Mark Blake is an Internationally recognised Harley Street trichologist, in this article he shares his knowledge about the impact of dieting and associated hair loss. It takes around 160 calories to grow 1 gram of hair, which is equivalent to a 35 minute walk or a 22 minute aerobics class. To grow optimum hair it requires a bountiful supply of energy in addition to a good supply of protein (hair is made up of around 85% protein) and minerals and vitamins.

When you start a diet you may experience hair shedding around 2 months later and the shedding may last for around 6 months or longer depending on the restrictive diet that you are on. This form of hair loss is called Telogen effluvium and won’t stop until you remove the causative factors, such as eating a well-balanced diet. A good vitamin and mineral supplement may help reduce hair loss if your body has depleted your vitamin and mineral reserves.

Hair is the second most prolific cell producer in the body after bone marrow, the cells in the follicle are very active metabolically and require a lot of energy for optimum hair growth. To put it into context you grow between 0.3mm - 0.5mm of hair a day, you have between 100,000 – 150,000 hairs on your head. If you multiply all those 0.3mm - 0.5mm by 100,000-150,000 (hairs on your head) that means you will grow around 36 meters of hair in a day, that’s 1Km in a month (if all those little bits were joined together end on end). Hair growth requires a bountiful supply of energy units (Adenosine triphosphate - ATP) in addition to protein, minerals, and vitamins. So, eating a well-balanced protein enriched diet is the best way to give you the hair you deserve.

Mark Blake has trichology clinics in Harley Street London, Gloucester and Liverpool. Telephone 01452 528342 for Trichology consultations.

For more information please visit www.markblake.co.uk.