Low-Carb and Keto Diets and Hair Loss: What Really Causes the Shedding
Last reviewed on 30 July 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
Low-carb and ketogenic (keto) diets are hugely popular for weight loss and for managing conditions like type 2 diabetes. So it worries a lot of people when, a couple of months in, they notice more hair than usual coming out in the shower or on the brush. The common question is simple: can a low-carb diet cause hair loss, and does keto make you lose hair? This guide gives you the honest answer, calmly and in plain terms.
The short version is reassuring. It is usually not the carbohydrates themselves that cause the shedding. When a low-carb or keto diet triggers hair loss, it is almost always through the things that tend to come with a big dietary change: rapid weight loss, a sharp drop in calories, and sometimes not enough protein or key nutrients. That combination can tip hair follicles into a temporary, diffuse shedding called telogen effluvium, which is the same pathway behind the well-known idea that any crash diet or major metabolic stress can shed hair. A review of diet and hair loss describes telogen effluvium as a well-known effect of sudden weight loss or reduced protein intake, which is exactly what a rushed low-carb start can involve.
The best news is that this kind of shedding is almost always temporary. The NHS lists weight loss and iron deficiency among the causes of temporary hair loss, and notes that hair usually grows back once you have recovered. So the aim of this guide is not to talk you out of a diet that suits you. It is to explain why keto and low-carb shedding happens and how to do these diets without it.
Can a Low-Carb or Keto Diet Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, a low-carb or keto diet can be followed by hair loss, but it helps to be precise about how. There is no good evidence that cutting carbohydrates harms hair follicles directly. Rather, low-carb diets cause hair loss indirectly, through the stress a rapid change puts on the body. So when people ask whether keto causes hair loss, the accurate answer is that keto can trigger shedding in some people, usually because of how they lose the weight rather than because of the carbs.
A low-carb or ketogenic diet works by restricting carbohydrates and getting most of your energy from fat and protein instead. When carbohydrate intake is very low, the body shifts into a state called ketosis and burns fat for fuel, which is what drives the weight loss. That weight loss is often the whole point of the diet, but it is also the part most likely to affect your hair.
Hair is very sensitive to sudden change. When the body senses that energy or nutrients are tight, it protects the organs it needs to survive and scales back functions it treats as non-essential. Hair growth is one of the first things it turns down. Follicles that would normally be growing shift early into their resting phase and, a few months later, that hair sheds. This is telogen effluvium: a diffuse thinning across the whole scalp rather than a receding hairline or a bald patch. It does not scar the scalp and it does not destroy follicles.
Three things about a low-carb or keto change make this more likely. The first is rapid weight loss: the faster the weight comes off, the bigger the signal to the body that times are lean. The second is sharp calorie restriction, which often happens by accident when whole food groups disappear from the plate and nothing replaces them. The third is too little protein or too few micronutrients during the switch. Do a low-carb or keto diet gently, with enough food and protein, and most people never see any of this.
Protein, Iron and the Nutrients Hair Depends On
Hair growth relies on a steady supply of protein, vitamins and minerals. A well-planned low-carb diet can provide all of these, but a rushed or very restrictive one can leave gaps, and it is those gaps, not the low carb label, that matter for your hair.
Protein: Hair is built almost entirely from a protein called keratin, so protein intake is central to healthy hair growth. Keto diets are often described as high in protein, but not everyone eats it that way. People who fill up on fat and cut protein too far can end up short, and reduced protein intake is one of the recognised triggers for telogen effluvium. This is worth knowing if you are asking whether a high-protein low-carb diet causes hair loss: keeping protein high is protective, not harmful, and it is low protein that tends to cause trouble. As a rough general guide, many dietitians suggest around 0.75 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight a day for an average adult; your own target is best confirmed with a GP or a registered dietitian.
Iron: Iron deficiency is a well-known cause of hair loss, and it is one the NHS lists among the causes of temporary shedding. Iron helps carry oxygen to the hair follicles. People on a plant-based low-carb diet are more exposed here, because the non-heme iron in plants is absorbed less efficiently than the heme iron in meat and fish.
Zinc and biotin: Zinc and biotin (vitamin B7) both support the hair cycle, and shortfalls have been linked with shedding. Some biotin-rich foods, such as certain fruits and legumes, are limited on stricter low-carb plans, so variety within what your diet allows matters.
Vitamin D and others: Vitamin D plays a part in the hair growth cycle, and a narrow diet can also fall short on other vitamins that hair depends on. The theme across all of these is the same: it is not the carbs, it is whether the diet as a whole still delivers what your follicles need. A supplement is best used as short-term support agreed with a clinician, and only if a blood test shows you are actually low in something, rather than taken on guesswork.
How to Do Low-Carb or Keto Without Losing Hair
If a low-carb or keto diet suits you, you do not have to choose between the diet and your hair. A few practical steps protect against the shedding, and they mostly come down to not asking the body to change too fast or on too little.
Eat enough calories: Severe calorie restriction is one of the main drivers of diet-related shedding. Aim for a moderate deficit rather than the biggest cut you can manage, so the body is not put under crash-diet stress.
Do not lose weight too fast: Losing weight steadily rather than as quickly as possible is one of the most useful things within your control. The faster the loss, the stronger the signal that tips follicles into their resting phase.
Keep protein high: Make protein a deliberate part of each meal. Eggs, fish, poultry, lean meat, tofu, and, where your plan allows, nuts, seeds and soy all help you hit your target while keeping carbohydrates low.
Cover iron, zinc and vitamins: Keep the diet as varied as it can be within its rules, leaning on leafy greens, eggs, fish and, if suitable, some low-carb wholefoods. If you eat plant-based, pay particular attention to iron. Ask your GP before starting supplements.
Give it time, and manage the stress of change: A big diet overhaul is a stress in itself, and stress can disrupt the hair growth cycle. Sleep, gentle exercise and a settled routine all help the transition. Importantly, if your low-carb or ketogenic diet is medically indicated, for epilepsy or diabetes management for example, do not abandon it because of shedding. Speak to the clinician who advised it, who can help you protect your hair without giving up the diet.
Is Hair Loss on a Keto Diet Permanent?
In almost all cases, no. Shedding triggered by a low-carb or keto diet is telogen effluvium, which is temporary and non-scarring. The follicles stay alive, and once the diet stabilises and you are getting enough calories, protein and nutrients, they return to their growth phase. The shedding usually starts about two to three months after the dietary change, and regrowth generally follows within a few months, often three to six, once intake is adequate. The NHS makes the same point in general terms: temporary hair loss from causes like weight loss tends to grow back once you have recovered.
There is one caveat. If you also have hereditary pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia), a diet change will not reverse that, and a keto diet may simply make thinning you were already developing more noticeable. Pattern loss is gradual and follows a recognisable shape, a receding hairline or thinning crown, rather than the even, all-over thinning of telogen effluvium. If you are not sure which you are dealing with, it is worth having it looked at properly rather than assumed.
If your shedding is heavy, carries on beyond about six months, or is distressing, see your GP. As the NHS advises, it is sensible to get an idea of what is causing hair loss from a GP before turning to a commercial clinic. Your GP can check for treatable causes such as low iron or a thyroid problem, which can overlap with a period of weight loss, and confirm whether what you are seeing is simple diet-related shedding or something else.
Frequently asked questions
Does a keto diet cause hair loss?
It can, in some people, but usually not because of the low carbohydrate intake itself. Keto tends to cause rapid weight loss and, if it is not planned well, low calories or low protein, and it is those that can trigger a temporary shedding called telogen effluvium. Do keto gently, with enough food and protein, and most people do not lose hair.
Do low-carb diets cause hair loss directly, or is it the weight loss?
It is almost always the weight loss and the dietary change, not the carbs. There is no strong evidence that cutting carbohydrates harms follicles. A review of diet and hair loss identifies sudden weight loss and reduced protein intake as recognised triggers for telogen effluvium, which is the shedding people notice on low-carb diets.
When does keto hair loss start, and does it grow back?
Shedding typically begins about two to three months after the dietary change, which is why the connection is easy to miss. It is almost always temporary. Once your diet stabilises and you are eating enough, hair usually starts to regrow within a few months, often three to six.
Does a high-protein low-carb diet cause hair loss?
Keeping protein high is protective, not harmful. Low protein is one of the triggers for diet-related shedding, so a genuinely high-protein low-carb diet is one of the better ways to avoid it. If someone on a high-protein plan still sheds, the likely cause is rapid weight loss or low overall calories rather than the protein.
How do I stop losing hair on a low-carb diet without quitting it?
Eat enough calories, keep protein high, lose weight gradually rather than as fast as possible, and keep the diet varied enough to cover iron, zinc and key vitamins. If a low-carb or ketogenic diet is medically indicated, do not stop it because of shedding; speak to the clinician who advised it. See a GP if the shedding is severe or prolonged, so treatable causes such as low iron or thyroid problems can be ruled out.
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