So you recently started a keto diet, and now you’ve noticed more hair fall than usual. Maybe your hair is even looking and feeling healthier, but you notice more coming out. Not to worry!

A very small amount of people can experience hair loss on keto. But not only is this side effect temporary, the hair usually comes back healthier and thicker than ever before! That being said, let’s look at why this can happen for some people plus some ways to address it right away.

There are two main reasons temporary hair loss happens for some people on a keto diet:

  1. Detox stress: Suddenly changing your diet, especially when switching from junk to very healthy foods, can put some initial stress on your body. Remember, you’re detoxing from years of bad habits and harmful foods. Your body is now healing, and healing takes time and energy out of you.
  2. Adjusting to ketosis: Your body is going from using carbs for energy to using fat. This can “shock” the body as it makes the transition, which can manifest as hair loss in a few people.

Neither of these are reason for worry, however, and hair loss on keto usually resolves itself with time.

Natural Remedies for Hair Loss on Keto

As mentioned above, if hair loss does happen while eating keto, it’s almost always temporary and comes back on its own. But in the meantime, here are some additional tips for supporting healthier hair.

1. Reduce Stress in Your Life

Since a big dietary change can be tough on your body in the beginning, give yourself extra care during this time:

  • Focus on getting enough sleep, or extra sleep.
  • Do some light exercise to help reduce stress, but don’t start an intense fitness regime.
  • Speak kindly to yourself, pray daily, and stay social to prevent loneliness.

And make sure you’re eating enough healthy fats, especially at the beginning of the diet, to nourish your body and hair.

2. Make Sure Protein Intake Is Ideal

Although protein intake is moderate on the Keto Zone diet (15% of total calories), hair loss can sometimes be a sign of not enough protein.

A good way to remedy this is by incorporating hydrolyzed collagen into your diet. Keto Zone Collagen is made from type II chicken collagen, which contains the vital amino acids for building strong hair.

For an extra dose of hair-healthy collagen, you can also drink bone broth.

3. Get Your Thyroid Checked

Hormonal imbalance can sometimes cause hair loss, especially if you already struggle with thyroid- or hormone-related health issues.

If hair loss continues for a long period of time, you might want to see your functional medicine practitioner about doing labs to check your thyroid health.

4. Consider Hair-Healthy Nutrients

Besides collagen, biotin and zinc are two popular hair vitamins and minerals often associated with hair health. They may be helpful for keeping your hair healthy during your keto transition.

5. Last Resort: Add A Few More Carbs

Your best bet is to wait for the hair loss to resolve as you adjust to being in the Keto Zone. However, a last resort for relief would be to add a few more carbs into your daily diet. Start with no more than ten extra grams of carbs per day, and see how that works.

Best Approach for Hair Loss on Keto: Wait It Out

In almost every situation, hair loss is a rare and temporary side effect of the keto diet. So do what you can to reduce stress, continue eating healthy keto foods, keep the tips above in mind, and give it time to resolve on its own—and come back looking better than ever!