hair is an issue that is near and dear to all of us- female and male alike. when we start to see our hair circling the shower drain, or populating our brushes, the subject of hair takes on an urgent quest for answers and treatment. there are many causes of hair loss- from medications we take, stress( we like to blame this for numerous problems), heredity, and certain health conditions. i am going to discuss hair loss associated with thyroid disorders, specifically, hypothyroidism. i will add that hair loss can also result from being HYPERthyroid, too. and as a side note, if you are taking the drug, anastrazole- a chemotherapy drug taken daily by breast cancer patients to block estrogen production, you may have thinning hair. there are other drugs that can potentially cause hair loss or thinning. i am not mentioning them here, as i am trying to stay on topic. the list is long, and if you are really interested, you may check Webmd for the full list.
if you have had thyroid cancer and had surgery to remove your thyroid, as i did, then you are the very definition of being hypothyroid. folks, it just does not get any more "hypo" than this. thyroid cancer patients have to depend utterly and completely on the dosage of thyroid medication that we take to feel good as well as to keep our bodies functioning properly. as the thyroid gland controls almost everything in our bodies, including our hair, it is very important to find the correct dose and type of hormone ( synthetic or naturally derived ) for each of us. this is not a one size fits all type of thing. and it can be a slippery slope- with lots of dosage adjustments, that, frankly, can be frustrating. i can not tell you how many times that my thyroid dosage has been changed- increased or decreased. i have tried naturally derived, synthetic, and i have also tried that wonder drug that some physicians will not prescribe, cytomel ( pure t3).
as i stated above, the thyroid gland controls almost everything in our bodies. and that includes our hair follicles. an imbalance in the T3 and T4 production in our bodies affects the development of the hair at the root. the hair will fall out and may not be replaced until the hormone ( T3 and T4) is back in sync. so, hair thinning or loss could be a result of poor levels of thyroid hormones. this could be a sign that a dosage adjustment is in order. in my opinion, it does not hurt to supplement with some vitamins or minerals to help our hair follicles.
low ferritin ( iron) levels in the body can also cause hair thinning or loss. iron is important for hair growth. if the ferritin level is low, the body- ever resourceful- will take the ferritin from the follicles and give it to more important organs, such as the heart. you need to get tested and monitored for ferritin levels, though. taking too much is harmful for the body. i think that it is something to discuss with your physician and be monitored closely for.
another helpful supplement, though not everyone benefits from this, is biotin. another name for biotin is vitamin B-7. natural sources of this vitamin are found in small amounts in eggs, milk, and bananas. the B vitamins are water soluble vitamins that are beneficial for skin, nails, and hair. some people have reported acne when using biotin. i think that if you try this, try the smallest dose first. i have seen OTC strengths from 1,000mcg all the way up to 10,000 mcg. probably the most important thing to remember about biotin, that even though it may be working for you as far as hair growth goes, it can significantly affect many lab tests, including thyroid lab tests! it can give false highs as well as false lows. if you are taking this supplement, it would be wise to stop a good while before your blood work. also, i think it would be wise to let your physician know that you are taking this supplement. this is rather new information, so many physicians may not be aware of this as yet. there is an article that was published in the january, 2016 issue of Endocrine News about biotin use and interference with lab results. this might be helpful information to have when having this discussion with your physician.
some common sense ideas about being good to your hair include using a gentle shampoo, taking it easy on blow dryer and hot iron use, limiting or eliminating the use of hair bands for a tight ponytail style, and my favorite, using a silk pillow case. the silk, or polyester " silk" allows the hair to move over the pillow case without pulling the hair out. as a bonus, it is so nice to sleep on.
when i had chemotherapy for breast cancer ( it will be three years ago this august), i lost all of my hair- everywhere on my body. to be honest, i am rather obsessed with my hair.losing it was pretty traumatic for me. i learned to tie a head scarf really well, and wore a soft cotton sleep cap. i was pretty excited when my hair grew back! it took a while, and it was different- weird color and extremely curly, but i was happy to see it. i told my husband that i was going to let it grow to the floor, lol. of course, that did not happen. being hypothyroid has caused some thinning, and the chemo left me with a permanent little bald spot that you have to look for, but i am very conscious of. i have delved into trying to find out what supplements i can take , as well as other things i can do to make my hair more healthy and full. as with almost everything else, it is not a one size fits all kind of solution. but trying to keep my T4 and T3 levels within the good range seems to be one of the most important solutions. really, we are a hair obsessed nation, as a whole. this will be an on-going project for me, as it probably will be for everyone else facing hair loss. and after having no hair, i will never, ever say that my hair was " kinda in my way."
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