Hormonal alterations are responsible for a lot of physical states of our body. Their effects can be distinguishable easily most of the time. However, a single direct relationship between hormones and hair loss could not be estimated because of the complexity of hair loss as a disease and symptom.
Hair growth processes could be sometimes fragile, so anything can be a potential threat for hair follicles. There will always be a gap in the exact estimation of the epidemiology of hair loss in different cases but here I tried to summarize a possible relationship between hair loss and thyroid in terms of a causal link.
Is hair loss due to thyroid? There is a significant contribution of thyroid to the hair loss problem in different cases. To be able to establish a causal link, dermatological studies conducted on participants with alopecia areata disease in which T-cells that are supposed to fight with viruses, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms in the body attacks to the hair cells results in a distressing amount of hair loss in the sufferers. In these epidemiological studies results approved an association between thyroid dysfunction and hair loss. In addition to that, some research points that approximately %30 of people who suffer from alopecia areata also have thyroid abnormalities and dysfunctionality. The thyroid is a significant factor in the hair problems outside the hair-specific diseases. Its wide range of effects on the body is distressing and the hair loss is one of them.
Thyroid hormone is an important element in the body for regulatory and stimulating factors. Levels of thyroid affect the skin and it is well-known that people with hypothyroid have considerable hair loss problems suggesting the idea that thyroid hormone is also important for hair growth.
An experiment conducted with mice showed that a deficit in the hormonal links of the thyroid causes a dysfunction in the hair cycle. Also, mice with hypothyroid revealed the importance of thyroid for hair growth.
Hair growth and volume depend on the current distribution of stages of hair in the scalp. Hair growth cycles include telogen, anagen, and catagen phases which represent resting, growing and falling phases of the hair, respectively. Studies supported the idea that thyroid hormone stimulates the anagen phase of the hair.
Consequently, thyroid hormone can be said to be a promoting factor in hair growth. For example, patients with hypothyroid who take thyroid medication have an increase in hair growth and people who have an intolerance to thyroid have hair loss problems. In addition to that, some experiment conducted with monkeys and mice finds out that thyroid exposure to certain areas stimulates hair growth.
Thyroid Diseases and Comorbid Problems
It is widely reported that people who have thyroid diseases will develop skin-related health problems as well. Hormonal dysfunctions due to these diseases bring about lots of deformations and maloperations in the body’s systems. If you have chronical thyroid disease, you might have skin problems related to it.
In a study including thyroid patients found out that people with thyroid diseases have drier and more problematic skin, their menstrual cycle is irregular and have weight gain. In this study, the effect of thyroid disease on hair loss problem in terms of hormonal inhibition for the hair growth stimulating phase.
Apart from the direct hormonal influence of thyroid diseases on hair loss, there can be other comorbidities as well. Skin problems, irregular menstrual cycles, diabetes, and weight gain can be unfavorable results of thyroid diseases which also associated with hair loss in other circumstances. You can see their relation under the specified headings.
Skin Problems Due to Thyroid
Skin acts as a mirror of the internal state of the body since there can be visible effects of the orientations of the body in accordance with internal workings. Thyroid diseases definitely bring about skin-related alterations in the body. In fact, cold skin, coarse hair, and skin, pastiness count to be diagnostic features of the thyroid diseases.
Irregular Menstrual Cycles
The irregular menstrual cycle is frequently seen in patients with thyroid diseases. Especially, thyroid cancer seems to link with female hormones. In fact, thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women and the reason for this situation is attributed to the female hormones.
The relationship between women reproduction system and thyroid diseases shows another direction in terms of the influences on the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Thyroid dysfunction also causes bad outcomes on these circumstances.
Menstruation has a diverse impact on the skin. During this period, the effects of estrogen and progestogen hormones can be seen in the various cells in the body, most precisely in hair and skin. Irregular menstruation, therefore problems related to female reproduction hormones have dermatological problems like acne and hair loss.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a health problem related to dysregulation of blood sugar levels. Although there is not a direct common association between diabetes and thyroid disorders, both of them is related to hormonal function so they can be affected by each other.
In addition to that, symptoms of thyroid diseases may contribute to diabetes problems as well. For instance, a situation known as hyperthyroid resulted from an excess of thyroid secretion cause an augmentation in the feelings of hunger
In those situations, behavioral changes related to hormone-derived factors can make the person prone to other dysfunctions and the vice versa situation is relevant to the hypothyroid.
Since any excess amounts of components of our body is a distressing issue and an abnormality, abnormally high level of blood sugar level is also one of these defects. All of the intertwined workings of the body will eventually influence each other and accumulates on the outcome effect in the body. So, diabetes also affects hair cells to go through their typical and healthy stages.
Related Questions
Does Having Thyroid Problems Cause Hair Loss?
Experts and research clearly demonstrate that thyroid problems do cause hair loss. Endocrinological tests can specify the high or low activity of thyroid glands in terms of the secretion of thyroid hormones. After this specification the issue of thyroid problem classified under high or low levels.
There are particular outcomes for these malfunctions of the thyroid. For instance, lower levels of thyroid secretion result in a decrease in cell growth because the thyroid is responsible for most of the cell reproduction.
Some concerns arise related to the treatment of thyroid disorders and their effect on hair cells. Some people who go under the treatment of these diseases declare that they start to develop a decrease amount of hair in their scalp.
However, jumping to the conclusion that this resulted from the treatment is not reasonable because even though thyroid problems cause hair loss, having a diagnosis with thyroid disorder does not mean that you will have hair loss immediately after.
Hormone derived effects on cells do not reveal itself quickly. It takes time to see their outcome in the body. Thus, it is not an easy job to clarify the specific reason for the hair loss in people with thyroid disorders after they undergo their treatment. Although all treatments have side effects, the initiating factor of the hair problem in thyroid conditions should be considered and evaluated carefully.
In addition to thyroid diseases as a single direct contributory factor, it is also connected with other hair-specific diseases. There are studies which revealed a considerable correlation between the two dysfunctions.
How Can I Stop My Thyroid from Losing Hair Naturally?
There is not a simple answer to this question because of the thyroid problem causing hair loss because of its straight impact. Thus, solving the thyroid problem has to be the first step to stop this outcome. If there is a chronical condition related to thyroid treatment should be adopted under the supervision of a doctor.
Thus, rather than natural products or other applications may not be very useful for the hair problem under these diseases. However, there are other important reasonable promoting factors of thyroid problems that could be eliminated before the diagnosis and after the diagnosis for enhancing the treatment.
However, there are situational and behavioral factors that elevate the risk of thyroid dysfunctions which could be considered. Here I tried to enlist them for you:
1. Optimum Mineral Levels: Minerals are vital components of our body that needs attention for an optimum intake as much as possible. It could be sometimes hard for an individual to follow a healthy diet because of the hurry of life.
Often, we may not be able to give a sufficient amount of importance to vegetables, fruits, and protein-enriched foods and run into the fast food products during a rush. However, this could be neglected in our state of health, unfortunately.
Minerals have huge responsibilities in our physiology which are very important to maintain an equilibrium. They enhance cell-regeneration, can act as antioxidants, responsible for the nourishment of our cells and constitutes some ingredients of the bodily structures.
Iron, zinc, selenium, iodine are exemplary minerals that seem to be attached to the hair growth process. Fish, green nutrients, protein-enriched foods, salt are the first examples that include high levels of these minerals.
Consequently, emphasizing the daily intake of these minerals sufficiently could bring profit the hair cycle. However, the highest priority is consulting your doctor if you have a problem related to your thyroid problem because sometimes these defects make you susceptible to some nutrition and without consultation, bigger problems may occur.
2. Birth Control as Pills: Consumption of birth control pills are common among women. There are lots of side effects as well as its regulatory functions and ensuring a portion of contraceptive factor. Abovementioned minerals are largely suffered from these pills, unfortunately. Also, several vitamins that have a role in the hair cycle are depleted from the body because of this method of birth control.
Hormone, mineral and vitamin-derived workings could be damaged the sustainability and stability of levels of other hormones like thyroid. Studies reported that there is a lower risk for women who do not use or never have been used birth control pills in their lives to develop thyroid-dysfunction related disorders.
3. Psychological Stress: There are countless causes of stress in the body that brings about adaptational changes in the body. Actually, stress is not a bad thing it has a stimulatory factor for us to be able to manage the situation.
Some activities in the body suppressed some others are stimulated to makes us ready for danger and promotes handling. The damage is done if there is too many, or prolonged stress. Chronical stress widely reported to have an immune-suppressing response in the body.
4. Tobacco use: One of the negative outcomes of smoking is its inhibitory role in various bodily operations. Smoking not only leads to a number of chronical and lethal illnesses and diseases but also it prevents the treatment to work to the highest degree.
There are investigations demonstrates the thyroid related dysfunctions and smoking as well as cigarette’s negative effects on the treatment process. Thus, apart from other infinite reasons, smoking generates a risk factor for thyroid problems too.
What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Problems in Females?
There are lots of thyroid diseases and different responses of thyroid dysfunction, so it is hard to specify them under a general heading for a specific gender. However, there are common characteristic symptoms of the thyroid that applies most of the related diseases.
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Weakness is one of the most widely reported symptoms of thyroid diseases. Feelings of exhaustion and lethargy all the time can be an indicator of thyroid malfunction if there is not a specific deficiency.
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Skin problems are also associate with thyroids. Nail and hair also affected related to skin problems. Dry and coarse skin may be seen in patients.
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Sweating problems because of the hormonal alterations can be seen in patients.
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Specifically, irregular menstruation is an important indicator for the thyroids in women.
