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Hair Loss With Dh Rash?

sisterlynr

By sisterlynr
in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

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sisterlynr Explorer
sisterlynr
Posted

My hair has thinned so much that I'm getting worried. My hairbrush is full each time I brush my hair. Do any of you DH people have the same issue?

When I peel off a scab from my scalp, there are usually 2 or 3 hair follicles that are attached.

Does anyone have a suggestion to prevent hair loss? This head of hair is new from 2008 (chemo) and it is so thinned out. :( I use a fabric covered ponytail band and I now have to twist it around 2 extra times due to how thin my hair is now.

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jlaw Apprentice
jlaw
Posted

Oh I have just started to notice this too...never occurred to me they were connected. Everytime I brush my hair, more and more is coming out. I thought maybe i'm just getting older...

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I believe hair loss probably belongs to the celiac category in general, although mine is accompanied by psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis in my scalp too. You just cannot have these conditions in your scalp, from my experience, and expect your hair to be gorgeous and full and healthy :) I do not have DH but my hair is currently in a falling out by the handful phase, despite no antibiotics or other adverse medications, which will also cause it (for me at least, although my former hairdresser said it is a common medication problem).

I sure hope for both our sakes that our hair stops falling out before it is all gone :ph34r:

sisterlynr Explorer
sisterlynr
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for both replies. I sure hope it stops soon. :huh: I am now mid 50's but not happy at all with this hair loss. I may have to research online to see if this is common for DH patients. I am still scheduled to see a new Dermatologist in February that is to use light therapy to help heal my skin. I'll be sure to ask him about the hair loss.

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

I can't speak about the diabetes with respect to hair loss.

I find my hair loss on my head to be relative to the amount of dh I have on my scalp at any given time. As shroomie says; you can't have skin conditions in your scalp without hair loss. Although alopecia is associated with celiac disease I do not think my hair loss is due to alopecia per say. The trauma to the skin on the scalp from dh & therefore the hair follicles has to be a great factor IMHO.

Curiously enough, for the last several years the hair on my legs has been becoming more & more & more sparse even to the point of having almost none. I was pretty happy about this; it made shaving quick & easy. Well guess what? In the last 2 weeks the hair on my legs is coming in like days of old. RATS! I mean, on the one hand it's a good sign that I am healing but on the other hand I have hairy legs to worry about again. And darn it all, as the stubble comes in, I find it impossible to cross my lower legs as the bristly stubble irritates the heck out of the dh!

Ninja Contributor
Ninja
Posted

Mine does! Especially when I get a couple spots around my eyebrows - hair falls right off and leaves a bald spot. :ph34r: My hair loss, however, seems to be confined to wherever the DH is (sometimes OK, sometimes not so great). In other words, if I get the rash around my shoulders, I don't notice any hair thinning.

Lady Eowyn Apprentice
Lady Eowyn
Posted

Hi

Just a thought on hair loss.

My hair falls most of the time (last 7ish years approx) but less than it used to when eating gluten. I think soy and processed food make it worse and have had DH on scalp since teens.

Hardly dare put this in print but the last few weeks it is thickening up (holding my breath while writing this!) and have been meaning to post to other hair loss folks that I have a feeling it may be benefiting from taking Vit D - well that's the only thing different.

Also shampoo/conditioner with wheat derivatives makes my hair fall (yes, it does) and of course, makes the DH go beserk. Has taken me a long time to find one that is acceptable to my scalp and makes my hair good condition.

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zamm0 Apprentice
zamm0
Posted

Well this is one thing Coeliac (sorry Celiac) Disease can't do to me....male pattern baldness got me years ago :-)

sisterlynr Explorer
sisterlynr
Posted
  • Author

I am using shampoo and conditioner w/o wheat for an emulsifier. I do not eat soy now and that is hard on me as I love Asian and Chinese foods. Fortunately I have found a restaurant that does not use soy nor flour when preparing Asian food.

I had hair loss many years ago but it wasn't due to male baldness, doctor thought it was stress loss. I figure it was DH now as I had lesions on my scalp then.

I looked online and several sites state that hair loss is not unusual for Celiac.

  • 1 month later...
janpell Apprentice
janpell
Posted

Well, I can't say for sure I had DH but I was getting blistery pimples on my chin in clusters that would rupture on their own. I also experienced heavy hair loss. My doctor doesn't believe I have Celiac because I don't have stomach issues (just everything else, lol) so I just was extra strict with my diet (which I already was). I also got rid of all cleansers with sulphites, I used zinc diaper cream (Penaten brand), and coconut oil for moisturizing. I used Dr. Bronners soap (lavender) for cleansing my face and my scalp to clear any bacteria. It is very heavy on the hair but I only have to use it once a week and then an SLS free shampoo the rest of the week. I also started a zinc supplement. I have been rash free for five months now and my hair loss stopped and my "bald" spots are filled in. I tend to get rosacea at times too - the Penaten works wonders for that too.

  • 2 weeks later...
sisterlynr Explorer
sisterlynr
Posted
  • Author

Thanks janpell for the info.  I will check into those items.  I don't know what I'm doing differently but I'm not seeing as much hair coming out, in the past week.  Whew!  Hope it fills out soon.  My hair is just below my shoulders now and I can make one pin curl held with a small bobby pin.  Really thin!

  • 2 weeks later...
melissy01 Newbie
melissy01
Posted

I had this issue - my hair falling out.  I am intolerant to gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, sunflowers, corn and dyes and my beauty products are no exception.  I was using Head and Shoulders shampoo and though my hair was falling out I figured it was some medical issue, however when i switched to L'Anza shampoo (it seemed to have ingredients I could tolerate) my hair started falling out in chunks.  I have since switched to using Acure shampoo and though my hair seems to be staying on my head, my hair doesn't look the greatest because it feels greesy and looks dirty. 

 

I would check your hair products and see if switching them makes a difference.  I even found that the dye in Softsoap irritated my skin and caused me to have a rash.  It's amazing what your body reacts to.  Everytime I leave the hairdresser I have a rash on my forehead from whatever products she used and when I use a certain hairspray that has gluten in it, i get lesions on my head.  My two cents.

sisterlynr Explorer
sisterlynr
Posted
  • Author

I had this issue - my hair falling out.  I am intolerant to gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, sunflowers, corn and dyes and my beauty products are no exception.  I was using Head and Shoulders shampoo and though my hair was falling out I figured it was some medical issue, however when i switched to L'Anza shampoo (it seemed to have ingredients I could tolerate) my hair started falling out in chunks.  I have since switched to using Acure shampoo and though my hair seems to be staying on my head, my hair doesn't look the greatest because it feels greesy and looks dirty. 

 

I would check your hair products and see if switching them makes a difference.  I even found that the dye in Softsoap irritated my skin and caused me to have a rash.  It's amazing what your body reacts to.  Everytime I leave the hairdresser I have a rash on my forehead from whatever products she used and when I use a certain hairspray that has gluten in it, i get lesions on my head.  My two cents.

 

 

Hmmm, I have been using Head and Shoulders every other shampoo.  My scalp burns so much as some of the lesions are open due to scratching.  I know . . . that's bad.

 

I stopped using hairspray years ago due the irritation to my scalp.  I sometimes spray my finger tips and spot touch my hair if it's windy outside.  

 

Seems my hair has stopped falling out but it is breaking off badly.  

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