Thyroid disease comes causing significant disruption to the hormones. The thyroid gland either doesn’t produce enough ( hypothyroidism) or produces too much (hyperthyroidism) of hormones. Noticeable weight changes, fatigue, nervousness- there is a wide array of side-effects that tag along in either type of thyroid disease. However, in either case, dryness and brittleness of hair along with its loss can occur from the scalp as well as other parts of the body. Thyroid has been a major cause of hair fall and should be taken into consideration.

In this article, we break down why and how Thyroid associates with hair loss, and what to do if you’re experiencing it.

How does Hair loss occur in the Thyroid?

The hair loss is spread over the entire scalp and is not patchy.  Hair sheds from other body parts apart from the scalp as well. Patients affected by Thyroid often lose hair from the outer edge of their eyebrow. 
Even the texture of hair can change due to Thyroid. It can become dry/coarse (in hypothyroidism) or extra soft/fine (in hyperthyroidism).
Some drugs used during the course of Thyroid treatment could also lead to hair loss.

Why does hair loss occur due to Thyroid?

It is essential to understand the hair growth cycle to know how thyroid affects hair loss. Hair growth occurs in four stages:

Anagen (Growing Phase): Hair starts growing from the bottom of the hair follicle at the hair roots in your scalp.
Catagen (Transition Phase): The blood vessels in the scalp provide the required nutrition to hair for its growth. The hair grows along with oil glands that keep it shiny and healthy.
Telogen (Resting Phase): The old hair goes into the resting phase, while new hair enters the growth stage.
Exogen (New Hair Phase): Some hair starts falling out, while new hair continues to grow.

When there is an excess or shortage of hormones, which is the case during the thyroid, the hair growth cycle is affected. The disruption of hormones affects the development of hair at the growth stage. There might be excess hair shedding or little to no hair regrowth.

How to tell if the cause of Hair Fall is due to thyroid?

Hair fall can be attributed to several factors apart from thyroid disease. These are some tell-tale signs that your hair loss is due to thyroid:

1. The hair loss is uniform over the scalp and other parts of your body rather than discrete areas of hair loss, often accompanied by an extra dry/fine hair.
2. Hair loss doesn’t begin immediately after the onset of the disease in most cases. Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism cause loss of hair.

What next?

Hair loss can more often than not, be very disturbing. However, there’s good news. The hair loss associated with Thyroid generally goes away with the disease, along with various other symptoms. If you are troubled by the hair loss during the duration, there are several options available to counter that. Using wigs and extensions is always an option. Furthermore, there are medications available in the market that could lessen hair fall.

Explore about hair transplant in Nepal

However, it’s crucial to consult a doctor before taking any over-the-counter drugs, or any other actions, which might not only worsen the hair fall, but also the thyroid condition.
You can also go through the Clinic for Hair Transplant to know about solutions and services for hair transplant.

Have any more questions? Feel free to consult us at Folliderm.