Hair Today, Gone Curly Tomorrow

[hmac]

Hi everyone,

I'm totally fascinated by the ideas of Doc P. and have been lurking around these parts for a while trying to correlate experience with theory - generally one can find an elegant and Peaty explanations for most things, but I'm stuck on this one...

About two years ago my hair went from being fairly straight to fairly curly. I am 25 now and have been sporting my extra bouffant do for 2 years. Could anyone propose a hormonal mediator or metabolic influence on this odd change?

Some context: The change occurred not long after I had finished a 2 year course of the dreaded SSRIs. I had recently returned from a road trip across the U.S. (From the UK). Perhaps PUFA (from fast food) and serotonin were involved?

This subject interests me not because I want to change my hair - in fact I prefer it - but because I recognise that children's hair often changes colour as they age, becoming darker usually. Could this be a reflection of a change in metabolic state?

 

[jyb]

From my observations, curly and grey patches of hair go together and is associated with ageing. It does not seem to be the same mechanism as hair falling off, like one could have weird hair but robustly growing. However in stressful situation, for example caused by work, any of these things can occur and could be more easily reversible: I have heard colleague have patches of hair turning suddenly grey during an event, then returning back to normal afterwards.

Low copper is associated with greying hair, but the root cause could be hormonal: Ray mentions supplementing DHEA to restore colour. As we age, we produce less and less DHEA. The copper connection should not be a surprise: in Menkes syndrome, hair is more curly. So, it seems curly or grey patches of hair are associated with low copper attachment, which may be caused by less youthful hormones (or just copper deficiency? I think the hormonal interpretation is more convincing). I have read elsewhere that the age at which you first have grey hair is genetic, but the process is reversible.

However if all your hair is uniformly curly and good looking, I'm not sure if it is a sign of ageing at all.

 

[uuy8778yyi]

it may be a good sign.

i noticed it happen when i took lysine everyday

 

[hmac]

That's very interesting, I appreciate you're replies. If the change in hair was associated with a change in serotonin as I initially hypothesised then it is conceivable that I might notice some change after taking lysine. I have been using about 3g a day now for 2 weeks so I will continue to observe...

 

[messtafarian]

People with Cushings Syndrome go from straight to curly over time. That's hormonal as well,though - high cortisol.

 

[Soren]

My hair went from straight and wavy to curly got more and more curly and more fair and then I started to lose my hair. Over the period of about two years of slowly implementing a more peat like style my hair has become completely straight and I have begun slowly regrowing some of my lost hair.

Just my two cents.

 

[marikay]

My hair went from straight and wavy to curly got more and more curly and more fair and then I started to lose my hair. Over the period of about two years of slowly implementing a more peat like style my hair has become completely straight and I have begun slowly regrowing some of my lost hair.

Just my two cents.

Hi.

A beautician with 45 years experience once told me that people with hypothyroidism usually see their hair go from straight to curly. When and if they get the hypothyroidism under control, the customers' hair goes back to being straight.

She also said she sees women entering menopause get curly hair at the back of their head when the rest stays straight (this happened to me). After peating for a year or so my hair went back to being straight in the back of my head.

So that's my exhibit A that menopause symptoms are mostly caused by thyroid problems. It seems that the straight hair/curly hair thing can also be attributed to that.

Good news on the hair regrowth. :)

 

[Soren]

@marikay, that is a great anecdote thanks for sharing.

 

[Lecarpetron]

She also said she sees women entering menopause get curly hair at the back of their head when the rest stays straight (this happened to me). After peating for a year or so my hair went back to being straight in the back of my head.

Ugh...the curly in back of head thing is happening to me at the apparently menopausal age of 32.

To think I was once excited about this...curly hair seems so fun and whimsical

 

[lindsay]

Ugh...the curly in back of head thing is happening to me at the apparently menopausal age of 32.

To think I was once excited about this...curly hair seems so fun and whimsical

My hair got curly (though it was those annoying bed head curls) when I went into early menopause as well - age 30. I think I've reversed that over the past few years (though menstruation is irregular), my hair has gotten mostly straight again. I've always had a slight wave in my hair - that has remained, but the mostly straight-ness is back (unless I don't brush my hair).

So I would guess it's related to stress and hormonal issues (mainly a lack of progesterone or a dominance in estrogen). Just a guess though.

 

[InChristAlone]

I don't know about the curly hypothyroid link unless you were born with straight hair then there was a definite shift. I know plenty of obvious hypothyroid people with straight hair. One has some native american genes with thick dark hair, straight, not even wavy post menopause.

 

[Blossom]

She also said she sees women entering menopause get curly hair at the back of their head when the rest stays straight (this happened to me). After peating for a year or so my hair went back to being straight in the back of my head.

I experienced that too.

 

[lvysaur]

My hair gets really straight, fine, and slightly redder in tone when I'm in a good state.

 

[lampofred]

thinning/curling hair happens to me all the time, and it's usually accompanied by cold hands/feet. bag-breathing instantly reverses it for me, and makes my hair a lot straighter and smoother. it happens on a daily basis actually.

i think it's probably adrenaline/cortisol blocking blood flow to my hands, feet, and hair, and the lack of sufficient blood curls my hair up. CO2 makes my hair straight and supple like magic.

 

[Soren]

thinning/curling hair happens to me all the time, and it's usually accompanied by cold hands/feet. bag-breathing instantly reverses it for me, and makes my hair a lot straighter and smoother. it happens on a daily basis actually.

i think it's probably adrenaline/cortisol blocking blood flow to my hands, feet, and hair, and the lack of sufficient blood curls my hair up. CO2 makes my hair straight and supple like magic.

Bag breathing instantly reverses it your curly hair and cold hands and feet? That is interesting. How much bag breathing? How often? Bag breathing is still something I've never tried.

 

[800mRepeats]

Another who started getting curly as thyroid function decreased and stress increased. Loved loved loved the curly hair! Now it's straightening out as I regain hormonal health...