Flare-Ups, Steriods, and Hair Loss

Back in January of 2026, I was hospitalized for around a week, lost a significant amount of

weight, became anemic, became septic, and needed a blood transfusion. In mid-February, I was warned during a haircut that, eventually, I could lose a significant amount of hair. Now, in early May, that is becoming true. This week, I want to talk about my experience with hair loss due to a medical emergency.

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I am someone who has always felt confident about my hair. It is naturally thick, wavy, and low-maintenance. As a kid, when I would go in the sun, the ends of my hair would get slightly photobleached while my roots stayed the same color. I loved how little I had to do with my hair, and how much confidence I felt from having thick, voluminous, not frizzy hair. I figured that no matter what happened to my skin, digestive system, or any other part of my body, my hair would always be low-maintenance. However, now it is anything but low-maintenance.

The combination of being on steroids for a long period of time, losing a drastic amount of weight, and not being able to absorb nutrients led to some of my hair follicles closing. Prednisone can cause reversible hair loss (Namid, 2026). In conditions such as anorexia, which are similar to the level of malnutrition I faced, hair loss can occur because the body does not have enough nutrients, and priority goes to organs and other essential bodily functions (Aldridge, 2023). My hairdresser also warned, from personal experience seeing clients, that hair loss could occur around three months after recovery. As I started recovering between February and March, my experience tracks with her warning. From what I understand, this hair loss journey is similar to losing hair from chemotherapy, and will grow back once the steroid is out of my body, and I have enough constant nutrition.

When I first started losing hair, it was mild. I still had hair in what my hairstylist described as my mohawk region, with hair loss limited to the sides of my head. I was told not to wear my hair up and to avoid heat. However, it has gotten worse. I am now losing hair everywhere. I have to vacuum my desk at least twice a week due to the clumps of hair that fall out each day. When I shower, I am losing three to four clumps of hair each time I wash my hair. When I look in the mirror, I can see through to my scalp in some places. My scalp also hurts, and I am unable to use hair elastics because my hair is too thin now. This change has been shocking, and I still have to be on the steroids for two more weeks. I am having what could be nothing, or could be a warning of another flare-up, and don't want to take any chances.

I am struggling with this change. I felt really confident in my hair, and now I don't. Earlier this week, I gave a presentation for my thesis, with classmates and immediate family in attendance. Before I went to speak about my thesis, one of my classmates offered to help me get hair off my blazer, and I found at least three pieces of hair. I had only been wearing that blazer for an hour. Immediately following that conversation, I felt like I was going to cry, because it was noticeable. I missed my thick hair, and more importantly, I missed when my body didn't change my appearance out of my control.

Now, I am here. Assuming all goes well, which I am slightly worried about, I will stop taking steroids at the end of May, with my last day being on my graduation. Then, it can take up to 12 months for my hair to grow fully back. I am trying to wash my hair in cold water, not wash it every day, use a hair growth shampoo, take biotin, and avoid heat styling and hats. When I eat, I am trying to think about fat and protein. You might see me with gluten-free avocado toast in the next week or two. I also scheduled a haircut before my graduation and trip, and I am going to cut it as short as my hairstylist recommends. I really have liked growing my hair out, but now it looks scraggly. And if I continue to lose so much hair in the next two weeks, I will get wigs and hair scarves.

To be completely vulnerable, this change has affected my confidence. I worry about dating, because I don't feel like myself. I also feel insecure getting ready for events, because I don't want my hair to look unstyled. I miss my thick, easy-to-style, wavy hair more than I realized. I love big hair changes, but only when I have control of them. While I am recovering every day, this hair loss has been hard to process at times because the change has been noticeable. For those of you in my real life, please don't make any jokes about me shedding, because I am feeling insecure. And for all my readers, if you know someone on a hair-loss journey due to a medical condition, please support them and be a listening ear. Things that have helped me include helping me research products to not lose more hair, listening to me when I have large feelings to process, and reminding me that my hair doesn't define me.

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Thank you for reading about me losing hair due to steroids and a medical emergency. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!