Hair Loss

[Sugarlump]

I was on dialysis for 3 years and had terrible trouble with my hair falling out. Since i have very long hair it was
 very noticeable and eventually the doctors changed my regime for a heparin free dialysis, using citric acid
instead. It instantly made a difference. Particularly if you have a line instead of a fistula. Check what's being
used.

[Stacy Without An E]

Nephrologists as a whole could care less about the side effects when it comes to Dialysis.  As long as you're meeting your lab goals and they're getting paid by the insurance company, they're really not concerned.

My Greek Goddess friend recommended Nioxin because she had similar difficulty with hair loss.

I've used it for the past six months and although it doesn't seem to help grown any new hair, it does help the hair you have grow thicker.

Like we need any other indignities in addition to Dialysis huh?

[lruffner]

Hair Loss aka alopecia:

Alopecia

Alopecia probably is more common in ESRD than in the general population; however, alopecia has not been studied specifically in ESRD, and no reports exist regarding its prevalence or etiology. Likely causes of alopecia in ESRD include SLE or chronic telogen effluvium. Chronic telogen effluvium may be related to the multitude and severity of illnesses encountered by patients, or it may be related to commonly used medications such as heparin, antihypertensives, or lipid-lowering agents.

from: Dermatologic Manifestations of Renal Disease http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic550.htm

I have had flare-ups of Alopecia since I was a kid and it is no picnic. Thankfully, I just get the bald spots, while others lose every bit of their body hair. Luckily, it has only happened to me 3 times, but the spots were as big as an extra large egg. The worst of those times, it was on the top-front-center of my head and was so humiliating. I had nightmares of looking like Gallagher the comedian..lol...good thing I have terribly thick hair! Anyway, the best person to see for this is a dermatologist. They will either inject some type of steroid into the spot or use an air gun to blow it in. I have had both done and it worked, but took a while, and the hair comes back like baby hair.

[RightSide]

Yeah, my hair started thinning and falling out; I'm getting bald for the first time in my life.  I've started taking a renal vitamin with zinc, we'll see if it helps.

Between ESRD and HD, my hair is falling out, my skin has gotten rough and sandpapery, and due to pains in my bones, I walk up a flight of stairs like an old man.  (I'm seriously thinking of buying a cane.)  And with the skin and hair changes, I look much, much older too.  All this in the space of a couple of years.

Ever seen that old Star Trek episode in which they contract this aging disease that causes them to age decades in a few days?  I feel like I've caught that disease.  Maybe I have.

[paddbear0000]

I'm sorry your doctor doesn't think it's important.
My daughter lost over half her hair in the first 6 months of dialysis. We got some Nioxin Shampoo and I think it helped, or maybe she just was stable, but her hair grew back over time.

Yikes!!! My hair is so fine and there's so little of it to begin with! I've already got my wig picked out!  It's my hair cut only shinier and thicker!   

[BRANDY]

I also have awful thinning of my hair and rough skin  , its like I have no oil in my skin. And my fingernails split,  I have them cut back to the quic k My soles of my feet are awful, I put lotion on my heels but it doesnt seem to help.  I ordered some lotion from  Avon, she said it would  do the trick   We will see.  I dont know what would help any of itAny ideas to the problems?   

[paddbear0000]

For my dry skin (especially my horribly dry, cracked feet), I use Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. It works great! But it's their cream, not the lotion.

[monrein]

A high quality DHA fish oil supplement might help a bit.  I take 4 capsules a day of Ascenta HP.

[paddbear0000]

I take an Omega 3-6-9 vitamin twice a day. Is that pretty much the same thing? If it is, it's not doing anything about the dry skin for me.

[monrein]

Yes Paddbear, it's an Omega 3 fish oil blend.  The one I take is a concentrated high potency formula and I have found it beneficial for hair shininess and my complexion but I take it really for it's benefits to heart health and possible cholesterol-lowering properties.  However, when we are really ill, any benefits at all may seem insignificant or non-existent.  I don't think there are any miracle pills or foods out there, just a bunch of little things that might may a difference when they're all added together.  I also use masses of creams and lotions.  I try all different kinds and like to slather myself from top to toe after a shower.  At the very moment I'm using Crabtree and Evelyn's Rosewater and Glycerine Body Cream but I've tried just about everything.

[Dan.Larrabee]

Now you all have me freaked out! I only started dialysis 4 months ago and have not cut my hair sense I started. It’s longer than it ever was, including in high school. Does anyone find time to cut your hair? Oh well, I will just get a shirt that says something about my hair and my cool vein in my arm. Bring it on!!

[kellyt]

I have lots of hair (side effect of years of cyclosporine I think)  but some often falls  if I'm stressed, as in sick.  It does seem to grow back regularly and I use Nioxin shampoo and conditioner which my hair stylist recommended.

Is this shampoo good to use while on Prograf?  I have super thick hair and it usually comes out quite regularly to absolutely no ones notice.  But now that I'm on Prograf I can create a hairball every time I wash my hair.  It  doesn't feel as thick these days.

Does this side effect last forever on the Prograf or does your body eventually even out?

[monrein]

You can try the Nioxin Kelly, it won't hurt.  My hairdresser recommended it to me a couple years ago and I use it almost every time I shampoo which is only once a week.  I used to wash it every day or two but it that stripped too much oil from the hair and it's much much better since I wash it less.  I've lost about half my hair now since switching to Cellcept from Cyclosporine and no immunosuppressants for the past five months or so.  Lots of little new hairs growing in but it falls out faster than it grows.   I think I'm going to be on Prograf also post-transplant so we'll be comparing notes for sure.

[paddbear0000]

Can I have some of that hair that's falling out Kelly? I'd love to have some thick hair! I could make a wig! 

[kellyt]

Sadly enough, you COULD make a wig!   

Monrein, so is it the Prograf or the CellCept that causes the hair to fall out?  I'm enjoying not having to shave my legs regularly - I'm enjoying that a lot!  But I'm starting to get concerned about my head.   I don't wash my hair everyday.  I usually go 2-3 days before washing it.  I usually wet it everyday, because if I didn't it would be ca-razy and wild and people would stare for sure!  I also found a great serum called Bio Silk.  It's expensive, but I buy the sample size for .99.  It makes my hair super soft and not so prone to tangles.

Also, Monrein, please email me the hospital address you will be at for your surgery on the 23rd.

[monrein]

I've never taken Prograf before but I've been told that I'll likely be on it this time round.  In my case, it was the cyclosporine that made me grow masses of hair...everywhere, I might add.  Head, chin and upper lip, peach fuzz on cheeks and earlobes (small plush animals look out, here comes competition) and thighs as hairy as a hobbit.  So when they switched me to cellcept all that hair growth levelled off and I started losing hair instead.  I think some of the loss was probably also due to my being ill again and pre-dialysis, not eating anything and vomiting.  I don't know what will happen this time.  Cyclo made my hair coarse and curly, Cellcept made it go straighter again, transplant failure made it fall out and now the next adventure will hold who-knows-what-surprise.

I'll email you the address when I look it up.

[kitkatz]

They had me on Minoxidil for blood pressure and Lordy  did I grow hair everywhere. I was looking like a hobbit for awhile,there.

[kristina]

Does anyone know about hair loss from dialysis? I have started dialysis only 2 months ago and my hair has been falling out. I used to have really thick hair. I asked the doctor and he just poo-pooed it. Its not his hair that is falling out by the gobs.

I also have had my hair falling out as well and then it grew back again. It could be a shock reaction. It also could be connected to suffering from Systemic Lupus or MCTD and the hair loss could be due to a flare-up. Good luck from Kristina.