Anyone else encountered lack of Melanin production due to Hypothyroidism?

[Annealise]

I am new on here and symptomatic of Hydrothroidism.

One of my long term symptoms since being ill has been an inability to produce melanin.

I went from having olive skin to pasty white skin within a shortime and began to burn terribly in the sun, (unless i wore total sunblock)) hence not being able attain a suntan. Skin specialists were baffled and just told me to stay out of the sun. Easy said than done when we were planning to move abroad to move to Australia. Because of other worse symptoms of this illness I never pursued what could be causing this problem.

However after recent research, I supplemented with L-Tyrosine last year when I went on holiday and for the first time in 30 years my skin tanned. Apparently there is a connection with the manufacturing of melanin and Tyrosine?

Has any on else on here encoutered this symptom?

[Serendipitious]

Yes I have a similar issue. Back in my late teens I discovered that even if I was to stand in direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes after about 5-6 hours I would develop a red, angry and itchy rash and my skin would also swell. Anti-histamines would help to an extent or I'd need a steroid cream or hydrocortisone to calm it down. I now use sunblock religiously and it helps to some extent. If I ever miss a spot I've noticed it turns into an eczema like appearance and just persists. I was referred to a dermatologist years ago and they called it Polymorphic Light Eruption which is an allergy to UV light. They also tested me for Lupus but I don't have that luckily! The only solution is to apply sunblock or go for daily exposure to UV light in these special UV booths in a hospital. You need two weeks worth each year but I never bothered. My skintone has definitely lightened over the years. However, at the same time if I do tan it takes forever to go back to normal. My skin doesn't generally heal very quickly and easily bruises too.

I've heard that tyrosine is an end product of the deiodinase process of converting T4 to T3 and so on but I could be wrong. So if that process is hindered it could explain a lot of things!

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Serendipitious]

I also had what was called 'sun allergy' (terribly itch rash) when younger but as so much time elapsed between then and my uat diagnosis I never connected the two things. I learned that only certain sunblocks (at the time) had broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection so I used those and that helped a lot. I don't seem to have it now, nor did it come back when my thyroid was wonky.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Serendipitious]

Tyrosine is the amino acid that is combined with iodine within the thyroid to make, in several stages, levothyroxine (also called tertaiodothyronine) and triodothyronine.

Complete deiodination of levothyroxine leaves thyronine.

[hachiko]

Yes, me too. I don't tan, although other members of my family do. Same thing with the phenomenon of getting gray hair due to being hypothyroid. I have read about L-TYROSINE being involved and helping.

[nomemorytonight]

Snap. I used to have a (if I say so myself) nice pale olive/ivory skin, then in my early 30s (am in my 40s now) there was a marked change, and it turned very bloodless and sallow looking.

I gave up smoking - apart from the occasional one here and there - over 5 years ago. I also try to have a healthy-ish diet and drink enough water, and I take quite a few health supplements (I'm not on any thyroid meds at the mo). I think all that's helped a *bit* but nothing dramatic..Got called Vampira once..!!😦 And it wasn't Halloween.

As well as helping my brain and physical health, I'm hoping the right thyroid meds will give me a bit of my glow back X=

[Allyson1 in reply to nomemorytonight]

I used to have absolutely gorgeous skin. Now it's very orange peel and ruddy. I swear that it has an orange tinge, particularly between my eyes.

[nomemorytonight in reply to Allyson1]

A good quality vitamin c skin treatment with a hefty dose of moisturiser on top does help. Doesn't have to very expensive..I use Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder* a few times a week (/when I can be bothered) - I usually use 2 scoops (there's a little scoop dosing thing with it) for my face n neck, I dissolve it in about 1 and a 1/2 - 2 tpns of organic rose water (helps to calm any initial stinging) and very thoroughly spread it all over my face n neck.

Then after about 10 - 15 mins I apply a big dollop of Allergenics Emollient Cream - which is designed for excema etc, which I don't have but it's an absolutely brilliant moisturiser for dehydrated lacklustre skin. Can't praise it enough esp for the price - usually £7 or under from Holland & Barrett or Amazon. In the past I've paid much more for much less effective products..main ingredients are: aloe vera, sea buckthorn oil, hylouronic acid, rosehip oil and natural vitamin e. And at night, if my skin is feeling particularly dry, I put a bit of the ointment version over the top.

*Philosophy Booster C is a bit more expensive at £31 full price, but I usually buy it from Feel Unique with a 10 - 20% voucher code discount! And it usually lasts me for at least 8 months so not too extravagent..I can't afford to be nowadays.

My only other regular luxury (apart from chocolate) is a skin/hair/nails/bone health supplement called Biosil which tricks your body into producing more collagen. Which I've found very helpful..skin is softer, a bit firmer and much less flakey, I've got more hair - although it's still very fine in texture (used to be medium to thick before autoimmune hypo really got a grip) and (though I'm not that bothered about them) nails are a bit better too.

Hope this is a bit helpful x