Hair thinning

[withington1961]

Hi does anyone know if your hair regains thickness after taking pred ? I am down to 7 mg per day reduced down from 15mg last August .My hair seems to be very brittle and thin. I was hoping it would improve but interested in anyone else's experience.

[betty1943]

I can only speak for myself withington, I could see my scalp for quite a few months, but I had my hair kept in shape by my hairdresser and ate a balanced diet. Now after 18 months I have thicker hair than before, I'm still on preds. So don't worry too much.

[withington1961 in reply to betty1943]

Thanks Betty , I will keep my fingers crossed . I go to the hairdressers every 6- 8 weeks and eat as healthily as possible .Maybe as the dose comes down it will improve.

[shella]

Hiya .....used to fall out horribly on high dose now on 5 so much better but still a bit thin here and there - maybe an age thing with me that is!

[piglette]

On 15mg my hair was like a haystack and felt like hay! The texture has improved no end now I am below 10mg and my hairdresser comments on the improvement. I did have it cut very short which helped. I also have spent a fortune on hair improvement items such as Argan oil. My hair has got quite curly, having had straight hair all my life, and sticks up so looks quite funky now it is short. It still seems to come out and is not as thick as it used to be.

[withington1961]

Hi -I guess mine could be too? I am 54. on pred at 15 since last Aug down to 7mg reducing .5 every 2 weeks- have to wait and see - I am very impatient though. I can't wait to be off all the tablets .Started with Atrial Fibrillation in November too so on tablets for that .If you hear someone rattling around Bolton area - it's me. Thanks for your input. Best regards.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi withington,

Don't blame it all on the tablets.

Illness can affect your hair for a long time after you've actually been ill. Mine was very thin and I was getting quite stressed about before I was diagnosed, but once I'd been on Pred for about a year it had become a lot fuller and more manageable. Whether that was due to me feeling better or a good side effect of Pred or a combination of both I don't know.

I did have it cut quite short before diagnosis because I couldn't manage hairdryer, styling brush etc with my bad shoulders, but now things are better I've let it grow to a reasonable length.

Hopefully, yours will improve, but you can always still look good with a colourful hat or scarf and a bit of imagination!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

My hair went mad when I was taking Medrol - frizzy and just didn't grow. But when I switched to another form of steroid it has grown back as thick as it was before - and the curls have gone too now. I had curly hair when I was younger, the curl disappeared entirely when PMR started but came back and now has gone again. But it is very thick now again.

[kingharold11]

Hi there My hair which has always been very thick did thin slightly when I was was on high doses of pred( I have had PMR for 5 years) however I am now down to 5 mg and my hair is back to how it was before

[HeronNS]

My hair definitely thinned when on higher initial doses of pred. What was left also seemed, strangely, to grow much faster. Lower dose of pred now, and my naturally curly hair is curlier than ever, but thicker again. Has been extremely dry, so using heavy duty conditioner from hairdresser and it's all much better.

[S4ndy]

My hair had started to fall out before I started on Pred in March, stress of being ill and trying to keep going I think. Continued to shed heaps for a while and had a bald patch but seems to have settled now and new hairs growing on baldy bit. I managed to burn out the motor in my electric carpet sweeper by getting hair caught round the rollers I was losing so much! Had quite long hair but had it cut shorter last week and it now compliments the chipmunk cheeks beautifully

[Lafontainepam1]

Yes, it's happened to me also, it takes 3 months for your hair to start growing after it stops coming out. I take Biotn 5000mcg everyday, a supplement for your hair and nails.

[SusanEleven]

I've had some thinning/hair loss for years due to my cursed family gene pool (got checked by a dermatologist), well before my PMR diagnosis four months ago. But since starting the pred both the thinning and the texture have gotten much worse. I have some impressive balding areas and tried different products to camouflage it as best I could.

I recently went to a salon near my home that specializes in hair pieces and bought a "topper" that blends well with my own hair and covers the parts of the scalp that would otherwise be, um, glowing in the sun. I feel a lot more confident now when I'm out and about. It's very natural. Everyone thinks I finally got a decent haircut and got better at styling my hair.

And whether this is associated or not, about a year before my PMR was diagnosis my fingernails started to split and fall apart. They have always been strong and shiny and healthy. They're still a mess.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SusanEleven]

My nails were also awful during the unmanaged period of PMR - but on pred were WONDERFUL! Long, strong and shiny until I got to well below 10mg when they ceased to be quite so good. Since this last flare they have been awful again...

[withington1961]

Thanks everyone for your responses and sharing your experiences. They are very comforting.

[Caro12line]

My hair had been falling out for years before diagnosis but I always had strong regrowth. My hairdresser says the hair loss is no different just that I don't have any regrowth (same with legs and underarm) .. Also my hair is very dry I use coconut oil, leave it on as long as you can before shampooing as normal xx I started at 60mg and after 15 months I'm down to 6mg and things are improving slightly xx