hair probs - Lupus Message Board

Kathie T. · 02-03-2005, 10:32 AM

This is a quick fairly unimportant question, but I am loosing my hair (in diagnosis process for Lupus), and it was suggested to me to dye it because that will give it body. However, I heard from other places that dying it will cause more to fall out. So does anyone know which one I should believe?

darkwater · 02-04-2005, 08:01 AM

Hi there. I would say that the issue is the condition of your scalp. Does it have active lesions? Is it full of that heavy, scaly dandruff from lupus? Does it have any of those itchy, irritated red circles? If so, the danger is that the chemicals in the hair dye would only irritate your scalp more and possibly cause some reaction that you wouldn't normally have if you didn't have lupus.

As for the hair itself, dying what hair you have left may indeed make it seem thicker (if you are going darker, which deposits color into the hair shaft, rather than lighter, which takes away from the hair shaft). But by the time your hair is falling out from lupus, it was my experience that the hair was very porous and strawlike, not my normal hair at all, like it was dead. During this time, it did not take to any hair products in a normal way. I would say if you must use hair color, leave it on for a much shorter time than normal because the hair will soak it up faster and darker than normal. You might want to consider waiting until you have begun medications to get the scalp back in a more heathy state and your hair growing more normally. Good luck!

VeeJ · 02-12-2005, 05:24 PM

Dear Kathie T.,

I agree with Aquanegra, that your scalp should be very healthy before you do anything extra to your hair.

If you do decide to go ahead, maybe your colorist can use a non-ammonia based product. I started highlights when my hair went mousy & limp, but I didn't go about it in the right way. (Eeeek!) I now use a colorist who charges twice as much but has made my hair look healthy.

I do get some serious breakage around the hairline during a flare, which is another thing to watch out for.

There are products out there that can add body that I'd never tried until I met this colorist. Maybe your hairdresser could also try some products on you until you find something you like? I have very fine hair & can use all the help that I can get, short of a perm---which I've done but with disastrous results. Talk about breakage!

Good luck! Hope you are making progress on the diagnosis front! Sincerely, Vee