According to a review published in Molecular Biology of the Cell, thyroid disorders caused by disrupted T3 and T4 hormones can cause hair loss, especially in untreated or extreme conditions. Unfortunately, the review found, hair loss (as well as breaking or thinning hair) is found in both hypo- and hyperthyroidism.
Hair loss may develop slowly with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. You won't necessarily notice patches missing or bald spots. Instead, your hair may seem thinner all over. You lose between 50 and 100 hairs from your head each day.
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse.
Treatments. Treatment for thyroid-related hair loss usually involves being properly medicated for the condition. In most cases, getting your thyroid hormones adjusted will reverse the hair loss,3 though it may take several months for the hair to grow back.
Hypothyroidism is a fairly common cause of hair loss, and hypothyroidism-related hair loss can also be reversible.
Check and boost your iron intake.
Thyroid issues also cause low ferritin, which means you'll want to get your ferritin and iron levels checked at the same time as your thyroid. Make sure you are getting enough protein, as protein is a building block for hair.
Thyroid-related hair loss will usually improve once a doctor treats the underlying health condition. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, hair shedding decreases 6 to 8 months after treatment.
Your hair will grow back after treating the thyroid condition. However, the amount of time it will take for complete restoration is unpredictable. Treatment for thyroid hair loss may take several months for some people and less for others.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Yes. Most hair loss due to an iron deficiency can be reversed. If you've been experiencing hair loss and think it may be due to an iron deficiency, Dr. Piliang recommends talking to your doctor.
If you are low in these nutrients, your thyroid can't adequately produce its hormones, convert T4 to T3, or get T3 into your cells to attach to thyroid receptors, which can cause hypothyroidism symptoms, such as thyroid hair loss.
If you have Hashimoto's, there are other steps you can take to promote hair regrowth and potentially prevent further hair loss. “When treating hair loss of any cause, I promote the use of biotin, topical minoxidil and platelet-rich plasma injections to the scalp,” Borsand says.
The thyroid hormones T3 and T4 help to regulate the growth of hair, meaning that a loss of thyroid hormones means a potential increase in hair loss as well.
Treating Thyroid Disease and Hair Loss
The good news is that once you get your thyroid disease diagnosed and the right treatment is prescribed to regulate thyroid hormone levels, the hair loss problem should resolve itself. Healthy hormone levels mean healthy hair growth.
Vitamin B Is Important for Thyroid Function
It's best to take a nutritional supplement that includes the entire vitamin B complex, and you may need additional vitamin B12 if a blood test reveals your levels are low, she says.
So if you do, it's a good idea to limit your intake of Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips, and bok choy, because research suggests digesting these vegetables may block the thyroid's ability to utilize iodine, which is essential for normal thyroid function.
Shoulderstand is often the first pose that's suggested to treat the thyroid. Since it's an inversion, it stimulates blood flow to the glands in the upper body. This is believed to have a positive effect on the efficiency of the thyroid.
Iron Deficiency
Too little iron in the bloodstream may contribute to hair loss. Doctors use blood tests to check the level of ferritin, a protein that indicates how much iron is stored in the body.
Yes, a blood test can diagnose alopecia. Your doctor may order several blood works to determine the cause of the hair loss along with a scalp biopsy. In most cases, the particular lab tests your doctor could depend on accompanying symptoms or recent life changes you have.
Iron deficiency hair loss can look like traditional male- and female-pattern hair loss. A study published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science found that iron may not only play a role in hair loss, but it may cause hair to fall out in a fashion similar to that of genetic male- and female-pattern baldness.
Common signs of an underactive thyroid are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed. An underactive thyroid can often be successfully treated by taking daily hormone tablets to replace the hormones your thyroid isn't making. There's no way of preventing an underactive thyroid.