Hair loss can happen for many different reasons. Our medications can contribute to the loss of hair. The products that you use can contribute to hair loss particularly if it is hair color. Perimenopause, menopause and hormone changes contribute to the loss. Here are some solutions: Our medications will make your hair brittle. Use a good moisturizing conditioner and a salon quality shampoo. I use "Wen" by Chaz Dean. It is a terrific conditioner that will nourish your hair and help to avoid breakage due to medication. Do not color your hair. Our medications will cause some colors to come out purple or a weird shade due to the drug interaction. Everything that you eat does come out through the hair. Hair color will also cause brittle hair to break. Flat irons cause terrible damage to hair. Watch the implements that you use to fix your hair to make sure they are not a contributor to hair loss. There are some good otc vitamins that a pharmacist could recommend that strengthen hair & nails. Hair and nails are both made of keratin protein. Keep the ends of your hair trimmed. Split ends can weaken your hair. I hope this helps. Do see the doctor and keep us posted.

I have hair loss but surprisingly, I still have okay hair. I do take Folic Acid the day after my MTX injection. I take 5 mg.

I switched hair styles (and hair dressers) when my hair was dull and falling out. I do still color my hair but my hair dresser uses Aveda products which is suppose to be very gentle and natural. I also got curly hair when I had been on the MTX for a while so I decided to work with it. I no longer blow dry my hair or curl it besides what I get naturally. My hair is so much healthier. My hair dresser also does several colors in my hair so it has more dimension. Sometimes when it is dull, he glazes it so it is shiny. I also don't wash it daily. I try to go 2 days between washes so it doesn't get dried out. Over the holidays, I saw several friends that commented how thick and shiny my hair was. If they only knew.

Having a hair dresser that can help work with your hair is vital. I also thing the Folic Acid is important.

I take 1 mg of folic acid everyday in addition to the leucovorin calcium the day after my MTX injection. I have always taken good care of my hair. I get trims every 6 weeks. I do highlight my hair but only every other cut so every 12 weeks. I also usually only wash my hair every 2 days (sometimes 3 if I can get away with it now). I use a keratin mist on it everyday as well. I havent flat ironed it for months. I do blow dry it. It would take all day to dry if I didnt. I'm not really sure what else I can do to stop it from falling out. In my opinion, it has to be from a medicine. Either the Prednisone or the MTX. I was supposed to see my rheumatologist on the 12th but she had an personal emergency which is taking her out of the office for a couple of weeks and they had to re-schedule me for the 13th of February. I had intended to ask her about this hair loss then. I may still call. There are a few rheumys in that group. Maybe the nurse can at least talk to one of the other docs and see what they have to say about it.

I started out on 60mg Prednislone in July I'm now down to 25mg, my hair has gone super curly, I'm also on 100mg Azathioprine. my hair has thinned out on the top. I had alot of hair to start with so I'm the only one that really notices the hair loss. I just work with the curls, they are like ringlets.

You might want to ask your rheumy to check your thyroid, as thyroid problems can cause hair loss.

I have experienced hair loss/thinning. Mine started the whole year I was getting sick and then got worse when I was in the peak of my flare. It seems to have slowed down since I am getting better, it's still a problem. I find in it the food I make regularly, I call it my secret ingredient, high in protien. I take all the same meds you take Angie, mtx, pred, folic acid. I think these meds make it worse, but it's a combination of the disease and the meds. I stopped coloring my hair because I do think that makes the situation worse, I am getting used to the grey highlights I have now, I'd rather be grey than bald. I was told not to pull my hair back in a ponytail because that can break it off more, so I put it up in a loose clip once in a while, but just try to keep it down and loose now. You gotta do the best you can with what you have! On the bright side the hair on my legs has gotten softer and lesser too!

have you had your tyroid check .hugs minnie

I have been losing my hair regularly and what I have left is curling badly.. Yesterday I may have made things worse because I dyed my hair purple. Yes you read that right Purple. I did this because I know I only have a week left with my hair, they are going to have to shave my head for the surgery to remove the brain tumor and I wanted to be unique till then. I am afraid that growing my hair back is going to be a very long process.

I have had two bad spells of my hair falling out. I am just finishing the 2nd one now. I think it is the drugs we take. It is horrifying for me. I used to have super thick hair and lots of it, now it is fine hair, not much of it and yep.....it is curly. I think the metho does that. The shedding has slowed down somewhat. I too also try to wash only every 2 or 3 days and I do colour mine usually every 6 weeks or so.

Leanne

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness

Hi Angie, in my case i believe the pred thinned my hair and the metho caused it to fall out by the handful. But the folic acid (i take 5mg every day except for the day i have the metho) has promoted new hair growth, i now have more hair than i started with. My Rheummy said it may come and go in stages. I can put up with the constant scalp tingling now i know its the regrowth that is causing it!
Take Care
Ness