Hair & Hormones?
Have you had that experience of brushing your hair and finding SOOOO much shedding in the brush?
We speak to a lot of ladies who come to us with unexplained weight gain, fatigue, and thinning hair.
Our hair is a part of how we perceive ourselves, so losing it can have a massive impact on our self-confidence… and it’s usually a sign that something is very, very wrong.
The good news is that if the hair loss is caused by a hormonal imbalance, we can correctly diagnose, treat, and, best of all, we can REVERSE IT!
Your thyroid hormones have a huge impact on the health of your hair because of how hair grows.
Healthy Hair Growth Cycle:
- Hair starts growing from the base of the hair follicle, or the root.
- Your scalp’s blood vessels feed the root, creating more cells and making your hair grow.
- Hair pushes up and out through your skin. It passes through oil glands that help keep it soft and shiny (thank you glands!).
- Hair grows for a time and then falls out as each new regrowth cycle begins.
BUT, when hormone production is disrupted, specifically your T3 and T4 hormones, it affects other processes in the body. This includes the development of hair at the root. Hair falls out and may not be replaced by new growth, resulting in thinning across your scalp and eyebrows.
You naturally lose between 50 and 100 hairs from your head each day. If normal hair growth is interrupted by underactive thyroid hormone production, these hairs aren’t being replenished, and a uniform hair loss will occur.
Hair thinning and wispy, ‘baby’ hairs at the temple is a medical sign of a thyroid imbalance.
When the thyroid is treated, the hair will regrow noticeably within several months; the best sign that the treatment is working!
Hair & Hormones?
Your thyroid hormones have a huge impact on the health of your hair because of how hair grows.
Healthy Hair Growth Cycle:
- Hair starts growing from the base of the hair follicle, or the root.
- Your scalp’s blood vessels feed the root, creating more cells and making your hair grow.
- Hair pushes up and out through your skin. It passes through oil glands that help keep it soft and shiny (thank you glands!).
- Hair grows for a time and then falls out as each new regrowth cycle begins.
BUT, when hormone production is disrupted, specifically your T3 and T4 hormones, it affects other processes in the body. This includes the development of hair at the root. Hair falls out and may not be replaced by new growth, resulting in thinning across your scalp and eyebrows.
You naturally lose between 50 and 100 hairs from your head each day. If normal hair growth is interrupted by underactive thyroid hormone production, these hairs aren’t being replenished, and a uniform hair loss will occur.
Hair thinning and wispy, ‘baby’ hairs at the temple is a medical sign of a thyroid imbalance.
When the thyroid is treated, the hair will regrow noticeably within several months; the best sign that the treatment is working!
What about BALD PATCHES?
Bald patches are usually more serious and come from autoimmune issues, and often present with thyroid disease.
- Alopecia is an autoimmune condition often seen with thyroid conditions. It causes patches of hair loss in more discrete areas. Over time, though, this condition may cause baldness.
- Other autoimmune diseases that may lead to hair loss and are often linked to thyroid issues include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and lupus erythematosus.
Treatment Options
If you have hair shedding, hair loss at the temples, or thinning eyebrows, then our clinic can definitely help – because those are the symptoms of a thyroid problem!
The Nutrient Factor
These nutrients will all cause hair loss if you have a deficiency OR an excess, which means that accurate testing is absolutely VITAL in this situations.
- vitamins B-7 (biotin) and B complex
- zinc
- copper
- iron
- vitamins C, E, and A
- coenzyme Q10
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Test your way back to healthy hair!
Sub-optimal thyroid hormones slow everything down. One of the first signs is excess hair shedding as the cycle of hair growth is interrupted, however, as this condition cannot be picked up by standard GP testing, many people continue to be told everything is ‘normal’ even while they lose more and more hair.
If you are experiencing these symptoms I would recommend getting pathology to understand the real reasons behind your symptoms.
It just starts with a call with one of the team… we would love to help you with your health and wellness goals!
