Hair thinning/loss

[LauraMk30]

Evening guys&girls

So the topic is very much the title of this post.

Obviously at the moment I'm going through so much (health wise) with no end in sight, I've noticed over a small amount of time that my hair is falling out.

I know we normally loose so many hairs a day but I have a plastic food bag with hair in it that I've lost over the week & it's filled to the top. Not just from combing but from my pillow & the amount that falls out on my clothes during the day.

My hair is just above my shoulders now & getting shorter, Ive seen a huge difference lately.

Due to suffering with malnutrition at the moment & not gaining the correct nutrients, calories, my nails are also brittle, I can see small indentations & lines in my nails. They used to grow so long but now they just snap too.

When I was around 9 years old my hair was thick & lovely, long & healthy I hit my teens & it started thinning massively, I suffered a few years of it & then it miraculously got better on its own.

I'm now 31 now but feel 13 all over again, do you think because I'm not eating & consuming solids, that my hair is being affected ? My gut (literally) is telling me that I'm struggling on the inside as well as on the out. & if I don't get the help & start eating again I'm gunna be bold & a bag of bones.

I'm not stressed I just feel so poorly all the time. There's no break, it's constant.

I've stopped putting my hair in a loose bun, & using tight bobbles. I only use a bobby pin nowadays. So nothing is pulling on my hair, for it too snap & break. I've been using a deep conditioning hair mask once a week & using coconut oil as a serum to stop fly away's & to keep it smooth, but other than that I don't even use products anymore. I have some bold patches on the sides of my head that I found this morning, which moved me to tears.

Despite the down hill spiral I'm trying to positive.

Any advice would be wonderful, sorry for another moaning post. X

[Treetop33]

Sorry to hear this. Apparently you can get your hair checked to see whether the hair loss is permanent or whether it'll grow back once your other problems have stabilised (and obviously not taking in nutrients won't help). Your specialist should check this as part of a general assessment. Hair loss is associated with Lupus as well as the medications we take.

I get hair shedding every so often. Weirdly when I use Selsun every week it stops. I have no idea why (and I might be resorting to magical thinking....). My hair doesn't look as good as it used to though. Bit dull and prone to breaking.

That's not to say there's an instant cure for you but that you may at some point find a way to manage it.

[LauraMk30 in reply to Treetop33]

Thanks ever so much treetop33.

I think I'm in a weird situation where I've been diagnosed with lupus very recently. But have not been referred to another rheumo by my doctor. So no treatment has begun yet. And haven't got a specialist to talk to.

Sorry to hear you have these sort of issues too. I'm not sure on the medication you mentioned so I will google it.

Hope things Get better for you and thanks again for getting in touch xx

[Treetop33 in reply to LauraMk30]

No worries. I'm sure you'll be in a better place once you are under the care of a specialist. That's pretty essential. GPs can't do it.

Selsun is just an anti-dandruff shampoo, but it seems to alleviate the soreness of my scalp which always precedes a hair shedding moment. Again, no idea why. But your problem sounds more serious. Mine seems to shed pretty evenly.

I do think a lot of these symptoms are caused by inflammation. It is our enemy!

Take care x

[AmyKG]

Hi LauraMk30,

I'm sorry to hear about your hair loss, I am going through the same thing at the moment. Naturally my hair is very thin and since my flare has been coming out almost in clumps. I have to empty my brush every 2 days and am constantly finding so much hair on my clothes and furniture.

I also tried nourishing hair masks and leave in conditioners and a whole range of other things which made very little difference to my dry and brittle hair. My nails are also the same, tend to snap very easily and have many ridges.

You can get hair and nail vitamin tablets from places like Boots but I would definitely ask your doctors if they can help first and if vitamin supplements may be suitable.

Otherwise, If you get any good advice about how to stop it, please let me know!

Sending well wishes xx

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

Hi LauraMk30 ,

We published a blog article about hair loss in lupus which has loads of information and tips that you may find helpful. You can read it at lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...

[LauraMk30 in reply to Paul_Howard]

Hi Paul_Howard

Thanks very much most appreciate the link.

🤗