Hair Loss and Thyroid

Hair loss may be due to many reasons including inner body problems. Any form of thyroid, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, may cause drastic hair loss at rapid speed. It is an important symptom of malfunctioning of thyroid. Hair loss may be due to poor diet, some medications, surgery or other conditions. It is important to distinguish between hair loss due to thyroid or any other condition. When the body is lacking something or in crisis, body reacts by redirecting it energy to more essential functions. It hair follicles reduce their activity of producing hairs.

Effect of Hormones on Hairs:

Hormonal activities greatly affect the condition of hairs. Besides other hormones, under-activity or over-activity of thyroid hormone, thyroxin, is greatly responsible of hair loss. This kind of hair loss is known as thyroid hair loss. Hair follicles are greatly sensitive to concentration of hormones released by thyroid glands. Cellular metabolism of proteins, lipids, minerals and carbohydrates is serious affected by the any malfunctioning of thyroid gland. Cells of hair matrix have high degree of metabolic activity and hence influenced by thyroid condition.

Hair Loss Due to low thyroid:

Hypothyroid condition is closely related to diffuse telogen effluvium. Initially hair loss is limited to scalp only but later it may progress to loss of hairs from eyebrows, arms, leg hairs, chest etc. It is seen in most of the women, who suffer from thyroid disease, have decrease metabolism in scalp follicles and then hair loss. Hairs become too brittle, weak and show large number of damaged hairs with split ends.

Overall metabolism of the body is affected by the thyroid functioning. In case of low thyroid activity, absorption and utilization of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients suffers. Then it also causes reduced activity of enzymes and lessened temperature required for chemical processes. All this reflects in hair loss.

Hair loss due to thyroid disease can be diagnosed by having blood tests to identify any deficiency in concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone. Accordingly, doctor will prescribe medicines to treat thyroid disease.