Progressive Progressive Medical Center - 2019 | Page 24

HAIR LOSS
WHY IS MY HAIR
FALLING OUT?
H
air loss is a big deal. It’s not just old men.
It happens to young men, too, and can be
devastating to a woman’s ego. Hair loss is
largely accepted as normal or unavoidable,
but just because something is common does not mean
it’s normal. By examining different causes of hair loss, it
may be possible to slow or even reverse this process.
HYPOTHYROID HAIR LOSS
The thyroid is the gland that is in charge of metabolism.
It secretes the thyroid hormone called T4, which
circulates through the blood, gets converted to the
active form T3, and enters cells. There it activates DNA
and essentially turns the cells on. The thyroid hormone
is what makes our heart beat a certain rate, maintains
our body temperature at 98.6 degrees, and tells cells
to grow and replicate. If the thyroid does not make
enough thyroid hormone, it is called “hypothyroid.”
When hypothyroidism is the cause of hair loss, the
loss tends to be diffuse. The outer eyebrows may also
thin, and a person may even notice less body hair.
In order to address this type of hair loss, the thyroid
must be addressed. There are many reasons for a low
thyroid hormone. Some of the most common causes
include low iodine or tyrosine (the building blocks
of thyroid hormone), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, poor
conversion of T4 to T3, and pituitary dysfunction.
It is important to look at all thyroid hormones, not just the
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), because sometimes
the problem is not with TSH but other thyroid-related
hormones. Additionally, the accepted normal range for
TSH is very wide. Many persons have a high normal
TSH but have symptoms of hypothyroid; other thyroid
hormone levels may better reflect this. Treatment
will vary depending on the cause of hypothyroidism,
but it often involves thyroid hormone replacement,
nutrients to improve peripheral conversion and support
hormone creation, as well as dietary thyroid support.
HYPERTHYROID
Sometimes, the thyroid makes too much hormone,
i.e., hyperthyroid. This revs metabolism up too high,
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