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Any sort of hair regrowth

bonbena

By bonbena
in Related Issues & Disorders

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bonbena Rookie
bonbena
Posted

Hi all, 

I am a 21 year old male who was recently diagnosed with celiac. I have been balding significantly in a diffuse pattern, and my hairline has also receded a bit too. I was wondering if anyone, particularly males, have been able to regrow hair in any way after following a gluten free diet? Thanks in advance

PS I have also had body-wide hair loss, particularly in my armpits. Any insight on this would be useful too. Thanks so much

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Welcome! 

Your hair loss could very well be due to active celiac disease.  Celiac disease is autoimmune.  That means you are at risk for other autoimmune disorders like thyroiditis or alopecia.  Make sure your thyroid is functioning properly and because you have diagnosed celiac disease, insist on a full thyroid panel which includes thyroid antibodies.  Autoimmune thyroiditis is very commonly linked to celiac disease.  

I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis too.  I can run hypothyroid which causes symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. When my Hashimoto’s is flaring, I have experienced bouts of hair loss, even my my eyebrows are affected, but with time, my hair regrows.

If you have alopecia, it may very well improve if you adhere to a strict gluten free diet.  I found that if I trigger my celiac disease with gluten exposures, it triggers or causes my other autoimmune disease to flare.  They are all linked.  

Your doctor should run a full vitamin and mineral deficiencies panel.  That is recommended by leading celiac centers.  Celiacs can be deficient in so many vitamins.  For example, I was very low on iron which caused anemia.  I supplemented with iron until I was able to absorb it from food.  That took a few months, but then I was already a gluten free expert, since my hubby had been gluten-free for 12 years prior to my diagnosis.  Since you are new to the diet, expect to make mistakes and expect a few setbacks.  That is normal!  

Request those tests, avoid gluten like crazy (like do not eat out unless the place is 100% gluten free at least until you feel well or your celiac antibodies have normalized) and give your self time to heal.  Most members take a year to recover from celiac disease.  It is hard to be patient, I know!  

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Hi bonbena,

Nutrient deficiencies can cause hair loss, as CL said.  Iron anemia is one possible cause.  If you eat red meat you should be getting some iron form that.  But there are some foods that interfere with iron absorption, like dairy, eggs, spinach to name a few.  So avoid those foods for a few hours before or after eating meat, fish, etc.   It can take months to recover from iron deficiency.  Iron supplements may be a good idea if your doctor confirms the anemia.  After you have been gluten-free for a few months your intestine should be healing.  And then your body can start absorbing nutrients efficiently again.

bonbena Rookie
bonbena
Posted
  • Author
On 12/19/2019 at 12:17 PM, cyclinglady said:

Welcome! 

Your hair loss could very well be due to active celiac disease.  Celiac disease is autoimmune.  That means you are at risk for other autoimmune disorders like thyroiditis or alopecia.  Make sure your thyroid is functioning properly and because you have diagnosed celiac disease, insist on a full thyroid panel which includes thyroid antibodies.  Autoimmune thyroiditis is very commonly linked to celiac disease.  

I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis too.  I can run hypothyroid which causes symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. When my Hashimoto’s is flaring, I have experienced bouts of hair loss, even my my eyebrows are affected, but with time, my hair regrows.

If you have alopecia, it may very well improve if you adhere to a strict gluten free diet.  I found that if I trigger my celiac disease with gluten exposures, it triggers or causes my other autoimmune disease to flare.  They are all linked.  

Your doctor should run a full vitamin and mineral deficiencies panel.  That is recommended by leading celiac centers.  Celiacs can be deficient in so many vitamins.  For example, I was very low on iron which caused anemia.  I supplemented with iron until I was able to absorb it from food.  That took a few months, but then I was already a gluten free expert, since my hubby had been gluten-free for 12 years prior to my diagnosis.  Since you are new to the diet, expect to make mistakes and expect a few setbacks.  That is normal!  

Request those tests, avoid gluten like crazy (like do not eat out unless the place is 100% gluten free at least until you feel well or your celiac antibodies have normalized) and give your self time to heal.  Most members take a year to recover from celiac disease.  It is hard to be patient, I know!  

Thanks for the detailed answer!

BuddhaBar Collaborator
BuddhaBar
Posted

I'm a woman, but I lost about 20% of my hair due to celiac disease. Been gluten free for 6 months, but my hair hasn't grown back. It's still thin. 

Beverage Rising Star
Beverage
Posted

If it was just male pattern, I do not believe you would see hair loss in other locations.  Get screened for Celiac Disease if you have not already done so.  Have you asked your doctors if you have alopecia?  I have read that people with one auto-immune disease, will on average develop 2 - 3 auto-immune diseases.  So it could be alopecia or a vitamin deficiency, or something else, but it is your body telling you that something is not right and you need to pursue it.

  • 2 weeks later...
Swimkick Newbie
Swimkick
Posted

I am a female with celiac and food intolerances and struggle with thinning hair. Anytime I get cross-contamination, my hair falls out. One supplement that helped me is New Nordic Hair Volume which is gluten- and dairy-free. Regular biotin supplements don't help for some reason. It might be worth asking your medical provider if a supplement or hair restoration shampoo and conditioner might help. As the others said, staying gluten-free is critical.

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AnonyousCda Contributor
AnonyousCda
Posted

Might think about taking amino acids for hair, nails growth. Lysine, Cysteine. Proline is for healthy tendons.  

Another supplement is "Horsetail" good for hair growth, nails.  May contain silica which is superb in strengthen bones, teeth. Besides Amino acids add extra Vitamins (all the Bs accept niacin) and Minerals with Iron free. 

Caution on minerals intake that could cause digestive issues from number 2.  Niacin is my personnel achillies heel.  Stop drinking pop, and soy candy.  The Liver needs a break from time to time. Eat proteins first, then two hours later eat carbs.  

Fenrir Community Regular
Fenrir
Posted

With us fellas it's hard to tell if it's celiac or bad luck on the genes. 

I have thin/balding hair but I'm 42. My hair has always been sorta thing though. Could have been Celiac Disease might just be normal male baldness. Either way, my hair didn't grow back after I went gluten-free but I was diagnosed in my late 30's. 

AnonyousCda Contributor
AnonyousCda
Posted

My hair was light/thin and also balding.  Been taking extra amino acids and other supplements (Glutathione (has 3 amino's in it Cysteine, Glycine, glutamic acid) Lysine, Horsetail. Just google search others.  I also use gluten free shampoo with added supplements/vitamins like biotin for the hair.  B-6 and B-12 vitamins.  I don't take Iron supplements.  Since I eat enough dark organic chocolate.  I didn't go Gluten free until age 33. This site looks positive. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-vitamins-hair-growth#section1

As always is costs to stay healthy for anyone suffering food allergies. 

AnonyousCda Contributor
AnonyousCda
Posted

My bad.  My hair did get fuller and gotten back some forehead balding.  Hair grows back fast, and fingernails growth is better than in the past years.  Compared to the same age of my father.   I would have a complete head of hair, he was bald mostly forehead to the top and thin all around.  The B-12 is also in keeping the hair from turning gray to fast.  wink. wink. 

  • 2 weeks later...
Felix Nuts Tomcat Apprentice
Felix Nuts Tomcat
Posted

I am female was was pretty bald for a long time due to celiac disease.  Slowly, and it took several years, my hair began to return after being gluten free.  11 years gluten free I have a full very dense scalp of hair and have hair in places on my head, that I don't remember there being hair.  I probably had celiac disease all of my life.

  • 1 month later...
Coeliac789 Newbie
Coeliac789
Posted

Thank you so much. Your post gives me hope as I had such thick hair but during medical school my coeliac disease was diagnosed and I lost hair rapidly in clumps. I lost so much self confidence as my scalp is visible and I’m gluten free since January this year so do hope I see improvement. Along with vitamins etc fingers crossed! 

  • 7 months later...
knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted

Hair loss is a symptom of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency.

  • 1 year later...
Wheatwacked Veteran
Wheatwacked
Posted
Quote

people with an iodine deficiency may also suffer from hair loss 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iodine-deficiency-symptoms#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5

Iodine is absorbed in the small intestine. If you are reaching the minimum RDA like most Americans and have malabsorption syndrome (from Celiac) you will be deficient.

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