Bed head! Just a little thing really.

[AnneEvo]

For some reason for the last few months my hair is really 'woolly' and knotted at the back when I get up; I don't sleep on my back. It never used to be like that. Does anyone else have this?

[Hidden]

How odd, I have it too although either sleep on back or right side because of AF. I’ve just started using conditioner daily rather than a couple of times a week.

[AnneEvo in reply to Hidden]

I don't want to wash my hair every day. As I said, it's only a little thing but I thought it was odd as it never used to be like this.

[Hidden in reply to AnneEvo]

I wash my hair every day so thought maybe it was drying out. But sides are always fine.

[AnneEvo in reply to Hidden]

I was thinking it may be more dry but like you the sides of my hair are fine.

[pamelashep]

I don't have an answer but mine is the same and mine started over 2 years ago with a fall down stairs and having AF due to perforated intestine. PE and broken collar bone and having to take warfarin for 6 months. Hair went like straw, now as you say it's woolly at the back and frizzy, have under active thyroid. Most strange. Would be grateful if anyone has answers.

[Katurajo1]

I wouldn’t say mine is wooly because it’s long but when my thyroid is off, my naturally pin-straight hair starts to get wavy. It’s bizarre but hair definitely changes when something is off. I still have a wave under one side of my ear from the last time my meds were changed.

[AnneEvo in reply to Katurajo1]

That's really weird - the wave under your ear.

Mine does have a natural wave and if I scrunch it after towels drying it!'s fairly curly. I've worn it curly like that for years now as it's easy and suits me. I tell myself it's better for my hair, as I'm not using straighteners or blow-drying it (I do blow-dry it sometimes with a diffuser on the hairdryer) but really I'm being lazy 😊

[asidist in reply to Katurajo1]

interesting thx for sharing

[Judithdalston]

I have had ‘matted’ hair, that I know is a result of some hair falling out about 3-5 months earlier, and new growth is 2-3 inches long and different texture to old. So rather than ‘sleek’ it gets very tangled, especially at back where rubbed overnight, and difficult to even get a brush thru never mind a comb. Once it gets just a bit longer it behaves. Could you have had the same ?

[AnneEvo in reply to Judithdalston]

I haven't really lost any hair, nothing noticeable anyway. It is thinner overall I think but that's been the case for a year or so and while it could be because I'm hypo, it could also just be age related; I'm 72. The only place it's noticeable thinner is just above the temples.

[Ell17]

It is hormone related (at least for me). My hair does this when my DHEA and Progesterone levels are off. All the conditioner in the world won't untangle the knot on the back of my head. As soon as I bring them in range, the texture improves on its own. At first, I thought it was only thyroid hormone related, which of course plays a part, but the texture didn't show improvement with changes in dosage. Personally, the improvement in texture didn't occur until I started using DHEA and Progesterone creams.

Hope this helps.😊

[AnneEvo in reply to Ell17]

Ah, the hormone thing makes sense. At 72 I'm still having hot flushes so apart from thyroid hormones I think possibly oestrogen is off. I did have some tests done some months ago after being asked by a private doctor I had a consultation with. I thought my oestrogen was low but all he said was that may right itself once my thyroid was optimally treated. I did try progesterone cream at one time but it didn't do anything for me. I also asked a doctor about bio-identical hormones; she said they weren't available on the NHS. I have read that there is one that IS available. However I've been waiting to see if the hot flushes would go once I was on the correct dose of Levo.

[Ell17 in reply to AnneEvo]

I get relief from hot flashes from DHEA cream. But, unfortunately I hear it's not available or worth the risk of trying to get it online in the UK (I'm in the US). That said, clinically estrogen and testosterone are used to treat hot flashes. Hence, the use of DHEA as it can convert to either (estrogen or testosterone). Personally, I have found hormone creams to work much better. You could see if DHEA cream is available by Rx from your doctor, or you could be treated with the standard estrogen plus androgen (DHEA or testosterone) treatment by Rx. (I would go for the creams as a first option if available.) The problem is that you can get your estrogen cream off of Amazon, but you still need the androgen cream which is unavailable online where you are. So, whether you use DHEA or testosterone, a Rx is probably going to be required.

Good luck.😊

[asidist]

my hair started thinning quite noticeably and changed texture everywhere (strands are thinner and less substantial) at the same time a few years ago. i realized only several months ago that my hair loss is most likely hypothyroid related, as the thinning started suddenly, my hormone levels seem to be fine (in fact lowish T and highish P), and there is no alopecia in my family - and frontally pronounced hair loss seems to be the classic thyroid pattern of loss (pls feel free to correct if i’m wrong about that).

as of the past few months i too now have a patch in the top back that’s different than the rest. feels fine when dry but when wet it’s very rough like it’s almost matted and i literally can’t get my fingers through it to shampoo my scalp there. i did start using dht blockers and other things topically pretty regularly around the same time and have wondered if that had something to do w it. in any case as long as it continues to look and feel fine dry and doesn’t shed i’m not too worried about it - it seems that a differently textured patch of hair isn’t that uncommon in the general population and even in babies

[TSH110]

I have read that iron deficiency can cause the hair to become easily tangled and knotted. Might be worth investigating?

[AnneEvo in reply to TSH110]

Oh. I am deficient, started supplementing very recently so will see if that improves it.

[asidist in reply to TSH110]

funny i had been deficient previously and have gotten my matted patch since i started supplementing last several months and brought my ferritin numbers up! never thought to make the connection. wonder if perhaps has something to do with how iron is utilized/taken up by one’s body

[TSH110 in reply to asidist]

Not sure if even the experts know why it might cause hair changes. There is a bit on line about it but it seems to be an area that would benefit from some more research or clearer explanations

[asidist in reply to TSH110]

a lot of hair loss treatments (eg platelet rich plasma) are aimed at getting more blood to hair follicles so it does seem to make sense that iron could impact hair texture

[AnneEvo in reply to asidist]

I'm on iron supplement as well as vitamin D. Hoping for a wonderful head of hair in the near future 😁 - if only!

[asidist in reply to AnneEvo]

aw wish you the best of luck! for me iron unfortunately has not helped (my ferritin went from 30 to 78 as of a month ago, still supplementing) but i know it helps many other women. after reading through many many posts on this forum and getting tests/looking it into it more closely, i realized my progressively thinning hair (and many other symptoms of hypothyroidism i wasn’t previously connecting) is most likely caused by low T3 and prob adrenal issues/chronically poor sleep. i’ll be happy if i’m able to just be healthy again, and if my hair loss continues nevertheless, my plan is to try low level laser therapy and go from there. hoping for the same as you!

[AnneEvo in reply to asidist]

In January, my ferritin was 92 (12-233) maybe could be a little higher? But last time I saw nurse practitioner she said my haemoglobin was slightly low and put me on iron tablets for 3 months - I don't know the relationship between iron, ferritin and haemoglobin; I know ferritin shows how much blood is being stored but if your ferritin is ok can your haemoglobin still be low? Not long after that I found I was deficient in vitamin D and started supplementing.

[asidist in reply to AnneEvo]

hi AnneEvo, unfortunately i don't know much (anything really) about how hemoglobin plays into it either. i did look at my own results from the last i was tested about a year ago, when my ferritin was 30 ( range 15-150), and my hemoglobin was nevertheless midrange so not sure how to make sense of that or what it means if hemo is low and ferritin is fine. ill likely ask docs about getting my hemo tested again myself, just in case - though I assume not a problem for me, esp since I've also been supplementing with B complex for many months now.

actually never before heard of an association between Vit D and hair loss, thanks for mentioning! though my vit D isn't bad, that's more motivation to get it up closer to levels recommended for autoimmunity

in terms of ferritin, based on everything i've read about that and hair loss, i believe (don't quote me, as my memory not the most reliable these days!) many experts say that at least 80 is necessary to stop shedding, and maintaining at 90 or above is necessary for hair regrowth. i believe that is per the US range, so i guess the equivalent for your range would be something like 107 and 122? hope it works for you!

[AnneEvo in reply to asidist]

I didn't mention a connection between (low) vitamin D and hair loss - I don't remember reading that here? but maybe I've forgotten 🤔 Someone did mention a possible connection between low vitamin D and wolly/knotted hair.

[asidist in reply to AnneEvo]

ahh gotcha sorry may have lost the thread at some point. turns out there might be a connection between lower D and hair loss so the misunderstanding was helpful nevertheless