Hair Loss

[The Mama]

Has anyone experienced hir loss (as in actual bald spots) as a side effect to Celiac?? My daughter has chronic hair loss and develops bald spots. She's been gluten-free for 10 months now....

[SalmonNationWoman]

I've never not had a good hair day in my life. YES, I've experienced hair loss, both generalized thinning and patchy alopeica. My hair's been thin my entire life. Cycles of alopecia have been blamed on thyroid, estrogen/progesterone imbalance, anemia and others. Tests were negative and treatments did nothing. Even my eyebrows and body hair were quite sparse. Now, instead of shaving my legs once every 10 days, it's twice a week, so my "thickness" is relative. I've even tried wigs only to react to the synthetic material in the cap.

I've been gluten-free for 15 months and soy free 11 months. Dermatitis on my scalp/hairline and hair loss (atypical DH) is triggered by both. My hair is the thickest it's ever been but it's taken a while to reverse the pattern. I've noticed new "sprouts" consistently for the last 6-8 months.

I'll add that I've been careful to avoid using toiletries with wheat, gluten, soy, synthetic detergents, etc, and use as much organic stuff as possible. I've noticed that's made a difference. Not all products under a particular brand name meet my needs so I read the labels of every product in the line; time-consuming but worth it. I use this site to help research products Open Original Shared Link and then follow links to manufacturers to read the full ingredient lists.

Unfortunately, I've had to revert to using some "offending" products due to budgetary constraints. I'm experiencing outbreaks that aren't as severe or widespread and hair loss hasn't occurred. As soon as I can, I'm returning to the good stuff.

I ate a very low gluten diet for decades but was unaware of the soy issues. My hair started growing faster and thicker fairly soon after going gluten-free/soy free but that could be due to my prior low consumption. If your daughter was eating a heavily-laden gluten diet before, it may take longer for her hair to respond to the gluten-free diet AND you may need to consider gluten-free hair products as well.

[gc111]

Yes, from what I've heard, bacteria can be a real problem, and add to hair loss. My scalp used to itch like mad, and my hair fell-out real bad. Just before learning about Celiac, I started using shampoo with coal-tar added, which helped about 40%. Going gluten-free, my hair started growing back better than I would have ever imagined, especially having genetic male pattern balding.

[SalmonNationWoman]

A weakened immune system from gluten intolerance can make a person more suseptible to chronic bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Chronic inflammation leads to tissue changes and abnormal cell growth. Hair follicles are often the first to suffer.

[Jestgar]

A weakened immune system from gluten intolerance can make a person more suseptible to chronic bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Chronic inflammation leads to tissue changes and abnormal cell growth. Hair follicles are often the first to suffer.

Based on what?

If you feel it's worth saying, please take the extra minute to back it up with sources.

[rumbles]

Hair loss is often caused by deficiencies (too little vitamin A, B-6, B-12,

biotin, inositol, folic acid, magnesium, sulfer, zinc . . . too much vitamin

A can also cause hair loss). Your daughter may be taking vitiamins, but

is she absorbing them is the question. Like quite a few others that post

on this forum, I can't absorb vitamin B-12 by swallowing it, - I have to

take it sublingually (pill that dissolves under the tongue), and my body

just doesn't seem to be able to store it for any length of time . . . if I

miss taking my sublingual B-12 for more than a day, my hair starts

falling out (before I knew what was causing it, I had bald patches).

She might want to try taking gluten free sublingual B-12 for a few

months and see if that helps (if it's B-12 deficiency, it will take time

before she'll be able to notice any new growth, but should notice

within a few weeks that it's not falling out as much).

Thyroid problems can also cause hair loss, and are also common with

celiac disease; if she hasn't had her thyroid levels checked (blood test)

recently, she probably should.

[The Mama]

I've never not had a good hair day in my life. YES, I've experienced hair loss, both generalized thinning and patchy alopeica. My hair's been thin my entire life. Cycles of alopecia have been blamed on thyroid, estrogen/progesterone imbalance, anemia and others. Tests were negative and treatments did nothing. Even my eyebrows and body hair were quite sparse. Now, instead of shaving my legs once every 10 days, it's twice a week, so my "thickness" is relative. I've even tried wigs only to react to the synthetic material in the cap.

I've been gluten-free for 15 months and soy free 11 months. Dermatitis on my scalp/hairline and hair loss (atypical DH) is triggered by both. My hair is the thickest it's ever been but it's taken a while to reverse the pattern. I've noticed new "sprouts" consistently for the last 6-8 months.

I'll add that I've been careful to avoid using toiletries with wheat, gluten, soy, synthetic detergents, etc, and use as much organic stuff as possible. I've noticed that's made a difference. Not all products under a particular brand name meet my needs so I read the labels of every product in the line; time-consuming but worth it. I use this site to help research products Open Original Shared Link and then follow links to manufacturers to read the full ingredient lists.

Unfortunately, I've had to revert to using some "offending" products due to budgetary constraints. I'm experiencing outbreaks that aren't as severe or widespread and hair loss hasn't occurred. As soon as I can, I'm returning to the good stuff.

I ate a very low gluten diet for decades but was unaware of the soy issues. My hair started growing faster and thicker fairly soon after going gluten-free/soy free but that could be due to my prior low consumption. If your daughter was eating a heavily-laden gluten diet before, it may take longer for her hair to respond to the gluten-free diet AND you may need to consider gluten-free hair products as well.

[The Mama]

I've never not had a good hair day in my life. YES, I've experienced hair loss, both generalized thinning and patchy alopeica. My hair's been thin my entire life. Cycles of alopecia have been blamed on thyroid, estrogen/progesterone imbalance, anemia and others. Tests were negative and treatments did nothing. Even my eyebrows and body hair were quite sparse. Now, instead of shaving my legs once every 10 days, it's twice a week, so my "thickness" is relative. I've even tried wigs only to react to the synthetic material in the cap.

I've been gluten-free for 15 months and soy free 11 months. Dermatitis on my scalp/hairline and hair loss (atypical DH) is triggered by both. My hair is the thickest it's ever been but it's taken a while to reverse the pattern. I've noticed new "sprouts" consistently for the last 6-8 months.

I'll add that I've been careful to avoid using toiletries with wheat, gluten, soy, synthetic detergents, etc, and use as much organic stuff as possible. I've noticed that's made a difference. Not all products under a particular brand name meet my needs so I read the labels of every product in the line; time-consuming but worth it. I use this site to help research products Open Original Shared Link and then follow links to manufacturers to read the full ingredient lists.

Unfortunately, I've had to revert to using some "offending" products due to budgetary constraints. I'm experiencing outbreaks that aren't as severe or widespread and hair loss hasn't occurred. As soon as I can, I'm returning to the good stuff.

I ate a very low gluten diet for decades but was unaware of the soy issues. My hair started growing faster and thicker fairly soon after going gluten-free/soy free but that could be due to my prior low consumption. If your daughter was eating a heavily-laden gluten diet before, it may take longer for her hair to respond to the gluten-free diet AND you may need to consider gluten-free hair products as well.

Thank you for your response. I'm wondering how you determined that soy was an issue as well. It is very frustrating to not be able to figure this out. I really don't feel that it's purely from gluten because I'd think there'd be an improvement by now. Thanks again!

[The Mama]

Hair loss is often caused by deficiencies (too little vitamin A, B-6, B-12,

biotin, inositol, folic acid, magnesium, sulfer, zinc . . . too much vitamin

A can also cause hair loss). Your daughter may be taking vitiamins, but

is she absorbing them is the question. Like quite a few others that post

on this forum, I can't absorb vitamin B-12 by swallowing it, - I have to

take it sublingually (pill that dissolves under the tongue), and my body

just doesn't seem to be able to store it for any length of time . . . if I

miss taking my sublingual B-12 for more than a day, my hair starts

falling out (before I knew what was causing it, I had bald patches).

She might want to try taking gluten free sublingual B-12 for a few

months and see if that helps (if it's B-12 deficiency, it will take time

before she'll be able to notice any new growth, but should notice

within a few weeks that it's not falling out as much).

Thyroid problems can also cause hair loss, and are also common with

celiac disease; if she hasn't had her thyroid levels checked (blood test)

recently, she probably should.

Thank you for responding. You're the second source that I've heard mention about vitamin B-12. Her school nurse also mentioned it. I guess it's worth a shot.

[SalmonNationWoman]

Despite what others might post about separating atopic dermatitis from ingested ssubstances, the immune system is a not compartmentalized to intestinal villi v. skin. You irritate the system in one way for long enough to trigger auto-immune syndromes and ALL immune pathways can become sensitized. Why do you think those with Gluten Ataxia, Dermatitis Herpetformis, malformed dental enamal, stunted growth, etc. never have Celiac symptoms? Why do you think the cancer rate for untreated Celiacs is higher? It's all immune responses gone amok.

I know a woman that lives in wheat farming country and she's a Celiac. She must confine herself and seal off the house during harvest. A neighbor of hers is also Celiac and has to leave town when they plow in Spring and harvest in Autumn despite sealing his house and living inside for the duration. He's not eating or breathing gluten, wheat or wheat stalks and avoiding CC yet he still gets symptomatic if he doesn't leave the area all together.

I've been sensitized for a lifetime, 49 years, and slogged through life with chronic fatigue, colds, flu, pneumonia, asthma, skin, neurological, bone, dental, hair, anemia, bleeding/bruising, terrible cycles , 3 miscarriages, GI, acid reflux, ligament, tendon, muscle, cancer and other issues. I've been on wild goosechases for decades and finally figuered out my gluten sensitivity only recently. When I read, and read and read about all the correlations of my issues to gluten, I was relieved to find answers BUT angry no one bothered to figure this out sooner.

When I'd been on a gluten-free diet sufficiently to see an improvement in the dermatitis issues and they weren't doing all that well, I started an elimination process once again. Soy was so markedly the offender there was no question about eliminating it. I got much further down the track after ditching the soy but still breaking out on my scalp, I went to ferreting out topical exposures to gluten and soy.

I'm a DC, NMD, MSTCM, CMT and have been in practice for nearly 3 decades. I've had to coerce, cajole, badger and persist with colleagues and adversarial doctors. NO ONE wants to look at gluten because it's not sexy, trendy, money-making, drug dependent, device dependent or office-based therapy dependent. CELIAC, NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES and ALLERGIES AREN'T PROFITABLE! Getting people's hopes up that a vaccination or attenuated injection will cure Celiac is irresponsible, IMHO. From what I've read in the recorded history of food, wheat (and related grass grains) was considered poisonous for centuries. With GE'ed wheat, gluten content has been increased by as much as 40%. SHOULD ANYBODY REALLY BE EATING GLUTEN GRAINS?

I must add that I've been eating as organically, locally, sustainably and unprocessed as possible for decades which partially but not fully, ameliorated symptoms. Eating at fastfood or casual dining chains, snacking from convenience stores or vending machines is completely foreign to me. Personally, I was shocked to read someone eats at MacDonald's on this forum and had to place things in perspective.

Elimation and challenge of suspected foods is the method being recommended by many in the medical community to become the new "gold standard" as blood tests render too many false positives.

I hope this helps.