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Leg Hair Loss

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PinoM655
PinoM655

Over a long period of years I have noticed I was losing hair on my legs. My legs have now virtually no hair whatsoever. I am now getting soreness and pins and needles in my legs. I have a full head of hair and am fairly fit for a 67 year old. I play golf two or Three times a week without much problem.

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • sheryl37154
    sheryl37154 PinoM655

    Posted

    At nearly 64 I have about 6 on my legs that persist in growing.  No underarm hair for years.  Losing hair from head all the time but after many years and using Nizoral 2% shampoo left on for 5 mins and no conditioner, I have new hair growth that has grown thick and silver.

    How long have you been 'deironed' to <50 (i.e. ferrtitin level)?  i have been deironed for about 15 years but my blood is often still thick and black and hard to venesect.  i drink plenty of water.  you are lucky you are still fit enough to play golf 3 times a week.  hh has destroyed my fitness and health (very late diagnosis).

    thick blood can cause slowed circulation in the lower limbs, therefore your soreness and pins and needles.  take it to your dr to see if he can come up with an explanation other than hh unless he really knows and is not just guessing.  there may be pressure on some nerves elsewhere. (i.e.="" ferrtitin="" level)?=""  i="" have="" been="" deironed="" for="" about="" 15="" years="" but="" my="" blood="" is="" often="" still="" thick="" and="" black="" and="" hard="" to="" venesect.=""  i="" drink="" plenty="" of="" water.=""  you="" are="" lucky="" you="" are="" still="" fit="" enough="" to="" play="" golf="" 3="" times="" a="" week.=""  hh="" has="" destroyed="" my="" fitness="" and="" health="" (very="" late="" diagnosis).="" thick="" blood="" can="" cause="" slowed="" circulation="" in="" the="" lower="" limbs,="" therefore="" your="" soreness="" and="" pins="" and="" needles.=""  take="" it="" to="" your="" dr="" to="" see="" if="" he="" can="" come="" up="" with="" an="" explanation="" other="" than="" hh="" unless="" he="" really="" knows="" and="" is="" not="" just="" guessing.=""  there="" may="" be="" pressure="" on="" some="" nerves="">

    thick blood can cause slowed circulation in the lower limbs, therefore your soreness and pins and needles.  take it to your dr to see if he can come up with an explanation other than hh unless he really knows and is not just guessing.  there may be pressure on some nerves elsewhere.>

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 PinoM655

      Posted

      Hereditary Haemochromatosis - sorry I mistakenly thought you were in the Haemochromatosis forum.

      Ask your dr to do Iron Studies.  If your ferritin level is >300 and your TS% is >45, there is every chance you have haemochromatosis.  A genetic test will confirm.  Liver problems and HH can be connected.

       

    • terrihigashi
      terrihigashi sheryl37154

      Posted

      My hair on my head on the sides has thinned out considerably. I did read that high iron leads to that. I am disappointed that even though you are deironed for 15 years that you have not grown your hair back. I assumed once I was deironed I would grow my hair back.

      I have not used Nizoral yet, I didn't want the high blood pressure side effect.

      I am 56 and hoping for not too much damage due to HH. 

      How many times a year to you have to venesect?

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 terrihigashi

      Posted

      I use Nizoral 2% shampoo - never heard of it causing high blood pressure.  Is there an oral medication that you might be thinking of?  Don't forget to leave it on for 5 minutes and don't put anything else on your scalp afterwards.  If your hair needs some treatment, use stuff that you don't wash out and only put on hair, not scalp.  Losing hair on legs and underarms is at least a benefit, for me anyway.

      Now on maintenance venesections every 3 months.  Everyone is affected differently, so it could be different for you.  I would say it is because my gp took 9 years to diagnose when I was loading iron immediately after having a hysterectomy.  While I did not know such a condition existed it appears that my gp did not believe the blood tests and did not mention them to me.  No 'google' back then either.

      Very tired of feeling tired all the time.

       

  • terrihigashi
    terrihigashi PinoM655

    Posted

    I remember when my husband started using it about 10 years ago, it said it on the box. I believe it did slow down his hair loss, but did not make it grow back, except fuzz. 

    I too, had a doctor that said my liver counts were not high enough to test for haemochromotosis. Finally when the counts went up considerably he tested. I was asking for almost a year. I even told him that my sister has it. 

    I am surprised that doctors are so uneducated with this condition when it is pretty common in celtic decent. Of course the symptoms could be anything. 

    My main complaint was how hot I was, I lived in Hawaii and I was miserable and everyone around me was comfortable. I also have arthritis that I have been able to get relief by taking the omega 3 salmon oil pills and tumeric. Now, from 1475 to 275, I am much cooler, although arthritis is the same. Also, not as forgetful. I lost things constantly.

     

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 terrihigashi

      Posted

      Hi terrihigashi, I am surprised that Nizoral 2% actually has something about hair loss on the box.  In Australia it is marketed as a dandruff shampoo.  I did a lot of research on hair loss, and found that the ingredient in Nizoral 2% was also good to stop hair loss, or even regain new growth.  Are you in the US?

      If I am interpreting your words right, I am appalled that your dr waited till your liver was showing damage by HH before he started treatment.  I really hope you mean your ferritin iron levels rather than your liver counts.   Letting your ferritin levels go up to 1475 is criminal.  If what you are saying is true then your dr is extremely uneducated with regard to HH.

      If your ferritin iron level was >200 (if post menopause >300) and your transferrin saturation % >45, then you were eligible for a genetic test and venesections should have started straight away.  If levels were were just over those levels then the venesections would not have to be aggressive but it is still important to get the ferritin iron out of your organs by bringing your ferritin iron down to <50.  always ask for copies of your blood test results so that you can keep an eye on them yourself.

      one in 200 caucasion people have hh.  if of irish heritage, the prevalence is one in 80.  it is not just from the celts, the scandinavians (or vikings as people prefer to say) also carried it.  as there was a high population of scandinavians in england for some time after the first viking raids, then their dna was spread quite widely as it was in europe too.

      my really hot period hit me suddenly and kept on for 6 years, night sweats, constant head sweats when temp went over 24 degs c.  finally someone referred me to an endocrinologist who found a pituitary gland tumour - a prolactinoma - the excess prolatinoma was making my oestrogen to be inefffective, therefore putting me into extreme menopause.  i have to keep on the medication for it (carbergoline) otherwise the symptoms return.  i also suddenly become 'iced' in warm to hot temperatues.

      hh does affect the hypothalamus, whose job, among others, is to regulate our temperature.  i cannot find any research on it with regard to hh, but i guess they know that iron can deposit in the hypothalamus from autopsies.  the pituitary gland sits under the hypothalamus and they know hh can affect the pit gland too.  if your hormones go haywire, ask them to check your pit gland hormones.

      unfortunately, research has found that once hh has caused arthritis, it does not come good with venesections.  i am keeping arthritis in my hands in abeyance by rubbing in pure 100% emu oil.  it is so fine, it gets right into the joint.  i had some on hand when the first signs started, so that was a lucky break.  however, it was not until one of my hips broke up from osteo necrosis caused by hh that i was diagnosed - so too late for that.  had both hips replaced 12 years ago now at a fairly young age.

      sorry pino, your hairless legs has become a hh blog!  always="" ask="" for="" copies="" of="" your="" blood="" test="" results="" so="" that="" you="" can="" keep="" an="" eye="" on="" them="" yourself.="" one="" in="" 200="" caucasion="" people="" have="" hh.=""  if="" of="" irish="" heritage,="" the="" prevalence="" is="" one="" in="" 80.=""  it="" is="" not="" just="" from="" the="" celts,="" the="" scandinavians="" (or="" vikings="" as="" people="" prefer="" to="" say)="" also="" carried="" it.=""  as="" there="" was="" a="" high="" population="" of="" scandinavians="" in="" england="" for="" some="" time="" after="" the="" first="" viking="" raids,="" then="" their="" dna="" was="" spread="" quite="" widely="" as="" it="" was="" in="" europe="" too.="" my="" really="" hot="" period="" hit="" me="" suddenly="" and="" kept="" on="" for="" 6="" years,="" night="" sweats,="" constant="" head="" sweats="" when="" temp="" went="" over="" 24="" degs="" c.=""  finally="" someone="" referred="" me="" to="" an="" endocrinologist="" who="" found="" a="" pituitary="" gland="" tumour="" -="" a="" prolactinoma="" -="" the="" excess="" prolatinoma="" was="" making="" my="" oestrogen="" to="" be="" inefffective,="" therefore="" putting="" me="" into="" extreme="" menopause.=""  i="" have="" to="" keep="" on="" the="" medication="" for="" it="" (carbergoline)="" otherwise="" the="" symptoms="" return.=""  i="" also="" suddenly="" become="" 'iced'="" in="" warm="" to="" hot="" temperatues.="" hh="" does="" affect="" the="" hypothalamus,="" whose="" job,="" among="" others,="" is="" to="" regulate="" our="" temperature.=""  i="" cannot="" find="" any="" research="" on="" it="" with="" regard="" to="" hh,="" but="" i="" guess="" they="" know="" that="" iron="" can="" deposit="" in="" the="" hypothalamus="" from="" autopsies.=""  the="" pituitary="" gland="" sits="" under="" the="" hypothalamus="" and="" they="" know="" hh="" can="" affect="" the="" pit="" gland="" too.=""  if="" your="" hormones="" go="" haywire,="" ask="" them="" to="" check="" your="" pit="" gland="" hormones.="" unfortunately,="" research="" has="" found="" that="" once="" hh="" has="" caused="" arthritis,="" it="" does="" not="" come="" good="" with="" venesections.=""  i="" am="" keeping="" arthritis="" in="" my="" hands="" in="" abeyance="" by="" rubbing="" in="" pure="" 100%="" emu="" oil.=""  it="" is="" so="" fine,="" it="" gets="" right="" into="" the="" joint.=""  i="" had="" some="" on="" hand="" when="" the="" first="" signs="" started,="" so="" that="" was="" a="" lucky="" break.=""  however,="" it="" was="" not="" until="" one="" of="" my="" hips="" broke="" up="" from="" osteo="" necrosis="" caused="" by="" hh="" that="" i="" was="" diagnosed="" -="" so="" too="" late="" for="" that.=""  had="" both="" hips="" replaced="" 12="" years="" ago="" now="" at="" a="" fairly="" young="" age.="" sorry="" pino,="" your="" hairless="" legs="" has="" become="" a="" hh="">

      one in 200 caucasion people have hh.  if of irish heritage, the prevalence is one in 80.  it is not just from the celts, the scandinavians (or vikings as people prefer to say) also carried it.  as there was a high population of scandinavians in england for some time after the first viking raids, then their dna was spread quite widely as it was in europe too.

      my really hot period hit me suddenly and kept on for 6 years, night sweats, constant head sweats when temp went over 24 degs c.  finally someone referred me to an endocrinologist who found a pituitary gland tumour - a prolactinoma - the excess prolatinoma was making my oestrogen to be inefffective, therefore putting me into extreme menopause.  i have to keep on the medication for it (carbergoline) otherwise the symptoms return.  i also suddenly become 'iced' in warm to hot temperatues.

      hh does affect the hypothalamus, whose job, among others, is to regulate our temperature.  i cannot find any research on it with regard to hh, but i guess they know that iron can deposit in the hypothalamus from autopsies.  the pituitary gland sits under the hypothalamus and they know hh can affect the pit gland too.  if your hormones go haywire, ask them to check your pit gland hormones.

      unfortunately, research has found that once hh has caused arthritis, it does not come good with venesections.  i am keeping arthritis in my hands in abeyance by rubbing in pure 100% emu oil.  it is so fine, it gets right into the joint.  i had some on hand when the first signs started, so that was a lucky break.  however, it was not until one of my hips broke up from osteo necrosis caused by hh that i was diagnosed - so too late for that.  had both hips replaced 12 years ago now at a fairly young age.

      sorry pino, your hairless legs has become a hh blog!>

    • PinoM655
      PinoM655 sheryl37154

      Posted

      Not a problem Sheryl. I was curious if anyone else had a similar issue and was it a sign of something more serious.
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