an increase in the amount of hair at the drain when I took a shower.

Day by day, I was in shock, because my ponytail had become so much thinner, for I had a head of thick hair in the past. The big hairclip that I once could not tie my hair with could now be used to tie my hair. I was devastated and broke down.

I did not see a doctor because I knew what had caused the hair loss. I am now still losing hair in bulks and my self esteem has taken a dip. I'm wondering when this phase will be over and seek some assistance and advice as when it will end and what I can do to overcome this problem!

I now know that one should NEVER ever crash diet because it sacrifice something that you love most. You never fully appreciate your hair until it starts falling out. I seek advice!!! Thank you!

Editor Comments

Dear Serene,

There are many causes of hair loss and yes, crash dieting is definitely high on the trigger list but it sometimes it may not be the cause you think it is at all. Sometimes some other medical conditions or underlying problems might be a cause of your condition. That is why I strongly advised that if you are noticing a great deal of hair loss, a prompt check up with your dermatologist or at least your family doctor is recommended.

If it’s related to crash dieting, then there is nothing much you can do about it because the damage has already been done. Just try in the future to not to pursue such activities without at least first consult with a professional medical practitioner or a dietician. There are really just too many crash diet related hair loss to worry about and it’s best you don’t add to the statistics.

What you can do now if you have ever hurt your body through crash dieting is to get back on your feet. Get the right intake of necessary vitamins, take a healthy breakfast and have a moderate lunch and dinner. Vitamin supplements, exercises and getting enough rest are good ways to recuperate back your body.

For your age, I don’t think you will need any hair loss treatments (until at least if the situation is not improving) so what you need to do is to get back into shape and your hair will grow back after a few months. Most importantly, steer clear of crashing your diet without proper guidance to prevent future unwanted hair loss.