Hair loss: Hi everyone Hope you're all... - British Liver Trust

British Liver Trust

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Hair loss

34 Replies

Hi everyone

Hope you're all as well as can be.

Does anyone know if you can lose your hair through liver disease?, I have just noticed a small bald patch and the hair is also very thin in that area. Love to you all. Lynne xxxx

34 Replies
Barnetaccounts profile image
Barnetaccounts

Hi Lynne,

Would love to answer your question but my hair started going in my early 20,s, and now I go for the full shaved look. You have made me reminisce over days gone by and how our body’s change over the years with or without any illnesses. My Dad who is 82 years old has a full head of hair, but my Mums side all went bald early.

Ray

Hi Lynn. I believe it can affect the hair. My husband's went very thin compared to the thick full head he had originally, it was greying but became very discoloured and the texture of a brillo pad.

Discuss it with your doc maybe? My sister has recently had several patches of baldness (alopecia, she doesn't have liver disease) she was given steroid injections into the patches and her hair is growing again. But they may not want to do that as you have liver disease but worth a mention ?

Good luck x

jojokarak profile image
jojokarak

Hi Lynne it certainly does effect your hair 😪 mine was so thick and went so thin it even started receding on my hairline.

in reply tojojokarak

Thank you. That's what mine seems to be doing!!! Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

I'm a male and I noticed my hair thinning at the front on top when I was sick with an acutely inflamed liver. I've always had a full head of thick hair so it was a shock to see my hair thinning rapidly and finding an unusual amount of hair on the shower floor when I shampooed my hair. The hair loss looks to have stopped and it may be reversing itself now that my liver has recovered.

in reply to

Glad it seems as though it's thickening out again,!!

Millie09 profile image
Millie09

Hi lynne, hope you are keeping as well as can be..well i haven't noticed any change in my hair apart from its bloody thicker than its ever been ?? no thinning at all hun, but then we are not all the same. Oh i do know my toenails have gone calcified. 🤔😳.xxxx

in reply toMillie09

My hairs always been thick, it seems it's going the opposite way now!!!! Xxxx

Millie09 profile image
Millie09 in reply to

Bless. 😚. May be mine will thin out soon enough xxx

in reply toMillie09

Yes, just hope I don't go bald!!! Xxxx

Millie09 profile image
Millie09 in reply to

I doubt it , May be it's stress related? Xxx as you have been under a lot haven't you xx

in reply toMillie09

That's true xxxx

Fastkat profile image
Fastkat

My hairs come off everywhere except my head. My chest wig has completely disappeared 🙄

in reply toFastkat

I suppose you've at least got a full head of hair!!!

Fastkat profile image
Fastkat

Not quite full 😂

I can’t see my monks patch

in reply toFastkat

Ha ha!!

Millie09 profile image
Millie09 in reply toFastkat

😂😂😂😂😂

Bermuda1 profile image
Bermuda1

Yes this is quite common , with the changes which can occur hormonally and lack of certain vitamins. Biotin which is actually B7 , or sometimes called vitamin H can help some people. B12 deficiency can cause hair discolouration and brittleness. I took B7 for the first few years and my hair recovered , and is very thick and fine now , all be it quite on trend with some silver in it . That's just due to age though . Lol.

tinypixie profile image
tinypixie

Mine is getting extremely thin and I'm quite upset about it. I wonder if the lack of available bile means that I'm not getting the nutrients I need to grow hair.

in reply totinypixie

You may be right. I've always had a good head of hair. I'm also quite upset about it. How are you apart from that? Take care

LorraineLouise profile image
LorraineLouise

Mine started falling out when I began taking the Urso. A great deal of hair would come out every time I washed it. It then seemed to subside and began to grow in again. Now it seems to run in cycles of falling out and coming back.

in reply toLorraineLouise

Thank you, you have helped a lot. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

Hi Lynne

My hair fell out terribly when my 1st liver started rejecting. It go so bad I decided to have it all shaved off. It was so liberating the only problem was I did it in the winter & my head got cold so lots of wooly hats.

It has now grown bk now but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Lotions & potions don't work I spent a fortune on them. Now it's thicker than before,sadly it hasn't sorted the grey out.

in reply toDudewheresmyliver1

Wow, you did so well doing this

I did brave the shave last year for cancer research and raised over£ 400, my hair grew back as thick as before cos mines always been thick. Hope it only lose the bit I've lost and no more!!! It was hard but worth it cos of what it was for. .

Take care Lynne

Foxman555 profile image
Foxman555

Hi Lynne, being male there is amongst other things, when your liver is getting towards cirrhosis your body starts to receive oestrogen, obviously a female hormone, if you look at men with their beer bellies just above are breasts, which isn't easy to find if your overweight but when your slimmer it shows, take care Lynne xx

Thank you, you too. Lynne

Amzel profile image
Amzel

Your liver is burdened and trying manage so hair is not a priority for it. I would try taking milk thistle. It has helped me immensely with hair loss. Also, check out "Alpha Lipioc Acid Breakthrough" by Dr Berkson. I take ALA, Selenium, and Milk Thistle.

in reply toAmzel

Thank you, I will check with my Dr first to make sure it doesn't clash we anything I'm already taking. Thank you once again, Lynne

in reply to

Hi Lynne,

Hopefully your liver team can advise you if there is a link between your hair loss and liver disease.

Regarding the post above on Milk Thistle. The British Liver Trust does not recommend the use of homeopathic or herbal remedies for those with any liver problems as these have to be processed by the liver and can actually damage the liver and lead to severe illness.

More research needs to be done on the use and safety of such remedies and therapies.

If you are considering using complementary or alternative remedies &/or therapies always discuss this with your doctor.

Here is the link to our page on Complementary & Alternative Medicines (CAM) that also discusses milk thistle;

britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

Warm wishes

Trust1

Amzel profile image
Amzel in reply to

I have personally had my ALT and AST go back to normal off this regimen. I agree with that you should always check with your doctor, but there is a missing dialogue between western medicine and homepathic medicine. There is also a disconnect in what is authoritative studies discussing benefits of herbs. I have kicked back not 1 but 3 diseases using herbs rather than just taking prescription drugs that ruined me in the first place.

I also have researched several articles and trials regarding milk thistle rather than just ONE such as linked below. I also have embedded a link from the Mayo clinic regarding milk thistle for liver disease. This is just one of many I have read about the use of milk thistle. Again, I have used it personally and know others have too.

<mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple...

I also read the link you pasted and do not see any verbiage from this article NOT to use Milk Thistle. It just simple explains they are not sure if they can approve or disprove it's benefits and to discuss with your doctor. (I pasted some of it below.)

Does milk-thistle help the symptoms of liver disease?

Milk-thistle (also known as Silybum marianum) is an over-the-counter supplement, which some people believe can be beneficial to people with liver disease. Some laboratory studies have shown the herbs active components (silymarin) have a positive effect on liver cells38. However, milk-thistle is not licensed as a medicine and so studies into its effectiveness in the body have been limited, with conflicting results. There is not currently enough evidence to prove or disprove any beneficial effects on the liver. Milk-thistle may lower blood sugar levels and people with diabetes or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) should use caution40,41. If you are thinking of using milk-thistle, it is a good idea to discuss this with your doctor.

Again, I would not discount anything without further review from multiple reliable sources, but absolutely agree to talk to you doctor.

Mandy1983 profile image
Mandy1983

Yes I had long hair and it all went An fell out when I was in icu. It toxins am had liver I'm told when your really poorly .it still comes out now but grew back again xx Take care Lynne.Hope your on the mend soon.vitamins d an Thiamine with a multi vitamin may help and seeds hempand linseed seeds a few tablespoons on cereals .also sesame seeds. Good luck use for a few months off u can take them they are fab .read up on hair loss . It does work but takes time as in months

kateadie profile image
kateadie

Can I ask if hair loss can be linked to taking urso? I started about 2 months ago on 500mg twice a day and I’m losing lots of hair. No bald patches but lots when I wash my hair. I wasn’t sure if it was linked?x

in reply tokateadie

Thanks. I don't take urso xxxx

in reply to

Thank you to you all xxxx

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