• posted by Burhani Natural Science
• October 2, 2014

Thyroid Hair Loss

Many people with thyroid conditions experience hair loss.  While this isn’t a symptom which causes any pain or physical discomfort, it can have emotional consequences, as nobody likes to lose their hair.  This holds true for both men and women, although it understandingly usually affects women more than men with regards to the emotional consequences.

While the ultimate goal of any natural thyroid treatment protocol is to completely restore the health of the person, symptomatic relief is an obvious desire of all thyroid patients.  And while people are thrilled to get their energy levels back, regain their libidos, and have other symptoms subside, in many people, overcoming thyroid hair loss is their number one goal.

What Causes Thyroid Hair Loss?

With regards to people who have thyroid conditions, the hair loss is usually caused by a hormone imbalance.  Of course thyroid hormone is the primary hormone involved for people with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, but an imbalance in the steroid hormones can also lead to hair loss as well.  For example, an imbalance in estrogen or testosterone can lead to hair loss, and these hormonal imbalances are common in people who have thyroid conditions.  This is why just prescribing thyroid hormone in the case of someone who has hypothyroidism, or anti-thyroid drugs for someone who has hyperthyroidism won’t always help with thyroid hair loss.

Of course there can be other possible causes of the hair loss as well.  While the hormone imbalances might be the primary cause, you still will want to rule out other causes.  For example, taking certain medications can lead to hair loss.  This doesn’t only include certain thyroid medications such as Synthroid, but other prescription drugs such as some blood thinners, antidepressants, and birth control pills.  You might also decide to visit a dermatologist to rule out other potential causes of hair loss.

Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to hair loss.  For example, some studies link a deficiency in zinc to hair loss, and other nutritional deficiencies can play a role as well.  Dealing with chronic stress on a regular basis can also lead to hair loss.  Genetics is of course another factor that needs to be considered.  So while it’s normal for someone with a thyroid condition to assume the imbalance in thyroid hormone is the primary cause, there are many other factors which can directly cause or contribute to hair loss for someone who has a thyroid condition.

How To Cure Thyroid Hair Loss Through Natural Treatment Methods

To cure thyroid hair loss, obviously the cause of the thyroid condition needs to be determined and then addressed.  This of course is the goal of any natural thyroid treatment protocol.  Obviously if someone chooses not to follow a natural thyroid treatment protocol, and if their hair loss issues are caused by an imbalance in thyroid hormone, then this frequently can be corrected by their endocrinologist or general medical practitioner.  If it involves an imbalance of the steroid hormones, frequently endocrinologists won’t even look at these levels, and thus such an imbalance will usually go unaddressed.

But even if it is addressed by an endocrinologist or medical doctor, they usually would recommend for their patients to take bioidentical hormones.  While this might help to manage the symptoms of the thyroid condition, including the hair loss problem (although not always), frequently a hormone imbalance can be corrected without the person having to take natural hormones.  Eating better, taking certain nutritional supplements and/or herbs, and modifying other lifestyle factors can frequently correct a hormone imbalance.  Because when you think about it, taking natural hormones really isn’t getting to the root cause of the problem.  Don’t get me wrong, as there are times when people do need to take bioidentical hormones on a temporary basis.  But many times this isn’t necessary.

If other factors besides a hormone imbalance is responsible for the hair loss, then these obviously need to be addressed.  For example, if someone is experiencing hair loss due to taking a certain medication, then they will need to consult with their medical doctor about this, so that he or she can see if there is an alternative medication they can take.  Another option is to find out if there is a natural alternative to the medication they are taking.  If stress is causing the hair loss, then the person will need to do a better job of managing the stress in their life.  Nutritional deficiencies which are causing hair loss need to be detected and corrected.

So the first goal is to find out the factor or factors which might be causing the hair loss.  Then once this is determined, the next goal is to correct this problem.  It seems simple enough, yet most medical doctors don’t take this approach, as they just try to manage the symptoms.

Nutritional Supplements That Can Help With Thyroid Hair Loss

I’m not a big fan of telling people to take nutritional supplements to cure a condition, unless if it’s a known nutritional deficiency which is causing the health condition.  So while I’m about to list some supplements which can potentially help with thyroid hair loss, keep in mind that it’s always best to consult with a competent doctor to get tested for any nutritional deficiencies, rather than taking these herbs on your own.  Of course most medical doctors won’t test you for such deficiencies, as you will most likely need to seek the advice of a holistic doctor.  In any case, here are a few supplements that might be able to help with thyroid hair loss:

• Vitamin C and Vitamin E. These vitamins don’t directly cause hair growth, but they can be contributing factors for anyone looking to grow hair.
• Certain Amino Acids. Some studies show that L-lysine and L-arginine can stimulate hair growth.  You can choose to take a nutritional supplement, or can obtain these amino acids by eating foods such as poultry, fish, and legumes.
• Evening Primose Oil. This is a supplement which can frequently help with thyroid hair loss in people with hypothyroidism.  Mary J. Shomon, who is a well known thyroid health expert and author actually suggests that taking Evening Primose Oil was responsible for stopping her hair loss, and that just about anyone with a thyroid condition suffering from hair loss can benefit from taking EPO.

In summary, thyroid hair loss can be cured by following a natural thyroid treatment protocol.  Just remember that there are other causes of hair loss which might be a factor, and thus one can’t just assume that the thyroid condition itself is responsible for the hair loss.  And even if it is the primary cause, there is always a chance that there can be contributing factors, which is why you might want to receive an evaluation to rule out other potential causes.