Print Article for : Thyroid Cause Hair Loss

Your Online Guide » Natural Beauty » Hair Care

[T903]Thyroid Cause Hair Loss

by Gary Heron, Gar

There are many factors that contribute towards hair loss: hormonal changes, diet and nutritional deficiency, stress and poor health. A major cause of severe hair loss is developing a thyroid problem. Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are responsible for causing severe early onset of hair loss in both men and women of all ages. Everyone seems to believe that these problems will never happen to them and that a thyroid dysfunction is something that happens to old people. This is far from the truth. We see male and female patients from all age groups. Ask your GP for a blood test immediately if you have a suspicion and consult one of our trichologists early on for advice. Early trichological treatment can prevent severe hair loss from this condition and its associated prescription drugs. Hair growth has a three phase growth cycle: anagen, catagen and telogen dormant phase. When a person suffers from hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism, the general mechanism of the hair growth process shuts down and loses balance. Thyroid malfunctions can force hair follicles to remain in the dormant phase for a longer period of time than normal. This leads to stalled hair growth and eventually to hair loss.

The thyroid is an endocrine gland, which is located on both sides of the trachea. It secretes the thyroid hormone, known as thyroxin, which regulates the rate of the metabolism. Any disruption in the mechanism can have great impact on overall metabolic activities. Once the metabolism is disturbed, it has been found to cause a series of abnormalities, one major factor being hair loss. Hypothyroidism has often been seen in women. It is often characterized by problems such as lethargy, menstrual imbalance and deceleration of metabolic rate. All of these factors contribute to hair loss. On the other hand, highly excessive functional activities of the thyroid gland can also cause hair loss.

Hormonal dysfunction within the body has a massive effect on hair loss. Hair loss occurs when dihydrotestosterone (DHT) shrinks the hair follicles and eventually causes them to disappear completely. The problem of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism both encourage the conversion process of testosterone into DHT which accelerates hair loss in both men and women of all ages.

Hair loss induced by hormonal abnormalities is serious. This requires immediate action. We suggest that if you are in any doubt then simply feel free to call one of our trichologists for advice.

www.thewestminsterpractice.com

Who says that only adults need to worry about hair loss? At present, even teens and young adults are already being affected by hair loss. Hair loss can serve as a warning sign especially for the young ones because it may indicate malnutrition and other diseases. So if you're losing an abnormal amount of hair every day, you ought to visit a doctor so that the root cause is identified. This article trys to answer the question "what causes hair loss?" and looks at possible ways to help tackle this common condition.

For chemotherapy patients or those that take certain medications because of their illness, hair loss may be one of its effects. Not only that, frequent hair styling can also cause hair loss. So whatever the reason is, you have to identify it right away so that the proper treatment can be determined.

Appearance matters a lot especially in today's times. For young adults and teens, act on your hair loss problem immediately because once the problem is corrected, your hair will again grow normally. For the older adults, it may take some time before you can re-grow your hair or the worst is that your hair may never grow again.

Aside from causes of hair loss already mentioned above, there are still other known causes. One is alopecia areata and it affects about 1.7% of the entire population. It is considered as one of the autoimmune diseases and it is characterized by round small bald patches on your scalp. After some time, the condition progresses and you end up with full hair loss. This condition starts during childhood. If you're quite lucky, you can expect your hair to grow back between six months to two years.

Trichotillomania can also cause hair loss and this is due to the constant pulling of the hair. This condition is a psychological disorder so the person should seek immediate medical attention. Oftentimes, therapy is needed until such time that the individual stops pulling his or her hair.

Poor nutrition is able to contribute to further hair loss. By eating unhealthy choices of food, your body will not get the necessary nutrients it needs to make your hair and scalp healthy. People who have bulimia and anorexia are prone to hair loss because hair growth is not sustained. You don't have to eat plenty of foods all at once but just eat the healthy ones and in the right amounts as well.

Another is male pattern baldness. This is genetically inherited and the effects are seen more visibly among men. The condition is also called androgenetic alopecia. Several factors cause this condition like genetics, androgen, and hormones.

So what can the doctor do to help you with your hair loss problem? The doctor will take some hair samples and check on your scalp. He or she will also run some checks if you have medical conditions or illnesses.

If hair loss is due to medications, the doctor can prescribe drug substitutes. Diabetes and thyroid diseases can also cause hair loss so once these health conditions are identified, the doctor can prescribe medications to treat the disorders so that further hair loss can be prevented. Corticosteroids may be used to treat alopecia areata. Malnourished individuals are advised to seek the help of a nutrition expert or dietician. The most popular drug used to treat hair loss is minoxidil because it can expedite hair re-growth and prevent hair loss.

Hair loss can't be cured but it can be treated. Talk to your doctor now so that you can better understand your condition.

Article Source : Pg. 43

About Author

Both Gary Heron & John Tulley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Gary Heron has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care, Hair Loss and Hair Care. Gary is one of Europe's leading trichologists for the past 20 years dealing directly with every type of hair loss and scalp disorder for both men and women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.Gary has had over twenty years'experience in dealing. Gary Heron's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.

John Tulley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Site Promotion, RSS and Hair Care. About the author: John Tulley writes for the Provillus web site. Our web site has more detailed information about. John Tulley's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.