HomeTrichologyHow do thyroid hormones affect the hair condition?
How do thyroid hormones affect the hair condition?
Anna Kuznetsova, trichologist
Trichology
Thyroid hormones are responsible for active hair growth and nutrition with vitamins and amino acids. The deficiency of these hormones leads to diffusive hair loss. This is one of the causes of hair follicle eating disorders. Metaphorically, this can be imagined as trees that are losing moisture and sunlight.
Symptoms of this phenomenon may include the following:
dry, dull, brittle hair
split ends
hair loss
thinner hair structure
Why does the hair become thinner in hypothyroidism?
There is a decrease in the level of estrogen and an increase in the level of free testosterone. Then, under the influence of the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone causes a strong, long-lasting contraction of blood vessels that nourish the hair follicles, disrupts protein synthesis, and as a result causes dystrophy of hair bulbs and hair. Interestingly, testosterone levels in the body can be normal or even slightly lowered. Beware! Testing DHT from the blood is absolutely pointless as the hair follicles react to DHT in the skin and levels can vary greatly.
One more important aspect is genetics! More precisely, the body’s ability to produce the aromatase enzyme. It is the key enzyme in the conversion of androgens into estrogens. In other words, thanks to it, testosterone in women is tranformed into the main female hormone – estradiol. In the case of hypomatase, a partial or absolute dominance of androgens is observed, which can lead to androgenetic alopecia (AGA). In this way, we can link hypothyroidism to AGA and answer the question why patients with hypothyroidism get thinner hair.
What tests do you need to do to check thyroid function? Here they are:
General blood test (morphology)
TSH
FT3
FT4
Thyroid ultrasound
Anti TPO
Anti TG
CRP
rT3
Thyroglobulins and minerals (iron, zinc, copper, selenium and iodine in the blood serum)
Come to Hairmitage! After consulting our doctors and specialists, you will perform all the necessary laboratory tests on site!