Expert: Joanne - 12/19/2008

Question
What should I eat in order to have hair growth again? My hair is brittle and
I've been have trouble losing it for to years. I'm currently recovering from on
going lapses of anorexia mixed with binge eating disorder. Not only the hair
loss, but this is embarrassing to admit. I have hair growth in abnormal places
:( and it's depressing. My doctor prescribed me birth control it's called
Loestrin but I didn't realize any of this had to deal with my eating habits.

Answer
Hannah

You really need to just make sure that you eat a well balanced diet rich in vitamins and other nutrients.  Make sure that you eat a lot of fruit and veg, and also make sure that you take in iron as well as anaemia can affect your hair.

When someone suffers from anorexia, it is common for you to develop a thin layer of hair over most of your body - called lanugo.  It is a means of the body trying to insulate itself when there is little body fat.  I have never heard of people being treated for this as I think it tends to shed when you are recovering from anorexia, however sometimes people are prescribed birth control for excessive body hair as its growth can often be linked to excess testosterone in females, usually due to polycystic ovaries.  Whether or not you see a difference taking the birth control, I do not know, but please don't become too disheartened as it should sort itself out once your eating habits are under control.

Joanne