Hair loss as a result of thyroid problems and male pattern baldness are two entirely different conditions. The thyroid gland helps in the production of a hormone that is responsible for regulating and maintaining the pace of growth of your hair and nails, apart from a host of other bodily functions. They also contribute to keeping the muscles and organs in working condition. Male pattern baldness happens at a later stage in life due to changing hormone levels. Genetic factors have a big impact on male pattern baldness. Also, thyroid issues are more frequently found in women. The possibility of a woman suffering from thyroid issues is 5-8 times higher as compared to a man.
Why Does Hair Fall Due To Thyroid Issues?
Hair fall due to thyroid problems is essentially the result of a malfunctioning thyroid production process which might lead to excess or low levels of thyroid; hypothyroidism because of an underactive thyroid gland or hyperthyroidism because of a hyperactive thyroid gland. You can solve thyroid-related hair loss only by treating the thyroid problem. If your thyroid is not sufficiently active doctors might prescribe a synthetic hormone to help enhance your thyroid levels. This is because if your thyroid levels are not right then the healthy growth of hair is affected. As a result, when old hair reaches the final point of its cycle they are not replaced quickly by new ones.
A high or low thyroid content could both have a negative impact on hair health and could in fact lead to hair fall. This is because the thyroid hormone has a big role to play in the growth and development of hair follicles. Severe or continuous hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism could lead to hair loss. This is because hair roots are not continuously at work but take a break from time to time.
- Telogen Effluvium: If there is not enough or too much thyroid in the system your hair might enter a state of telogen effluvium. This means that the hair enters the resting phase too soon. You will shed almost 70% of your hair during this phase within a period of 2 months. The hair might come out from the scalp in handfuls and it could affect any part of the body and not necessarily the scalp.
- Alopecia Areata: This is essentially an autoimmune condition that coexists with your thyroid issues. Your hair is threatened as the immune system destroys the hair follicles and hampers their growth. Round bald patches appear on your scalp as a result.
- Antithyroid Drugs: Certain antithyroid medicines can lead to hair loss. But this happens essentially because of overmedication which causes hyperthyroidism.
- Autoimmune Diseases: Autoimmune conditions like Lupus are associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases. In such cases you experience scarring of the scalp and your hair follicles are replaced by scar tissue leading to complete hair loss.
Thyroid issues also make hair weak and brittle. So, this is the time to treat your hair a little kindly and gently. Avoid pulling and tugging your hair too often in an effort to style it differently. Do not use harsh hair products on heat styling techniques as they could damage your strands irreparably.
Also, some thyroid disorders affect the body suddenly and could be diagnosed soon, while others may have been present for a number of years without being diagnosed. Hair loss due to thyroid issues begins a number of months after the onset of the problem. However, the hair loss is uniformly spread across the entire scalp and not confined to any specific area.
Symptoms Of Thyroid Issues
There are some specific symptoms related to thyroid-related hair loss including
- Widespread hair loss across the scalp is not confined to any area.
- Hair loss from areas other than the scalp, including the outer edge of the eyebrow.
- With hypothyroidism, your hair becomes dry and rough while hyperthyroidism makes it fine and soft
How To Treat Thyroid Hair Loss
It is advisable for you to get expert advice to treat your hair loss and thyroid issues as certain medicines can lead to thinning hair on your head, also referred to as Telogen Effluvium. This can also aggravate the male pattern baldness of people who have a genetic propensity towards the same. However, telogen effluvium could also occur if you are suffering from a serious illness or experiencing extreme stress or weight loss. So do not immediately assume that they are a consequence of your thyroid issues. There is also a possibility that hair loss emanating from your thyroid issues and male pattern hair loss might happen simultaneously, so your receding hair and hair thinning problems might be a result of two different conditions.
When the production of hormones is disrupted, your triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels fluctuate which affects the other body processes. Hair growth is also affected as the old hair falls off and is not replaced by new hair. This leads to hair thinning across your scalp and eyebrows.
You can opt for a number of home remedies to treat your thyroid and hair loss issues which will in turn facilitate your journey toward better hair. Ensure thyroid hair loss regrowth in the quickest time with the following steps.
- Iron: Increase your iron intake as low levels of ferritin could lead to increased hair loss. Studies have indicated that thyroid problems lead to lower ferritin levels.
- Multivitamins: Take your multivitamin supplements because a deficiency could aggravate your hair issues. Do remember to include zinc, copper, vitamins B-7, and B complex supplements for healthy hair.
- A healthy diet: Remove processed foods, fried foods, red meat, and sugar from your diet. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as well.
- Essential oils: Use essential oils made out of plant extracts that have loads of benefits to reduce hair fall and increase hair density. Consult with your doctor before opting for one and always do a patch test on your skin before using it.
- Monitor Iodine intake: Iodine is used by the body to make thyroid hormones so too much may create imbalances in the body. Always check the labels of multivitamins and cough syrup for iodine content before consumption.
- Surgery: Sometimes surgery is also recommended which would involve the removal of a portion of the thyroid gland, which might lead to hypothyroidism.
- Radiation therapy: Sometimes radiation therapy is suggested to destroy the cells of the thyroid gland and reduce the production of hormones.
Takeaway
Hair growth is a very slow process and it might take several months for the results to show. Consult with your doctor before starting any treatment as thyroid problems do not generally lead to any hair loss. The cause of your hair loss could be some other issue or a deficiency. If your thyroid levels are indeed the reason for your hair loss, you need to undertake some precautions and with the right medication and diet, you should be fine. Most instances of thyroid hair loss are short-term and treatable. For more solutions to your hair issues do remember to get in touch with our team at Traya who will set you on the way toward acquiring those perfect tresses.
FAQs
Q1 - Will Hair Grow Back If The Thyroid Is Corrected?
If your thyroid issues are corrected, hair might grow back gradually but it might take several months to resume normalcy and the problems might not be completely resolved. Your hair could also be of a different tint and texture from before. However, it needs to be clarified that short-term thyroid issues rarely lead to hair fall.
Q2 - Can You Fix Thyroid Hair Loss?
Hair loss linked to thyroid issues can be fixed but it usually takes a lot of time for this to happen. Hair has a long growth cycle. Therefore, at times, it could so happen that hair loss could follow your medication for thyroid, and lead to the assumption that the medicine was responsible for your hair loss.
Q3 - Can Thyroid Problems Cause Thin Hair?
Yes, chronic and continuous thyroid issues can lead to hair thinning problems. The loss of hair is however not confined to any specific area but is spread uniformly across the entire scalp. But it can be resolved with a combination of diet and medication.
Q4 - Can Thyroid Cause A Receding Hairline?
Since thyroid problems normally lead to uniform loss of hair all over the scalp a receding hairline is not directly indicative of a thyroid problem; it could however be the result of a pre-existing genetic problem that could be the cause of male pattern baldness.
