Are you tired of seeing your tresses on your bathroom floor? We hear it– it's painful to see them flow away with the water. In such situations, your thyroid is to be blamed.
This article will discuss the relationship between thyroid and hair loss, the functional approach to treat hair fall, and ways to cure your thyroid for a healthier life.
The connection between your thyroid and hair!
The hair is attached to the root of the scalp, known as the hair follicle. The blood vessels present in the scalp nourish the hair follicles and push them to grow. The sebum glands are present to keep the growth in check. After a while, the hair falls out, and the regrowth cycle begins.
Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) are responsible for your body's temperature, metabolism, protein, fat, carbohydrate synthesis. Hypothyroidism is a medical term for a condition when your body cannot produce enough thyroid hormones. Similarly, if your thyroid glands secrete excessive thyroid hormones, it is known as hyperthyroidism.
It is essential to understand how hair grows before diving into how thyroid condition affects your hair growth. So, let's understand hair growth. But the hair growth is adversely affected when T3 and T4 hormones are disrupted. The hair falls out and does not grow back as the regrowth cycle gets affected – causing baldness and thinning. In severe cases, the eyebrows and body hair also start fading out. Going insidiously, the regrowth cycle of the other parts such as scalp, eyebrows, etc also starts getting affected.
Eventually, it causes alopecia, an autoimmune condition characterized by patchy hair loss in discrete areas. Alopecia is widely seen in patients with thyroid diseases and causes baldness. The traditional hypothyroidism medications used to cure thyroid diseases also have side effects, including hair loss. Suffice to say, PCOS– commonly related to hypothyroidism, is one of the causes of hair loss in patients.
How much hair loss is normal? When should I be worried?
At Jeevam health, thyroid patients ask our functional medicine doctors and thyroid experts these questions. The answer is– it depends. The hair loss develops gradually. In the initial stages, you won't notice patches, and the hair might start thinning, and the hair won't grow back.
Did you know that losing 50-100 hairs from your hair is normal? But does that mean we need to count it every day? NO!
Understanding the root cause
Hair Fall can be due to several reasons– nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, protein deficiencies, stress, toxins, etc. Out of all these, the thyroid is one of the most common causes for it. Suffice to say; it might be because of the side effects of traditional medications. So, it's essential to understand the root cause of the problem and treat it.
Initially, the symptoms of hair fall are not severe; but if left untreated, it can lead to baldness. Also, if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, you will most likely develop other autoimmune conditions like alopecia. So, it would be best if you consult a thyroid expert or a functional doctor to keep your hair loss in check.
Wonder how functional medicine can cure your hair loss? Well, let's talk about it with an example. Let's assume the reason behind your hair loss is due to antithyroid drugs. Will you stop taking the medications? Well, it's not even a choice– you cannot avoid taking your medications. But in functional medicine, we focus on treating the root cause and do not use thyroid replacement medicines. Instead, we work to eliminate the factor causing you the problem.
Besides, we focus on treating the patients with a holistic approach to mind the importance of nutrition and exercise.
Ways to treat thyroid induced hair loss
We know we are excited about this. So read along to treat your thyroid-induced hair loss using functional medicine.
-
Visit your functional medicine doctor for a thyroid blood panel
No, don't roll your eyes! It's essential to take help from a professional. The very first thing to do is book an appointment with your thyroid doctor or thyroid specialist to run a series of thyroid panel testing.
If you have never been diagnosed, arrive at the appointment with all of the symptoms you have been experiencing written down. This symptom tracking can help you in the long run. We at Jeevam health have treated 1000+ patients with 98% results. We can do that for you too.
-
Take holistic treatment
If, after your blood testing, your functional doctor finds you do have hypothyroidism, the next step is trying to treat your hormonal balance with a holistic approach. Your doctor might recommend you to follow a healthy lifestyle and follow a strict diet along with hypothyroidism medications. When you balance your thyroid hormones, your hair loss may be remedied. Not to miss, you should avoid inflammatory food items that can trigger and worsen your hypothyroidism symptoms.
-
Supplementation to treat hair loss
Nutrient deficiencies can cause hair loss. Vitamin D deficiency is a common nutrient deficiency in those with thyroid disease. It is estimated that nearly three-quarters of teen and adult Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Iron plays a vital role in treating hair loss along with vitamin D too.
Moreover, Vitamin D has been linked to general hair loss as well as alopecia. So, it's essential to identify the micronutrient deficiencies and understand what is causing you the hair loss (another perk of functional medicine, you see).
But what if your body fails to absorb the supplements you are taking? No worries, besides prescribing supplements, doctors at Jeevam health make sure that your body is absorbing it too.
-
Eat a nutrient-rich, thyroid friendly diet
One of the best tips to get back your healthy hair is to eat a healthy and nutrient-rich diet. Diet plays a vital role in hair regrowth. So, include food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as flaxseed oil, food rich in selenium, zinc, and iodine. Essential minerals such as Selenium, zinc, iodine, iron, and several vitamins, and other micronutrients are known to rejuvenate the thyroid hormones to be used up by the body.
Conclusion
You might not witness vigorous hair loss during the initial stages, and all you can see is thinning of your ponytail or hair in the bathroom. But if left untreated, it can cause severe complications. So, taking proper precautions is essential.
Proper attention must be given to the diet and following a healthy lifestyle. At Jeevam health, we work towards a healthier life with a holistic approach. If you want to say goodbye to those trenches on your bathroom floor and cure thyroid-related disorders, reach out to us.
