OMG! Am I going bald????
Hair loss is one of the most common complaints by women as they get older. I would say behind hot flashes and sleep disturbances, hair loss is a big symptom of perimenopausal/menopausal women. Besides older women, hair loss can be a concern of all ages of women. There are a few causes of hair loss and I will share a few of them with you all.
Cause 1—Iron deficiency anemia
CASE 1=A 34 year old female, chief complaint of hair loss. She had been evaluated by another doctor and was found to be anemic (iron deficiency). She was started on iron and retested after 8 weeks…she was still anemic. Her hair continued to fall out even on the iron. While we visited, I wondered to myself why she was anemic. Did she have heavy periods? No
Bleeding hemorrhoids? No
Ulcers? Not aware of any
Rashes? Yes, some eczema and rash on front of shins
Any bowel issues? Yes, bloating and diarrhea on occasion
We did a gluten sensitivity test/celiac work up and low and behold she was gluten intolerant. The exposure of gluten to her intestine had probably caused some inflammation and damage. The damage causes impaired iron absorption and hence chronic anemia that is not fixed by iron supplementation.
She avoided gluten for 3 months and we retested her to find no anemia and she reported no more hair loss! Success.
I have seen the above cause numerous times. Anyone with anemia and/or hypothyroidism (which also causes hair loss) should be evaluated for gluten intolerance.
Cause 2—Steroid Hormone Imbalance
Both low testosterone and low estrogen can cause hair thinning or balding. Simple testing can be done to see levels and correct with bio-identical hormones or botanicals as needed.
Testosterone can also be converted into DHT (a bad metabolite of testosterone) which can cause hair loss on the scalp but hair growth along chin/jaw or upper lip of women. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one hormonal imbalance where this occurs. DHT can cause baldness in men(and prostate issues) as well. Sometimes botanicals like saw palmetto, dandelion, burdock, and milk thistle can help this issue.
Cause 3—Thyroid imbalance
Probably the most common cause I see for hair loss are thyroid issues. Both hyper and hypothyroidism can cause hair to fall out. Simple lab tests can help identify this issue. I do treat with glandular and prescriptive thyroids.
Iodine deficiency can cause low thyroid function and it is fairly common today due to poor soil nutrients. A lot of my patients use sea salt which doesn’t have iodine either. You can take plant iodine from dulce or kelp to help thyroid function. (Consult a physician for dose). Iodized sea salt is available as well.
Cause 4—Genetics
Some forms of alopecia (hair thinning) are genetic in origin. Even women tend to follow genetic patterns. Maybe someday we can fix these genes but right now we are stuck with what we were given at birth.
Cause 5—Malnutrition
Malnutrition is more common than one might think. Even overweight people can be malnourished. There are several causes of malnutrition from the obvious like anorexia to the more obscure like celiac disease. Any dis-ease that impairs nutrient absorption from the intestine can lead to nutrient deficiencies and hair loss can result. Protein deficiency, selenium deficiency, iodine deficiency, biotin deficiency, or other micronutrient issues can cause hair loss.
I see a lot of malnutrition in my patients with colon issues. Colitis, IBS, chronic diarrhea, food sensitivies, celiac disease, dysbiosis etc… can cause impaired absorption of nutrients. So the cause of the hair loss is the colon issue…fix the gut and the hair loss will stop.
I hope you can see that determining the cause of your hair loss is the most important step in trying to treat it. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is not. I have had lots of success (and a few failures) with hair loss…but no matter what your body is healthier if you address the causes versus just treating the symptoms! Naturopathic medicine rocks!