Thyroid Disease Causes Hair Loss!

Becoming bald as we age can be part of the natural process of getting older, but it can also be the first sign of a medical problem. As we age we become prone to developing thyroid disease and thyroid disease can lead to problems with the growth and health of hair which can lead to baldness. Simply, thyroid problems can make you bald! This is important because while many causes of baldness are difficult to treat, treating thyroid disease can actually cure and reverse hair loss. When thyroid disease is diagnosed early by a physician it can be treated promptly and can leave you as with the same full head of hair you had before.

Thyroid disease is surprisingly common; some researchers believe up to 5% of the population may be affected and more than half of people with the disease go undiagnosed and untreated (Flynn V, 2004).  In one shocking study more than 12 % of over 25,000 people tested in Colorado showed evidence of thyroid disease (Canaris, 200). While many different causes can lead to thyroid disease there are really only two ways it can express itself both of which can leave you bald. The thyroid can either be overactive or underactive.

In overactive thyroid, the gland produces more hormone than your body needs. So much that it becomes toxic. When this occurs thyroid disease can affect your hair quality and your health. Thyroid hormone is a very important regulator of normal healthy growth. In hyperthyroidism your body makes too much hormone which can leave you with thin brittle hair that falls out too easily and grows poorly and can give you bald spots or leave you totally bald. Too much thyroid hormone also causes hair to grow aberrantly making it look a different color and leaving it fragile, kinky with a short and stunted growth.

The medical community is deeply divided on when to check for thyroid disease. Some groups recommend against screening patients if they don’t have symptoms of thyroid disease while groups like the American Thyroid Assocaiation recommend screening everyone over 35 (Landerson, 2000). The most common test is a blood hormone level called Thyroid stimulating hormone. It is a quick and simple test and can help clinch a diagnosis. There is no correct answer on when to test people who do not have symptoms. But hair loss and baldness can be a symptom of thyroid disease and since thyroid disease is so common that 5% or more of the population may have it being tested is not unreasonable. This is especially true if you are getting bald at a young age. A recent journal Overactive thyroid is most common in men between 25 and 40 and if you are younger than 40 or if you have other symptoms like excessive sweating, weight loss, or a racing heart talk to a doctor your thyroid may be making you bald.

Becoming bald as we age is a common phenomenon but it is not pleasant. If the cause of hair loss is the thyroid you can reverse the process if you get treated early, and you can stay healthy. Thyroid disease can affect more than your hair, but your hair loss and bald spots may be an early sign that your health is at risk. Get tested and treated. Cure your baldness and save your health, that means that you should not diagnose yourself and let an expert doctor to do it, the cause for hair loss must be determined first, so a proper & effective treatment can be implemented.

Medical references below

1- Flynn V, MacDonald TM , Morris AD, et. al. The Thyroid Epidemiology, Audit, and Research Study: Thyroid Dysfunction in the General Population. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Aug;89(8):3879-84.

2- Canaris G, Manowitz N, Mayor G, et al. The Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:526-534.

3- Ladenson PW, Singer PA, Ain KB, et al. American Thyroid Association guidelines for detection of thyroid dysfunction. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1573-5.