Anorexia really wreaked my hair.
When I was a child, my hair was thick and long. When I was a teenager, my hair was thick and long. When I suffered from anorexia, by hair was thin and scraggly.
It didn’t happen overnight. I had anorexia for eight years before I even began on the path of recovery. My hair did pretty well for the first year or so, then the deterioration became bleedingly obvious. It became so thin that if looked at from the top, my scalp could be seen; luckily I am so tall that many people never see the crown on my head.
Except for when I am sitting down; I began to get rather paranoid that people would see my thinning hair when I sat down, so opted to stand more often than not.
I remember once, in a desperate attempt to make my hair look better, I dyed it. I dyed it dark, and that looked even worse, so I bought a pack of blonde dye in the hope that I could simply return to my natural color. Apparently one cannot put blonde hair dye directly onto black.
No, it turned me ginger. As I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror in despair, my younger sister, Beth, came in to grab her make-up bag.
“What have you done to your hair?” she shrieked.
“I just wanted it to go back to my normal color!” I wailed.
“You idiot! You can’t put blonde dye straight on dark dye! That’s it, I’m calling my hairdresser and booking you an appointment!”
Before I could protest she had done just that; I was booked in that very afternoon to a hair salon in town. To her, and my, surprise, I went.
The hairdresser was very sweet really. She said nothing about the thinness of my hair and only addressed the color issues. Ultimately, she explained to me that the best thing to do for the quality of my hair would be to chop it all off. I simply nodded. I had heard somewhere that cutting hair makes it grow thicker anyway, so maybe this was a good thing all around.
With short hair and no feminine curves, I looked like a man. I remember once that I entered a women’s toilet in the town shopping center and a woman looked at me and said: “Excuse me Sir, the men’s toilets are the next door down… ” and then, upon looking more closely at me, noticed her mistake and scurried away red-faced. I could not blame her for thinking I was a guy, but I was sad all the same.
Ironically, when the hair on my head started to thin, the hair on my body began to thicken. Lanugo. That’s the soft, downy hair which grows on ones body when one has a bodyweight so low that the body cannot sustain an adequate temperature. The hair on my arms and legs grew thick. Embarrassed by it, I covered them at all times.
In recovery, I wondered if my hair would ever be thick like it used to be, and if the lanugo would go. I am happy to say that both those things have happened. The body is an amazing organism and I am stunned at the extent to which mine rebuilt itself after years and years of malnutrition and misuse. Never underestimate the human body’s ability to recover!
The hair on my head is beautiful again, and my arms are bare; but I worked for it. I ate the foods I knew would help with hair growth, which were also, unfortunately, the very foods that my eating disorder ordered me to avoid. Namely, protein and fat. That was one heck of a challenge, but one that I was motivated to accept. Every mealtime, every snack, every time my eating disorder tried to convince me to skip, I reminded myself why I had to eat:
I eating for my hair. I am eating for my bones. I am eating for my muscles. I am eating for my body. I am eating for my brain. I am eating for my mum. I am eating for my dad. I am eating for my sisters. I am eating for my life.
love this post im trying to recover and thats a great way to view food im eating for health 🙂
May be just gave me a hope don’t know but want someone hug me tightly and tell me that I m not that worthless I use to think
I am in recovery right now from self-inflicted malnutrition and was worried as my hair has thinned quite a bit. But you put me at ease and just helped me to fight all the more-to eat all the more. Thank you so much
I’ve been eating right for about 6 months and my hair still seems to be falling out everynow and then it will act like it’s gonna stop then start all over again. I’m getting worried bc the average is six months and I really hope my hair grows back. I’m even a bit on the chubbier side in hopes my hair will grow back I want to loose a bit of weight but I was to make sure I have my hair back first
Loved this! Thank you for your courage.
Laura Laird
Transitions Sober Living House for Women
Thank you for reading!
HOw long did it take to get back to being thick. Iv read online that it can take 6 months. I’m wondering because I am a male and I’m 18 and Iv always had pride in my good looks. Then I quit eating rite for about 6 months and I realize last minute before I knew the consequences that my hair was thinning along with smoking cigarettes (black and milds) and starting quitting dip and constantly shampooing and damaging my hair over the cours of 6 months.
Thank you for this! Getting my hair back is one of the primary reasons I recently committed to recovery. If you don’t mind me asking, what BMI did you have to get to and how long did you maintain it before you started noticing a difference in your hair?
Hi Hannah
I stopped looking at what my BMI was a long long time ago. I found that BMI is utterly useless actually and not a good measure of health. Most health professionals now agree that BMI can be very misleading and should not be used. I just used how I felt, and how my clothes felt on me as a guide. I think that deep down, we all know what our ideal body weight it without having to weigh or measure. Once I was there, I stayed there and gradually my hair improved.
My hair thinned terribly (but very gradually) during the 4+ years that I was underweight. One of the main reasons I decided to recover was because of my hair. But about a month into my recovery, I started losing hair at a faster rate than ever before. I am now at a healthy weight and eating well and feel great, and I can see some baby hairs growing in, but the long ones keep falling at an alarming rate. I am considering buying a wig. Do you have any advice?
Is your hair good now ..???
I was malnutritioned for about a year or more (around 500-100 kcal). My hair was never falling out in extreme amounts (although it was falling out significantly), but it has thinned, especially on top. Now when the shedding has gone better (I lose about 40 hairs a day – I’m eating since 2,5 month), the top of my head is still quite thin (not enough for anyone to comment on it, however it looks quite similar to those AGA photos), but I have also noticed losing thinner than usual hairs which are around 3-5 cm. I have read that it’s normal that you lose those weaker, thinner hairs after extensive shedding. You were underweight for 4 years, so I think your hair became very weak in general and hopefully it will be replaced by thicker hair. I know you won’t read it, but maybe someone else will and it will give them hope. It gets better very, very slowly… I know it can take several months or even years for your hair to thicken up like it was before, because of hair follicle cycles.
How is your hair right now
This post has given me unbelieveable hope for my hair!! I’m so worried it will never grow back or get thick again & I’ve never seen anyone’s hair get the state mine has reached! I was just wondering how long it took before it actually had actual thickness and length back too it?! I’m guessing about sixth months from now? I’ve already been eating again (via hospital inpatient) for 4 months now! And it’s just started getting thicker on the top!! Thank you so much for this post and you’ve done amazingly!!!
Hey Rachel
It may take a while, but you just have to keep going. We are all different in terms of how long our bodies take to recover, and which parts recover fastest. Just keep going, your recovery is for the rest of your life 🙂
Wow that’s good to hear
Hi Rachel, the same has been happening with me. I m eating properly these days, still hair is thinning. I m worried if I go bald.
You’re right One of the negative effects of eating disorders is thinning of hair. People who suffer from it must now that there are a lot of physical and emotional effects an eating disorder can bring to them. As an advice. If you really want to be beautiful and healthy exert more effort in recovery. Eating disorders can be overcome. Don’t allow it to control your life forever and stop allowing it to turn your life miserable.
Hi, how long did it take for your hair to recover. I know that it s not the same for everyone, but my hair grow fairly fast, so if you could please tell me so I could get an estimate? thank you! This really gave me hope!
Hi,
My hair has always been rather thin and flyaway, so it was never really “thick” even when I was a child, so when I had anorexia it was really sparse. I think that in recovery from Anorexia, I started to notice a difference after I had been at a recovered weight for about a year. I hope that helps.
Thankyou for putting your story out. I had othorexia for three years and have been recovering for six months. I have lost most of my hair and it was my main reason for change. It’s still falling out atm but I am getting some new growth. I feel it will be a year before I really see any positive affects on my hair. Your story has given me some hope.
My 15 yr old daughter is going through this same devastating disease…as I see it. It is killing her body her mind and her spirit. I sometimes don’t know what to do. I feel lost and desperate. Glad you made it. Each day is a wonderful accomplishment. Good for you and continue to be kind to yourself
Hey Janet. I feel for you. It must be unbearable to watch a loved one go through this. It is a truly devastating disease. Do you have enough support? I know of some pretty amazing parent support groups. FEAST is one that is great for resources.
You have given me hope. I was anorexic for a year and have been battling bulimia for 11 years. My hair has been so thin through all this, my boyfriend brought up the issue and were trying so hard to get through this. Your mantra at the end is very inspiring. Thank you so much
I have Anorexia I have to stop this NY hair is so thin! I have always had pretty hair not now it looks terrible its not worth all this torture I want my body &life back ,
Thank you have just read your page, my granddaughter is suffering from anorexia & is losing her beautiful thick hair, so I can now tell her that she can grow it again.P
Food is medicine. She can eat her hair back to health.
Aren’t you lucky. My eating disorder ended in 2013 and here I am 2016 still no hair regrowth. All my hair pulled together is not even half the thickness of what it used to be. And I definitely eat enough.
I’m so sorry to hear that. Have you sought any advice from a medical professional? Was your hair thick and full before your ED?
is your hair good now ?
Hi Tabitha
I appreciate you writing this article. I’ve had anorexia for about a decade. I got down to about 40 pounds underweight and then maintained that bc of metabolic halt. Without any change (i.e. Increase) in diet, I am retaining about 30-40 pounds of what a close friend who is a doctor says is water due to starvation. I am panicked that this is not the case and it’s real weight. Have you heard of this?
Also, my hair looks almost like yours did except it has come out in patches. It looks thin and patchy. What do I eat to get it to grow back, and how long did it take for yours to come back? I’m crying every time I see it, for real. I’m so scared.
Thanks for your time,
Kirsten
Kirsten all I can say is take that fear you have and put it into eating. You have to eat fat too. Not just carbs and veg! Fat and protein is what will get your hair back on track.
Hi Tabitha! I am a 14 year old girl and went through a small 4 month time period of anorexia. I used to have really long and EXTREMELY thick hair my whole entire life, until I made the horrible decision of not eating. My hair became really thin as well and I really hated it. I didn’t dye it, but I just dealt with it. Now being less than a month until my one-year-recovered, my hair is still thin and I don’t know what to do! It makes me really upset just thinking about how my hair used to be before, and I really want to know what to do. Please help me with some tips/advice to my situation, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you! 🙂
Hi Andrea,
I’m not a doctor or anything, so I can only tell you what worked for me. I found that eating animal fats helped a lot for me in terms of skin, nails and hair. Drinking full fat milk, eating butter on toast, and full fat yoghurt and cheese were really the things that helped me the most I think. I do really well with dairy, and I explain that a lot in my book as I do think that for many of us the foods that we ate a lot of as a growing child are the ones that help us most in our recovery periods.
Hope that helps and be sure to reach out and keep me updated on how you are doing or ask any other questions.
I really believe that; I always eat full fat dairy products because I don’t believe the whole ‘low fat or non fat is healthier!’ situation. I’m trying this week to change my breakfasts from eggs to cereal and see how that goes. Thank you so very much for your advice and I will definitely let you know later on how I’ll be doing. You’re very strong and helpful; I’m having hope for the future! 😀
Same thing!I’m 14yrs ,bulimic for 6 months and anorexic for about 1month ?I start recovery by myself, I’m eating almonds and dairy and use vitamin E shampoo, my hair stop falling a little bit and get taller by 3cm in 2 months ((after cut it in September)).mare you seeing any changes in Ur hair?
I think keep doing and keep eating high fat foods such as cheese, cream and butter xx
This is one of the only hopeful posts I’ve seen about hair loss from EDs and recocery. It makes me feel like I have a reason to keep trying to overcome this and do more to get my hair back, the thing that I used to get compliments on too many times to count. Thank you
Yes! Your beautiful hair will come back if you keep going!
I’m a sixteen year old girl who is nine months into recovery. I was bulimic since I was twelve and stopped about a month before my sixteenth birthday. The hair on top of my head near my forehead is so thin that if I don’t constantly adjust or brush it you can see my scalp. I was never under weight but I had lost a large amount of weight during the process. The rest of my hair is just as thick as it use to be but I’m scared the top part won’t ever grow back. My hair grows about an inch a month but I can’t tell if the small hairs I see on top are just ones the broke off or regrowing hairs. I’ve noticed a significant change in my health since I started recovery, I use to be anemic but about four to five months ago my blood charts came back completely normal and I no longer have to take iron pills.
I guess what I’m trying to ask is should I be so worried? I have no one else to ask since no one knows about my bulimia and it scares me to think of how much hair I’ve lost at such a young age.
Please reply.
Hiya
Okay, first off you really should tell someone about your eating disorder so that you can get support in your recovery.
If you keep eating well and include enough fat in your diet then give it time and you should find that your hair comes back to as it was before you got sick with Bulimia
Hope that helps and feel free to reach out at any time.
Thanks Tabitha for this article – very encouraging! I’m a man suffering from anorexia for around 5 years. My hair has thinned and it does seem very weak compared to my hair previously. I’ve been at a stable body weight for over 2 years now but my hair still seems to be thin. My weight isn’t that high but I’m well within my BMI so I do look fairly skinny still. I exercise almost everyday eat plenty of protein and fat and take multivitamins . Do you think my hair will return to its original form, I understand there may be a difference in male vs female hair loss but in your experience do men also recover ?
Thanks for the article- very encouraging!
I’m a male anorexic suffering for 5 years. I have been ata stable body weight for 2.5 years but my hair still is thin all around my head. I exercise daily for 15 minutes, eat plenty of protein, fat and taken multivitamins. I’m still within my bmi but I look fairly skinny as my weight is not as high as it used to be pre-anorexia. Does hair thickness recover in men as well and do you think there’s any supplements that I should be taking? Also do you think that perhaps my exercise could be a problem ?
Thanks for your advice !
J
Heya
So, If you are still skinny that is probably the clue. Being within “a normal BMI” means nothing. If I had stayed at a BMI of 19 in recovery I would never had reached full recovery. You really need to achieve your pre-ED weight plus 10 percent to really renew all free fat mass and get your body to a place where it has a surplus of resources it can then dedicate some of those to things like hair and nails.
Thanks Tabitha for your prompt reply !
That makes a lot of sense and I’ll do my best to get back to my pre-ED weight.
I have another related issue to my anorexia I was wondering if you encountered or perhaps you know of others who encountered this- ever since I got anorexia my skin has become far worse I.e major breakouts and quite a bit of acne in particular cystic type (painful tender ones with no white or black heads). It’s left hyper pigmentation all over my cheeks 🙁 I read that hormones can be a major cause – I’m 21 and had perfect skin throughout my teen years before anorexia. Do you think the spots/acne will go once I restore my weight to the pre-ED weight ? Did this happen to you by any chance ?
Thanks so much again Tabitha – really really appreciate it!
J
i have been suffering with anorexia for roughly one year now. my hair is falling out by the clumps and i wanted it to stop. i stumbled upon this article after researching how to fix all of the hair loss. i am happy to say that it is this article that has led me to begin my recovery journey. the words have moved me in such a way, i couldnt even begin to explain how much it has touched me. though it has only been 10 days since i began my recovery journey, yet i am fully commited & ready to be healthy again. thank you from the bottom of my heart. this has changed my life for the better.
Congratulations on starting your recovery journey! That is wonderful!
I was wondering how long did it take for you to see an improvement in your hair during recovery…I am going through a similar issue except mine isnt an eating disorder its a time constraint issue..single mom 4 kids (no help- my x is a loser and I have no family), work and fulltime college..I am almost done with my degree (May 7 semester ends) and I have found that everything on my plate has just been too much and when I needed more hours in the day due to school work I skipped meals..alot of them to the point I am eating about 4 meals a week and do not eat at all on work day due to college pit stop at home feed kids and then right to work…as my semester rolls to an end and I graduate I am strongly aware I need to eat normally again which is its own challenge as I just do not have an appetite anymore (I am sure my stomach has just shrunk so much I eat a little and feel full very quickly)
Hi there
Eating disorders are not about wanting to be thin! Accidental weight loss leading to lack of appetite and often fear of eating more/ anxiety around eating is an eating disorder. If you didn’t have an eating disorder you would be able to easily eat more food and gain the weight immediately. It sounds to me like you have an eating disorder and if you are underweight I think that you should seek help in restoring. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions about this. I too was not a typical eating disorder presentation and never “wanted” to be thin
Hi..i stumbled on your blog about your thinning hair.
My sister has had an eating disorder for about 14 yrs. We both have or, had thick curly hair.
I’m going to a salon that specializes in cutting curly hair and when I told her, she said she goes there too.
I got a little worried because I think her hair looks lousy…but then I thought it’s because of her illness.
How did you finally get better? She has given up.
Now I have trouble talking to her because she gets
Things all mixed up. And when I confront her she just twists everything all around to make me the bad one.
We are only 19 mos. Apart , I’m turning 56 and she is 54….i feel as though I have no sister.
Hi Lori
Feel free to email me if you have questions as this sounds quite specific, but don’t lose hope. Your sister can make a full recovery at any age!
What will I do to get my hair back..
Hey, Did your hair all together lost its thickness in diameter or was it just that you had less hair and the diameter or hair was same? And did you notice receding hairline?
Tabitha, like many others, this post truly has helped me feel more comfortable and less anxiety about losing hair due to anorexia. I have read a lot of the post along with your replies, so I’m hoping this isn’t a repeated question, but did you follow a meal plan to help you get back on track that had lots of proteins and fats or did you just try to listen to your body. Sometimes I find that my listening to my body may not be eating enough. I If not, what kind of foods did you make sure you were always eating? I’m just a little worried I’ll be all backed up if I eat lots of dairy. Thanks for your time ?
I didn’t follow a meal plan, I just ate a LOT of food – I was eating all day and eating a lot of fat. If you eat enough food, you will get enough of all the nutrients.
Hi Tabitha, I suffered from anorexia 3 months back, but when I suffer hair loss, I have started eating properly since past 2 months. Still my hair is falling, it’s thinner than ever. I feel I would turn bald after some days. I am unable to find hope. Sad
You’re amazing. I am currently 21 and recovering from aneroxia. Trying hard to recover but i found it so hard and sometimes it’s very stressful, do you have any advices for me? i admire you a lot, following every of your posts and all as an inspiration! But I always feel like I have to eat healthy even when I crave for some desserts (I hate myself to stop myself from having them even now) not because I’m afraid of weight gain but it’s just that I feel like it’s unhealthy. And my hair is very thin, I want it to grow but how? And how long does it takes to grow and recover from all these?
Hope to hear from you.
Thanks.
Hi Amanda
I would say that despite how hard it is, you have to stop all restriction. Fats are really really good for the recovery process and rebuilding cells, and this helps the hair and nails and skin etc.
I am madhu. I am from India. I am an anaeroxic patient. Now I am recovering from it. My height is 5feet 10 inches and my weight is now 64kgs.it is two months from my recovery. Bur still my hair is thin. How long does it take to get hair grow back thick.
Longer than 2 months! Mine took more like 2 years – but my hair naturally grows VERY slowly.
Hi i have been an anorexic for about 9 years I’ve relapsed a few times and the most recent one has caused my hair to droop so much to the point where I do not know what to do. I have started eating and gaining back the weight however there is no improvement to my hair. Is there anything you can advise me to do
I have hair loss. I lost a stone in.a week. I am wondering if it is due to weightloss and not somehibg else. I had lanugon face and arms. It is 2 years later starting to leave my face and arms. But the terminal hair on my arm is less and what i have is thinner. The same for hair all over my body there is less terminal hair and what their is is thinner even hair growing back.
Everywhere i have hair i experiencing this. Eyebrows lashes the lot. Did you experience thin regrowth and thin terminal hair?
Im so glad i found your website. Its giving me hope that i can return to a normal healthy state. I started with anorexia in college, which then improved to extreme restrictive eating post college, followed by excerise addiction from 26 to present day (36). I lost my period many years ago along with so much hair. Also was diagnosed with osteoprosis. After years of feeling and looking like an emaciated troll, im finally working to fight against my awful body behavior. I decided to make real efforts to change in August 2017. Ive found great encourage here. A great read everytime i feel like im slipping. Ive got a long way to go im sure but hoping by this time next year ill be celebrating the end of 2018 with a full head of hair.
Update: I see one fine baby hairs growing in but doesn’t seem like any volume improvements. Still strategically combing hair in place to hide my scalp. I’ve stopped running and cut back a lot on exercise, did B/C briefly (amenorrhea since 2006) and have been eating regular meals for about 6 months. My sleep has greatly improved though which is nice. But not much happening with hair restoration and I’m feeling discouraged.
Ugh, im now very discouraged. Its been 9 months now and no improvement. It just continues to fall out.
I’m 47 and I really can place a date in when I became anorexic and obsessed with exercise. I approximate only 2 years. My hair has been fairly good except it thinned a bit. Now that I have put on weight I feel like my hair looks worse, and I have now developed cystic acne. I have not ever had bad skin, and at my lowest my skin was ashen in color, but very clear. I cut 1 inch off my hair and it seems worse and the flyaways are awful. Even at my age I am astonished how physically and psychologically damaging this is…a lot of days I have “nostalia” for my lower weight, and I have only gained 10 lbs. It feels like more. Thank you for your blog. ❤
I am 35, and same happening with me. Suggest me what to do. Even though I am eating properly, my hair if falling badly.
I know how u feal in recovery at the moment and the only comfort I have is from my hair dresser that it’s growing back but I don’t feel it. I’ve set up a Instagram account on my recovery if you want to take a look, it’s called EnoughofEd
Tabitha,
When you say your hair became thin, did each individual strand become thin or did you experience hair loss? I have not experienced hair loss but my strands of hair have all gotten thin and my hair has maybe half the density it used to have. I have been in recovery for 6 months now but have not seen any thickening of my hair. How long do you think it will take for me to notice the thickening? I am really worried that I ruined my hair forever. It constantly upsets me and I don’t know how to get past it.
Tabitha,
When you say your hair became thin, did each individual strand become thin or did you experience hair loss? I have not experienced hair loss but my strands of hair have all gotten thin and my hair has maybe half the density it used to have. I have been in recovery for 6 months now but have not seen any thickening of my hair. How long do you think it will take for me to notice the thickening? I am really worried that I ruined my hair forever. It constantly upsets me and I don’t know how to get past it.
Hmm, I’m not sure really. I feel like I had more bald spots on my top of my head. It took about a year to get better
i had a 5 and a half month period of ana (about 500-1000 calories) i am one month into recovery, i am almost weight restored, and i got my period back, but i am still losing a lot of hair, like A LOT. i am eating really good and taking many vitamins (multi vitamin, hair skin & nails, collagen, and vitamin c) but the hair loss won’t stop. i would realllyyy really appreciate if you replied and tried to help me out. all these people saying their hair isn’t growing back is really making me lose hope.
on my 5th month of recovery, I have realized that some baby hairs are starting to grow near my scalp. Is this normal?
Hey! Has your hair recovered at all if you haven’t relapsed? I’m just starting to see those baby hairs too.
I was anorexic for less than 6 months altogether – It started with bulimia in December 2019 and became anorexia in January 2020 I’d say. Only after I gained the weight back though, which was in June 2020, I started experiencing massive hair loss. In a 2 week span, approximately, I lost half of my hair. I was desperate – my hair had always been extremely smooth and strong, and then it had the consistency of hay and was so brittle and fragile. I started eating healthy again – I was eating everything I did before, basically, and even began taking vitamin supplements and biotin pills (I’ve been taking them regularly from July/August 2020)… but it didn’t grow back. I am currently at my original weight and my hair, at this stage, has been the thinnest it has ever been. It’s been already a year and a half since I recovered, going toward 2 years – but my hair, especially in the past 6 months, has been falling out like crazy. At this point, I almost don’t know what else to do – I know that it “takes time” to recover completely, but even my (irregular) periods have come back – now it’s just the hair that is at a third of what it used to be in terms of volume. A third. I am so ashamed of my head, that I always have to wear my hair up just to *try* to hide the baldness. I just want it to get back to what it used to look like, you know. I am crying right now while typing, regretting that fateful decision I made as a stupid 16-year-old – wanting to become thin at all costs… just to be like the other girls. I am so glad that you managed to make it grow back though and hope with all of my heart that I will have the same success you did. I’m wishing you, myself, and everyone else on here all the best in life – simply all the best. Take care of yourselves, all of you only deserve happiness.
Hey! Has anyone here had any luck growing back their hair?