Question About Condition Of Hair...

[Ashley]

Okay,I'm fourteen and I have had the whole blood panel of blood work done for Celiac Disease.Also,I am going back on the 12th of April to have a Endoscopic Scope done.Already my Mother and the GI doctor are sure celiac disease is the main suspect because of the weight lose of fifty-nine pounds,severe pain in the upper stomach and all the rest.I've noticed about my hair....it isn't shiny as it was and it is not growing anymore.It hurts down at the roots,like my head is sunburned,but it's not.I was reading on the bottle of one the shampoos and I saw Oats were in the label! So my question to all of you is this:

Can celiac disease cause these kinds of problems with my hair?

Thanks,Ash.

[plantime]

Hi Ash, welcome to the board! Yes, celiac disease can cause the problems with your hair. You are probably malnourished because of the celiac disease, so your hair is not getting the nutrients it needs to grow beautifully. I'm not sure what you can do at this point, other than go glutenfree and get your hair cut, so that properly nourished hair can grow in. There might be something that you can do that someone else will know, so don't follow my advice to cut it without talking to a good hairdresser! I use a glutenfree shampoo because I react to the wheat and such with an IgE response.

[Ashley]

Hi Ash, welcome to the board! Yes, celiac disease can cause the problems with your hair. You are probably malnourished because of the celiac disease, so your hair is not getting the nutrients it needs to grow beautifully. I'm not sure what you can do at this point, other than go glutenfree and get your hair cut, so that properly nourished hair can grow in. There might be something that you can do that someone else will know, so don't follow my advice to cut it without talking to a good hairdresser! I use a glutenfree shampoo because I react to the wheat and such with an IgE response.

Hiya there,Plantime! Yes,the GI doctor told me that I wasn't getting in any minerals and all the good stuff from any foods.The doctor told me not to change anything until after my Scope,because it was possible that it would alter the result.I will most certainly talk to my hairdresser about this.Thanks for all the infomation and the warm welcome to forums you gave me ,it really does help!

Thanks again so much!

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Yes, you should wait to go on the diet after the tests so you get results.

I use glutenfree shampoo because I get rashes and itchyness if I don't.

Good luck with your tests!

[KaitiUSA]

Did the results of your blood test come back positive? I use all gluten free products because I also get problems with itchyness. I also lost some weight but not as much as you have and that is due to malnourishment. Find a good liquid vitamin to get on. I use Liquid Vitamins Plus by Utrition and they are ultra absorbable. Also get yourself a good probiotic and some enzymes to help with digestion. There are many delicious gluten free foods available as well.

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid=12

This is a link to the safe and forbidden foods list for celiacs. It will help you as a guideline until you learn more about what you can and can't have. Also check cosmetics(especially lipstick), and toothpaste, etc. when you go gluten free because the slightest amount can damage your intestines.

Good luck and if you need anything let me know

[celiac3270]

Yes, I like to use gluten-free shampoo just because you never know when it might get into your eyes or mouth by accident...and that's an easily preventable way to get glutened.

Welcome, Rinku Okamato, I'm also 14...on the gluten-free diet for one year and I've gained over 20 pounds (I was also underweight before). Post any other questions you hvae

[Ashley]

Yes, you should wait to go on the diet after the tests so you get results.

I use glutenfree shampoo because I get rashes and itchyness if I don't.

Good luck with your tests!

Okay,I'll be sure to do that!

I also feel itchyness when I wash my hair too,so I'll be checking all my shampoos now.

Thanks,MySuicidalTurtle.I like the username you have!^^

[Ashley]

Did the results of your blood test come back positive? I use all gluten free products because I also get problems with itchyness. I also lost some weight but not as much as you have and that is due to malnourishment. Find a good liquid vitamin to get on. I use Liquid Vitamins Plus by Utrition and they are ultra absorbable. Also get yourself a good probiotic and some enzymes to help with digestion. There are many delicious gluten free foods available as well.

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid=12

This is a link to the safe and forbidden foods list for celiacs. It will help you as a guideline until you learn more about what you can and can't have. Also check cosmetics(especially lipstick), and toothpaste, etc. when you go gluten free because the slightest amount can damage your intestines.

Good luck and if you need anything let me know

I haven't got the results on the three I took on Wednesday,but two I took earlier this month came by positive.My Mother went out today got some kind of gluten-free vitamins,but I'll be sure to tell her that you recommended liquid vitamins Also I'll ask her about getting a probiotic and enzymes.What kinds do you take or recommend?I most surely read that list!I've been searching for one,so thanks for posting it for me!Guess I'll have to be reading anything with a label now XD!Thanks,Vote4PresBush04!

(p.s. : As you know I'm too young to vote,but I supported Bush and still do! )

[Ashley]

Yes, I like to use gluten-free shampoo just because you never know when it might get into your eyes or mouth by accident...and that's an easily preventable way to get glutened.

Welcome, Rinku Okamato, I'm also 14...on the gluten-free diet for one year and I've gained over 20 pounds (I was also underweight before). Post any other questions you hvae

That would be terrible if that happened!Now that I think about it,there's a lot of ways to get gulten in your system rather than by food!Thanks for the nice welcoming ^^!It makes me feel better to talk to someone my own age that's been through what I'm going through right now.Well,think's that is all the questions I have for now,though I'm sure I'll have plently back the time after my scope.Thanks again!

[celiac3270]

Sure . There are tons of cross-contamination issues. To list a few:

• Somebody in your family spreads peanut butter onto bread that contains gluten. Then they put the knife back into the container. CRUMBS. Then you go and make yourself a PB & J sandwich with gluten-free bread...and you get contaminated from the crumbs in the jar. The amount of gluten you need to contaminate yourself is the size of 1/48th of a slice of bread. That's scary...think of how small that is
  
• Toaster---have a gluten-free one and a non-gluten-free one, easily distinguishable--that's the #1 problem.
  
• Replace any teflon or cast iron pots or pans that easily retain gluten. You can also keep the old ones and just get new ones for only gluten-free food.
  
• Lipstick
  
• Toothpaste
  
• The part of an envelope that you lick to seal it
  
• The silver drawer
  
• Old cutting boards,
  
• Wash your hands before eating finger food--if you put on a lotion or touched something that contained gluten (i.e. playdoh--that's not really applicable to you, though ) then there could be contamination.
  
• Oh, if you have pets: most dog food contains gluten.......licking.....
  
• Collanders and wooden spoons easily retain gluten
  
• Kissing someone who ate gluten...
  
• Putting gluten-free food on the counter...which a gluten bagel was just on...
  

You get the point

[KaitiUSA]

I haven't got the results on the three I took on Wednesday,but two I took earlier this month came by positive.My Mother went out today got some kind of gluten-free vitamins,but I'll be sure to tell her that you recommended liquid vitamins   Also I'll ask her about getting a probiotic and enzymes.What kinds do you take or recommend?I most surely read that list!I've been searching for one,so thanks for posting it for me!Guess I'll have to be reading anything with a label now XD!Thanks,Vote4PresBush04!

(p.s. : As you know I'm too young to vote,but I supported Bush and still do! )

There are many good probiotics and enzymes. I use Enzymatic Therapy brands..they write what they are free of on their products so that is very convenient. The thing I like about liquid vitamins is they say ultra absorbable on them(at least the ones I have) which I find very important. Pretty much any vitamin though is good and will be useful. If you have any questions or anything just email me

I was too young to vote as well I'll be 18 in July but I agree with you there .

[ErraticBinxie]

You were saying that your hair isn't the same....

I started the diet when I was 8 and before I started the diet, I always got comments about how unusual my hair was. They called it beaded hair. My hair was growing funny because of the disease and it made my hair straight and curly at the same time. My hair was really rough and course. A couple of months after I had started the diet, my hair started growing normally.

I have had rashes and itching if I use products that contain wheat or oats. Stay away from Herbal Essence is what I would say from my experience.

[flagbabyds]

I was diagnosed when I was a baby but all my hair fell out, and it was really gross according to my parents and sisters. I am 14 also so if you have any questions you can always e-mail me or IM me I am on 24/7 so you can always reach me. Hope your hair gets better. It will, it may just take some time, but you know that it can't get any worse than this if you are a celiac !

[Guest ajlauer]

I have researched the "thinning hair" issue, and vitamin B12 came up quite often. I recently went out and bought a sublingual B-complex, with a boatload of B12 in it. It's sublingual, so doesn't even need to go thru your GI-tract.

On the liquid vitamins, I would recommend starting with a small bottle, to make sure you like it. I used to work in a pharmacy... the smell of liquid vitamins *with iron* was enough to make me vomit. I can't imagine having to take that stuff every day!! You don't want to buy a gallon of a liquid vitamin that you can't stand taking! I'm sure, like everything else, some brands taste better than others.

[yllehs91]

After reading this I have a question now lol...I know hair falls out & thats normal, but my hair seems to fall out more every once in a while, and I do use diff. shampoos...? Do you think there's something in some of my shampoos or it's just normal, and it just so happens my hair falls out more so than others?

[cdford]

Okay guys, time to cry with me a little. I took my youngest son to McDonald's this week while his older sister went out with some friends. A gentleman came by and asked me about my van's lift for the wheelchair and then promptly asked me if Joseph was my grandson! My hair has been turning gray for years and it goes into a tizzy of grayness and frizzies if I get even slightly glutened. I almost cried. The poor man was so embarrassed when he asked how old I was and I was not in my 60s or anywhere near it.

[minibabe]

The doctor told me not to change anything until after my Scope,because it was possible that it would alter the result.

I was told that as soon as I got my blood work to change my diet. My GI told me that it would not change the results of my Scope. The only way it would change the results is if I waited over a year to get the Scope done. But if it is with in a few months. I think that you should go gluten-free as soon as possible!

[celiac3270]

I tend to agree with Rinku Okamato's doctor...wait until after the scope to change your diet. You don't want to take any chances of the damage not being caught.

So sorry, cdford ...try not to let it upset you... remember that your friends and family and the people on this board who have never seen you before anyway don't care what color your hair is

I can see where it would upset you though. Feel better.

[ErraticBinxie]

I lose my hair periodically as well.

I don't talk to a doctor or anything about it (mostly because he refuses to diagnose me as having celiac disease even though i havent eaten gluten in 9 years) but I have discussed this with my mom. We were thinking that it might be an adverse reaction to foods you eat that show up months later. We came to this conclusion because of two reasons: 1) all celiacs have a wide range of reactions to eating different foods 2) eating something bad for you could possibly take even months to affect your hair. If I start to lose my hair, we look at everything I have eaten in the last couple months that might be questionable in the least, remove it from my diet, and my hair stops falling out in a while.

Look at what your eating. Even if you think everything is safe and you have been eating the same foods for years, there are several variables that can change throughout the course of time.

Good luck!

[CrashLanden7]

I was fourteen when I was diagnosed. I never had any problems until recently with my hair ( I am 20 now). I did not change to a gluten-free shampoo but have been on a very strict diet since my diagnosis. Just within the last year or so, my hair is definately falling out quicker than its growing in! Even with the strict diet, direct contact has definately affected my hair. So, I would definately encourage you to find a gluten-free shampoo... I wish I would've.

Plus, sunburns hurt... and the old adage that women like a man's bald head only works if you're attractive enough to distract them from your head!

[Ashley]

Sure . There are tons of cross-contamination issues. To list a few:

• Somebody in your family spreads peanut butter onto bread that contains gluten. Then they put the knife back into the container. CRUMBS. Then you go and make yourself a PB & J sandwich with gluten-free bread...and you get contaminated from the crumbs in the jar. The amount of gluten you need to contaminate yourself is the size of 1/1000th of a slice of bread. That's scary...think of how small that is
  
• Toaster---have a gluten-free one and a non-gluten-free one, easily distinguishable--that's the #1 problem.
  
• Replace any teflon or cast iron pots or pans that easily retain gluten. You can also keep the old ones and just get new ones for only gluten-free food.
  
• Lipstick
  
• Toothpaste
  
• The part of an envelope that you lick to seal it
  
• The silver drawer
  
• Old cutting boards,
  
• Wash your hands before eating finger food--if you put on a lotion or touched something that contained gluten (i.e. playdoh--that's not really applicable to you, though ) then there could be contamination.
  
• Oh, if you have pets: most dog food contains gluten.......licking.....
  
• Collanders and wooden spoons easily retain gluten
  
• Kissing someone who ate gluten...
  
• Putting gluten-free food on the counter...which a gluten bagel was just on...
  

You get the point

That's a lot of things O.o;;;

Well...I do admit to playing with my cousin's playdoh XD,or rather I did.It's been ages since I've posted on here...school,and mostly being lazy,but no more of that.Just to keep everything up-to-date,I do have Celiac's Disease.Biopsy came back,and the other blood tests were positive.My intestines are damaged badly,but they will heal over time.I've been on my gluten-free diet since last Wednesday...and I'm about to pull my hair out. ;_; .My Nutritionist from Vanderbilt gave me to three-four weeks to get off gluten completely.My Mother made me go off the next day XP.Well,I don't have to worry about the toaster...I tried some gluten-free bread,and I about choked.It was so rubbery,the more you chewed it,the more it would expand.So,I said forget bread.But,I have found some great gluten-free flour mixes,rice noodles and other things.So it isn't that bad,though I'm having trouble with this...I cried for about an hour after seeing a bunch commericals for pizza and other foods I love.We've been extra carful,cleaning the table before I eat,putting napkins on the lunch tables at school,ect.Lots and lots of label reading...so I'm getting there

[Ashley]

You were saying that your hair isn't the same....

I started the diet when I was 8 and before I started the diet, I always got comments about how unusual my hair was. They called it beaded hair. My hair was growing funny because of the disease and it made my hair straight and curly at the same time. My hair was really rough and course. A couple of months after I had started the diet, my hair started growing normally.

I have had rashes and itching if I use products that contain wheat or oats. Stay away from Herbal Essence is what I would say from my experience.

That's exactly what's happening to me.I have these bizzare strands of hair that are snow white and they are really curly and course.I have avoid gluten for a little over a week(well,hopefully unless of cross-contamination that I wasn't aware of) and haven't seen any difference...and I don't except it to until a month or two gluten-free.

I'll be sure to stay from Herbal Essencet then,since that is what is usually at my father's home.

[Ashley]

I was diagnosed when I was a baby but all my hair fell out, and it was really gross according to my parents and sisters. I am 14 also so if you have any questions you can always e-mail me or IM me I am on 24/7 so you can always reach me. Hope your hair gets better. It will, it may just take some time, but you know that it can't get any worse than this if you are a celiac !

Even though they knew you were diagnosed with celiac disease,I still bet that was a bit frightening for your folks when that happened.

I'll be sure to do that!Thanks,I believe it will. I just thought of a question now!Do you think it would be okay to have my cut right now?My hair is still in the same condition.Yes,I'm a Celiac,so I'm glad this isn't anything worse

[Ashley]

I have researched the "thinning hair" issue, and vitamin B12 came up quite often. I recently went out and bought a sublingual B-complex, with a boatload of B12 in it. It's sublingual, so doesn't even need to go thru your GI-tract.

On the liquid vitamins, I would recommend starting with a small bottle, to make sure you like it. I used to work in a pharmacy... the smell of liquid vitamins *with iron* was enough to make me vomit. I can't imagine having to take that stuff every day!! You don't want to buy a gallon of a liquid vitamin that you can't stand taking! I'm sure, like everything else, some brands taste better than others.

My Mother went out and bought me a multi-vitamin.I know B

[celiac3270]

About the bread, I'd recommend that you try the Ener-G tapioca loaf and/or the Kinnickinick bread. Ener-G an Kinnickinick are probably the two most popular breads. None will be as light as wheat/white bread, but those two taste the closest.

Post back here or under the products section if you can't find a good gluten-free version of some food.