Hair loss

[JAYR]

Hi

I have an underactive thyroid (diagnosed approx 2 years ago). Have been told T4 is fine whatever that means. My hair did start to get better from Dec 2012 - June/July 2013. Ferriting was low and was therefore taking ferrous sulphate three times a day and stopped this approx April as levels back to normal. During the last two months my hair is shedding loads. I am not doing anything different. When I comb it there are clumps, wake up in the morning there's loads on my bed and when I wash it. I have tried Biotin, Evening Primrose, taking selenium and fish oil. Nothing is helping. How come one minute there was an improvement and now I feel I'm back to square one again. The dermatologist has put it down to my shoulder injury which happened back in December 2012 however I do not agree with this as if anything my hair has been much better during this time, up to June/July this year. I just wish someone could get to the bottom of what is happening and why. I did say to him is it because of the thyroid however he said no, because I was replacing with thyroxine. From Dec - July I had a good head of hair, there had been improvement and now it is shedding loads and has thinned out and totally flat. I don't understand how one minute there was actually some improvement and if anything now it is worse than before (last Summer). Does anyone have any advice please? Thank you. J

[JAYR]

Hi Pettals. Thanks for your e-mail. Shoulders do not control hair growth. I fractured my shoulder in December 2012. My hair at the time had improved up until approx June this year and then started to shed again. The dermo is putting it down to the injury which I think is totally ridiculouis. My scalp has also been very itchy lately. My hair is up to my waist however looks like I may have to get it cut short as thinned so much. I don't understand how there can be an improvement one minute and now I'm started to shed again.

[janiebell in reply to JAYR]

It must be so frustrating to have improvement for many months then go back to square one.Grrrrrrrr!!!! Could it be that you need to take ferritin all the time? My hair has definitely thinned and I blamed the thyroxine but my ferritin is low even when I supplement so I'm currentlytryingto get it above the 49 it's stuck at. It has to be at least 70 for conversion from t4 to t3 work properly. My hairdresser showed me the improvement in hair thickness that happened when I was taking the iron supplement. She lifted my hair up so I could see underneath and I clearly saw where it had thickened ie more hair and how thin it was for about 10 inches on the ends. Maybe try the ferritin again even if you are in range? Good Luck!

[JAYR in reply to janiebell]

Hi Janie, I think you may be right as when I was on the ferrous sulphate I noticed an improvement in my hair but since stopping as requested by dermatologist I'm back to square one as he says my levels are now back to normal. Do you think I can still obtain a prescription for it even though levels are back to normal? My hair is the same if you lift it up, at the back there is loads however not on the crown and also the end are wispy and fine. Thanks

[janiebell in reply to JAYR]

Is your gp sympathetic? It's worth asking fr a repeat prescription. I use spatone as my docs never give prescriptions for vits, I had to buy vt d too. I think Petals' reply was v interesting about your accident and that that might have interfered with growth. I'm deff goingto try the tumeric especially as its so good for inflammation. Really hope you see an improvement soon. X

[JAYR in reply to janiebell]

I don't always see the same GP as it depends on who is available for the time slot I can make it. GPs are o.k and have asked me to get another blood test done. In the meantime has prescribed Tgel for the itchy scalp. I was prescribed vit d a few months back however no need to take anymore. Is spatone similar to ferrous sulphate (which I was taking before)? If so, do you think o.k to take with fish oil, evening primrose and selenium? I know you can put tumeric in food however can you buy it as a supplement? Thank you x

[janiebell in reply to JAYR]

Spatone is very easily absorbed by the body so is meant to be gentler but just as effective if not more so than ferrous sulphate. You can take it with all the other things but must be at least 4 hours away from thyroxine. You can get tumeric in supplement form and much stronger than a curry!!! I'm going to give it a go! Also, I was told by the hairdresser who has trained in hairloss conditions that its best to eat protein for breakfast. I'm sure diet is very important.

[JAYR in reply to janiebell]

Thanks Janie. I will give it a go. Finger crossed. x

[JAYR]

Hi Pettals. No I'm not new to the site, just haven't used it for a while. Sorry I misunderstood. Looks like I'm gonna have to go for the chop as hair is in bad condition which I've lost loads and thinned out so doesn't look nice long anymore. Scalp is extremely itchy and feels like straw. Not sure what you mean by circumin. Are these supplements? Have you found it helps you? Thanks

[Yana]

I've been taking zinc for years, and when I stop taking it I have hair loss. Also go easy on the selenium as too much causes hair loss.

zinc.org/info/zinc_essentia...

[JAYR in reply to Yana]

Hi Yana. How do I know whether I'm taking too much selenium? I've been taking one tablet a day and purchased one box of Selenium ACE+D and the other is Selenium plus Zinc. I do not take them both together, thought I'd finish one box and then start the other. It was the endo that suggested taking senium howeveer with vits ace. Thank you

[helvella Administrator in reply to JAYR]

Have a read here:

Toxicity

The toxicity of selenium depends on the nature of the selenium compound, particularly its solubility. Thus, insoluble selenium sulphide is much less toxic than selenite, selenate and selenomethionine. Selenium toxicity is cumulative.

Human data

Acute selenium toxicity in humans is characterised by hypersalivation, emesis and a garlic aroma on the breath due to the excretion of volatile selenium metabolites.These effects may be accompanied by gastrointestinal effects (severe vomiting and diarrhoea), hair loss, neurological disturbance (restlessness, spasms, tachycardia) and fatigue. Chronic selenium poisoning, or selenosis, is associated with changes to the hair and nails, skin lesions and clinical neurological effects such as peripheral hypoaesthesia, acroparasthaesiae, pain and hyperreflexia; numbness, convulsions and paralysis may then develop. Studies undertaken in subjects living in seleniferous areas of the USA and China indicate that selenosis is associated with intakes greater than 0.91 mg/day (0.015 mg/kg bw for a 60 kg adult).

Supplementation trials

Supplementation of human volunteers with 0.2 mg/day for 10 years did not result in selenosis (Clark et al. , 1992).Other data from supplementation trials indicate that doses of up to 0.388 mg selenium/day for shorter periods are without apparent ill effect, although a formal clinical examination for symptoms and/or signs of selenosis was not always made.

food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs...

Rod

[tegz in reply to helvella]

The reason I always stick to the Brazils ,Rod!

To Jayr, If you're sticking to one dose a day then that's pretty well OK -unless something else is going on, like loads of Brazils

Check the amounts on the labels- 400mcg a day is considered safe as Rods' link confirms above.[about 4 Brazils]

Selenium toxicity is well known about and suppliers keep within limits, at least in UK.

[JAYR in reply to tegz]

Thank you

[JAYR in reply to helvella]

Thank you