Personally I have great difficultly cutting my hair even though Avonex thins it; so I wouldn't reccomend doing so.
The last time I had a few inches chopped off was somethin like 2003 or 04. I know it was long ago cause I walked WELL in heels to the hair dresser one day when I felt good enough to have my split ends cut after most of my college classes were finished that day. I did not even own a crutch, walker or cane so I was really feelin pretty good to walk well on the street and be seen going anywhere; because my jeans, blouse and everything looked great and I thought I'd look strange if I let the ends stay!!!

Since I began to need crutches or somethin to walk reasonable, I have worn my 47 inches all twisted/ tied up in a bun instead of botherin to go and spend money to get anythin chopped off. I do have a few wigs and little hair peices/ extentions, that I clip into and onto the bun so I still look like I'm a great looking woman with nice pretty hair!!
The pieces I find are sold at Sally's Beauty Supply mostly, so they are fairly reasonably priced, besides they do last longer than any hair cut would.
The Wig Company is also mostly fairly reasonably priced and easy to find a new easy to look natural hair style in any color!

Good luck with everything trying to look great!

There is an organisation called Look Good Feel Better

http://www.cancer.org/treatment/supportprogramsservices/look-good-feel-better

While it is mainly for cancer sufferers you may find some help through them.

I wouldn't recommend bleaching it because it is bad for your head and your hair and your body. At least in my opinion. Plus, as you say, it would be tons of upkeep.

As I got older into my 40s, my hair keep getting thinner and thinner and broke off and was shorter. So I couldn't keep it long as before and finally gave in and cut it. So it may be partly your age. Don't know your circumstances. I know that since I have been on Rebif since 2002, I have not lost hair from it any different from before I was on it or on Avonex. I lost hair before my MS was dx. But I shouldn't judge you since I was just criticizing people for judging me. It leveled off so that I just had to keep my hair short or it would fall out when I tried to grow it long.

Best of luck in our decision. I hope that you might think of an alternative med from rebif if it really causing the hair loss. Have you reported it to their Rebif nurse? That have to report it to the FDA as a side effect. They need to know it because they have to report it to us as well.

Thanks for the information.

thanks for the advice! i didnt even think to report it to the rebif nurse.

i'm 18, and have always had generally thin, straight hair but after being on rebif -

it's thin so it looks like i'm balding specifically in the front and back of my head. it's quite unfortuante lol

Just get it trimmed and keep it conditioned, mine did the same thing. I wear my own hair out or wigs since i cant deal with the cold.

Bleaching will only make more damage

I called MS Lifelines yesterday to report the dry mouth symptom that my pharmacist told me about. I reported it to their nurse. They minimize the symptoms.

And then I brought up the subject of losing hair. They said it was not in their list of side effects but YES they are getting reports of people losing hair.

This bugs me that they have not been reporting it in their literature. So, please everyone who gets this symptom, report it to MS Lifelines. They have to report it to the FDA. Call MS Lifelines at 877-447-3243.

If you go to their website, there is a photo of one of their nurses, named Jo. She is such a bitch. Rebif is full of BS. When I wrote their CEO complaining about a side effect, they would not let me talk to their nurses after that. I had to go through their overseas headquarters to get past their CEO in order to speak to a nurse again. Later, that same CEO resigned because Serono (makers of Rebif) was fined $1.44 million for giving bribes to doctors to get them to prescribe Rebif. He resigned the day before the Justice Department reported the fine.

So report all their side effects. They HAVE to report them to the FDA. Thanks for pointing out that this drug causes this side effect.

It also causes dry mouth so if you have that symptom, it causes that as well as migraines, and on and on. That Youtube video that Lchoppel gave us is so true. The drug companies are just making a ton of money off of us.

I would go with a bleach blond wig

Cathy

My hair has become thin. It does not break, it just slides right out from the roots. It's very frightening when I wash/condition to have it constantly falling out. The good news is new hair continues to grow but it's thinning, especially at the ends. I love to highlight and color my dark brown hair but haven't done so for fear of losing more. I have virtually no oil in my body so my stylist suggest only washing twice a week and avoiding hot tools as much as possible. I have chosen to leave mine longer as shorter hair can lead to more styling. This way I can sport a pony tail and feel like I have more hair. Copaxone made me lose my hair and now on Beteseron the same... IV steroids several times a year hasn't helped matters. I've learned ways to make mine look fuller and bigger... Nothing like big southern hair... Lol. Always keep a check on your thyroid levels as the cause of hair loss. We're all still beautiful (;

i remember Rebif causing this with me too. i just gave in and got it cut short.

i did consider a wig though, but i didn't go through with it.