hi all
Hope you are all well. I have really dry scaly skin and dry hair which I know is related to my thyroid condition.
Can any of you recommend a moisturiser and shampoo that would help or even any supplements I can take
My arms look like they have dandruff
Thanks all
Hello there,I use O'keefes dry skin lotion in a yellow pump container.I get it from Amazon,but Boots,Superdrug may sell it.It's made by the same people as working hands and working feet cream.It is unscented and easily absorbed and not at all greasy.I have found it lovely on my dry skin.and it is now comfortable and not dry.You don't need to use a lot so it's economical. I don't suffer dry scalp,but maybe others can help you there.Best wishes to you.
Aveeno is an ok moisturiser. I like a lavender Active Probiotic lotion 100% natural origin ( whatever that means!). It’s by URTEKRAM, Nordic Beauty.
I’ve tried many many hair products as now have thin, ( for me!) wispy, fragile and the best has beenJohn Frieda Violet Crush for blondes ( I’m sure there are others. It doesn’t impart any colour anyway!) I’ve found, for me, finishing off with L’Oreal Elvive Full Resist Leave In Brushproof Cream. To my surprise and relief, this works! Virtually no hair in my brush! Wish I’d found it earlier.
I have dry skin and hair. I use cetraben cream on my skin. My hands are dreadful and use elecon cream when really bad. Now, my hair is unreal. I've had issues with dry, brittle, straw like hair for 15 years +. It was horrendous to wash as it just matted and impossible to comb even with a ton of salon bought shampoo and conditioners. I've always been big into my hair and having my thyroid issues impact it was really hard for me.
I've had poker straight all my life that no one could do a curly blow without it dropping out before id reach my car. That is until 2 years ago, I now have full on curly hair literally over night. This is down to hormones with menopause and likely some involvement with thyroid.
So I embraced the curls and only wash my hair with a cleansing conditioner. I just use a clarifying shampoo once every 2/3 months and because I'm not using shampoo all the time the condition is like normal again.
I've spent an absolute fortune on top quality shampoos, conditioners and treatments but nothing ever worked. Only when I stopped using shampoo did the condition change.
Not sure what hair type you have but look into using a cleansing conditioner for a while and see if it helps.
Thanks sparkly
Is there a cleansing conditioner you can recommend ?
The conditioner I use is imbue no.2. I'm not sure if actually classed as a co wash or cleansing conditioner but it works great for me. I've tried lots of others but this works great for me. I do have to massage my scalp and add water to make it cream up. If you google co wash conditioners there are plenty to choose from. Just buy a cheap one to start with. I do only wash ( conditioner) once a week as it never gets greasy and the longer I leave it the better it looks
I look forward to trying out a co wash. Thank you.
Most important thing is to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing done
How much levothyroxine are you taking
Which brand
What vitamin supplements are you taking
Is your hypothyroidism autoimmune
Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
Post all about what time of day to test
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing
Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee
Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.
Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test
support.medichecks.com/hc/e...
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Monitor My Health (NHS private test service) offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65
(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)
monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...
10% off code here
I’d recommend an exfoliating body wash with AHA ( glycolic or lactic acid) and a rich cream to use after every shower on damp skin. Not sure if it’s available in the UK but I love Cerave moisturizing cream (the version that comes in a tub). A shampoo with salicylic acid (in the states we have Neutrogena T-Sal, which is amazing) will help immensely if you also have dry, flaky scalp. I’ve found using high quality EVOO daily on food also makes a big difference for dry skin. You can also soak hair in any oil for an hour or so before washing to help with dry hair.
Of course these are secondary on top of getting on the right levels of thyroid meds.
Best of luck!
My hyperactive thyroid caused terrible dry skin and scalp and it cleared up when my thyroid levels were back in the normal range. I use castor oil on my skin and it is very nourishing and so cheap.
Whatever you do don't use head and shoulders. I try to use products that don't use harsh chemicals. I really love Lush products (although I can't use shampoo bars anymore). American Cream is my top Lush Recommended. I would also suggest scalp scrubs and oils. If you take care of your scalp, it takes care of your hair. I like the ginger range at the Body Shop and also their banana hair mask. Plain old coconut oil is a good budget option.
I would also suggest revising how often you wash. Try to skip days if you can and I find I can go three or four days without washing my hair. Never use dry shampoo.
Also selenium supplements really helped my hair, nails and skin. Not all the way better but definitely noticeable. Also I stopped dying my hair.
Selenium helps with the conversion of t4 to t3 so more t3 is possibly the reason things have improved. Jo xx
Hi. I have thick, naturally wavy (from the mid-lower length) hair, which became increasingly dry over the years due to Hypothyroidism. I keep it long because that's more manageable for me than layers/shorter hair where more styling & upkeep is required. I have ME/CFS and Fibro (alongside Hypo), and therefore very limited energy to take time with my hair now. Today it's much longer than in my profile photo, but you can see how thick it is. The only product that has ever worked for me is the 'Kerastase Nutritive range'. I use the Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense Riche Deep Nutrition Rich Mask for Very Dry, Medium to Thick Hair. There's also 2 matching shampoos, one for dry hair, and another for very dry hair. I use the latter! Unfortunately using 'Conditioner' (including their brand, which will also be excellent) is no good for my very thick, dry hair. My hair needs the masque. You may not, and worth trying both to see which suits your hair best. I also use the same range for styling, and specifically 'Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique Beautifying Anti-Frizz Blow Dry Milk for Dry Medium to Thick Hair 150ml'. It's lovely & smoothing. Kerastase brand is expensive, but it lasts quite a long time, and thankfully I only need to use once a week. Hair wash day is like a gym work out for me before I got ill, so once a week is all i can manage anyway - and bc my hair is thick and dry, it looks better a few days after washing (thankfully). I mostly leave it to dry naturally bc of energy limitation & mostly wear it up inbetween washes, which helps dry hair I find. I've tried tons of other brands over the years to see if anything else is better (& cheaper!), and I always revert back to Kerastase Nutritive range bc it works best for me. They really should give me shares haha. Good luck x
Hi Gyp101,I have similar skin problems and I'm sensitive to many products. I find it better to wear cotton against my skin and not use central heating unless absolutely necessary. I'm better with a window open to carry any sweat away as the sweat can make me very itchy by the end of the day. I need antihistamines if I have to work in stuffy overheated places.
People hate me in the workplace in Winter when they find I've sneakily cracked the window open 😁
Some ideas:
Get a nylon & boar bristle brush to distribute hair oils. This helps keep the scalp from accumulating too much oil while preventing the ends from getting dry. Don’t wash every day.
Protein/ingredients: Some people’s hair gets dry with extra keratin/protein products. Maybe you are sensitive to protein or another ingredient that dries out your scalp/skin more. A lot of dry shampoos have starch in them, which feed yeast. Maybe avoid dry shampoo if you use it. Some shampoos have zinc or other ingredients to fight yeast overgrowth, if it is an issue.
Hard Water: Maybe your water has a lot of minerals such as calcium, iron, etc. that build up on your scalp, hair, and skin, making it extra itchy and dry. A neighbor who got reverse osmosis felt it healed her son’s skin issues. There are citric acid based products that help pull the built up minerals off your scalp, hair, and skin. Straw-like hair can become soft again. (Malibu crystals, etc.)
Moisturize from within through good nutrition and dr. Approved supplements: Ask your doctor what is safe first. Some vitamins, minerals, oils, or amino acids in moderation might help. (Beta carotene/vitamin A/carrot oil, panthenol, liquid hyaluronic acid, omega 3 fatty acids, hydrolyzed collagen powder such as Orgain, etc.)
Maybe your doctor can check that you aren’t low B-12 or low iron. Anemia does not help hair growth or texture.
Mild chemical exfoliation: Some mild products that help with dead skin cell removal might help lotions or creams absorb better.
Fragrance free moisturizers: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is great but pricey but there can be great sales between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.
Thank you . I live in a very hard water area and I never considered that could be a problem
hi I’ve just discovered a shampoo called faith in nature on Amazon my scalp was mega dry there shampoo and conditioner have no hidden nasties in and are vegan free , I got the one with rosemary oil in it’s worth reading the reviews my scalp as massively improved they also sell it at Holland and Barrett good luck c
thank you 🙂🙂
I also have started using the rosemary oil on my scalp twice a week it’s the one that is already diluted it actually helps your hair grow to I’ve had such problems with my hair but it’s definitely improving now I can see loads of baby hairs coming through that’s also on Amazon they are pretty cheap as well x
So many of you are using products full of toxins. Especially if you have autoimmune disease you need to cut these out of your life wherever possible and that includes shampoos and body lotions. There loads of toxin free ones on the market these days.
Very good point
A cheap and cheerful method for dry hair, that I tried during covid, is Olive Oil. You just need a small amount that you warm slightly and massage into your hair and scalp. Get a towel and dampen it with hot water (microwave might make it even warmer) and wrap your head in it. Give it twenty minutes or so before washing and conditioning as usual.
Hi Gyp101 👋🏽
I can higy recommend Ultra Bee, 'All in one honey balm'. It's on sale at the moment. These balms are amazing, they are gentle on the skin and have all natural ingredients (no nasty stuff). A little goes a long way too!
Faith in Nature products are excellent. I have not washed my hair for over 2 years and is so much better. Just rinse with each shower (hot shower) with head and lymph massage. Almond oil rubbed into scalp and hair once a week. Weleda skin food light is amazing and no nasties in it. Sesame oil is brilliant for skin - massage and leave overnight so wear old jammies to bed. I've been told that it penetrates and feeds all the skin layers.
Faith in Nature products are excellent. I have not washed my hair for over 2 years and is so much better. Just rinse with each shower (hot shower) with head and lymph massage. Almond oil rubbed into scalp and hair once a week. Weleda skin food light is amazing and no nasties in it. Sesame oil is brilliant for skin - massage and leave overnight so wear old jammies to bed. I've been told that it penetrates and feeds all the skin layers.
I have started using neat organic coconut oil on my flaky shins. Just a dab. Have used various products over the years for these problems and I like Occitane's Shea Butter shower oil but maybe it makes more sense to go natural? Mine is extra virgin because I also have started using it for cooking - precious, moi? 
I also take steroids and don’t have any sex hormones (so basically I am a lizard sadly) and the only cream that actually sinks in and relieves my skin is Nivea rich moisturising body lotion. There are more expensive creams (that perhaps are good if you are sensitive to scents, the Nivea does have a very light scent) but honestly this is miles better in terms of hydration than any pharmaceutical cream I’ve ever gotten.
For shampoo I’ve become quite fond of Klorane oat shampoo. It’s very soft yet still washes well. Feels like an adult version of a baby shampoo. Oiling my roots whilst I do it for growth, has also helped scalp moisture. I use Miele rosemary oil and the hair loss oil from Rene Furterer (that one is spenny but is packed with essential oils and top ingredients that really stimulate the scalp and helps to get rid of any dry flaky bits so that the product can get better absorbed as you go on using it)
I’ll second that aveeno (the colloidal oats one) is recommended by a lot of doctors. Need to try it myself
Hi there, I use aveeno and think it’s excellent. Jo xx
I use a combination of Simple shampoo and E45 shampoo, but I also make a point of washing my hair with shampoo infrequently. It really is not necessary to wash your hair daily (or even every other day) and it is very much a modern thing to do so.
Dry skin is another matter. I find E45 moisturiser very good,
I used to use henna wax (no colour) on my hair, which was very conditioning, but I don't know where you would get it now. My hairdresser recommends Modere to everyone, simply because there's nothing harmful in it (according to him).
It is not an external issue, it is an internal one. Common, I use to have this. I took daily Rosita's pure cod liver oil capsules, selenium, zinc, copper, beef liver capsules, real vitamin e capsules, choline and B vits. I later found out I had low T3, T3 medication went a long way in helping this too, especially my hair.
Castor oil. Organic. Hexane free in a dark glass bottle right outta the shower. That was when it mixes with the moisture still in on your skin its not as viscous. Vinegar baths. 1/2 gallon of white or REAL apple cider vinegar. Watch the "caramel color" added to "apple cider vinegar"-it's carcinogen. The vinegar sloughs away the dead cells but also helps with the itching. Wash your hair with vinegar or do a "Depression era "vinegar rinse after shampooing. I also sometimes use The Ordinary's Squaline and argan oils. On my skin and towel dried hair. I'd watch the Aveeno products. ZERO disrespect intended towards who suggested it. If you haven't yet you're soon going to notice sensitivy to oats. Be them in products or oatmeal. Cut oats now if you can.
Dry skin advice
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Hair loss and dry eye
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