Hair Loss With a Chronic Illness

This is not often discussed, I occasionally post about the subject in hand but in some ways, it is like a dirty little secret that I keep to myself.

So hi, I’m Louise and I regularly suffer from hair loss, grow hair in places it shouldn’t grow and have got inventive with hair cuts and semi-permanent makeup over the years due to this.

I have Crohn’s disease, years on and off of medications, immunosuppressants and steroids have caused me to lose hair and for it to not grow back in places.

I also lose hair after every surgery which is why I switch from a long bob to a short bob prior to surgery. Which helps to limit the amount I lose, if it’s all cut off then just the thickness sheds instead of the full length and saves me a few tears at the hairdressers.

Do you panic?

Hair loss for women can be a slightly taboo subject, hair in some ways is an expression of being feminine, for me it is a way to express myself.

My main bugbear with hair loss as a general whole is the fact I shed hair everywhere, the plughole has to get unclogged at least twice a week and I have to clean out my hairbrush every other day.

There is nothing worse than running your fingers through my hair and getting a fair few strands coming out but it is just a normal part of my life.

I occasionally get bald patches at the base of my neck, my hair is incredibly thin and takes some tinkering to make it look like it’s full and healthy.

I also bit the bullet last year and had my eyebrows tattooed on as they don’t grow any more due to loss of that hair and plucking.

At the moment I am rocking the half mullet look as the top half of my hair is literally breaking off, this is most likely due to stress as I have had to move my wedding 3 times now and I have not been in the best of moods.

I am not a fan of the gimmicks that are sold to promote products that can supposedly help with thinning hair or hair loss as in my personal opinion I don’t think it helps.

Reasons for hair loss

– Surgery
– General anesthesia
– Changes to medication
– Childbirth
– Flu
– High fever
– Severe anaemia
– Extreme physiological stress

There are a few mitigating factors as to what can cause this.

I have iron-deficiency anaemia, due to the loss of bowel I have malabsorption issues, this has, in turn, affected my hair. It has also affected things like my leg hair. I have bald patches, though this doesn’t bother me as I don’t have to shave half a leg.

What I do to help

I take vitamins for overall general health. I use argan oil or Morrocan oil to keep my hair healthy but this is more down to the fact my hair is bleached. As for added hair thickness and length, I just use clip in hair extensions.

I also use Pureplex hair repair system once a week and I also use the matching hair shampoo and conditioner. I am currently only washing my hair twice a week to try and help reverse the damage prior to having it cut into a long bob and having my grown out roots dragged further through my hair to give it a break and hope it stops the snapping and breakage

That is it for me about hair loss.

As always

Many thanks for reading

Louise Xx

Louise uses our Platinum with Vitamin E range to keep her stoma site healthy. Try a sample here.

This blog post is intended to give advice to ostomates. The information given is based on Louise’s personal experience and should not be taken as clinical advice. Each ostomates needs are unique to them and their stoma care routine. Please consult with your Stoma Care Nurse before undertaking any changes to your stoma care routine or if you are experiencing any health issues.