WHAT WOULD CAUSE MY HAIR TO BREAK OFF

[HIPSTER40]

FISH OIL 1200 MG
360 MG OMEGA-3
B12 500MG
MAGNESIUM 250MG
ACETY-L-CARNITINE 1000MG
ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID 600MG
VIT C 500MG
ONE A DAY ACTIVE METABOLISM
D-3 1000IU
LECITHIN CONCENTRATE 800MG
CALCIUM 1200MG
TYSABRI- ONE A MONTH

[Redwings]

Hi HIPSTER:
Can you provide a little more information?

1) Are you sure your hair is breaking off and not falling out? Breaking off usually leaves a blunt end. Falling out has some percentage of terminal end bulbs--a white nodule at the scalp end (note that this is not the root).

2) Where is your hair breaking -- at the scalp or farther down?

3) How long has your hair been breaking off?

4) How long have you been taking supplements?

5) How long have you been taking Tysabri?

6) Are you taking any other medications that you forgot to list, and how long have you been taking those?

7) What medications or supplements were you taking when you hair wasn't breaking?

[HIPSTER40]

Are you sure your hair is breaking off and not falling out? Breaking off usually leaves a blunt end. Falling out has some percentage of terminal end bulbs--a white nodule at the scalp end (note that this is not the root).YES IT IS BREAKING OFF NEAR FRONT- IT IS BREAKING OFF!

2) Where is your hair breaking -- JUST IN CENTER OF HEAD
3) How long has your hair been breaking off? FOR ABOUT 4 WKS

4) How long have you been taking supplements? FOR OVER 2 YEARS

5) How long have you been taking Tysabri? 3 MONTHS

6) Are you taking any other medications that you forgot to list, and how long have you been taking those? NO THIS IS IT

7) What medications or supplements were you taking when you hair wasn't breaking?
STILL TAKING SAME SUPPLEMENTS AND MEDS FOR OVER 5 YEARS

THANKS

[HIPSTER40]

I ALSO THAT WATER FITNESS CLASS 3 TO 4 TIMES A WEEK!

[nutritiontara]

chlorine??

[HIPSTER40]

REALLY TARA? THANKS SO MUCH!

[nutritiontara]

Well I hope its as simple as the chlorine.

Certainly a breakdown of hair can be a deficiency in nutrients; fatty acids coat the hair as it comes out from the skin. But processing, blow drying, chemicals all strip this fatty acid layer and the hair "breaks" off.

Hormonal changes can trigger hair changes...usually a thinning of hair can be associated with reduced thyroid function.

Let us know if you find a solution.

[Redwings]

Hi HIPSTER:
Not everything is a problem of nutrition. The obvious standout in what's changed for you recently is Tysabri. Medications can have a profound influence on body chemistry, and that change in chemistry can be reflected in hair, nails and skin. Hair on the top/front of the head is subject to slightly different hormonal influences than the "fringe" areas at the sides and back, so that's a possible reason why the hair at the top of your head is breaking when the hair in the other areas isn't.

My hair and nails haven't been the same since I went on heavy-duty immunosuppressants. Also, whenever I do an IVSM 3-day, I usually have a horizontal ridge in some of my fingernails that corresponds to the time when the nails were formed under the influence of the steroids. It's kind of like the growth rings of a tree, except that the nail grows out and is cut off, so the "geological record" of that "era" is lost. If the protein linkages in your hair have been affected directly or indirectly by Tysabri, it could explain why the newly formed hair is weak enough to break. The linkages can be affected directly by faulty chemical links, or indirectly by affecting other body chemicals/hormones or by inclusion of foreign substances from medications.

With some medications, side effects sometimes subside on their own. So if your hair breakage is a side effect of Tysabri, the problem might resolve by itself will time.

Hair is made of amino acids. You could try adding a bit more protein to your diet or supplementing with amino acids. But it's also possible that nutritional supplements won't have enough influence to overcome the chemical effects of a medication.