[Crayons574]

I have never had problems with my hair. I went strictly gluten free in May/June of this summer. My hair started falling out in June/July and it is now October, and I have lost a significant amount of hair, and it is not letting up.

Anyone ever experienced hair loss after going gluten free?

Any ideas on what might be causing it? I had my ferritin, thyroid, amino acids, and adrenal glands/hormone panel checked out and everything looked fine. Also, I don't believe it is Alopecia Areata, because it is all over hair shedding, not in patches.

Is there a vitamin deficiency or other food allergy I should test for (even though I am on the Paleo diet)?

THANKS so much for any help you could offer!!
Hair loss is no fun ....

[Ahorsesoul]

I had this problem the end of last year. My dr said just because my thyroid test was in the normal range didn't mean I did not need thyroid. She started me back on it and the hair loss stopped. The hard part is finding a doctor who can look at he whole person and not just test results.

[ravenwoodglass]

I lose a lot of hair if my hair products have either gluten or soy ingedients. Have you checked yours? I also will lose hair if I eat soy, are you having any other issues that may point to an additonal intolerance?

[madhatter]

I have to say that it is refreshing to know that I am not the only one going through this "hell". I have been sick for around 10 years and I have been to AT LEAST 15 different doctors. It started with my hair falling out in gobs. I mean handfulls of hair would fall out. Every single doctor told me "There is nothing wrong with you, all of your tests are normal." The only thing I had was an iron level so low they had to give me an IV and low B-12. Then I had joint pain, night sweats, swollen face, feet, and hands, nausea, depression, extreme fatigue, rashes, and the list goes on. I have even been told by one doctor to see a psychiatrist. This Friday I went to see a GI for a fever, vomiting, distended abdomen and night sweats. He told me to take some pepcid ac... WHAT?!?! I cried all the way home. When I got home I started doing some research about celiac. I found this rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Wal la!!!! I have had this "thing" that looks just like DH on my hip, it keeps coming back and my doctor told me that it was herpes. The only thing is I have not had any digestive problems until these last two weeks so I never thought to look at celiac before. Yesterday I stopped eating gluten and today I feel 100% better. I have been so depressed and don't go to social functions anymore because I look so bad. I have lost 90% of my hair now and have very dark circles under my eyes. My friends ask me if I have AIDS. It's very depressing and sad. I think I have finally found my problem. Hopefully my hair will grow back and I will start to look healthy again. This morning I lost half of the hair than I normally lose (this is good!!!). Has anyone else had all of these problems?

[ravenwoodglass]

madhatter, on Oct 11 2009, 04:29 PM, said:

I have to say that it is refreshing to know that I am not the only one going through this "hell". I have been sick for around 10 years and I have been to AT LEAST 15 different doctors. It started with my hair falling out in gobs. I mean handfulls of hair would fall out. Every single doctor told me "There is nothing wrong with you, all of your tests are normal." The only thing I had was an iron level so low they had to give me an IV and low B-12. Then I had joint pain, night sweats, swollen face, feet, and hands, nausea, depression, extreme fatigue, rashes, and the list goes on. I have even been told by one doctor to see a psychiatrist. This Friday I went to see a GI for a fever, vomiting, distended abdomen and night sweats. He told me to take some pepcid ac... WHAT?!?! I cried all the way home. When I got home I started doing some research about celiac. I found this rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Wal la!!!! I have had this "thing" that looks just like DH on my hip, it keeps coming back and my doctor told me that it was herpes. The only thing is I have not had any digestive problems until these last two weeks so I never thought to look at celiac before. Yesterday I stopped eating gluten and today I feel 100% better. I have been so depressed and don't go to social functions anymore because I look so bad. I have lost 90% of my hair now and have very dark circles under my eyes. My friends ask me if I have AIDS. It's very depressing and sad. I think I have finally found my problem. Hopefully my hair will grow back and I will start to look healthy again. This morning I lost half of the hair than I normally lose (this is good!!!). Has anyone else had all of these problems?

Yes, you will find many of us have all those issues and more. If you want to be medically diagnosed please don't stop eating gluten yet as you must be eating it to be tested. If you are happy with simply feeling better then go ahead and stay on the diet. Not everyone needs a doctor confirmed diagnosis but if you feel you do keep on the gluten and call your doctor and ask specifically to be tested for celiac. Welcome to the board and ask any questions you need to.

[amoliphant]

Please, I've just spent the last day and a half crying over the uncontrollability of this....I have lost probably 50% of my hair....I've been gluten free since June and honestly, can someone tell me this is going to stop, that my hair will actually grow back? Is there hope? I'm in the process of having thyroid and hormones checked...I have not changed my hair color...could it be the salon? What kind of hair color (dark blonde/lt. brown base with blonde highlights) can I use? I need the perm. color for the base to cover gray...I feel so pressured and stressed trying to come up with a solution before I have nothing left. I have always had tons of hair...the depression and sadness is just about unbearable and beginning to affect other areas of my life to where I don't want to go out at all. Please, if you find any answers or can offer any hope...
(I've been off gluten since June of this year, it's an all over thinning with emphasis on the front
hairline...)

[ravenwoodglass]

amoliphant, on Oct 14 2009, 12:23 PM, said:

Please, I've just spent the last day and a half crying over the uncontrollability of this....I have lost probably 50% of my hair....I've been gluten free since June and honestly, can someone tell me this is going to stop, that my hair will actually grow back? Is there hope? I'm in the process of having thyroid and hormones checked...I have not changed my hair color...could it be the salon? What kind of hair color (dark blonde/lt. brown base with blonde highlights) can I use? I need the perm. color for the base to cover gray...I feel so pressured and stressed trying to come up with a solution before I have nothing left. I have always had tons of hair...the depression and sadness is just about unbearable and beginning to affect other areas of my life to where I don't want to go out at all. Please, if you find any answers or can offer any hope...
(I've been off gluten since June of this year, it's an all over thinning with emphasis on the front
hairline...)

I would have your salon check the ingredients in the dye, some do have wheat germ oil or other wheat based stuff in them. I color my hair at home and there are quite a few safe dyes, I use Garneir Nutritioneste and some times an herbal dye called Herbatint. There are others. I am glad to hear your having those levels checked. Make sure they also have checked you for anemia.
I have had a lot of issues with hair loss and I took a vitamin by Country Life that was specifiacally for hair and nails and I also take biotin on occasions when I get glutened. I also took Royal Jelly for a while and that seemed to help.
Hopefully your hair loss will be temporary and you will start noticing some regrowth soon. It can take some time though. It took about 3 months for me to really notice a difference after I switched shampoos and dyes as well as being super strict on the diet.
Your not alone and hopefully others will have some good advice also.

[mushroom]

I was getting quite distraught about my hair loss, too, especially at the front. I had always had "too much" hair according to some hairdressers, but I was starting to look like a little old lady with receding hairline and almost bald patches at the front, and trying to bulk it up to make it look like I had more, and bring more and more hair forward into my bangs. This continued on after I quit gluten, and it wasn't until I got my nutrient levels (D, B12, folic acid, B vitamin complex, multimineral, that I really started noticing improvement. I had been away and not seen my hairdresser for four months until this month. She commented on how much more hair I had and how it was shining (I had noticed too ) So don't give up hope and make sure to get your vitamin and mineral levels where they should be. Initially you will probably need to do a sublingual B12 to absorb it properly, and take a higher dose than they recommend of D to "fill up your tank" and then drop back to a maintenance dose, otherwise you will just be maintaining yourself at the low level (if your levels test low).

[Skye_N]

I had lost most of my hair one time in high school and the hospital said that I was severly vitamin deficient. My hair grew back but has had periods where it started thinning again. Now, 28 years later & gluten free, my hair is healthy and my nails have gotten much stronger too. I guess that I should start paying closer attention to my shampoo too.

Now that I think about it, I lost a little hair after going gluten free but that might have been because I had a sudden weight loss right in the beginning.