Hair Loss and Hair Dye

Posted , 8 users are following.

Hi,

Apologies this is slightly unrelated to hypothyroidism but thought this may be the best place to ask my question!

I've been suffering with mild and gradually hair loss due to hypothyroidism and being over medicated for a number of years.

I would really like to Dye my hair and boost my confidence a bit as it has really got me down lately but worried hair Dye may make the hair loss worse. Can anyone advise if they have used Dye after losing hair or recommend any products in the UK that are more 'gentle' on the hair?

Thanks in advance

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Edited

    hi

    i have Graves Disease ... and my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair 

    was falling out fast ... I am now on the correct dose of Carbimazole and I started to take many supplements .. including   B12 , D3 , Selenium, Magnesium and Zinc , Vit E .. and Biotin which I'm positive has helped me enormously....  Google Biotin .. it's cheap  .. much cheaper than the well known  expensive shampoos,  conditioners and treatments you can buy in shops .. my hair is almost back to normal, eyelashes and eyebrows on the way back and body hair doesn't bother me anyway..

    I have always coloured my hair with permanent colour and continue to do so every month .. with no problems ..  that's  my experience .. maybe someone else will have another suggestion for you..

    good luck with the Biotin .. 

    • Posted

      Hi madge, Thanks for your reply.

      I have been taking biotin for a few months now with no visible results sad lots of people recommended it and am also taking vitamin D supplements as mine was low.

      As my meds have decreased, although it is still falling out, it is to a lesser degree so might just be the imbalance of different levels.

      I used to Dye my hair before it started falling out with no problems but just wasn't sure if it would cause the hair loss to worsen

      Thanks

  • Posted

    I would like to share my experience.  I have Hashimoto's with hypothyroidism and I am suffering from hair loss.  I take the biotin and my Tsh is finally at 1 and am feeling better.  I have always dyed my hair with only a little bit hair loss, nothing I was concerned about.  But the last time I dyed my hair(with same brand and color I always use) and literally clumps of hair were falling out.  So bad that I was scared and was crying.  That was 8 months ago.  I am terrified to color my again.  My roots look terrible, but like I said.. I am very scared.  So I have been holding off.  So please be careful.  I have heard that Garnier Olia Oil-Powered Permanent Color is very gentle and not so harsh.  I have NOT tried it yet though.  If you end up finding one that is gentle please let me know how it goes for you.   Again.. please be careful.  The dye that made my hair come out in clumps was Loreal superior prefernce.  So don't use that one!   Best wishes...
    • Posted

      Hi melissa thanks for your reply and glad you are feeling a bit better now. Sorry to hear about your hair Dye experience - this is what I was concerned about. I haven't dyed it since it started falling out so didn't want to aggrevate the issue! I was thinking of trying the olia one actually as it looked like it was meant to be a moisturising hair Dye. If I decide to try any I'll let you know if they are any good! X
  • Posted

    Hi have you tried Lush henna hair dye... It's all natural, no harsh chemicals and supposed to be very nourishing. I haven't tried it myself ( I don't think they do blonde) but they have reds, Browns and black I think. I wouldn't have thought they would be harmful and prob even better than a regular shampoo. I have hypothyroidism and my hair is not as good as it used to be. I used to have fine straight hair and lots of and it was in beautiful condition however it is now still fine easily breakable and there's not as much of it as there was plus it kinks really easily and if I dont blow dry it straight I look like a cave woman! Plus it doesn't really stay nice for long and constantly gets tangled and looks messy so needs brushing regularly. My brushes are full of hair. I am grateful for being diagnosed and being treated as I was losing a lot at one stage however it's still not right and I just put this down to having an artificial hormone rather than the natural one our own body makes.
    • Posted

      Hi there thanks for your message and glad you have got the right treatment finally! I've not heard of lush hair Dye but love their stuff so I will look into that thank you smile
  • Posted

    Hello Caz:

    Hair dye is sometimes strong on the scalp and you may want to wait until your hair stops shedding.  It took me a while when I was younger to grow my hair back.  It took mine about 6 months to grow back and it can take longer in some people.

    My hair on my head grew back well,  but not my eyebrows as much.  My hairdresser says my hair grows fast.  It should grow about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch a month.  Mine is more like 3/4 inch  a month.

    I waited until my meds and my thyroid levels got good enough. Also having proper minerals in your body is very important to new growth. I have brown hair and they use bleach to make it blond in a technique with foil.  I do it now, but not back in the day when I was losing hair.  I did not want to stress my scalp then.

    Regards,

    Shelly

    • Posted

      Hi shelly,

      Thanks for your reply. Yes I think the overall concensus is to wait for the hair shedding to stop first. Im only on 50mg of levothyroxine now (which feels too low as I feel dreadful and putting on weight) but still getting a small amount coming out when I shower/brush etc. Also it's difficult to know how much I should be losing as I know you lose hair anyway but when you focus on it and see it all coming out you forget what's normal anymore!

      I found a hairdye called naturetint from holland and Barrett (a health store) which claims it contains fewer harsh chemicals sure as ammonia etc which I may try at some point but I'm a bit scared to at the moment!

      Thanks

      Caz

  • Posted

    Hi,

    I have hypothyroidism and am on .88 mcg of synthroid. I came on this website because I just dyed my hair tonight and wanted to see if anyone had a similar experience.

    I have had a very itchy scalp for awhile now, but didn't know it was related to thyroid. I hadn't lost any hair however. Tonight my dye turned my hair a totally different shade (darker) than it was supposed to, and clumps of it came out. I freaked! I wanted to know if it could possibly be caused either by the hypothyroidism itself or the synthroid. Also, I used the same brand of hair dye that someone else used (Loreal). So I guess that answers my question. If you are going to try and dye your hair, I would definitely avoid this brand.

    • Posted

      Yes.. that was me that used the Loreal.  I will NEVER use it again!  If you attempt to ever dye your hair again, try to find something more gentle without ammonia.  I was terrified when my hair was coming out in clumps from that stuff and it took about 8 months, a lot of gray strands and about 2 inches of off color roots to finally get the courage to dye my hair again.  The past few times I dyed my hair, I have used Revlon Luxurios Colorsilk buttercream that is ammonia free and with great results!  No more clumps of hair falling out  which yes... can be fron your hypothyroidism or the meds.  Also they both can effect the color that your hair will turn out too, as anything hormone related can cause both.  I use the medium golden brown and it actually turns my hair a brownish auburn color.  But I love the way it turns out because I like the red in my hair.  Anyway.. so yes, just do some research and find a more gentler brand without all those harsh chemicals with ammonia being the worst.  Also.. about once a week I let my hair soak overnight in pure coconut oil and was it out in the morning.  I have seen a hugh difference since starting.  I also started using a protein spray for my hair which is amazing.  It is best to use only if your hair is very dry and damaged especially on hair that is dyed constantly.  The one I found that works best is Redken extreme cat protien treatment.  Its a little expensive, but worth it. 
    • Posted

      Yeh I didn't realise how much thyroid plays a part in condition and growth of hair. I didn't Dye it in the end as it's still falling outsad

      Endo said these things can cause thyroid hair loss:

      Too much medication

      Too little medication

      Changing the dose of medication

      Gee thanks for the great advice, my levels are never right and they always change the dose so I'm screwed!! smile

      Apparently additional t3 is meant to help so will be trying this alongside levothyroxine shortly

  • Posted

    hi, I have a few questions I was reading all the replies and there somewhat helpful for me. I was diagnosed with Graves' disease I've been having thyroid problems since 2003,my hair has been falling out really really bad I wanna dye my hair I'm scared to thinking it's to soon I don't wanna loose anymore hair than I already have.I just had the radio iodine treatment done last week I haven't been back to the doc yet, I've been dying my hair since I was 15 I'm 38 now, and I haven't died it in 2 months or more I can't stand the gray hair haha. I guess I'm just trying to find some kind of answers I use the schwartzkoph color I think it's the most gentle one any suggestions thanks 

    • Posted

      Hi, I since had a chat with my friend who's a hairdresser. She said something along the lines of home hair Dye lifting the colour by a quite a few shades but if you get it done at a salon they can control it (sorry if that doesn't make any sense!). The advice she gave me was if your hair is falling out or very delicate, don't risk home hair dyes and seek advice from a salon. It wasn't the answer I wanted to hear but I think she's probably right smile

    • Posted

      Hi ladies

      I buy Schwarzkopf too

      My hair was falling out in handfuls

      ( Graves' disease ) a year ago

      I brought it back with biotin and other minerals .. I buy the colour from professional hair suppliers so it's the same as in Salons ... and do it every three weeks

      .. no problems !

      Good luck !

      Mx🌹

  • Posted

    Hi All,

    I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism close to 8 years ago. I started taking 50mcg of Synthroid. I felt good and resumed my life.  

    About 8-9 months I noticed a patch of my hair was missing along my hairline in front. I go to a cosmetology for my hair maintenance. I spoke with an instructor about my hair loss. She told me permanent hair color can cause hair loss for a person with Hypothyroidism. So, they switched me to Demi-Color (deposits color without penetrating the cuticle). Hair still shedding  but less. 

    Then I noticed using a high frequency comb/rake stimulated hair growth but when I get the color applied the new growth sheds. 

    I know my mentioning hair loss is a sign of harmone imbalance is nothing new. Finding out the imbalance and healing is the challenge. Let's keep a dialogue and I'll share what I learn as well.

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