Hair loss

[bowler]

My hair has been getting rather thin, should it improve now my B12 level is up?

I'm assuming the hair loss was due to a low/borderline B12 !!

Anyone else had hair loss with low B12?

[weeluvpa]

Hi Bowler

I have had PA for 16 years. Before being diagnosed I experienced hair loss all over - on my head, legs, arms and I also lost all of my eyebrows. Although most of my small bald patches on my head regrew once injections started (I have one left) , my eyebrows have never returned and I continue to have thinning of my hair. In more recent years I have lost my underarm hair and the hair on my legs (these are a blessing :). I have never been offered any professional advice on this even though I have brought it up when visiting my GP and so have accepted it. I have considered semi permanent tatoos for my eyebrows as pencilling them in every day is a bit of a pain, but haven't found anyone near me that does it. If you find out anything which might help me too I would be most grateful if you could post it.

Thanks

[johnbarriesmith]

That sounds like Hypothyroid classic symptom ,however that opens a new can of worms as current treatments are

run by a Cartel the Royal Colleges and GMC , where the only treatment is levothyroxine which doesnt help everyone .

[purple-uni]

Hi Bowler,

I have had a lot of hair loss in the last few years also and was wondering whether it would thicken up or at least stop thinning once I started regular treatment.

I've had PA since age 21 and am now 37. being so young I was only ever given a few booster shots and then left to slowly decline for the next 5 years!! I've been on regular injections for 2 years now (with approximately 18 injections in that time) My levels are quite high, though i couldn't tell you exactly what they are! Only in the last month am I feeling like my hair has stopped thinning. I don't think it's thickening back up at all, but I'm still hopeful that might start to happen with time! A friend of mine gave me some good advice saying ....it took a long time for this illness to manifest and damage the body, don't be surprised if it takes just as long for the body to repair!

My dr wanted to send me to a hair specialist that could use my hair to test what was going on (she didn't believe it was the B12) but I can't afford that sort of treatment. This may be an option for you though, if it doesn't stop thinning with time.

Good luck!

[Jump1 in reply to purple-uni]

How is your hair now

[Siang]

Good Afternoon Bowler,

I suffered terribly before I was diagnosed with thinning hair and it was a great concern. However, since I have been on the B12 injections for the last year and a half I am pleased to say my hair growth has vastly improved and looks much healthier and thicker.

Many thanks

Sian G

[bowler in reply to Siang]

Hi. Thanks to all those that replied to my hair loss question,

My b12 level was borderline at 226, Cut a long story, I had 3 injections but had to stop them due to a bad reaction, however my level shot up to 875 by just having those 3 injections. To cut another long story, I am now taking sublingual b12 at 5mgs a day, which I purchased from Amazon

and I'm on my second week of taking them.

Perhaps the hair will take longer to thicken up [ if it does ] by only taking the tablet form of b12. Perhaps I should up the dose ??

I also lost my under arm, and leg hair ages ago, long before I knew I was B12 def.

It was only by finding this site that it set the ball rolling for me re being B12 def. almost diagnosing myself, and going to see my GP. [ who wasn't very helpful ] I also got quite a lot of info from the " b12d" site, and from members of this site, who were/are really helpful, and knowledgeable on the subject.

I had a thyroid blood test but that was fine.

I can only hope that the hair will improve with time, the only problem is I'm no spring chicken, at almost 69. eeeeeeeeek.

[kiaradoo in reply to Siang]

Hi there...was reading your post there and just wanted to know if you all all the symptoms of b12 deficiency or anaemia before you were diagnosed....thanks

[Jump1 in reply to Siang]

Did the strands thin or did your hair just fall out?

[explainit2me]

Hello Bowler I have had half of my hair fall out.my first doctor was poor in helping me . She put me on anti depressant and did minimal blood work..I got off anti depressant on sept 2014 .I was taking 10,000 mg of biotin faithfully for almost a year with no success of hair loss or exhaustion. .Now im taking 2 -b12 dissolvable pills and 2 b12 shots every 2 weeks since dec 2014. I am hoping my hair will stop falling out but I see no progress as of yet..I guess we have to wait and see..my doc wants me to have more blood work on where my vitamin levels are in 2 weeks.I have tried hair products and Rogaine no success yet..But now im feeling that my b12 level being low has to be thw problem. Oh jn addition to loosing hair my hair is dry hard and brittle like it has no life at all is yours that way.

[Beachy123 in reply to explainit2me]

I was wondering since it has been 3 yrs since you posted this if your hair returned to normal? If so how long did it take on the sublingual to start to see results? My hair has been thinning for the last two years and I’ve tried everything!! Blood tests are all negative except for B12 level of seriously borderline.