Hair and nails?

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’m curious - my hair and nails both grow very fast. Am I alone in finding this and is it likely to be detrimental to my bones? Or is there no relationship between bones, hair and nails?

[Dorsetlass2300]

Hi So do mine! I have always put it down to the calcium and vitamin D I take in my diet and in supplements. I think it has to be a good thing. Regeneration!

[Met00]

I would see it as a good sign, and would only be concerned if hair and nails were unhealthy - splitting etc, in which that might be down to poor diet. My hair grows very fast, but I think my nails are average. I've always assumed that it's mostly genetics.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Met00]

Thanks for that Meet00. I’ll look on it and good. Not sure it’s genetics when I was young I was always waiting and hoping for my hair to grow, now I’m old I can’t wait to see my hairdresser to get it cut. When I had Graves and was very hyperactive my hair fell out all over the place and my nails flaked and broke off so short that my fingers were so painful I could barely use them. It was really awful.

I massaged them with almond oil and used an OPI treatment that someone in JL recommended and eventually they and my hair improved - probably more to do with my thyroid meds. I’m discovering that as they say, life is certainly not for the faint hearted.

[Nottinghamryan2]

Hi Fruitandnutcase,I noticed my hair and nails began to grow again very fast after 2 months on AA it was one of the deciding factors for me to continue taking it after reading lots of negative comments on this forum . The same happened to my sister who was diagnosed after chemotherapy her nails were all but destroyed and a year later no improvement but after commencing AA a couple of months in her nails are returning to normal. Don’t know the physiology behind it and we both take Vit d&k but hoping it has a similar effect on our bone density 🤞,

Take care

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Nottinghamryan2]

That’s very interesting. I stopped the AA after four months because I felt so ill all the time - but I take vitamin D3 and K2 Mk7 so maybe it’s that. I take a lot of other things too but nothing that’s designed to help hair and nails. Thank you 😊

[wellness1]

I feel like I've read somewhere along the way that nails are a rough/indirect indicator of bones. But I don't think it was a scientific study and I was never completely convinced, since there could be so many other factors. I couldn't find whatever it was that I once read.

It may have been something like this article. prevention.com/health/g2048... It references a research study. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/159...

Do you supplement collagen (or consume bone broth) or silica?

I wouldn't be surprised if stabilising your thyroid had an effect. It influences so much, as you know.

[karmel]

I do hope that nails are not a rough/indicator of the health of your bones. My nails, split, tear and are very thin, even tho I take supplements. My gut cannot tolerate either collagen or silica supplements. Dr put my nail problem down to my having Sjogren's Syndrome (an autoimmune disease causing dry eyes and dry mouth) as all the blood tests I had for my nails have been negative. From my personal experience there does seem to be a correlation between those that have Sjogren's Syndrome to also have op.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’ve got really dry eyes too - a rheumatologist put ????Sjorgens in my report a few years ago but my mouth is never dry and regular use of artificial tears keeps it at bay so my optometrist and I are pretty sure it isn’t that.

I started taking a vegan omega three algae oil //DHA capsule every day when I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and when I ran out and didn’t replace them quickly enough my dry eyes got a lot worse so I’m back on them again -for me they make a huge difference.

[karmel in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

When I was fist diagnosed with SS I joined an SS support group, that was before the first lockdown when we could have meetings that were not virtual. Not everyone suffered the same and some either didn't have both dry eyes and dry mouth and some only suffered marginally from those symptoms. .

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to karmel]

That’s really interesting, I thought it was a case of all or nothing. So the consultant who brought it up may have been right. My eyes aren’t too bad - regular use of preservative free eye drops works well. I occasionally add a ‘gunky’ night time ointment and taking the omega 3 algae capsules helps too. I was taking them for my bones but that turned out to be an added bonus. Not many of those when you’re old and falling to bits 🤣🤣🤣

[karmel in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

It was a very thorough optometrist who said I had very dry eyes and referred me to a dry eye specialist who diagnosed SS. I didn't know what SS was and my gp referred me to a rheumy. I guess I was lucky with how I got my diagnosis as a lot of peeps with SS end up having to have a lip biopsy.

[DeannaAlphi]

Hi there. Me too. I've just Googled it. Studies have been done in the past ...to find alternative guidelines as indicators of osteoporosis or bone health. One of the studies investigated if there were correlations between T-scores and Raman Spectral features of Keratin. Quite a few studies have been done in recent years. Worth a look.

Thanks for asking the question. Gives me reassurance that all my efforts with diet and supplements are perhaps making a positive impact on my bones. xx

[MollyStark]

I think hair and nails are generally down to genetics. I have always had really strong nails which grow fast and are a lovely shape. However, I have had hair loss for many years. (My diet is good and since having osteoporosis, I take vit D3, K2 etc.) I remember seeing a consultant about my hair loss many years ago. He had a group of trainees with him. He addressed them during the whole of the consultation and referred to the fact that someone presenting with my type of hair loss also had very poor, weak nail growth. I said nothing and spread my hands out on the desk to show them my completely natural, long, strong nails... He moved swiftly on as you can imagine!

[noRx4me in reply to MollyStark]

I’m just the opposite. I’ve been blessed with great hair, even at 65 it’s thick and healthy with hardly any gray, although slow growing. My nails, that’s a different story. Never have been able to get them to look good no matter what I do lol 😂 they’re little stubs.

[ChristineK]

I don't know if this is relevant but I suffered for many years with thinning hair and alopecia and the dermatologist suggested that I try taking Biotin (over the counter). Since I have been taking Biotin, my hair and nails grow quickly and I have not lost any more hair but unfortunately, the patches on my scalp will never grow any more hair, due to the fact that the follicles have died off. Maybe if you are taking B vitamins, this could be the reason for your nail and hair growth?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to ChristineK]

No, goos suggestion but I’m not taking any B vitamins at the moment or biotin I’m taking algae based omega 3 DHA and I use algae based calcium - not Algae-Cal though - maybe it’s just that my general diet is healthy. Such a pity your hair follicles have died off but good that it has stopped you losing more.

I had Graves’ disease in 2013 and losing my hair was probably the most stressful part of it all, fortunately mine grew back once my thyroid levels were stabilised but I know from an online group I take part in hair loss was one of the most distressing parts of the whole thyroid disease experience.