A
Can any one can suggest a good hair restorer. .i have been losing hair and getting a bit concerned on the amount .i know it’s thyroid related so trying myself to balance my meds as no way going to dr.or blood tests ..thanks
Hair : A Can any one can suggest a good hair... - Thyroid UK
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Gettingoldnow
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It can also be due to nutritional deficiencies. Have you had your vit d, vit B12, folate and ferritin tested?
Hi thanks for your response .i have been taking Vit d and B12 but folate and ferritin has not been checked for a while and at this present time do not want to be near blood test centres so am trying to ride it out until pandemic over is so was hoping to get a good hair restorer to help
If you have low iron, for example, no hair restorer on earth is going to do anything for your hair. Hair needs good hormones and good nutrients, not - dare I say it - snake-oil. 
Although castor oil might help.
Thanks for that info .i suppose I am clutching at straws not heard of caster oil but willing to try anything until I can get checked out .you would think I have a moulting dog in my house at the moment .my self esteem is a bit low and thought I would see if there is anything I can do ..thanks
Difficult to get tested, now, I realise. But, you could get a private finger-prick test to find out your nutrient levels. Then you can self-treat with supplements.
Losing your hair is all part and parcel of hypothyroidism. But, if lack of thyroid hormones has killed the roots, all that dead hair has got to come out before the new hair can grow. Make sure you keep your scalp well aired and supple with hair brushing and massage - yes, I know that's scary, but if your scalp shrinks tight onto your scalp, the new hair won't be able to grow.
You could also try taking Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Oil, see if that helps. Less expensive that hair restorers containing lord knows what.
Ah thank you greygoose will try what you have suggested And just hope I don’t go bald before pandemic over .thanks again
Sounds scary, going bald, but as long as it grows again, that's the main thing.
Well let’s hope so thank you for caring xx
You're very welcome.
Biotin, vitamin B12 and iron these are the vitamins to help hair growth. Wash hair every 10 days, do not use heated appliances to dry hair, let it dry naturally.
Thank you
Just a word of caution, I have underactive thyroid and noticed thinning of hair but have other health issues that prevents me from taking vitamin / supplements as they would be harmful for my overall health. So be cautious about taking unprescribed meds and always check with your Doctor to ensure balance of your hormones and organs. I know we are going through a pandemic but I am sure you could phone your Doctor for advice if you were overly concerned.
Thank you
Greygoose made a good suggestion in castor oil. I add a few drops of organic rosemary essential oil. It works but over many weeks. It also gradually darkens grey hair but again, over many weeks. All in all, it was about seven weeks of nightly application before the balding patches at my temples became less obvious. Be sure to massage the area very well; this stimulates the blood supply which obviously brings nutrients and oxygen to the affected area. In fact massaging the whole head on a regular basis is an amazing thing to do for the benefit of your scalp. So much the better if you have someone to do it for you. It’s such a relaxing thing to have done and at bedtime, it promotes a good night’s sleep!
The only oils I’ll use are either pukka organic castor oil and NHR Organics for essential oils. They sell castor too. Yes, it’s expensive but most of the oils are so good that they qualify as food grade and you can’t say that of most of the essential oils available, even organic ones
Thank you for your input it has helped x
Someone on a hair loss site told me to juice onions and smear it on my head which I did because I was desperate. Of course it did not work and smelt horrible. I honestly think it is what is going on inside your body which affects your hair. I also lost several nails and the rest became detached from their nail beds. Thyroid disease affects your hair, nails, skin, eyes ... infact your thyroid is the powerhouse of your body.
Well I think I will give the onions a miss lol but made me smile .and yes it is I suppose a bit of stress related as well .having to watch your friends struggling for life .but at least I have life .so better get my priorities in order
I think you are being unfair to yourself because losing your hair can be very traumatic and someone actually asked me if I was having chemo at one point because my hair was so thin ... I had to tell them that I only had thyroid disease and they were shocked to see how much it can ravage your body. If you click on my profile you can read my story if you are interested.
You’re absolutely right to point out that one’s internal balance has tonbe optimal first. I didn’t mention it in my post because it had already been stressed by a couple of other contributors
Your particular case sounds awful. It must’ve been a very difficult time for you
Yes it was and I was bedridden for about 2 years because my GP refused to treat me. I am ok at the moment and I am in my second remission and feel very well. I do know it won't last forever unfortunately.
Your GP has a lot to answer for. I’m sorry to hear you had to go through that
A lot of us are treated like this by GPs and when I saw mine about my hair loss he said "It is only hair" I sat there and looked at his balding shaved head and did tell him that he didn't mind being bald as he was a man. He then gave me a referral letter to see a private dermatologist who charged me £150 and told me I had female pattern balding. I feel like going back to her and showing her that I still have a full head of hair 10 years later. I would also like to get my £150 back because she did not spot I had a suppressed TSH of 0.002 and was very hyperthyroid. I think not many doctors know a lot about thyroid disease. I have found out more about my disease from sites in the US and here in the UK than from any doctor I have ever seen.
you’re right and this forum is incredibly helpful. It was on here that I discovered Dr P
If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do differently to get your hair back?
I think what helped me get better and stop my hair loss was I took NDT for about 6 months because my levels were too low. This seemed to rest my thyroid because I have a multi-nodular goitre and I am now in my second remission from Graves'. I started to feel better in June of last year after going on a sunny holiday with my family and my hair loss slowed so I got my hair extensions removed. Previously I had been virtually bedridden and my GP had refused to help because my TSH was in range even though my T4 and T3 were too low. I had sat in front of my GP and begged him for Levothyroxine because I felt so ill and my hair was dropping out, I had blurred vision and could hardly get of bed. He ignored my symptoms and went by the TSH because he had to follow NHS guidelines. What annoyed me the most was I had actually taken Levothyroxine before and it was on my medical records. I then decided to self medicate with Thyroid S from Thailand because I had to do something because I felt like I was slowly dying (I wasn't I just felt so very ill) You can read my story on my profile page. I am not on any medication at the moment and feel well and I am only losing 3 or 4 hairs a day when previously I was losing 100s.
Noelnoel,
Resurrecting a slightly old thread here. Are you still using castor oil? How long have you been using it? Are you still experiencing hair growth and is it new hair growth? I'm desperate to stop my hair loss and the front of my head has thinned considerably.
I take it you're male? I've tried so many things but nothing has helped. Thanks.
I’m pretty sure that the DHEA I was prescribed causes hair loss too -( prescribed it for adrenal support ). So I’ve stopped taking it - it’s a very sad feeling when hair falls out - I agree - what is the optimal level of ferritin etc we should all be aiming for ? I try to eat liver ( before lockdown !) weekly too.
I expect the DHEA all converted to testosterone, as it did with me. I ended up covered in acne because of that.
Ferritin should be at least over mid-range, whatever the range is.
I tried everything bar snake oil to get my hair from falling out and I now know that unless your thyroid levels are right there is nothing that works. Yes low ferritin and low vitamin D can cause hair loss but in my case it was either because my levels were too high or too low. My hair has now been growing back for about 10 months now and it is not as thick as it should be but it looks ok. I have had two lots of extreme hair loss and the last one lasted over 2 years and I honestly thought I would go bald. I had some hair extensions put in which were very expensive but helped me cope with trauma of watching hundreds of hair drop out every day. My vacuum would get blocked with hair and I would have to sweep if off the bathroom floor. Do you think your thyroid levels are ok at the moment? Also do you have any symptoms like a very itchy scalp? I had a very itchy scalp when loads of hair was falling out but now it hardly itches at all.
Not to sure have been feeling ok but the hair has been shedding now for weeks and wow it is horrible feeling .but apart from that ..can’t think of what else it can be ..thanks for uplifting advice
It will grow back once your levels are right for you. Unfortunately some thyroid disease sufferers do not get their hair back which may be because they have been battling the disease for many years or they have another autoimmune disease. I have been suffering for about 12 years now and I am lucky because I had very thick curly hair to start with. This is one of the most devastating things that can happen if you have thyroid disease and I have seen a dermatologist who offered me rogaine which I decided against because I knew it was my thyroid which was causing it. Try not to worry because stress can also make it worse which is easy for me to say because I have cried many times after washing my hair and trying to disguise my scalp with a hat or root spray.
I go through periods where scalp itches and then periods where it doesn't but the hair loss is constant - all over my shoulders on a dark top, on the bathroom floor when I brush it or dry it and in the plug hole when I wash it - it is worst at the temples and seems to be following the same pattern as my mother's hair loss - she and I have thick enough hair at the back but increasingly less around the face. It is devastating - I am always trying to hide it. My ferritin levels have been below the normal range or at the very bottom of the range for about 8 years and more - my GP has seen those results and done nothing about them and iron issues seem to be so complicated. Feel for everyone on this thread who is going through this. If you do raise it with a GP you are made to feel it is a "cosmetic issue" or "is that all you have wrong with you?
". It impacts so greatly on confidence and self esteem it shouldn't be trivialised like that especially when it accompanies a quite serious underlying medical condition which isn't properly handled by the majority of community professionals [going on the reports on this forum].
What have you taken for your low ferritin? When mine was low several years ago because I had heavy bleeding because of fibroids I took Spatone and ate pate twice a week.
I have taken nothing supplemental, in the absence of a more thorough investigation into all of my iron issues, as I didn't want to risk making things worse. My GP said the endo she was sending me to would do that. he didn't and I haven't been reviewed because of the covid crisis. All I have done is reinvestigate my diet and make sure that when I am eating a meal with an iron rich source in it I observe all the rules about not eating things which would interfere with its absorption. I look like an aged ghost - so deathly pale, and that is someone who in younger years always had a pink and health complexion.
I decided to try pate twice a week as well as Spatone and it did raise my ferritin. You should try it because although I don't really like pate or liver I decided it was worth it to try to get my hair back.
I love pate [could happily eat it every day!!] and did try it initially but I discontinued it because there was a risk of maybe overdoing the vitamin A - so instead I just try to eat iron rich foods like more red meat etc but that isn't a substitute for a proper examination of what is going on iron wise in my body. I must do another set of tests and see if there has been any uplift in my levels. I am self treating for Impaired Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormones [a form of thyroid resistance] and there is a link between ISTH and low ferritin. I am self treating with T3 so it will be interesting to see if the T3 has done anything for the ferritin level.
Thank you ..makes things difficult when you can’t actually do anything why the pandemic is on ..xx
Hello - I haven’t read any of the other responses but I had this issue when I had various low nutrient levels. Caffeine shampoo helped LOADS.
Obviously I worked on the nutrient levels too but for the short term it definitely helped using the shampoo. I was really surprised!
Please don’t think your alone. My hair has been falling out for the past 5 weeks and I have several bald patches now. It is so bad that I have ordered myself a hat. I did phone the doctor and had my bloods done. The results all came back satisfactory. It could be lots of things causing it,the result of the pandemic , different brand of medication (different fillers in tablets). It’s worrying when each morning the pillow is covered and the first thing I check is if I still have eyebrows. On a positive note our hair will grow back . In the meantime wearing a hat is way forward for me
Hi
I am 54 with hypothyroidism
I have been using plantar 39 shampoo which is a hormonal shampoo. My hair is so much better and has stopped thinning and falling out. It is about £8 a bottle but worth every penny.
Thank you very much everybody has been so king in answering me and I am blessed x
Is that the caffeine one
It is. It balances oestrogen and progesterone which can become imbalanced as we get older
How does a shampoo do that? I thought you needed to take HRT for that to happen.
It explains on the label of the bottle
Does it say this?
"Plantur 39 contains the Phyto-Caffeine complex that protects the hair roots against hormone-sensitive exhaustion. This complex includes caffeine, niacin and zinc. It prevents testosterone from damaging the hair roots and thus affecting the energy supply."
Just to add my son uses the male version Alpecin and it hasn't really stopped his hair from thinning. So it must work for some but but not others.
Just bought some today to see if it helps thanks
I’d like to know the same too.
I actually used that shampoo years ago when theair advertising was all the rage. However, it did nothing for me.
The best shampoo and conditioner I found after trying a few that claim the same thing, and the one that I still re-order and use is Nourkrin.
Yes it is.
I have used hairburst capsules I take two a day for three months. From boots or Superdrug. Expensive but seems to work for me. Check with the the pharmacist with what you are currently taking. I stop my daily multif-vit when I’m on these as they contain all the vitamins and added nutrients for the hair.
I was told by a dermatologist that zinc and vit D levels need to be adequate for hair growth too.
I lost a lot of hair over a 12 month period when my thyroid was very under active (T3 between 3-4 for a year) but it has started growing back now and doesn’t look thin at all. My T3 levels are now above 5. I could not believe the change in how it’s made me feel- energy , hair growth etc.
I hope yours grows back. Hair loss for women is hard to bear.
I was also told by a hair loss site that ferritin needs to be over 80 for hair growth.
I’m sure you’re right. Ferritin wasn’t mentioned to me probably because my ferritin levels have always been ok.
I too am experiencing this problem the amount I'm losing is worrying, I will also try topping up my vitamins etc as my bloods are within good ranges although I am going to talk to GP as soon as I'm able as I have not mentioned it before. I am also so blooming cold but when I mentioned this to a previous GP he did recheck bloods and said they were fine
As you know my folate is quite low but strangely enough my hair is no longer shedding . I have now got some BetterYou Folic Acid spray but I am wary about taking it because it made me feel ill last time. I think hair loss can have different causes and mine is definitely because my thyroid levels were not high enough for me.
I Have developed a second autoimmune disease after having hashimotos for most of my life, Morphea, scarring alopecia. It could be that. I had to have a bio[psy. if it had been caught soon enough I could have had topical immunotherapy. It is very sore too. Julia.
Might have been mentioned, zinc supplement will help with hair loss. Massaging the scalp with natural oils will also help the scalp health.
I have been reading about apple cider vinegar for hair health and growth. Diluted with water in a spray bottle and applied to scalp, roots and ends. Leave for 15 minutes then shampoo as normal. I have just bought some and am going to give it a go. What do people think of this ?
I have been using Apple cider vinegar shampoo and I now have new hair growth!
Further to my previous reply, I have just been reading further into apple cider vinegar and I see that it is not recommended for people who have very dry, brittle or very fine hair. Also if you have coloured hair it's not a no no but might want to use it less frequently. I have all of the above so will experiment with caution.
I am the same [fine and brittle and coloured] so let me know what results your get with the ACV - thanks for the reply about the ratios.
I used the acv for the first time today and it doesn't seem to have stripped any colour from my hair. I concentrated more on my scalp than the ends because my hair is so brittle. I'm going to do this once a week in the hope that I will have less shedding over time. Will let you know the results after a month.
thanks photog - that would be brilliant. I'd be very interested to know how you get on. Good luck with it. I hope that you get good results from it! did you apply it, leave it for a bit and then wash it?
As well as attending to the nutritional rules, - biotin is pretty excellent for hair growth (Water for Health do one which is taken sublingually & is both effective and fairly expensive). Topically, caster oil either on it's own or in company with iodine can be rubbed in affected scalp. I, too, have always suffered with thyroid-related hair loss/diminishment & the above products have helped. Also good to include in nutritional supplements is zinc.
I haven't read all the other posts; so I am not sure if this was already said. I had a ton of hair loss when I first started taking the levothyroxine. It turned out I had a sensitivity to the pills. I switched to a different brand (Tirosint), and my hair loss immediately stopped.
This is one of many possible reasons that your hair could be falling out, but I think it is worth mentioning. Since thyriod problems are usually autoimmune, people can develop sensitivities to the medication over time. Also, when I switched over medication my doctor said on this brand he usually has to slightly increase the dose!
But just know that many of us have gone through this experience, and that you are not alone. And even though now it is incredibly hard and scary, your hair will stop falling out, and it will grow back.
Looked at GG replys - I have a dog and it was a competition as to which of us moulted the most. Hair loss this end was +++++++. Heeded what GG said and although it took months it gradually started to grow. My vits etc. were rock bottom although GP said fine. Get a test if you can and bring your levels up to over half way and watch as it grows back. don't forget iron - i did - as iron and my bowels are enemies till I found Spatone liquid iron, brilliant and now use it regularly. Boots sell it but I am sure you could get it online.
A fingerprick test is easy and will give you a good idea as to what is what, post on here for others to advise but it will grow back if all else is in proper order.
Hope gives you a light at the end of the tunnel, I was sceptical but proved wrong. Now my problem is how to manage my fair locks as no hair dresser!!
Tell me about it! I have just tried to level up my fringe by following a online video and the result was not good! I look like a shaggy dog now with my uneven fringe 💇♀️
The very best thing you can do is eat an appropriate diet to support hair growth and health. Your hair is a great indicator of nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, and liver issues. Those of us with autoimmune or thyroid related issues will have a sluggish liver.
I always recommend to start with several herbal supplements to give the liver the boost it needs. Once your liver is working properly, your body will be able to utilize the nutrients you put in it (and also your hormone therapy, medications). If your liver isn't working properly, nothing will ever work optimally. You might have an iron deficiency but you also just might have poor methylation. Taking an iron supplement is not going to solve the methylation issue so we have to start at the root which is to get the liver cleansed and healthy again.
Your diet should consist of plenty of fatty fish, some sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, berries, some nuts and seeds. Take some appropriate liver cleansing and liver supporting herbs, and just make sure that you're getting the appropriate vitamins and nutrients from a balanced diet. Supplement with D, C, and any vitamins your blood work has suggested that you might be deficient in. But again, support that liver. You will go nowhere without that!
My rheumatologist put me on Biotin and folic acid when I started losing hair as a result of MTX. It helped a lot.
Nothing against biotin, but if you (or anyone) supplements with biotin, make sure you stop taking it a week before any blood tests.
It can interfere with the results of many tests - specifically including TSH, FT4 and FT3 as well as many non-thyroid tests - potentially giving rise to misleading results.
It does not affect all blood tests. Some test methods are susceptible to this interference, others are not.
Nor can anyone look at a test result and be sure whether or not there has been interference, nor can any adjustment or allowance be made to "correct" a test result.
I question why my endocrinologist and rheumatologist would not tell me this. Mind-boggling!
I was told to stop taking Biotin 2 weeks prior to Thyroid labs ... not one. If you Google itm there's information out there about how it does provide false blood test results and yes it's sad more Dr's don't tell their patients this fact.
The original issues with biotin were with high doses such have been suggested for Multiple Sclerosis. Something like 300 to 600 milligrams a day.
For ordinary doses of biotin, the levels that you readily see and are in multi-vitamins and complexes, (quick check suggests 150 micrograms to 10 milligrams), they were only talking about two or three days.
Later it became clear that in some cases that was not long enough so a week was suggested. Bearing in mind that the remaining biotin reduces significantly every day, by the time a week has passed, it should be no higher than what we might get from ordinary dietary intake. That is little enough enough to affect tests.
I have not personally seen any high quality research which extends it to two weeks. I'd like to see something that backs it up because we don't want to say things that are not proeprly established.
I might wait until the lockdown is over before I try this folic acid because I am worried I might become ill.
When my sister was undergoing Chemotherapy, I bought her some shampoo and conditioner, thinking that if she started losing hair or it was thinning, it may help. As it turned out she didn’t lose one hair, so as I have very fine hair and I was trying to grow it, I would give it a go as I couldn’t be bothered to send it all back. That was four years ago and I wouldn’t use anything else on my hair, it’s way past my shoulders now and my hairdresser can’t get over the condition of it. If you’re interested it’s called Watermans, I use the shampoo, conditioner and elixir, it’s not cheap but i think it’s great. I realise it’s not for everyone but it’s definitely reduced the amount of hair that I lose. I had RAI two years ago and my weight has increased, I get really tired, low motivation and the rest but my hair is in pretty good nick. I also take vit c, d3 and collagen as supplements.
Ive been under active for many years now and when I was diagnosed my Dr said to me to start taking Evening primrose oil every day as it helps for your hair and skin and I'm now 66 and still have a good head of hair and my skin is still smooth and my nails are ok they are slightly rigged but still quite strong 😊
Dear Gettinggoldnow,
Others have mentioned 'Vitamins' but I'm going to suggest, very specifically, Vitamin C -Ascorbic Acid. This is, just about, the least Toxic and Most 'Helpful' compound on Planet Earth- and Lot, of us Don't consume anywhere near enough. A lack of Vitamin C, as 'Sailors Of Old' will tell you, leads to Scurvy- a 'horrible' affliction, that leads to sore, tooth loss and more.... the first Sign is often Hair Loss. So whilst the Thyroid Gland could, very well be to Blame, don't 'overlook' Vitamin C. (which incidentally 'aids' the absorption of Iron)
Just 'something' that Crossed my mind Gettinggoldnow. This my, very well, be 'Nothing'- but perhaps Worth A Try?
AndrewT
Thank you for that .yes worth a try x
Yup. Used to be force-fed it when I was a small child. And, I gave it to my eldest. But, it had gone out of fashion by the time my second baby arrived.
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