What Causes The Link Between Thyroid Issues And Hair Loss
The root causes for hair loss and thyroid problems are the same. In most cases, theyre caused by a lack of iodine in the diet.
Both hair loss and thyroid problems happen when theres not enough iodine in the body to meet all of our nutritional needs. That also means that fixing one will fix the other.
Treating your thyroid problem is often the best way to treat your hair loss as well, because it solves both problems at once! The thyroid controls how much hormone is produced in the body. When this hormone isnt regulated properly, it can create all kinds of health problems, like hair loss or thyroid issues.
You dont have to take any medication for these issues if you simply change your diet. Increasing your intake of iodine-rich foods can help you avoid these conditions altogether or fix them if youve already developed either problem.
Symptoms Of Thyroid Disease
Think about the symptoms and signs of this condition and you make have a better sense if your thyroid is the cause of your hair loss. It can be difficult at times to tell until you put together all the common symptoms which include:
Frequent mood changes including irritability, anxiety, and nervousness Insomnia or sleeping too much Abnormal menstruation
Why Hair Loss Occurs In Hypothyroidism
Dr. Beverly Goode-Kanawati, D.O., the director and founder of the Beverly Medical Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, explained, “Hair loss occurs in hypothyroidism because of the overall slowing of cell turnover throughout the body, which means that cells die at a slow to normal rate but grow back very slowly. This means that the hair is lost but does not grow back like it should because the growth of everything is slowed down.” Note that there is a possibility that when your hair does grow back after hypothyroidism, it could be a different texture or color.
Also Check: Can Thyroid Disease Cause Hives
Is Your Hair Thinning
Have you experienced hair loss on your journey with Hashimotos? If so, there are so many things we can address to stop the hair loss and restore a sense of confidence and femininity. Sometimes, just one of these solutions will be effective in restoring hair growth for others, it may be a multi-faceted approach. But be assured that there are options and hope for you. You can get your hair back!
Adaptive physiology is a concept that suggests that our bodies develop autoimmune conditions as a protective measure to conserve energy when resources are low. One example would be the body not getting the nutrition it needs, either from a compromised digestive tract or restricted calorie or nutrient intake, causing the thyroid gland to sense danger and down regulate the bodys metabolism to conserve resources.
You can read more about my safety theory in this article, but I think its a reasonable conclusion that addressing the nutrient deficiencies in the body and restoring a sense of safety that the body has all the resources it needs can have a huge effect on preventing hair loss.
Hair Loss With Hypothyroidism
The thyroid produces hormones our bodies needs for daily metabolism. So, when the thyroid doesn’t function properly, it cannot supply the body with the proper hormones it needs to produce energy for all of its normal bodily functions.
All symptoms listed above, including hair thinning, relate to this decrease in overall energy when our thyroid doesn’t work correctly. Subclinical hypothyroidism may cause mild to no symptoms at all, but the lower your thyroid hormone levels become, and the longer they stay that way, the more severe your symptoms will be.
Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to hair loss. Because the severity of symptoms can vary, it’s possible not even to realize you’re losing hair because it falls out so sparsely and uniformly. It may be three to four months after the onset of hypothyroidism before noticing hair loss due to the long hair cycle.
A blood test is the best way to know for sure if the cause of your hair loss is an underactive thyroid. Paloma Health offers an at-home thyroid test kit to help you understand how your thyroid is working. Test from the comfort of home and get results in about one week.
Also Check: Diabetes And Thyroid Center Of Ft Worth
Does Thyroid Disease Cause Hair Loss
Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.
For many people, their hair is a big part of their identities. Just ask my aunt Dianne she has always been notorious for her long blonde locks. However, recently she noticed that her hair wasnât as thick as it used to be.
That being said, hair loss is considered a normal part of the aging process. The average person has 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head. Most of us lose 50 to 100 hairs each day, and the growth rate is about a half inch per month.
The rate of hair growth is believed to slow down around the age of 40, and new hairs are not replaced as quickly. Several nutritional and hormonal factors are also thought to influence the speed of hair growth.
Hyperthyroidism And Hair Loss
The most common form of hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disease called Graves disease and its not unusual for people with one autoimmune disease to develop another. This is the likely explanation for hyperthyroid patients developing the autoimmune disease Alopecia areata during which there are small, often circular areas of hair loss. In most cases this does not progress but in severe cases it can cause significant baldness .
Also Check: Armour Thyroid Manufacturer Coupon 2022
How To Treat Thyroid
If your healthcare provider diagnoses you with a thyroid condition, youll likely be prescribed medication to treat your condition.
For hypothyroidism, your healthcare provider may prescribe a synthetic thyroid hormone such as Levo-T® or Synthroid®. These medications work by bringing your thyroid hormones up to a normal level.
For hyperthyroidism, your healthcare provider may prescribe an anti-thyroid medication such as Tapazole® or propylthiouracil. These medications stop your thyroid gland from producing overly high levels of thyroid hormones.
Depending on your symptoms, treatment for hyperthyroidism may include radioactive iodine and/or beta-blockers. Severe cases of hyperthyroidism are occasionally treated by removing some or all of the thyroid gland in a procedure known as thyroidectomy.
Most of the time, thyroid-related hair loss resolves on its own after you successfully treat the underlying condition. After treating your thyroid condition, it can take several months for your hair to start growing again.
You might be able to speed up this growth using minoxidil, a topical medication that improves blood flow to the scalp. Because thyroid-related hair loss isnt caused by DHT, finasteride isnt effective at treating or preventing this form of hair loss.
Read Also: How To Know If Hair Loss Is From Stress
Thyroid Hair Loss Takeaways
While thyroid hair loss can be distressing, with proper treatment, your hair should experience regrowth.
“In order for the hair to return from the hair loss of hypothyroidism, thyroid levels of both T4 and T3 must be returned to normal, preferably with a TSH of 2.5 or less,” said Goode-Kanawati. “It’s also important to eat a diet high in minerals and protein, which are the building blocks for hair production. We often recommend a mineral supplement as it is difficult to get enough minerals from one’s diet.”
Whether you’re dealing with thyroid hair loss or another form of temporary hair loss, it’s essential to make your overall wellness a priority to help encourage hair regrowth. A 360° approach to hair wellness, a well-thought-out diet, keeping stress levels low and good sleep hygiene can help you get your body back to where you need it to be. And always talk to your doctor if you have any specific concerns.
More From VEGAMOUR
Recommended Reading: Where To Get Your Thyroid Checked
Add In Collagen Protein
Collagen is a protein that is packed with amino acids, including glutamine. It gives your hair its strength, your skin its elasticity, supports healthy bones and joints, and helps maintain gut health. Your body produces collagen on its own, however, your production of it decreases as you age and if you are chronically ill or stressed your ability to produce it is reduced.
I add The Myers Way® Collagen Protein into my smoothie each morning! Its great for your overall health, especially if you are healing a leaky gut, and it can be particularly helpful for those dealing with thyroid hair loss.
What Does Your Thyroid Have To Do With Your Hair
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone. It is ten times more common in women, though men may also develop an underactive thyroid as well.
According to Armani, thyroid hormones help regulate metabolism, heart rate, and your overall mood. It also affects the rate at which the body uses oxygen and energy, which can also affect hair and nail growth. This type of hair loss is called telogen effluvium. When this process occurs, hair that is in the growing stage enters the resting and shedding stage, called telogen. Hair may stay in this stage longer than normal, causing more hair to fall out as less hair grows.
An overactive thyroid, Armani warns, can also cause hair loss. So it is important not to self-medicate. People with thyroid disorders need ongoing treatment and regular thyroid monitoring.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, some other signs that a person may have hypothyroidism include:
- Trouble getting or staying pregnant
- Frequently feeling cold, including cold hands and feet
- A slow heart rate
Don’t Miss: Best Thyroid Diet To Lose Weight
All About Hair Growth
This site is dedicated to providing you with the best information regarding hair growth, helpful hints and the best possible treatments to stop hair loss and stimulate new hair growth. Both males and females can suffer from hair loss, and the results can be uncomfortable and for many, emotionally devastating. It is unfortunately very common, with several significant causal factors genetics, stress, deficiencies and hormone imbalance to name but a few. We aim to provide the most comprehensive resource available about hair growth and how to effectively manage this often difficult to treat condition.
We provide you with impartial, up-to-the-minute information regarding hair growth. With many different kinds of hair loss and baldness, with some sufferers even suffering total hair loss from all over the body, we examine the many ways to address hair loss to minimize the trauma that can be experienced from this condition. Hair loss suffering need not be the case anymore. There are measures you can take to control symptoms and manage hair loss effectively. We are here to help.
When To Contact Your Doctor
If youve checked off signs and are not feeling yourself, discuss this with your primary care doctor. These signs dont necessarily mean that you have thyroid disease. By asking you about your symptoms, your doctor can decide whether you need a blood test to check for thyroid disease.
Have a skin, hair, or nail problem?
Discover the benefits of seeing a dermatologist.
ImagesImage 1: Getty ImagesImages 2, 3, 4: Used with permission of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 Jun 48:970-2.
ReferencesAi J, Leonhardt JM, et al. Autoimmune thyroid diseases: etiology, pathogenesis, and dermatologic manifestations. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 48:641-59.
Anderson CK, Miller OF. Triad of exophthalmos, pretibial myxedema, and acropachy in a patient with Graves’ disease. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 48:970-2.
Bae JM, Lee JH, et al. Vitiligo and overt thyroid diseases: A nationwide population-based study in Korea. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017 76:871-8.
Callen JP. Dermatologic manifestations in patients with systemic disease. In: Bolognia JL, et al. Dermatology. . Mosby Elsevier, Spain, 2008: 681-2.
Kalus AA, Chien AJ, et al. Diabetes mellitus and other endocrine diseases. In Wolff K et al. Fitzpatricks Dermatology in General Medicine . McGraw Hill, China, 2008:1470-4.
Also Check: Different Types Of Thyroid Tests
Reverse Chronic Illnesses So You Can Take Back Your Health
Are you ready to beat symptoms such as thyroid hair loss, regain your energy, and feel like yourself again? With the help of my book The Thyroid Connection, you can finally connect the dots on whats truly causing your thyroid symptoms and REVERSE them naturally using simple and proven lifestyle changes.
The Thyroid Connection will walk you through the five environmental root causes of thyroid dysfunction and provide you with all the tools you need to restore optimal thyroid function and take back your life.
I have seen the success of this protocol firsthand, in my clinic and as a patient myself, and now readers everywhere can get the benefits of this medical breakthrough in the NEW paperback version of The Thyroid Connection.
Order your paperback copy of the New York Times bestseller that has empowered people around the world to reverse their thyroid dysfunction and take back their health!
What Are Thyroid Problems
The thyroid gland, located at the base of your throat, produces important hormones that regulate many of your bodys functions. These include heart rate and metabolism. There are two types of thyroid problems: hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. If you suffer from hyperthyroidism, your body produces too much thyroid hormone. Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include unexplained weight loss, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, sweating, and skipped menstrual cycles, among other things. Graves disease is one of the most common types of hyperthyroidism.
On the other hand, if you suffer from hypothyroidism, your body will not produce enough thyroid hormone. This can cause a range of symptoms, including unexplained weight gain, depression, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and heavy menstrual cycles. Hashimotos disease is a common type of hypothyroidism.
Don’t Miss: Treating Thyroid Cancer Without Surgery
Hair Loss Due To Antithyroid Drugs
Some antithyroid drugs such as can, in rare cases, cause hair loss. But, it may be very difficult to tell whether the drug or your thyroid condition is causing hair loss. Furthermore, it is very rare for anti-thyroid drugs or treatment to cause hair loss. Kindly note, Antithyroid drugs are used to treat an overactive thyroid .
How Vegamour Ingredients Work Holistically Together For Better Results
VEGAMOUR takes a holistic approach to hair wellness that incorporates powerful phyto-actives that work in tandem to address both the symptoms and underlying causes of visible hair thinning & fallout. Our inside out approach takes into consideration the health of the entire follicular ecosystem and works to promote a healthy environment for hair to thrive, naturally.
Read Also: Who Is The Specialist For Thyroid
What Causes Hair Loss
There are several types of hair loss, with a wide variety of causes, from inheritance, to stress, to autoimmune disease.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. Usually, we see this as male pattern baldness or even female pattern baldness, with thinning primarily at the front and top of the scalp. This type of hair loss affects an estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. Many patients with androgenetic alopecia have a family history of this condition. It can begin as early as during a persons teen years, though risk does increase with age. In women, most hair loss of this form begins after menopause.
Alopecia areata is acute, patchy hair loss that is thought to occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. It occurs in about 2.1 percent of the population and affects both men and women alike. Its cause is likely autoimmune, and it can have a single episode or remission and recurrence.
Telogen effluvium is the most common type of hair loss we see with Hashimotos. Its primary causes include high fevers, childbirth, severe infections, chronic illness, severe mental stress, surgery, an over or under active thyroid gland, protein deficiency, nutritional deficiencies, and some medications. Its characterized by large clumps of hair falling out, usually while showering or brushing. It usually causes hair loss in a diffuse pattern, over the entire scalp.
How Thyroid Disease May Cause Hair Loss
Hair health, fullness, and sheen are often indicators of the bodys internal wellness. Many diseases, conditions, and subsequent treatments trigger hair loss or dull, breaking strands. Two of those conditions are hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism. While they are complete opposite in terms of their issues one is an overproduction while the other is an underproduction of hormones they share a common symptom: hair loss.
If you suffer from a thyroid disorder and are currently experiencing hair loss or balding, knowing why and the steps you can take to combat this unfortunate side effect is important.
Don’t Miss: How To Stop Thyroid Medication
Thyroid Hair Loss Symptoms
Rapid hair loss is one of the symptoms associated with a thyroid problem, with large amounts of hair falling out in the shower or sink. The hairs texture is dry, coarse, or easily tangled. Itchy scalp and weight gain or loss, fatigue, or sleeplessness are common thyroid problem symptoms.
Dallas, TX hair restoration specialist explains a diffused hair density on the entire scalp rather than balding areas with thyroid hair loss. Most likely, the hair may be thinner above the ears, front, and temples. A unique symptom of hypothyroidism is hair loss on the outer edge of the eyebrows. Also, there may be a general loss of body hair from areas other than the head.
What Can You Do If You’re Experiencing Thinning Hair
It’s not just a thyroid condition that can trigger serious thinning hair. If you’ve noticed your hair’s growth cycle stunting and your doctor or endocrinologist has cleared you of any thyroid disease or other medical concerns, you could try a nourishing diet and some targeted hair products, such as GRO+ Advanced Hair Serum, to promote healthy hair. The CBD terpenes in the formula penetrate the upper layer on the dermis and reach the hair follicles right at the root, giving your locks a glossy boost.
Additionally, consider taking hair supplements, such as GRO+ Advanced Hair Care Gummies. The 100% vegan formula, which is made without artificial flavors, harnesses broad-spectrum hemp’s therapeutic power to help support thicker and fuller-looking hair. Folic acid, biotin, zinc and various other vitamins can help hair maintain a luscious, shiny look and feel.
Also Check: Can You Die Of Thyroid Cancer