When you think “thyroid,” you may have in your mind someone with an enlarged neck, or bulging eyes, or who is very overweight. And while these exaggerated symptoms may be associated with some cases of thyroid conditions, the majority of thyroid patients will never have those more obvious symptoms. In fact, if you have a thyroid condition, you’re more likely to notice too much hair in your brush, or in your drain, or on your pillow.
What is the thyroid, what does it do, how do you get diagnosed? These are all issues that I’ll be tackling here as as I focus on the thyroid- and hormone-imbalace related aspects of hair loss here as a guest expert blogger for the American Hair Loss Association, which is run by hair loss guru — and my colleague and friend — Spencer Kobren.
You can read more about my background here at the AHLA Blog.
In the meantime, let’s start with the thyroid itself. It’s small, about an ounce, shaped like a butterly, and wraps around the trachea, behind and below the Adam’s apple area. And it’s your body’s metabolic engine, producing hormones that deliver energy to your cells. The thyroid can become overactive — hyperthyroidism — and that can cause many symptoms, including weight loss, anxiety, and…hair loss. And the more common thyroid problem is hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, which can cause many troublesome symptoms, including weight gain, depression, fatigue, and…yes, hair loss.
I’ll be focusing on thyroid symptoms at greater length in future posts, but if you have fatigue, depression, anxiety, unexpected weight changes, sensitivity to temperature extremes, diarrhea and/or constipation — among other symptoms — accompanied by hair loss, it’s time to at least rule out a thyroid problem.
And the type of hair loss can be telling as well. A unique and very specific type of hair loss that can occur in hypothyroidism is loss of the outer edge of eyebrow hair. This is almost always a thyroid sign, and always warrants followup with your physician.
Also pay attention to these hair-related signs that are more common in thyroid patients …
* Hair loss not just from the head but the body (i.e., underarms, arms, legs)
* Hair that breaks easily
* Hair that has a change in texture, including becoming thinner, finer, coarser, rougher, brittler, or more strawlike
* Hair that easily tangles
* Hair that changes its qualities, and no longer will hold a perm or a curl
About the author: AHLA contributing editor Mary Shomon is a nationally-known thyroid patient advocate, and author of the “Thyroid Guide to Hair Loss.” Learn more about Mary Shomon
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It would be great to see some additional info regarding the last paragraph – which of these hair behaviors is usually related to hypo and which to hyper thyroidism?
Dear Doc Oz or To Whom This May Concern,
Hello! I have a question that I’d like to ask, that I am desperately hoping someone would be able to help me find answers to in resolving a most alarming and disturbing matter that’s being going on, with devastating results, for FAR too long!!!!
To give you a little background about myself, I am a 35 year old Stay-At-Home mother of five children. My husband and I use to live in the Denver area for a little over 8 years, before moving up into the mountains of Colorado. (Altitude approx 8,110 ft.) Where we have been residing at for the past 8 years, to date.
For the past 8 years now, my daughters and I have all been experiencing unexplainable hair loss! No matter what we try, so far, we just cannot seem to find ANY answers out there to help resolve this ONGOING problem. I can tell you that it has truly been taking it’s toll on us and to be perfectly honest with you, it has been deeply affecting my self-esteem about myself, over the past several years!!!! … So much so, that I find myself crying almost daily! No matter how many tests we’ve had done, we just cannot seem to find any solutions and have been doing nothing, but constantly running into dead-ends!
The tests we’ve had done include: Having our water tested by water professionals, the “Pueblo City-County Health Department Laboratory” and by another lab that I currently can’t remember, but would be happy to find that info out for you, if you need it. We’ve also had a ‘top of the line’ quality water softener installed, about 2 years ago, because our PH balance levels was so high and due to the Hard Water problems we noticed. (We were even noticing our fish in our aquariums, being affected by the water and dying.) I also just recently had blood work done to test for any signs of Thyroid problems. … Which they found no problems with that either.
One important thing that I feel I should note, is that I have never experienced hairloss in my life, UNTIL we moved here. The results were IMMEDIATELY after we moved in. If that wasn’t odd enough, I also noticed immediate hairloss in BOTH my oldest daughters hair too and not in the remaining children, which are all boys. (At the time, my daughters were only 5 & 4 years old.) I also witnessed changes in our hair, such as texture change. It became very dry, straw-like hair, tangles, including hairloss by the handfuls… Enough to fill a quart size bag daily, and the loss was falling out from the scalp. We’ve also been experiencing baldness in the front hairline area.) All these symptoms almost sounds like Thyroid problems, but yet there was no indication from the blood work I had done, that I had any Thyroid problems. Plus, coincidentally enough, this hairloss was occurring in BOTH my daughters at the SAME exact time we “coincidentally” moved into the house. Is it possible that altitude could be a contributing factor?
I have found no answers as to what is causing our hairloss! All the tests we’ve investigated and tired has still been to no avail, and just seem to be so odd and bazaar to us. There has been no change and no resolutions to correcting this problem, so far. Is there any suggestions that you might have for me or ideas as to what this problem may be caused from?! We are truly distressed by what is taking place and would greatly appreciate any help and/or advise you could give us!
I greatly appreciate and value all your time you’ve allowed me to express, concerning the details to this situation. I anxiously look forward to hearing back from you to your earliest convenience!
Thank you so very much!
Sincerely,
Fay Southworth
Hi,
Thank you for the helpful information here on the website.
I started losing my hair about six months ago. It is exactly as is described here, brittle, tangles, thin…. I used to have thick hair, but now I don’t have enought to even support a barrette or ponytail. Today I noticed I had lost almost all (except for just a few) hairs on my arms and legs too. I just called my doctor, and she recommended I come in for a thyroid test. What is involved with identifying this problems? Are thyroid problems hereditary (my son just lost his thyroid –it burned out , and he is now taking meds)?
Thank you again for your information and advice.
Chris
I have anxiety, some depression, fatigue , hair loss on legs , has become patchy and severe allergies. I had blood work done and the pituitary gland was not right. What is the problem?