Hair Problems in Fibromyalgia.
Here’s yet another interesting article from the About.com people and their Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome department.
This particular article deals with our hair! Gals you know what I’m talking about…days and days and days of bad hair days. Actually, it goes a little further than that. This article goes on to explain those of us that deal with this devastating disease may also deal with hair loss or alopecia. There is a bad news/good news factor to this discovery.
Bad News: Yes, it does appear like other autoimmune disorders, hair loss can be associated with fibromyalgia. It tends to rear its inconvenient head during flare ups or times of stress. Big “duhs” there for those of us with fibro, huh? We kinda already knew this!
I started dealing with this factor 10 or 15 years ago when I realized my hair just wasn’t as full and thick as it use to be. I’ve always worn my hair long (at one time waist length) and my hair was always nice and full and thick. There was one point a few years ago it would come out by the handfuls as I washed it in the shower. I associated that episode to a particular medication, stopped that med, started a new one and no more shedding like a sheep dog in the shower.
Good News: Yes, there is good news. It appears the hair loss from fibromyalgia is temporary and will grow back. So, patience Grasshopper. Remember the sheep dog shedding I was doing in the shower? Well, my hair did grow back.
I can’t promise your hair will ever be as full as it once was (I feel like I’m about to bust out into a Toby Keith song right about now), but it will be better than it once was. Also, if you do have other autoimmune disorders, they will also affect your hair, too.
Here’s one thing I can recommend: Nioxin Shampoo .
I’ve been using this shampoo for over 10 years now and swear by it. It cleanse your hair, helps thicken the hair and helps remove the residual of all the meds we take that end up in our hair.
The other thing I can recommend for healthy hair (and nails) for those of us dealing with hair issues is a daily supplement of Biotin. I take 2000MCGs a day. This has been highly recommended by every stylist I’ve used over the last 10 years or so. Biotin promotes healthy skin, hair and nails.
So, if you’re a fibromyalgia patient, don’t think you’re crazy over the “hair thing”. Yes, it can happen and yes, there can be relief and help. Just hold on and ride it out and it will get better!
A Steel Magnolia is an Iron Butterfly 