hair colour loss & plaquenil

[harrigan]

I've been greying since mid twenties and have largely dyed my hair myself.  Since taking Plaquenil my hair dye just doesn't take.  I've done it twice in the past 6 weeks and still have a half inch of grey.  The clour of the rest is faded too - usually a light brown.  Has anyone else suffered this effect?

I feel really self conscious as I teach High School and pupils always comment and make personal remarks.  Is there anything I can do - and if not, how do I just 'go grey'? Do I really have to have months of grey roots, or have a crew cut?  I'm feeling fed up enough with new diagnosis without having to feel even less good about myself... Anyone been here and got through it?  xx Ailsa

[watoozie]

Hi Harrigan,
My hair was almost completly white in my thirtys.  I feel like every where I go someone is looking at my hair and commenting about how yellow it is- mostly on top.  I have used the blue shampoos, my hair dresser has used all kinds of rinses and some sort of crystals.  Nothing helps.  I tried coloring it for awhile, but my system is so dry it only makes my hair frizzy and brittle.  It is thin enough without any breakage going on.  When I let the color grow out, I just went with the lightest blond I could buy and then kept getting it cut really short.  It finally growed out and I don't want to go through that again.  If anyone knows of something I could try, please let me know.  My daughter said I look like a smoker, that the nicotine has colored my hair.  I don't smoke!!!

[tedebear710]

Hello, Alisa.  I haven't been on the forum for a while and saw your post about hair color loss or lightening from Plaquenil.  I've been taking Plaq since last August, and it's really helped reduce my symptoms (especially dryness and neuropathy).  But I, too, am having serious problems with my hair color not 'taking' and leaving my gray hair untouched.  It's strange that something that works so well for SJS guards that gray hair!  My natural color is a medium auburn, and I've had to color since my mid-30's. 

I have a friend who was a hair stylist several years ago.  Maybe she can give me some ideas on what brand of hair color to try at a beauty supply store.  Sometimes they work better than the ones found in drug/discount stores.  Will post more if she gives me any ideas.

Good luck to both of us, I sure don't want to be an "old gray mare" just yet...(and my name is Mary which makes it even worse.  )

Hugs,
Tede

[harrigan]

Mary that would be great to have some professional advice. I did have a stage where I had the colour done at the hair salon but it was just too expensive.  I've used a L'Oreal dye called ....  brain fog moment.  I knew the name of it right up to typing the word and now it's gone!  I've been using it for several years too!

Sorry...Thanks for the advice too Watoozie.  I hadn't thought about the drying effect of the dye too, which can't be good for it.  I guess I'm just going to have to brazen it out and be gray.  xx Ailsa

[wednesday mc haggis]

hrrigan

though im not on planequil as yet, i have been going grey since 18, and im now almost completely silver, i found last few years that my hair dye bought in shops just wouldnt take and cover the silver at all, my mums firend used to be  a hairdresser, and she showed me how to mix professional dye, i go to salon services and bought 20% base, and my black dye in tube, mix 60% base to 40 % dye and it covers it great as its professional standard, but dont have to pay the extremely expensive hairdressers fees, which at 60 quid everytime is just too much.

I dont know how planequil will affect tnhat a syet, but at 37  and vain about my colour hopefully this should still cover it, im not ready to go silver lol, but home dye just doesnt give the same coverage, the professional stuff does , hope this helps

T x

   

[harrigan]

Thanks T - don't know if I'm brave enough to try that though!  Hopefully when you start Plaquenil it won't have the same effect on you.  I'm surprised at how quickly it's removed my colour but I don't think I can afford to complain as I really need it to work on the rest of me! xx Ailsa

[KYMOM]

Not on Plaquenil but do have the gray.  Cover it with $5.00 box of color.  Not as great as a beauty shop but it does it for me.  I have earned every one of those grays. Roxanne