Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I've been losing hair for 3-4 months. I developed menopause quite abruptly during the summer last year with horrible hot flashes, mood swings, difficult sleeping (which was hard anyway), and dry skin.
About 4 months ago I noticed more hair in the sink after blow-drying. I read on here and started taking biotin. Then about 2 months ago, I added zinc (I think 51 suggested it at some point when I searched). I don't have handfuls of hair falling but about 30-50 hairs when I dry and then additional fallout during the day. It's slow and impactful. The hair seems to have less diameter and feel softer. There are not patches falling out and I don't have bald spots, just areas with less especially near the hair line. And I don't think my hair loss has improved from the biotin, although my nails have.
My mom is 72 and her hair is fine. Dad's thinned a bit as he has aged but he still has a full head of hair too.
I don't know if this is a byproduct of menopause or if it's RA related. I'm on no dmards as my inflammation markers are low and I only just recently was cleared to start up regular dmards only (good liver biopsy along with colonoscopy/upper endo - all normal). When I called my daughter's dermatologist they said they don't test or treat hair loss. (weird!) I called another who is 1 month out on scheduling but they do diagnose hair loss. Anyone have ideas on how I can help the situation while I wait a month?
Is there any way to tell what the cause might be? I was considering having my regular doctor or obyn do hormone blood work.
Thank you! Love how we can post a little sideways here when we don't have classic RA symptoms.
About 4 months ago I noticed more hair in the sink after blow-drying. I read on here and started taking biotin. Then about 2 months ago, I added zinc (I think 51 suggested it at some point when I searched). I don't have handfuls of hair falling but about 30-50 hairs when I dry and then additional fallout during the day. It's slow and impactful. The hair seems to have less diameter and feel softer. There are not patches falling out and I don't have bald spots, just areas with less especially near the hair line. And I don't think my hair loss has improved from the biotin, although my nails have.
My mom is 72 and her hair is fine. Dad's thinned a bit as he has aged but he still has a full head of hair too.
I don't know if this is a byproduct of menopause or if it's RA related. I'm on no dmards as my inflammation markers are low and I only just recently was cleared to start up regular dmards only (good liver biopsy along with colonoscopy/upper endo - all normal). When I called my daughter's dermatologist they said they don't test or treat hair loss. (weird!) I called another who is 1 month out on scheduling but they do diagnose hair loss. Anyone have ideas on how I can help the situation while I wait a month?
Is there any way to tell what the cause might be? I was considering having my regular doctor or obyn do hormone blood work.
Thank you! Love how we can post a little sideways here when we don't have classic RA symptoms.
you could try sleeping with a silky pillowcase, it's less harsh on your hair. also they make special shampoos for women with thinning hair, i've seen them at ulta. might help a bit. and be careful pulling your hair back - try to use things that won't pull your hair, like clips instead of elastic bands.
In my case, I had no idea why. Went through menopause and took Plaquenil(lost at least half my hair from that) and then went on MTX. But I heard from my sister that she was losing hair at an alarming rate and just knew she would go bald like mom and our grandmother. I don't remember mom being bald so I doubted that but I do remember my grandmother with this long braid that she curled around the top of her head to hide her bald spot. But my sister insists that mom was losing hair rapidly when she passed from cancer at age 58(no chemo...died 3 months after getting it and was losing hair before that).
So I had menopause, a family history of female baldness and Plaquenil and MTX. How do you fight that? Then I saw a Dr. Oz show and he recommended zinc, biotin and iron. Iron and me don't get along(diarrhea) so I started taking fairly low doses of biotin and zinc.....1000mgs of biotin and 50mgs of zinc. Just took it and hoped it would stop the hair loss. But after a good 3+months, I noticed new hair growth and I was holding on to the hair longer. Color was better too....more dark blonde and not as much gray.
So I'm still doing it at the same dosage. I've kind of stopped with new hair growth but the hair I've got is thicker and better color(been able to stop coloring for gray) and it's wavy....my hair has always been straight as a pool cue. Maybe I'd have better hair growth if I could add iron but I already have diarrhea from Baclofen( for pain)and I don't need more diarrhea from iron. But I do watch my diet for extra iron.
You can't go by direct relatives for the gene for baldness....it can go back generations in women and you could have it. My understanding is we don't get the male gene, only the female and it can be worse than the baldness that men get. My sister is trying just biotin and it's helping some but she won't take zinc for some weird reason(she is weird). You need at least biotin and zinc if not iron too.
All I can suggest is to keep taking it and waiting it out. Stress is another leading cause of hair loss so learn how to chill out too. I don't blow dry my hair...natural dry only. And I don't wash it every day....maybe every 3-4 days so I don't dry out the hair and scalp. Deep condition regularly. It is normal to lose about 100 hairs per day but if if they aren't being replaced, then it becomes noticeable.
Cheaper than a place that diagnoses and treats hair loss for sure. And no matter what you do, it takes time....months...for the scalp to respond and grow more hair. But the first thing you watch for is slowing the loss of the hair you've already got and it seems that may be happening.
Don't give up. Hair is as slow as molasses in trying to change the hair loss pattern into losing less and then growing more.
gentle hugs..............Jen
PS...even underarm hair and leg hair is thicker after it all fell out and I had none! How is that hair? Maybe a better way to assess the problem?
Also took hair, skin & nail vitamins. Although I took those from the compound pharmacy before they came out in stores. His version had other ingediants & worked well enough then. Price went up little to much so started on others available in stores. Although if I get extra $$ I'd like to compare the 2.
Never tried the shampoos. Thinking between doctors & a good hair dresser they may have some advice if there is any. I'll ask both next visit. Hair dresser visit is due now.
smart to get things like thyroid checked & blood work.
Menopause is different with every women. My mother never had any problems with hair.
Now believe it or not on Enbrel my hair curled. Very noticeable.
So meds can make a difference.
Truly hope menapause doesn't cause me more problems. I realize how frustrating this can be.
Good luck
Sammy
My doctor said she would run blood work and also said that trying rogaine is just fine - can't hurt anything.
I love the silk pillowcase idea, if only for how good it must feel on my head. :)
Thank you!