Bad hair day

[flipperfun]

Hi everyone.  I hope you are all having a good day today.  I have been looking for solutions to my weird hair problem.  I started dialysis 2.5 years ago and have noticed my hair has changed from being smooth and silky (dead straight hair) to being curly and frizzy.  I hate my hair now as it looks bizarre.  Is dialysis causing this change?  Someone told me it could be the iron I am given periodically.  Any tips or solutions would be very welcome.

Thanks - Flipperfun

[natnnnat]

If your hair has gone curly, and has some body, maybe treat it as curly haired people do.   Don't comb it, don't even brush it.  When it's wet, i.e. under the shower, get the tangles out then by running your fingers through your hair.  After you're out of the shower and you've taken most of the water out of your hair, then put a dollop of conditioner in your hand and put that through your hair.  Let it dry into your hair.  Leave your hair alone till it is dry, don't fiddle with it or you'll get frizz instead of curl.  No hair dryers, has to dry naturally.  You'll get slightly stiff, sweet smelling curls which you can soften when they are properly dry, by rubbbing at your hair briefly.   Hope this helps!

[Poppylicious]

Anti-frizz spray and hair straighteners? 

Blokey's hair has been coarser recently, but it's never dawned on me that dialysis could be the reason.  I'm rubbish at putting 2 and 2 together ...

 

[jbeany]

It's likely a combination of the meds, the toxin build up, the nutrition issues that come with a dialysis diet, and stress.  Mine went curly after years of being stick straight, too.  Nat has the right idea - you need to rethink your hair products and styling.  Get a good stylist to give you a cut suitable for curly hair, and get some good recommendations for products.

Once I stopped fighting the curl, I actually liked the changes to mine.  I could get out of the shower, run a vent brush through to untangle, add some gel curl-set product and run out the door.  It always looked good.

(It's also caused by hormone shifts as we age, but hey, let's just blame the dialysis, okay?)

[jeannea]

Mine is curlier than it was but I had no idea it could be dialysis.  Not unmanageable yet though.  Interesting thought.

[totosidney]

Heck I used to have hair! (photo is from 1967, age 17) And it was curly. I liked it.

[RightSide]

From the DaVita website:

"What happens to your hair when you have chronic kidney disease? Like a person’s skin, hair can become visibly abnormal when you develop a disease. Some people experience breakage due to dry and brittle hair, while others find that their hair falls out, or sometimes both. For some kidney patients, hair problems can occur before starting dialysis, or it may happen after being on dialysis. "

http://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/complications/a/2426

I have had major problems with both my skin (dry, flaking) and hair (dry, brittle).  These problems are due to both the dialyzing out of fatty acids and the inadequate processing of proteins in the blood by my failing kidneys.

My dietitian advised me to take fish oil capsules, and that has helped keep my skin moist.  I also use a good protein-rich shampoo on my hair.

[KICKSTART]

Have you heard of GHD'S ?  Hair straighteners , expensive but worth every penny , leave your hair poker straight ! 

[flipperfun]

Hi everyone and many thanks for your replies.  Looks like my new turbo hairdryer is consigned to the cupboard!  And to think I used to pay a hairdresser to put curls in my hair!

I have bought some shampoo and conditioner for frizzy hair and will try tomorrow and leave it to dry naturally.  Thanks for the tips - Flipperfun

[MooseMom]

Perhaps you can try one of the many silicon serums that are available.  I'm not on dialysis yet so have not noticed much difference in my hair, but on humid days, it reverts back to its original frizzball shape.  When I was young back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there weren't any products that helped in this regard, but nowadays, I can make my hair as straight as a plank by using one of these serums.  The one I'm using now is Kenra Shine Serum.  I bough a one ounce bottle for $2 at Trade Secret.  A couple of drops is all you need.  It's pretty amazing stuff.  Most of the better haircare lines carry a similar product.  Perhaps you can experiment by using the serum and then letting your hair dry naturally as heat can make hair more brittle.  Or, you could use the serum and then blow dry your hair using a large brush to straighten as you dry; use a lower temperature. 

It's important to try to look your best when you have something like CKD; if you feel like crap, then looking like crap just makes you feel crappier.  A nice haircut or a new lipgloss or a swipe of mascara can make a real difference.