Your thyroid is one of the most important organs in your body, though you may not think about it or no much about it. However, this small organ, located just above your collarbone in your neck controls most of the hormones flowing through your body. Often, hormones are the direct cause of disruption or inflammation, especially when they are not properly balanced. In fact, thyroid problems, including any type of thyroid disease, can impact hair growth and hair loss. What’s even more worrisome is that many people who have this condition do not know they have it.
The Lack of Balance
The core problem associated with thyroid disease is that it causes an imbalance of hormones in the body. If you have too many of some hormones or too few of another, this can trigger a reaction in the body, creating changes to every organ and system. It can, and often does, lead to hair loss, thinning, or unhealthy looking hair. Finding the right balance is important, but the first step is to recognize that a problem exists so that you can find a treatment plan for it. But, what should you know about your thyroid and hair loss?
How Does Your Thyroid Cause Hair Loss?
Here’s how hair growth works. Your hair follicles produce hair in a growth cycle. During this process, hair grows for one-third of the time and then falls out. That particular follicle does not grow hair for some time before the cycle continues and it grows again. Now, in order for this process to occur, the body’s natural systems must work well. That means the thyroid must produce the chemical signals through hormones to tell the follicle to grow hair, or not to. When this does not happen, the hair grows through its lifetime and then falls out. However, the second step – the rest and restart phase – does not happen.
As a result, you have less hair because you have fewer follicles producing it. This causes hair thinning and then balding in some situations.
Why Does the Thyroid Stop Working Properly?
There are many reasons for this. Understanding why this is happening to do, in fact, can reverse the problem and help your hair to get back on track. Here are some examples of common causes.
You are taking medications that cause a change in hormone levels or create a hormone imbalance.
- You have a condition such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism as a result of genetics or disease. In these conditions, too little or too much of the hormone is produced, creating the underlying problem.
- You may be overweight. Or you may not exercise enough. These seemingly unrelated conditions can actually be the underlying cause. When your body is overweight, underweight, or not functioning in the proper manner, this causes changes in the hormone balance in your body.
- You may be stressed. Stress hormones run through the body whenever you are anxious. The key to remember here is that when your thyroid is working to produce these types of hormones, it is not producing other hormones that regulate your hair growth.
These are just some examples. There are various diseases and illnesses that can also trigger hormone imbalance and cause the hair loss you are feeling.
Common Signs of Thyroid Concerns
It can be hard to notice thyroid conditions because they tend to be the underlying cause – it often takes blood work to determine if there is a true concern present. Common signs that you should bring up to your doctor include:
- Significant changes in your weight, either weight gain or weight loss
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Dryness on your skin or your hair
- Abnormal menstruation
- Difficulty tolerating cold temperatures or hot temperatures
- Trouble with muscle pain or weakness
- Trouble focusing or remembering things
Whenever you notice changes in your hair, think about what this may mean. Unless you’ve changed your styling methods or used a great deal of chemical, this often is a signal that something is not right within the body. Many times, hormones are at the cause of it. Visit your doctor to have a thorough blood workup done to determine if there is reason to be concerned.
Contact the hair specialists at Unique Hair Concepts to learn more.
