Can the inflammation of PMR cause hair loss?

[Marie1479]

I'm 52 and before I started Prednisone I noticed hair loss near my forehead. Once the inflammation from PMR is under control with steroids will my hair come back?

[Stroppymoo]

Did you have your hair tied back in a bun or pony? This can add stress to the scalp. I had major surgery before my polymyalgia diagnosis. Hospital said could get hair loss; I didn't. Health does have an impact on hair, nails and skin. Hopefully, this will return to 'normal' soon. A professional member should be along shortly with better advice.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Stroppymoo]

We're none of us professionals! Just in the sense of having had a LOT of experience with PMR and GCA!

[tgca in reply to Stroppymoo]

I had hair loss at about 15 mg pred a day... It started to regrow at my current dose of 10 and it's a haystack but st least it's there! My nails are strong and, touching wood, my teeth are better too! Just hate the thin skin and prominent veins

[Marie1479 in reply to tgca]

Funny my nails are so strong now. Glad to hear my hair will come back.

[piglette in reply to tgca]

My hair was dreadful at 15mg and felt like hay to touch. I had it cut very short so it looked quite funky. It also became really curly, I loved it. I went to the hairdresser today and she said that my hair was much fuller, much softer and horrors it is losing its curl.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Yup- mine has lost its curls. Not that I really mind as they were too unpredictable!

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

It is nice that my hair is getting soft again, but it is very fine, so I really miss my curls. The hairdresser said it is now much fuller than it was too. Incredible the effect pred has had.

[Doralouise77 in reply to piglette]

The ONLY side effect I'm enjoying from the Pred is curls!....which I just love, having had poker straight hair all my life....an extra bonus with the curls is that it makes my hair look thicker while in fact I've probably lost 2/3 of it...

Cheers

[Marie1479 in reply to Stroppymoo]

No, my hair is dark, shoulder length and layered. I wash my hair every day and and starting to get nervous because it's falling out. my hair hasn't become dry yet.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As Stroppymoo says your state of health itself can impact on your hair (and nails) but it isn't something I've ever heard anyone say before to be honest! I found that my nails improved a lot with pred - long and hard and strong for the first time in my life! With one form of pred my hair went haywire in every sense of the word - but it has recovered once I was switched to another sort.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hair loss is much more likely to be related to the fact you have been/are unwell. It usually takes some time to deteriorate so lots of people think it's the Pred when it's not. The process started before Pred prescribed.

As others have said Pred usually - although always exceptions- improves nails and hair - and fills the wrinkles! So not all bad.

[Marie1479 in reply to DorsetLady]

LOL, you made my day. My best friend is an RN. She said the same thing.

[Doralouise77 in reply to DorsetLady]

I read "thinning of scalp hair" listed as a side effect of Prednisone.

Cheers

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Doralouise77]

Yes I know it does, but lots of people have already begun to lose it through ill health beforehand so it can be s double whammy. And some people find it improves on Pred along with nails, plus the calcium intake of course.

I think we sometimes blame Pred for everything when it maybe not.

[Doralouise77 in reply to DorsetLady]

Perhaps in others yes, we're all unique....I know in my particular case it's the Pred....I've personally haven't heard anybody say their hair has improved, lucky them!

Cheers

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Doralouise77]

Mine did whilst I was still on Pred - at least it returned to it's former glory.

Am thinking of letting it grow long again, at least now I can get my arms up to do it properly whereas pre diagnosis - no chance! Arthritic shoulder notwithstanding!

Hopefully yours will surprise you one day, in the not too distant future.

[Doralouise77 in reply to DorsetLady]

I hope so 😊....in the meantime I am enjoying my curls....and I've been able to have it cut shorter so I don't have to wear my arms out by putting it up, and because so thin it wasn't staying up anyway....this is so much easier....I wish the curls would stay but I know from experience they disappeared last time too....if it wasn't so hard on the hair I would consider having a perm to try to duplicate these curls....so easy to look after...a few spritz of water in the morning and voila....

Cheers

[Toenti]

Hi, I read your post. I am sorry to say that I lost 90 percent of my hair since I started Prednisolon 12 months ago. I am now wearing a wig but hope that my hair will come back when reducing the preds. I am on 20mg still,as I had a couple of flare-ups. I get hope when I hear people regrowing their hair when getting to 10mg. Wishing you well.

[Bonnig in reply to Toenti]

did your hair grow back??

I've been on pred since last Dec. I'm down to 4.5mg and it's still falling out!

[Marie1479 in reply to Bonnig]

Yes and with curls.

[Hidden]

Hi Marie1479

I'd been on high doses of steroids & my GP sent me for a second opinion to another Rheumatologist, who went back to the beginning & started me on Methotrexate to help reduced the Prednisolone.

I was in France visiting my son & daughter in law, as I was drying my hair one morning I was horrified to see how thin it had become.

I'd read that was a side effect of the Methotrexate so blamed that & invested in very expensive shampoo.

As I gradually reduced the steroids my hair started to improve so in all honesty I think it was the Pred not the MTX!

So hopefully your hair will improve in time.

However, for me l lost all my hair last year due to Chemo for Breast Cancer. The front of my hair is still very sparse but I have a fabulous wig 💁🏻 so now l never have a bad hair day! I actually have three wigs same style but different shades!

Best Wishes 💐

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

My older daughter is convinced she has thin hair - and absolutely LOVES her wigs! She even had one the same colour as me - white - and in a similar cut, no missing we are related!

[Rosedail]

I was diagnosed with PMR at the age of 52 and in those first years while on prednisone I noticed that my hair was thinning near my temples. At the time, I thought it was due to menopause and genetics and my hair dresser thought so as well. I am now 55, no longer on prednisone and my PMR has mostly subsided. Happily my hair seems to be growing a bit thicker and is perhaps at about the same state pre-PMR. I've always had fine hair so I'm grateful for every little bit

[Marie1479 in reply to Rosedail]

Hi Rosedail,

This post is very old. My hair has since grown back as I am down to 4 mg and also on a biologic. I believe the hair thinning was from the steroids. I also grew very fine hair on the side of my face when I was at a higher dose which also disappeared once I was at a lower dose .

[Rosedail in reply to Marie1479]

Ah yes, I see now. Glad your hair is growing back and in the right place

[Marie1479 in reply to Rosedail]

Yeah me too!!

[Rox2112 in reply to Marie1479]

What is a biologic?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Rox2112]

A new generation of drugs which are made by a biological process rather than being chemicals produced in a factory.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioph...