out there connection...hair loss/gut healing??

[*mama moose*]

I lurk a lot on here instead of typing a lot because well, you mamas are smart , and I can't keep up with a lot of it. But I try to soak as much as I can in and use it to heal mine and DDs guts.
I was talking to a friend tonight however, about the fact that I'm getting bald spots again (I have Alopecia Areata), and a lightbulb sort of went off to ask you if its too far of a stretch that these things are related, that my damaged gut could be causing my hair problems? Anything I can google tells me its an autoimmune disorder, but not much else. Could this be connected with DDs allergies (and DD1s asthma for that matter).....and in that respect, could this, too, be healed??

[neveryoumindthere]

ooh more connections. I'll be reading for replies. My hair is falling out like *crazy*

[deditus]

I believe some people have had Alopecia Areata heal by going gluten free.

[*mama moose*]

well dang, I AM gluten free and it came back
It leaves when I'm pregnant and then about 6-7 months PP I start getting spots again....after DD1 I ended up shaving my head before she was 1 because one spot got SO big in the back it looked really awful with my longer hair on the top that you could see through over the spot.
I've had it since I was 16, off and on....I only have 1 spot right now and I'd love to find some way to nip it before I get more...if its autoimmune its connected to the gut in some way, right??

[capsgirl08]

Just bumping you. I have Alopecia Areata too --- always attributed it to my mom having lupus (autoimmune related) and smoking. I quit a long time ago, but I first noticed the AA when I was 24 after I had been smoking for a few years. I quit, and it took cortisone shots in my head and a year or so for it to all grow back, but it did! Then, I had a cigarette (this is all pre-mom, pre-marriage, etc.) at a friend's party. Just one, and bam, the AA came back.

I haven't had any spots after that last issue, and I've been smoke free for years. I just started gut healing. Not sure how all those pieces fit together, but I bet they all do.

Hoping someone else has more to offer. Sorry for the AA It's so hard to deal with. I have a friend with Areata Totalis Things could be a lot worse, but still...

[KatWrangler]

I recently joined this site.

http://community.womenshairlossproject.com/home.php

[lil_miss_understood]

Just from reading that wiki article...

It may also be caused by Vitamin B5 (pantothenate) deficiency, which is needed as cofactor for acyl transfers, and for fatty acid synthase.

There's a possible connection.
Many autoimmune disorders, on further inspection, end up boiling down to overworked/underworking adrenals, partly due to lack of proper nutrition (imo). Lack of proper nutrition, from what we've been looking at, is oftentimes because of a damaged gut.

ETA: As we've also been exploring, some people have a higher need for certain nutrients in order for the body to remove toxins properly... I would be interested to know what is preventing proper utilization of pantothenic acid in your body- it's possible that it's being "used up" by a detox pathway.

[WuWei]

I've seen probiotics, zinc, vit D indicated as beneficial in alopecia areata. http://www.hairlossclinic.com.au/art...tomimmune.html

Food allergy elimination is discussed here: http://www.steinorthopedic.com/pdf/alopecia-areata.pdf

I ran across something regarding this just yesterday, but I haven't been able to relocate it. I'll post if I find it.


Pat

[KatWrangler]

Ferritin levels?

Have you had your Ferritin levels checked? I was at the Dermatologist for my hairloss a couple of weeks ago. They did a blood test to check my ferritin levels and they came in at 14. They said normal is 40. But from what I read 70 is a better level for hair regrowth.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,196057,00.html


http://dermatology.cdlib.org/143/let...arajzadeh.html

[KimPM]

I second the suggestion to try pantothenic acid (B5) and vitamin D3. Vitamin D does wonders for calming an out-of-control immune system. And B5 is a cofactor for vitamin D3.

[LauraLoo]

I don't know anything about AA, but I did a big gut cleansing this past fall on myself for yeast, and I did notice for a period of about 2 or 3 weeks that I had some significant hair loss -- like in the shower when I was washing my hair. Nothing seemed to be coming out in patches, but overall I was losing a lot more than normal. I was freaking out a bit, but when I went to my hair stylist around end of Nov., she said that she couldn't see any bald or balder spots that I needed to be concerned about. In the last couple of months, I haven't noticed any additional hair loss. I'm not sure if there is a connection with gut healing, or if it is just coincidence, but wanted to let you know what I experienced.

[ASusan]

Chiming in briefly with my experience. I've been losing hair for months. The stylists I've been to say it looks like a chemo patient in the sink after they wash my hair. No patches, just thin all over. Very easy to dry (it used to take hours to dry my hair). I wash it only once a week, because SOO much comes out when I wash it. I take CLO, b-vitamins and a high quality prenatal.

Interesting about the ferritin. I suspect I am still low in iron.

[WuWei]

Hey, I just saw something about biotin and hair loss. Check about that. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...trient&dbid=42


Pat

[Tuesday]

oh wow - other MDC moms with alopecia! Hello! I developed alopecia areata several years ago and then over one summer - it became 'alopecia universalis'. That said, it's not the worst thing at all.

I personally believe that an autoimmune condition,alopecia areata can be triggered by multiple factors. And hair regrowth may depend on your genetic make-up and your lifestyle but also the severity of the alopecia.

Me - I was a "health nut" my entire life. Tried to avoid gluten, exercised regularly, saw a naturopath, cleansed my "gut", took supplements ... lived a really healthy life - in fact I did all those things you're supposed to do to create regrowth before my hair fell out.

But when I went through a period of extreme stress in my life, I think my genetics just kicked in and the alopecia was triggered.

I've done no gluten and haven't found it helped, me, personally.

I do find that regular exercise, spiritual and mental health - just being happy - helps cope with the condition. Like I said - I have now alopecia universalis - it's not the end of the world - people either seem to envy the pretty wigs or compliment me on my scarves I wear. I've had several friends ask me to teach them to tie scarves - so that is nice. And a lot of people have said, even up close, they can't tell. So, it's not so bad.

www.naaf.org has good information.

[nyveronica]

My AA has returned as well. I'm 5 months PP (didn't happen with my dd's but it's back for the first time in 15 years with my ds).

I'm swirling a bit because I haven't researched this in a while so I'm trying to connect my personal dots. I'd really rather not go the cortisone shot route again this time; although it did work for me.

Wondering about pernicious anemia and thyroid issues. I have no health insurance at the moment but I'm going to spring for labs regardless. Anyone with any input on a correlation between those two things and AA?

[capsgirl08]

Hair Loss Returned

I just added dairy and gluten (along with everything else) back to my diet after going about 5 months without and I just today discovered a new patch of hair missing again. I hope AA is not returning like it was before, but I wanted to post...maybe some are more sensitive to diet than others?

I also have concerns about RA, though I haven't seen a rheumatologist.