Steroids and hair loss

[LakieLady]

Anyone got experience of hair loss as a side effect of steroids?

I've been on prednisolone for 7 months, starting at 1mg and gradually reducing. I have another 24 weeks to taper the dose to zero. Around 10-12 weeks ago, I noticed that I was losing a lot more hair than usual, and the rate of hair loss seems to be accelerating, despite having reduced the dose from 0.8mg to 0.5mg in that time.

I wondered if there are any supplements or topical applications that might slow it down and/or encourage regrowth, although I'm quite resigned to being bald by the summer.

Prednisolone was prescribed for giant cell arteritis and the diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy, in case that's relevant.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Rosemary shampoo & high strength complex vitamin B.

Faith in Nature do a good rosemary shampoo. Also Olail rosemary infusion shampoo (available from Home Bargains). Both have matching conditioner if you use it.
Lindemans Super complex vitamin B - pic attached - is a good super strength one. Available on Ebay.

My understanding is that this is telogen effluvium so unfortunately there's nothing you can do. You're shedding the hair that stopped growing when you started the medication. It will gradually recover once you stop taking it. (I have had TE triggered by other things.)

https://www.bad.org.uk/pils/telogen-effluvium

Adding a vitamin supplement wouldn't cause you any harm and could help support your body.

It will usually grow back.

there is stuff you can get that encourages growth but you need to use it for the rest of your life. I can’t remember it’s name
right now which is of no help to you

I lost hair after taking prednisolone for polymyalgia. I fully tapered off a couple of months ago and waiting to see if it makes a difference. Spoke to gp who tested me low in vit d. I think I’m going to try collagen supplements too.

Minoxidil but it increases the hair shedding for the first few months as it works by pushing more follicles into growth phase which means those follicles shed their existing hair first. It has to be taken indefinitely otherwise the effect resets. It can also cause excessive facial hair growth.

It will take a while for your hair to grow back on its own but for most people it will.

My hair has definitely grown back after stopping a year on Prednisolone 4 months ago . I haven’t taken any supplements other than Vitamin D . So there is hope !