Early in my journey I talked about hair loss as a symptom of Hashimotos.
Well, I wanted to revisit the topic. I know hair loss can be quite traumatic for women who are conscious of their appearance.
Before I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, I remember finding lots of hair in the bottom of the shower. I had a lot of hair, and it was long, really long. So, originally, I thought it probably wasn’t as bad as it appeared. Come to find out I was losing more hair than normal.
Once I changed my eating habits, I noticed my hair growing back. There was new growth at the temple area, and there was less hair in the drain.
While I was glad my hair was growing back, I still felt it lacked the sheen it once displayed. And it didn’t appear as thick.
I did a little reading and what I found was interesting.
Now we revisit the idea that we have elite controllers. Those who think they can tell us what’s good for us. Many of us know they’ve been putting poisons in our food, making everything GMO, claiming it’s better food, and better for us.
Well they do the same thing with skin and hair products. If you look up the ingredients in most of the products you use, you will find there are toxic chemicals polluting them. And for no reason.
One example is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Do your research. It’s an endocrine disruptor. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, SLS is a “moderate hazard” that has been linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation and endocrine disruption. Moderate or not, it’s a hazard.
I stopped using shampoos and conditioners that are not natural products. I use pumpkins seed oil infused with rosemary essential oil as a leave in conditioner. Here are a few benefits of pumpkin seed oil for hair.
Hydration: It’s a natural moisturizer
Fullness: The oil nourishes the hair follicle, promoting thickness and hair count.
Healthy hair growth: it can reduce free radical damage and irritation on the scalp – the result- healthy hair grow in.
Reduces frizz: Since pumpkin seed oil reduces frizzy, dry hair and reduces breakage.
Adds shine: coats the hair shaft, returning the shine to your locks.
Protection: protects hair from stress, reduces tangles making it easier to comb
I know we’re all in a different place in our healing. Some of you may not struggle with hair loss. However, many women do struggle with it. Men too. If you know anyone who has issues with hair loss, please share this with them. It may help.
Anyone who
has Hashimoto’s knows that hair loss can be a big concern. I know it was for
me. Right before my doctor diagnosed me with Hashimoto’s, I was losing a lot of
hair. I would find large clumps of it in the shower. Each pass through my hair
with the comb was a death sentence for my hair. Every day I’d look in the
mirror and notice the skin on the sides of my forehead becoming more
noticeable. It got to the point that I was afraid to comb my hair.
It didn’t
dawn on me that my hair loss might be due to Hashimoto’s. Other warning signs
pointed to Hashimoto’s, but I didn’t make the connection. I thought I was
getting older and my body was not functioning optimally; when we get older our
body’s slow down. Right?
Not
necessarily. I’ve learned a lot since my diagnosis. I’ve spent many hours
researching and educating myself on Hashimoto’s. I may not be a doctor, but I
know enough now to be able to share my experience and any information I’ve
learned about coping with Hashimoto’s.
Hair Loss and Hypothyroidism
I mentioned at the beginning of this blog my ignorance about the reason for my hair loss. I had many symptoms of hypothyroidism which I discuss in my blog “Let the Lesson Begin.” If you look at those symptoms, you will realize they are symptoms that could be related to many disorders and illnesses. Hair loss is one in the long list of symptoms.
Thyroid
imbalance is the most common form of hormonal imbalance leading to hair loss.
It is also the most underdiagnosed hormonal disorder. Many people are diagnosed
and treated for (let’s say) depression when they have a thyroid disorder. It’s
scary but true.
When I was
twenty-nine, my doctor diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. My symptoms were those
that mirrored hypothyroidism. I didn’t know it at the time because my labs came
back within the normal range for a thyroid condition. That statement brings me
to my next one.
Confusion and Thyroid Labs
Conventionally
recommended labs for thyroid ranges are too broad. Many doctors look at the
lab, versus the symptoms and condition of the patient. The oversight causes
many doctors to overlook a lot of thyroid-related symptoms.
Thyroid
symptoms can be too high (hyperthyroid) or too low (hypothyroid).
Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid is unable to process the thyroid
hormone (T3 and T4) necessary for healthy functioning body systems.1 Often hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto’s
which is an autoimmune condition. I go into more detail in my blog “Let
the Thyroid Lesson Begin.” Hyperthyroidism is the overproduction of the
thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). We will be focusing on hypothyroidism and
Hashimoto’s for this post.
Keeping Your Hair With Hashimoto’s
Thyroid
function affects every part of your body. We are talking about hair loss here,
so we’ll leave other functions and symptoms for another post. Hair loss is one
way your thyroid affects your hair. Hair loss usually follows earlier
conditions such as brittle and dry hair. We are all familiar with the make-up
of hair. Each strand of hair is made up of medulla, cortex, and cuticle. The
root of the hair is lodged in a follicular involution of the epidermis or “follicle.”3 The hair follicle has a receptor site for the thyroid
hormone, which binds to the receptor site. The thyroid hormone that resides
within the receptor site is what turns on and off, normal hair growth. It
doesn’t matter if it is insufficient or excess thyroid hormone production, the
disruption will cause hair to shed.
Adequate T3
and T4 hormone cause the hair follicle cycle to last longer causing increased
or healthy hair growth. The T3 and T4 hormone also encourage pigmentation of
the hair. When T3 and T4 levels are inadequate, you see thinning all over the
head or in some cases on the sides of the head. I experienced hair loss on the
sides of my head along the temple area.
Complete Thyroid Testing Requires
More Than the Thyroid Panel
If you are
experiencing hair loss along with any of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s, you
should check with your doctor. You should ask your doctor to test the following
2:
• Vitamins and minerals – these are key in
converting T4 (inactive) hormone to T3 (active hormone): Ferritin, vitamin D
and B12 at the very least.
• Sugar levels: glucose (fasting blood
sugar), HA1C and insulin.
• Lipid Panel: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL
triglycerides.2
Part of
having healthy hair is being healthy. The best way to accomplish good health is
by changing your diet. I discuss diet in my blog “Healthy With
Hashimoto’s.” When we change our diet, we affect the symptoms of Hashimoto’s
and begin to feel better.
Looking Good, Feeling Good
We live in a society that constantly reminds us of how important it is to look good. More importantly, we should feel good. Part of feeling good is having a healthy body and properly functioning body systems. If you have Hashimoto’s you know how difficult it is to focus on feeling good and looking good. When we lose our hair, our confidence is affected. When our confidence is affected, we feel worse and accomplish less.
If you are looking at your hair loss as a symptom of Hashimoto’s, I encourage you to look at all options available to help you return your body systems to normal. Talk to your doctor about natural alternatives to synthetic medications on the market. You may be surprised when you realize it is possible to control your symptoms naturally.
