Cirrhosis Support Group

i was wondering if anyone here has had trouble with their nails or/and hair? my nails are very sore and nearly white all the way to the cuticles and are very thick, (i think i'll be needing wire cutters soon to trim them.) i used to have very long healthy thick hair, my mum cut it again i thought it would look a bit better as a short bob but it seems to thin, i'm not sure if hairloss is a symptom of cirrhosis or maybe the stress from a tough 6 months. any input would be very welcome, i do realise how petty this seems as most of us have bigger worries on our minds. i much rather ask here than google it.

Hi Claire,

Sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble. Sometimes the meds that you are on will make you loose your hair. I have autoimmune/hep/cirrhosis and I was diagnosed with lichen planus that alone makes you loose nails they become brittle, thick and then peal off in layers. My hair is also very thick but thinning do to the meds. I have been cutting it each year shorter and shorter just to manage it. Now I am thinking of really cutting it short. Cirrhosis does play a part in hair loss and nail problems but the meds are really the worst culprit. In my case there is nothing I can do about the nails except have them removed and then have the growth plate destroyed right now I just file them down very much so they have the apearance of some normalicy.

Hope you find a solution that would make you feel better. Ask your Doctor if there is anything that he can suggest for you to do. Hope you feel better ((HUGS)) Cheryl

thanks cheryl, that makes sense

claire74,

The white nails are called Terry's nails and are a common symptom of Liver disease

The hair loss also common is caused by the hormonal changes that cirrhosis & thyroid problems cause.

Here's a link you may want to see

http://livingwithcirrhosis.weebly.com/photos.html

My nails are hard as a rock and my hair is thinner every day.

I didn't know that's what was called. My nails have gotten much stronger lately, total change from the thin peeling nails I've always had but they are still pink, thankfully. I reviewed the photos on your site, wow, great stuff.

Terry's nails checked it out wish my nails looked half that good I even have thyroid on top of cirrhosis. Oh well Clair stick on nails maybe another thought better than the salon nails had a boss that did that once could never figure it out now I know. Hope all this helps....Cheryl

great advice, thankyou all so much, i'll check out the link right now.

Gee Claire, I don't think any issue related to this illness is petty although I know what you mean. I guess when you layer the maladies hair loss and brittle nails is not near the top. Still, I think, the issue is a concern and important. In the past almost four years Momma Cape has shed massive amounts of hair on four occasions. The fourth episode being this past week. She is old and gray and tried to keep it dyed her natural color to keep feeling good about how it looks. It sure has thinned out a lot but she still looks great to me.

aww bless her, and bless you too, such a lovely husband. i'm making the most of it, going to get false nails and a few different wigs i think and have some fun. my 7 year old baby said, it doesn't matter that you got a fat belly your still beautiful. i'm not arguing with that

That's righ Claire, true beauty never fades or goes away. The things children know! They see life with a purity and truth that you can depend on. Yaya, listen carefully to your 7 year old.