Hair loss is not something that anyone wants to experience. Unfortunately for people with hypothyroidism, the condition can cause hair to become dry, brittle and thin. Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid is underactive. It also causes weight gain and fatigue.
If you are experiencing hair loss due to hypothyroidism, you may be wondering if it is reversible. The good news is that the answer is yes. However, the process may be a little more complex than treating some other forms of hair loss.
How Are Your Thyroid and Hair Related?
Your thyroid is a gland that produces hormones related to your metabolism. When hormone production is disrupted in some way, it can have significant effects on the rest of your body. The most important hormones in this case are T3 and T4. Reduced hormone production can interrupt the normal growth of new hairs. This is how a single hair develops:
- A follicle in your scalp starts to grow.
- The blood vessels in your scalp feed the follicle and allow it to create more cells so the hair can grow.
- The stand of hair emerges through your scalp and grows for a while.
- Eventually, the hair falls out and the cycle renews.
Hair loss happens when the growth of new hairs does not match the loss of old hairs. This is a common side effect of thyroid issues.
Additionally, certain autoimmune diseases may accompany hypothyroidism or even cause it. These diseases may include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease and Alopecia Areata. Autoimmune diseases can cause hair loss, especially Alopecia Areata. Combatting hair loss with such a condition can be more challenging but it is not impossible. Getting treatment sooner can help avoid further hair loss.
In short, hypothyroidism disrupts the development of new roots. In turn, this leads to less healthy and thinning hair.
How Can You Address Hyperthyroidism Hair Loss?
The key to addressing hyperthyroidism-related hair loss is to treat the thyroid first. Working with your doctor, you can likely get the condition under control with medication. Some of the most common medications used for this include the following:
- Levothyroxine
- Propylthiouracil and methimazole
- Beta-blockers
Your doctor may also encourage you to take vitamin supplements including iron, vitamin B-7, zinc and vitamins C, E and A. Once your hypothyroidism is under control, your hair should naturally start to regrow.
Some other recommended lifestyle changes include eating better, especially getting more whole foods. Also, inflammation can worsen hypothyroidism and hair loss. Eating more anti-inflammatory foods including ginger and turmeric can improve both conditions.
It is also beneficial to treat your hair more carefully. Avoid pulling on your hair or exposing it to too much heat. Additionally, when you are cleaning it, make sure to gently massage your scalp.
Needing to treat the thyroid first can make handling hair loss more challenging. Even though it will regrow naturally, this can be a slow process. Additionally, if you have any other factors that are affecting hair growth, it may not regrow. Therefore, many people who experience hypothyroidism hair loss also seek treatments specifically for their hair.
What Products Can Help Hyperthyroidism Hair Loss?
If you want to improve your hair growth and recover the hair you have lost due to hypothyroidism, DS Laboratories can help. We have a wide range of products that help improve hair growth. They can be used individually or in combination.
Spectral.DNC-N may be the right product for you. It features key compounds that open ion channels in the scalp, improving follicle health. As mentioned above, one of the key ways that hypothyroidism inhibits hair growth is by interrupting the growth of new hairs at the follicle. Our Nanoxidil compound is a vasodilator that can fight this effect of hypothyroidism. Better yet, it has none of the side effects associated with the minoxidil, a common ingredient in other treatments.
Revita Shampoo is another of our popular products. It includes dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers as well as biotin (vitamin B-7) and other ingredients that stimulate new hair growth. This is a particularly effective product if you are also experiencing male pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia. Many of the same ingredients are also delivered with our Revita Conditioner.
Combatting hypothyroidism hair loss is easier with the right products. These treatments will help improve your scalp and hair health while also growing new hairs. Whether your hair loss is the result of DHT, age, hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disease or some combination, DS Laboratories can help you treat it.