possible link between brand of protein powder and hair loss?

Ok, this may be completely coincidental and anecdotal, BUT... FWIW...

I lost half of my hair in 2008 after my open RNY.  MOST -- but not ALL -- of it had grown back and reached about ear length by last spring (my hair has always grown slowly and having the hernia repair and plastic surgeries two years ago didn't help I'm sure).  Then, suddenly, it started falling out again.  A little at first, then a LOT... as much as after my RNY.  All my labs (except my Vit K, which is irrelevant to hair) were fine.  My thyroid was fine.  No illnesses or unusual emotional stress.  Same foods and vitamins I had been taking.  I added the biotin back in and finally switched one of my faily vitamin doses to a prenatal with some extra stuff in it.  Hair continued to fall out.

I realized that the ONLY thing I could think of that I had changed was switching from primarily using Unjury for my one daily protein supplement to another popular brand (because it was cheaper than the Unjury and available in the health food stores).  So, starting to get frantic -- my hair had gotten so thin that you could EASILY see light through it, and VERY little was growing back in despite 7500 mg of biotin per day -- I decided to switch back to the Unjury almost exclusively.  That was a couple of months (3 canisters of Unjury) ago.

Not only did my hair loss stop completely, but I have a LOT of it growing back in.  Now... I have had several graduate classes in research methods, and know that there is a difference between correlation, causation, and coincidence... so I cannot say that this is more than coincidence, but I personally  believe that it is since NOTHING else was diminishing the hair loss after more than 6 months (so it lasted too long to be a normal hair life cycle issue).  I am convinced enough that, other than using up the other protein powders that I already have on hand -- and probably buying the occasional non-milky type supplement for when I get sick of the others -- I am going to stick with the Unjury (and will NOT be buying any mroe of the brand I had been using while my hair was falling out).  I don't know if I was not absorbing that protein as well for some reason, of if it is an issue of varying quality of whey proteins or what.  I just know that my hair is now FINALLY not falling out and is growing back (and I can stop looking at the Raquel Welch wig web sites (seriously)).

Anyway, I though I would share, FWIW.

Lora

What was the other brand you used?

I can send you a PM to tell you privately, but because I cannot be sure that the other protein powder contributed to my hair loss, I don't want to make any kind of public statement about the brand.

Lora

I would definitely appreciate that information. I alternate between several but I try to eat lots of beans, lentils, greek yogurt, everyday.

Thanks,

Michelle

Was the new brand Whey Protein Isolate (I believe unjury is) and if so, what are some of the additives that are different between the two?

I've been losign hair like crazy....but I was very bad with my vitamins, and I got pretty sick last fall, and I figured that was the cause.

I've been doign a whey protein conccentrate for over a year and a half (always same brand) and I doubt it's the whey that is doing it in my case, but it is bothring me. I expect that my recent surgery will only make it worse. I also was borderline anoerexic for a while, hardly eating for about six months, and I'm sure htat is a big contribution to my losing my hair.

An interesting correlation though... I'd really look into the differences, so that you can determine what things might be worth avoiding.

Yes, they are both whey protein isolate.  I will look to see if the labels yield anything significant.  Most of the chemical stuff is pretty much gibberish to me, though!

Hopefully, now that youa re on the medn and committed to eating more, your hair will bounce back.  At least you had a lot of hair to start with.  Mine is baby fine and was not ever very thick.

Lora

Yeah, I've been eating like a pig and NOT gaining... but then again, it seems logical that better nutrition won't make me gain if it's a sensible amount of food. And I was blessed with incredibly thick hair, so loss of volume doesnt' really affect it. The worst is when it all starts growing back.....that's what drives me crazy..

I'd just compare the chemical stuff.... see if there is a specific difference, and then if it's just one or two chemicals, you have something you'd want to avoid

There were also those whey powders that were recalled.. coudl it be you got the bad batch? 

Lora - you can google any ingredient that you don't know what it is to find more information about it... I had to do that when I was trying to determine what was causing one of my children's allergies - you'd be surprised what some of those additives are!

Thanks for sharing! Sorry you had that experience at all!

~Karen

Just FYI: The other brand is a combination of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and whey protein hydrolysate, whereas the Unjury is simply whey protein isolate.

Lora

that could be something to do with it.... perhaps you don't metabolize non-isolate proteins and protein deficiency led to hair loss?