Thyroid-Disease-Hair-Loss-And-20-Things-That-Help
Philip Kingsley, Trichologist
Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips
Thyroid Nation

 

 

 

Thyroid conditions can be complicated and involved, requiring careful and comprehensive management by health care providers – typically by Endocrinologists. The following information serves as a general overview for the purpose of offering a simple understanding of the system and why it may, in fact, be part of the reason you are noticing hair changes and challenges! (As well as many other variables that are to say at least annoying).


This discussion intentionally avoids specific drug therapies, as this is very much at the behest of your health provider and the individual health variables that are unique to you.

It cannot be stressed strongly enough that your provider listens and hears all the symptoms that you share and treats you, and not just the laboratory numbers that are reported.

 

Arming ourselves with information is always the first part to comprehensive and effective management of our health. It allows us to ask the right questions, and work in partnership with our physicians.

Hair is considered a non-essential tissue by the body and so the brain will not direct energy to it when there are requirements in essential tissue elsewhere in the body. As hair needs a lot of energy to metabolize effectively, a redirection of this energy as a result of a thyroid challenge can leave hair at a sub-optimal level – potentially resulting in hair loss, hair thinning, brittleness and dull, lifeless looking hair. Hair changes can present dramatically or subtly, depending on so many variables. Nonetheless, they are all frequently very upsetting for the patient. The pattern of loss associated with thyroid changes and dysfunction, irrespective of the underlying driver to that dysfunction, will predominantly manifest in a diffuse pattern of hair loss. However, hair loss that occurs as a result of thyroid imbalance has the potential to improve once the system recovers, and effective management of the system is sustained.

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This requires follow up and in many cases, it is important to share all nuances with your doctor so that they can assess whether your medication needs to be adjusted. Understanding what is happening and treating the system holistically will always create an environment where hair production is at each individual’s optimal.

Original Article featured on PhilipKingsley.co.uk

For further reading, please refer to Mary Shomon’s wonderful article where she lists Ten Things You Can Do To Stop Hair Loss With Thyroid Disease

  1. Get An Evaluation
  2. Be Patient
  3. Understand the Types of Hair Loss
  4. Make Sure It’s Not Your Thyroid Drug
  5. Make Sure You’re Not Undertreated
  6. Find Out If You Need Second Drug
  7. Consider An Alternative Treatment
  8. Look At Other Alternatives
  9. Consult A Doctor For A Prescription Treatment
  10. Talk About It With Others

And, for even more great information on things that stopped hair loss:

  1. Optimal Thyroid Treatment
  2. Low Ferritin
  3. Low Stomach Acid
  4. Nutrient Deficiencies
  5. Drug-Induced Hair Loss
  6. Alopecia Areata
  7. Sex Hormone Imbalances
  8. Blood Sugar Imbalance
  9. Hair Loss Supplements
  10. Adrenal Fatigue

REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALWAYS OUR OWN BEST ADVOCATES!

About the Author

Thyroid-Disease-Hair-Loss-And-20-Things-That-HelpPhilip Kingsley, Trichologist qualified in 1953 and is a leading international authority on hair health. Philip has been past Chairman of the Institute of Trichologists and has now attained the highest honour as a Fellow Member. Philip Kingsley coined the phrase ‘bad hair day’ and is the world’s most respected authority on hair and scalp health. He has made over 1,000 TV and personal appearances in the UK and USA. Philip also had a trichology column in the Sunday Times magazine for 5 years as the ‘Hair Doctor’. Although still conducting consultations Philip has been responsible for the innovation of some of the most successful hair care products in the world. He travels to the New York Clinic from London every 6 weeks to give consultations and re-consultations. Check out his website PhilipKingsley.co.uk. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

 Questions or anything to add about your thyroid hair loss? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please! 


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