Hair on body

[Asbeck]

I have had GCA and sometimes PMR for 6 years. Diagnosed for more than 5. I am 70. I have noticed that the hair on my body is returning!!!!!! During my lifetime I have always had fine flesh colored hair on my arms and legs. First it came back on my arms. Now I have had to shave my legs!!!!!! I have stayed at 3.75 mg. for about 5 months for various diagnostic reasons.* I think that my HPA system if finally kicking in. Wonder of wonders. Anyone else?

E

*My rheumy is very conservative about tapering Pred. I have come to trust her instincts. She makes good calls.

[SheffieldJane]

I hope I don’t lose my Pred hair curls. I’ve grown to like them.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I quite like not having to get the epilator out very often!! Mainly use it for face these days ...

[DianeA1 in reply to PMRpro]

LOL...my facial hair now hides my pesky hairs!!

[Asbeck]

Sorry. Should have mentioned that sometime during my sojourn with the diseases I lost all of the hair on my body.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Asbeck]

I didn't lose it all - but from some very useful areas. Was it just body hair or head hair too?

[Asbeck in reply to PMRpro]

In the beginning I lost hair on my head over the temporal arteries. But that came back with Pred after about a year. But then after about 3 1/2- 4 years I noticed that I had no body hair. Then it first started coming back on the arms and now legs. I think that I read somewhere that people who have an adrenal insufficiency can lose body hair. So I am happy that it's coming back. I used to be pretty sick. Quite a bit better now.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Asbeck]

Vasculitis can also lead to local loss of hair if the blood supply isn't good.

[Asbeck in reply to PMRpro]

Thank PMRpro. You are always spot on and have helped me exceedingly these last 5-6 years. Yes. It was weird. Sort of on the sides of my head over the temporal arteries there was no hair. I color my hair and my hair dresser was very cognizant of this. As you say, I believe that my blood supply there was not good. After months of a lot of Pred (starting at 60 mg.), the hair came back.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Asbeck]

Fits doesn't it? The images you find in the medical literature for vasculitis of the scalp are quite scary - being a tad bald over the temporal arteries is OK in contrast!

[piglette]

Oh no, having to shave under my arms again for swimming, what a chore. I was only thinking today how nice it was not needing to shave.

[Manchesterlady]

I often wonder why it’s just on my moonface🤔

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Manchesterlady]

Sod that isn't it! Only place I need the epilator - and just had to get it out again to deal with the 15mg stuff, Hopefully now I'm down to 10mg it may be better!

[S4ndy]

I lost some hair from my head which has now grown back. Had my locks shorn to a short spiky style which I can manage. Most other body hair had vanished but I never was very hairy anyway.

My face is covered with fine peachy hair which I periodically remove but the moustache I had developed pre-pred and post menopause has disappeared so not all bad 🤣

[Jackoh]

I have always been quite hairy!! Getting ready for swimming etc sometimes didn’t warrant the effort beforehand!! Now I don’t really have any body hair which is great. I haven’t really lost any hair on my head but now have left my hair to dry naturally and have gone quite curly, which is a new look for me. So it seems from the previous posts I may have to readjust again as hopefully dosage goes down.