I've always had very straight hair. After I was diagnosed with RA my hair started to wave. I was on Enbrel for almost all of the past year and my hair started to get curly. Now that I'm on Remicade it's really starting to curl even more. What is going on here? Has anyone else had dramatic changes to their hair? I don't know how to style my hair anymore because of the curl.
That's funny. Mine used to be straight as a board and now it's curly. I thought maybe the MTX did it because this happened before Enbrel.
Honestly, I don't know what to do with it now.
Mine went straight it was curly. my hair also changed from blonde to dark brown when i was pregnant. hmmm...I haven't heard of thatNow my hair is curly again and I wear it either curly ( natural) or blow dry it straightish.
Jode
The only difference in my hair is I only wash it once a week. Too tired to wash it more oftenI don't think it is the drugs, but the Ra, since I've never been on biologics.
I just started Methotrexate and my hair seems a bit dull and lacking life. It seems straighter than usual. I am trying to eat really healthy to help keep it looking nice. I was it every other day and the day I don't wash it , I just condition it instead.
Funny you mention hormones. I am 37 and stopped nursing(after a year) and symptoms of depression started in Feb. I should had dealt with that then. Maybe if I did then I wouldn't of gotten the RA. I am so scared of the disease and the medicines, esp. of the chance to my hair. I know that isn't important in this disease to the drs. but I am into looking good.
Donna
At first it seemed that I had more changes to my hair, including more grey. But over time, that has improved significantly.
One of the things I do now is use those extra conditioners (whatever is appropriate for your hair). I usually grab the ones my daughter uses after she colors her hair. They really help.
So, the condition of your hair may improve with time. I don't have as much grey now -- which seems odd. I still rarely dye my hair though because I worry about the chemicals. If I do, I use the ammonia free stuff.
This disease is scary and I get really frustrated about how much it changes your life is downplayed. Every time I hear a Remicade or Enbrel commercial, I just want to scream. They are good medicines but they don't bring anything back.
I think everyone can point to some event that triggered their RA. Pregnancy itself can be a trigger. You can't change what life does to you, only what you do with life.
Look at the thread "Followup to self improvement." A lot of people put some of the things that work for them there.
Oh my goodness! I can't believe this! My hair changes alot, curly to straight. I never linked this to my RA. My hair has always been curly when I was younger and my RA really out of control and then in college my RA went into a semi-remission and my hair was so straight and now, presto I am back to curls and a flare up. It makes sense now.So this is really a hair disease, not a joint disease. That's it. I need to visit the hair dresser instead of the doctor. Duh!
Deanna, if it were only that easy!!!
I'm on enbrel and MTX and my hair is getting thinner and breaking off. I have this frizz all over the top of my head and my bangs are thinning. I think it's the MTX though rather than the enbrel.Linda, I was losing my hair when I first started on MTX. I decreased the dose by 2.5 mg per week and went up from 1600 mcg to 2800 mcg per week of folic acid. It stopped within just 2 weeks.