Hair Growth

[BRCoats]

When I was bedridden because of celiac and gastroparesis (among other things, but I won't bore you).....my hair started falling out, and now it's really not growing. If you saw me, you wouldn't think I had any hair problems....it's pretty thick (although not as much as before), and below my shoulders. But....it use to grow like CRAZY, and now it takes me a year to get three or four inches. It's frustrating, especially since I'm trying to grow it out. I am assuming this is due to lack of nutrition. Has anyone else had minimal hair growth? Any supplements that would help it grow quicker?

Hope that doesn't sound too vain, but I really just want it to grow so that I can have long hair again. I should have never cut it.

Brenda

[BRCoats]

Oh, Paaaalllleeeeeaaaaassseeeee tell me that someone out there knows what will help hair growth!!!

[Guest momof3]

My hair is slow growing as well. I have fine curly hair. the appearance is thick, but it's not. Drinking plenty of water helps me because I can see a difference in my fingernails. My eyebrows grow faster as well. Not that is a good thing having to tweeze more often!!

momof3

[BRCoats]

Mine is actually pretty thick....the hairdressers always are amazed. But it's still not as thick as it once was (and I'm only 32)....and it just doesn't grow that quickly. At least not for me. I'm sure it has something to do with not getting enough nutrients. Doesn't make it any funner though. :-)

[sophie2040]

I started losing more hair than usual about a year ago, but didn't know it could be related to celiac disease. I have hypothyrodism as well, and just thought it was a symptom of slow metabolism. I started taking selinium and after within two months the excessive hair loss stopped, and now it's growing back; it also helps with the dry/flaky skin that comes along with hypothyroidism. I take it as drops that I get from my physician, so no worries about gluten-free there. Hope this helps )

sophie

[darlindeb25]

funny---my hair used to grow so much slower then it does now--3 years ago it was shoulder length and now it touches the waistband of my jeans and i thought it was growing really fast and even funnier now i have a wave in my hair that wasnt there when i was young--my hair used to be so straight--going gluten-free didnt get rid of the gray though i do have to put oil on it sometimes to make it look prettier and its color comes from a box now well actually--2 boxes---deb

[tammy]

Hi All!

I am not certain if there is a definite correlation between hair growth and Selenium, the mineral. But I starting taking 50mcg about 6 weeks ago and I started on support for my adrenals in August. Now in December, both my hairdresser and I see new hair growth!!!!! I certainly do take many supplements so who knows. I used to have thick hair in my twenties but once I reached my early thirties and now late thirties, its a different story. My hair had become weak and I had a lot of breakage. I keep it long but it is not strong and healthy looking. I also have hypothyroid and that will always play a negative role in the health of one's hair. But new hair growth is something to rejoice about and so I will continue to take Selenium and my other supplements until I hear otherwise.

Tip: Selenium is best combined with Vitamin E

Hip Hip Hooray for new hair growth!!!!!!!

[cdford]

Every time I accidentally get into come gluten, I go through a period of time when my hair comes out in wads. The year prior to my diagnosis, my mother (a hairdresser by trade) got quite frustrated because my hair would not hold a perm and was straiter on one side than the other. Every time she tried to work with it (I was almost paralyzed on the left side by the time I was diagnosed so others had to do everything for me) it just got worse. After almost two years gluten-free, my hair holds up much better unless there is an accidental ingestion of gluten.

My daughter has seen similar changes, though she did not have nearly my damage.

[sophie2040]

Tammy,

I was pretty skeptical about the Selenium actually. I guess like other people have mentioned, I had some pretty bad experiences with doctors either not listening well enough, or making quick [often uninformed, and often wrong] diagnosis and then reaching for their prescription pads. If I had a dollar for every 'sure fire' medication I've been prescribed, I could buy a new car

But I decided to trust my current doctor on this for two reasons. First, I did tons of research on my own about the selenium-hair loss-hypothyroidism link, and it mostly confirmed what he said. And second, luckily for me [though not for my doc] he has both celiac disease and hypothyroidism himself, so he has a vested interest in educating himself about treatments etc. Am I mercenary? Anyway, the selenium [and zinc] seems to be working for me.

I have my own purely non-scientific theory about it: I reckon that when your body is struggling to absorb nutrients and keep your thyroid working, it just can't spare the resources to 'non-essential' things like strong hair, fingernails and skin. Maybe it has its own priority-setting mechanism?

Sophie

[aaascr]

My doc suggested biotin - my hair was falling out by the handfuls. I've only been using biotin for a few weeks and see less falling out, but still shedding. Think I might give selenium a try too.

aa