Do hair, finger and toenails grow slower for vegetarians?

Question

I turned vegetarian 3 months ago and noticed that my hair, finger and toenails might be growing slower. i know they are made up of protein, and now that i'm not overdosing on protein i'm wondering if they are growing at more of a normal natural rate.

Answer 1

Before I get to the 'good' stuff I have got to say that Kaniei K has spouted some of the most inane ridiculous reasoning I've seen to date and I'm proud to be the second thumbs down vote on her answer! The human body stores *years* worth of B12 and I'd *really* like to know who/what your source of information is (maybe peta.com the pro meat website?).

Now the good stuff. I've been vege since childhood and have never noticed any irregularities with growth (especially hair). Since you first asked your question (a little over 2 hours ago at this point) I've been trying to find decent (really any) scientific research on the subject of diet vs. keratin growth (since all you mention are keratin based). There isn't anything I could find on this point besides conjecture and anecdote (mainly from the 'beauty' product industry). All I can say is that at least in my case as a long term veghead I've never noticed any problem and from what I could find my hair and nails fall well within reported range of human growth. I'd *really* like to find a real study on this!

DARN GOOD QUESTION!

Answer 2

I've been a vegetarian for 5 1/2 years now. I've noticed no difference in hair or nail growth. Make sure you're eating a balanced diet.

Answer 3

Maybe you just aren't getting enough nutrients of all kind. I am a vegetarian with long, strong nails and my hair is very thick and strong as well. I have noticed when I haven't been eating correctly, like crash dieting then my nails become soft and break off easily. Think about taking a vitamin supplement as well.

Answer 4

I've been a vegetarian for 28 years and sure wish my toenails wouldn't grow so fast, as they are always poking holes in my hose if I forget them for long. My hair is much thicker now than before I stopped eating meat, and my fingernails need frequent trimming, too. So it's probably just something like a seasonal slowdown or something similarly innocuous. Your first answerer had more innacuracies in her post than I've seen for ages. Mentally unbalanced from too much meat?

Answer 5

I've been a vegetarian for 10 years and never had a problem with slow hair and nail growth. Perhaps, more leafy greens and nutrients are needed. Don't forget about foods containing calcium and iron!

Answer 6

i went veg over six years ago at the age of 27, so i was already done "growing" so to speak. i've never noticed the growth rate of my hair or nails to differ, but the quality/ condition does seem to suffer( drier hair/ weaker nails) if i get in a rut with my diet. remember, a diet solely of french fries and chips is vegetarian, but could you live off it without health effects?

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Yes. And if you're strict vegan for an extended period of time, you'll probably notice that your nails will become discolored and fragile, your skin will turn pale and nearly transparent, and your hair will become unruly and brittle. In some cases, irreversible central nervous system problems can result, possibly even leading to eventual paralysis. The culprit isn't protein -- protein is found in plant materials like legumes and isn't necessarily needed from meat products if you know where to look. The real culprit is a sulfur complex known as vitamin B12 that is essential for the cells of your hair, skin, nails and central nervous system to make a protein specific to those cells. B12 can not be found in any plant material and can only be gotten from meat. You can buy B12 supplements in the store, but it's really nothing more than a placebo to make you feel better about yourself for taking them, since folic acid, which they put in vitamin supplement pills both as a preservative and because it's also good for you, destroys B12, rendering the supplement useless. Luckily, it doesn't take all that much B12 to keep you healthy -- just eat eggs or find some meat product that is acceptable to your diet and you'll be fine.

If you're still a child, however, you might note that a vegetarian diet can stunt your growth, and that would be due to the reduced protein intake. When I was in nineth grade there was a 16 year old boy I went to school with who looked like a 13 year old. He had nasty hair and nails, you could see all the veins beneath his skin, he was very short with no muscle tone what-so-ever. He assured us that he'd already gone through puberty and he was already sexually developed, but it really looked like he was a really late bloomer who hadn't reached puberty yet. But, that's what a long-term strict vegan diet will do to a child. And, he said that was the look he was going for -- for some strange reason he liked looking like a child and didn't want to "grow up." To each his own, I guess.

Answer 9

My hair feels great, but I have always had thick hair anyway, I'm lucky in that respect! They may be growing more slowly but your hair surely feels nicer!!

If you are at all concerned a GP or trichologist will advise you !