Does Thyroid disease affect hair?
Before I write something about the topic, let me explain what thyroid disease is.
Thyroid is nothing but a gland which produces and stores the hormones that help in regulating the heart rate, blood pressure, the metabolism rate and also the body temperature. These hormones play an important role in the growth and development of children.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland located in the lower part of the neck.
When this gland doesn’t produce the required amount of hormones that are needed by the body, thyroid disease occurs.
So how this affects hair?
Before I write something about the topic, let me explain what thyroid disease is.
Thyroid is nothing but a gland which produces and stores the hormones that help in regulating the heart rate, blood pressure, the metabolism rate and also the body temperature. These hormones play an important role in the growth and development of children.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland located in the lower part of the neck.
When this gland doesn’t produce the required amount of hormones that are needed by the body, thyroid disease occurs.
- If the thyroid gland releases too many hormones into the bloodstream it is considered as overactive and it results in hyperthyroidism.
- If it releases very little amount of hormones, it is considered as underactive and it results in hypothyroidism.
These thyroid diseases can be treated with hormone replacement pills that can restore normal levels of thyroid hormones in the blood. But it requires doctor visits once or twice a year for examination and blood tests as needed.
So how this affects hair?
Having talked about the thyroid gland and thyroid disease now let me talk about its effects on the hair health.
Like I wrote before, hair needs proper diet and nutrition, but there are so many other things that affect hair loss. Hormonal changes, some medicines, a surgery and many medical conditions also affect hair loss. Thyroid disease is one of those.
The overproduction and the underproduction of thyroid hormones cause rapid hair loss. This is the main symptom of thyroid disease that can be easily identified. Due to this hair loss, thinning of hair occurs.
So, if anybody has severe hair loss without any reason, and suspect that they might have a thyroid disease should consult a physician immediately and seek advice. If the thyroid disease is treated properly with regular doses of thyroid hormones, hair loss can become less.
There are many other reasons like hormonal changes/ dietary habits/ mental and physical stress that affect hair loss. But, there is a pretty connection between hair loss and thyroid problems.
It can be rectified if proper medication is taken under a physician’s guidance. Please keep in mind that, THYROID DISEASE IS NOT DANGEROUS and CAN BE TREATED EASILY. It’s a common disease in many people and I read somewhere that it is hereditary.
On a Happy Note:
Recently, I came to know that certain yoga postures can cure thyroid disease permanently by balancing the thyroid hormones. Check out the following links for more information on yoga for thyroid disease.
