Poppy didn’t realise that dropping the pounds would have an unexpected side effect...
As I pulled on my black jumper, my mum frowned.
‘Won’t you be a bit hot in that?’ she asked.
We were on holiday in sunny LA but I was very self-conscious of my weight.
At over 14 stone, I was the biggest I’d ever been.
Growing up, I’d been a gymnast and remained petite.
But during my late teens, I’d often go to Wetherspoons after school for halloumi fries and chicken wings.
At 18 years old, I felt terrible about myself.
My long healthy hair was one of my only features I liked.
Occasionally I’d try fad diets like cutting out carbs, but it wouldn’t work.
Then just after I finished school, the pandemic hit.
‘Do you fancy joining this online exercise class with me?’ asked Mum, a few weeks into lockdown.
‘Won’t I be the youngest there?’ I said, laughing.
‘Maybe,’ admitted Mum. ‘But it’ll still be fun!’
I had nothing else to do, so I went downstairs to star-jump with Mum’s friends on Zoom.
To my surprise I enjoyed myself, and I set a goal of losing a stone over lockdown.
But it only took me a month to shift the weight, and I decided to take it further.
When lockdown finished, I was down to 11 stone and feeling great.
I started going to the gym with Mum and I dyed my thick brown hair blonde, just for a change.
A TikTok video introduced me to the calorie deficit diet, and I began paying more attention to what I was eating.
After putting my measurements into the online calculator, I figured out my ideal daily calorie intake was 1,700.
'I hardly recognised you!'
Instead of ordering food at Wetherspoons packed with saturated fats, I began making my own healthy pasta and chicken wraps.
Exactly one year after I started my journey, I’d reached my goal weight of 9st 2lb.
I bought myself a Dior handbag as a well done present!
‘Oh my god, I hardly recognised you!’ said a friend I hadn’t seen since school.
Everyone commented on how much more confident I was.
But there was one problem…
Ever since I’d been bleaching my hair, I’d noticed it was gradually thinning.
I’d attributed it to the chemicals and my hair extensions.
But eventually, even the hairdresser told me I should leave my hair alone and let it recover.
By that point, almost all of my once beautiful locks were gone.
Peering in the mirror, I was horrified.
‘I can see my scalp!’ I said.
Not long after, my manager at work was standing nearby when she gasped.
‘Poppy, your hair!’ she said. ‘When did it get so thin?’
‘I know,’ I said miserably.
I was so worried I paid a visit to the GP.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘That can happen when you lose a lot of weight.’
‘I had no idea!’ I replied, shocked.
He explained that during weight loss, hair is no longer a main priority for your body’s nutrients.
After the appointment, I turned to Google.
Many people online recommended taking supplements throughout weight loss to avoid losing hair.
It felt so unfair — I’d lost all that weight just for my hair to start falling out!
But I set to work getting my locks healthy again.
I stocked up on foods like avocados, which are filled with healthy fats.
And I massaged rosemary oil into my scalp three times a week, leaving it in for four hours each time.
After several months, I began to see a real improvement.
It’s still not back to what I’d like, but I’m so glad my hair’s not gone for good!
Poppy Olive, 21, Margate, Kent