Healthy people tend to have healthy skin and shiny beautiful hair. But noticing that it has faded and began to thin out, many rush to the hairdresser or change coloring, cosmetic products. In reality, in most cases, the fault of alopecia is the thyroid gland. More precisely, her diseases, which exist in a multitude, but are manifested by a common symptom for them – the loss of a significant part of the hair.
What is alopecia
The process of changing hair accompanies a person while he has them. The average lifetime of each is about 3 years. With the body in full health, the hair lengthens by 1.5 cm per month. Some of them are regularly replaced with new ones, so their number always remains approximately the same. If the process of new hair growth slows down, and they are lost in the same volume, then this is hair loss or alopecia. It becomes especially noticeable when washing your hair and combing it.
And here the hormones
The thyroid gland is responsible for filling the body with a sufficient and necessary amount of hormones. It also synthesizes vitamins and controls the renewal of body tissues, including horny scales. If its work is disturbed, the hormonal balance is lost. And since the hair is updated faster than other organs and systems of the body, this failure is more clearly manifested precisely in its condition. Hair loss, as well as a change in their composition, appearance, may appear even before the diagnosis is determined. Those who observe a similar symptom in themselves should contact an endocrinologist and conduct the necessary studies. It is possible that a direct link between thyroid diseases and the problem of hair loss will be found out.
How do hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism affect
With hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones T3 and T4, which is why old hair follicles die off, and new ones do not form. There is thinning of hair not only on the head, but also along the upper edge of the eyebrows, on the limbs, in the armpits, thinning, and then their loss.
With hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland produces an excess of the same hormones, as a result of which the stiffness of the hair increases, their uniform loss occurs on the entire surface of the head. The hormone testosterone has a particular effect on this.
Baldness with other endocrine problems
Thyrotoxicosis
Occurs when the gland produces too much thyroid hormone in the blood and tissues over time. At first, the hair seems to become thicker, then turns gray and thins. Then the fall begins.
Autoimmune thyroiditis
The disease is characterized by an increased concentration of antibodies in the blood, which arose due to hormonal failure. This adversely affects the immune system, and therefore provokes baldness. First, the hair becomes weakened, thinning in spots on the head, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe armpits and genitals. A characteristic symptom of this disease is hair loss of the outer part of the eyebrows.
Goiters of various levels of development
All of them affect the processes in the hair follicles, therefore, interfere with the normal growth of tissues. Hence thinning and hair loss.
When is it time to see a doctor
The following circumstances should be the reason for seeking medical help:
• Hair section, changing their color towards lightening;
• Change in hair texture – thickening or thinning;
• Curly hair stopped curling or straight hair began to curl.
If the diagnosis is made, the connection between hair loss and thyroid problems has been established, treatment has begun, and the baldness does not stop, do not panic. It takes time for the thyroid gland and the amount of hormones produced by it to return to normal. It is worth considering that some drugs for the treatment of endocrine diseases provoke hair loss, mainly at the crown. The hair will recover soon after the end of the course of treatment.