Why is my hair disappearing?
Are you finding your ponytail isn’t as thick as it once way? Hair clogging up the drains in the shower? Or are you are noticing your scalp more when you part or pull back your hair?
I get asked a lot about hair thinning / loss by women of all ages and stages of life.
Hair, for most of us, is a big part of our identity. In an aesthetic driven society luscious hair is often associated with greater beauty, being more attractive and feminine, so it’s no wonder when this is compromised we start to panic, as subconsciously we attached way more meaning around it. For example, we are no longer as attractive, youthful, desirable etc. It’s also just confronting to see the changes and feel as though you cant’t stop it.
So I really do get how distressing it can be to see it disappearing before your eyes. Hence, I wanted to offer you this information, in hope it helps to uncover areas that you can address.
A large component of the female hair loss / thinning I see is associated with altered hormonal function. We are going to look into the key hormone players and how it attributes to hair loss.
Hair loss is an important sign that something is impacting your body. As you continue to read you may find that your hair loss is normal considering the natural biological changes that have occurred or are occurring or it may be a sign that something needs to be addressed.
Either way there is comfort in knowing what’s happening and that in most cases there are steps you can take to help.
Remember that nothing happens in isolation. So when someone reaches out to me about hair loss, I have to dive in deep to all of their other symptoms, their past experiences, and really work to uncover the underlying cause(s). Often that involves looking into hormones, listeyles factors, the gut and digestion, and adequate nutrient intake. That’s the holistic approach that I like to take when dealing with all things.
Ok, let’s look for the root cause(s) as to why your hair is disappearing:
Stress
Have you been sick or unwell? Have you been burning the candle at both ends for a while now? Have you had some serious life events take place? Have you been watching the news or scrolling social media during March/April in the year 2020?
Chronic stress down regulates non-vital aspects of our function to ensure that we have enough energy to survive.
Cortisol pushes hair growth into the resting phase (known as the telegenic phase) for longer to conserve on energy and as result you may notice hair loss or thinning several months after the stressful period.
This is known as telogen effluvium and is characterised by thinning or shedding of hair resulting from the early entry of hair in the telogen phase.
Good news girlfriends, it’s reversible, IF, you start working on managing your stress and or aiding your recovery.
Also, when we are under chronic stress, we burn through way more of our key nutrients - think B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, protein, all of which are important for hair growth.
So we want to focus on the 3 R’s: Rest, restore, replenish.
Holistic hair repair rx:
It’s now of never to implement some self care routines to replenish yourself.
Depending on what is causing the stress this may mean: learning to delegate, asking for help, saying no and setting boundaries; weekly massage; going out into nature daily; moving your body; reading a book; making a herbal tea and being still; connecting with friends.
Make sure you aren’t skipping meals or eating take out on the run. You need enough calories but also enough nutrients.
Focus on high quality protein (cold water fatty fish, pasture raised poultry, oysters, liver), healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, nut oils, grass fed butter, nuts, coconut milk/cream/oil) and complex carbohydrates (quinoa, root vegetables, buckwheat, wild rice, whole fruit) as well as cold water fatty fish.
Take a high quality multivitamin/multi-mineral supplement or a pre-natal (high in important nutrients to support hair growth).
Implement 3-5 minutes of deep breathing per day
Sleep, lots of sleep.
2. Postpartum hair loss
Can you guess what else is a huge stressor on the body? You got it - pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Your body needs so much nurturing in your fourth trimester. Need I remind you that you grew, birthed, fed, and are raising another human. That’s going to take several months and even years, to rebuild your nutrient stories, get hormones back on track and replenish your tank.
It’s no wonder that this whole process also causes your hairs to go into the resting phase. Hence, it is normal for you to experience hair loss around the four month mark. I know it can be alarming as often it’s quite substantial amounts. This is probably because during pregnancy the growth or anagen rate increases, so you have more hair to lose when this occurs.
You were loving your luscious pregnancy locks weren’t you?
Try not to stress (as we now know that will only make matters worse) as most of the time your hair will even out to it’s pre-pregnancy hair.
However, if you are still experiencing significant hair loss 8 months or more postpartum, go and chat with you doctor and get a full thyroid panel and your iron and ferritin levels checked (those sections are coming up soon).
Thyroid problems are so common during the 12 months after having a baby, so please keep your eye out for any of the thyroid symptoms listed in the thyroid section. I personally wish that this was screened for as a part of a postpartum check up. And I mean a comprehensive thyroid panel, as antibodies can elevate prior to thyroid hormones or thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) going out of range.
Holistic hair repair rx:
Continue to take your prenatal vitamins, as well as a high quality omega 3 fatty acid supplement.
Get enough calories + nutrient dense foods to replenish, especially if you are breastfeeding. I love the idea of organising a food train post birth.
Consider some adaptogenic herbs that nourish your adrenal glands (chat with a naturopath or practitioner for which ones are safe to use)
Make up the hair growth serum at the end of this blog and apply weekly or add oils to your natural shampoo.
3. Thyroid Problems
Both hyper and hypo thyroid conditions can be at play. However I see far more underactive or hypothyroidism. In particular the autoimmune versions ie. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
Telogen effluvium is the most common type of hair loss we see with Hashimoto’s. Like what we see with stress and childbirth, what is often experienced is large clumps of hair falling out, while showering or brushing. It most commonly causes hair loss in a diffuse pattern, over the entire scalp.
One theory with autoimmune thyroid conditions is that they develop as a protective measure to conserve energy when resources are low (you can understand why post pregnancy is a common time for a thyroid diagnosis). If the body detects there is not enough nutrients getting in, either from inadequate calories or a comprised digestive system, this may signal danger and cause a slowing of thyroid function, to conserve it’s resources.
If you are on thyroxine (T4) replacement therapy and you are still experiencing hair loss, you may need to look at adjusting your dose, to be in a more optimal range for you (usually between 0.5 and 2 μIU/mL), or look into thyronine (T3) containing options, as some people do better when on a combination, due to a poorer conversion of T4 to T3.
It’s also worth checking your iron, as adequate stomach acid is important for iron absorption and low thyroid function can be associated with hypochlorhydria or low levels stomach acid. This can also lead to impaired nutrient absorption of other key nutrients as well.
If you do have an autoimmune thyroid condition such as Graves or Hashitomo’s, both are known to be associated with a particular form of hair loss called, Alopecia areata (Aa). Aa is commonly associated with various autoimmune disorders; the most frequent among them is autoimmune thyroid disorders. This can flare up and cause patchy hair loss all over the scalp due to an immune attack on the hair follicles. More on that to come.
Holistic hair repair rx:
Get a complete thyroid panel. This includes:
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
Free thyroxine (Free T4)
Free triiodothyronine (Free T3)
Thyroid antibodies (thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (Tg) antibodies)
Particularly if you are postpartum or have other symptoms of low thyroid function eg. constipation, low mood, anxiety, fatigue, cold hands and feet, infertility, irregular periods, brain fog, digestive problems, high cholesterol
Important caveat on thyroid testing: TSH is often the only marker checked when you request your thyroid be checked with a doctor. Also, the lab range for this is much wider than the one I listed above. I constantly hear “the doctor said my thyroid is normal” only to find a TSH level checked and it may even be elevated functionally but not mentioned because it’s still in the wider reference range. You most likely will need to work with an integrative practitioner to look deeper. Trust yourself, test results are important, but you have to know the full picture.
Nutrients/herbs to support thyroid include: Ashwagandha, iodine, zinc, selenium, biotin
Look into a Autoimmune Paleo Diet which has shown improvements in symptoms, reduction of medication dose, reduced inflammation, and nutritional status. At the very least remove gluten .
Work with an integrative or functional medicine health practitioner to customise dietary interventions, supplements and correct root causes (intestinal permeability, infections like Epstein-Barr virus). There is so much you can do.
4. Low iron
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of hair loss that I see in premenopausal women. Hair needs lots of iron. So get your levels checked ASAP. Especially if you are experiencing heavy and or prolonged periods OR you aren’t consuming animal products like red meat/organ meats OR you have low thyroid function OR you suffer from chronic digestive issues. All can lead to low iron.
Holistic hair repair rx:
Get your iron checked and your serum ferritin tested with your GP. Ferritin should be at least 50ng/ml.
If you are midly deficient or not consuming enough iron rich foods, consider an iron supplement or adding some organic liver into your diet twice a week or a desiccated liver capsule. .
Look into WHY your iron is low in order to address it properly (gut infections, heavy periods, etc)
5. High androgens that cause Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL)
Androgens are male hormones such as testosterone, androstenedione and DHEA. It’s normal for us to have them, but too many or converting them down a more androgenic pathway or being overly sensitive to them can lead to female pattern hair loss loss (and sometimes acne, and excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern, chin, cheeks, belly and around nipples).
Female pattern hair loss is also called androgenic alopecia and can include hair thinning and miniaturisation of hair follicles, typically affecting the crown of the head and hairline.
It can be present in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is characterised in one part by elevated testosterone, often driven by insulin resistance and or inflammation.
However women can still experience FPHL without a diagnoses of PCOS.
On a Dried Urine Total Comprehensive Hormone Test (DUTCH Test) test we look at androgens and the conversion into metabolites.
Dihydrotestosterone is a potent testosterone metabolite and potent to hair follicles. It’s made by 5-alpha-reductase (5-AR) , the enzyme that converts testosterone into the more potent DHT. If 5-AR activity it high, more testosterone will be converted into DHT, and greater hair loss will result.
Inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity can cause it to increase, so you have to work on addressing the root cause of this.
Holistic hair repair rx:
This really does require working with a practitioner to address the underlying drivers. Any changes in hair growth will take several months or longer for improvements to be seen. But you will see changes more quickly in other areas of your health.
For PCOS
PCOS is really a whole body hormonal condition that does have serious health consequences if not properly treated, so it is important to work with an endocrinologist or experienced women’s health doctor.
However, there is SO much that you can be doing to manage diet, lifestyle and supplements alongside your doctor recommendations to improve and even manage PCOS. I have seen restoration of ovulation and menstrual cycles by a combination of modalities.
The key areas to focus on is restoring blood sugar balance, reducing stress and nourishing the adrenals, reducing environmental exposure and supporting detoxification, and using effective supplements in support these key pieces
Supplements that can be useful: magnesium, zinc, mayo-inositol + steps below can be helpful too
For Female Pattern Hair Loss
There are some natural inhibitors of 5-alpha reductase which is the enzyme that converts testosterone to the more potent DHT hormone (this can be seen on a Dried Urine Total Comprehensive Hormone Test)
Reishi mushroom
Green tea extract (Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG))
Zinc
Saw Palmetto
Spearmint tea
Rosemary - for topical use, you can make a solution of 6 drops rosemary essential oil into 10 ml of carrier oil like Jojoba / Castor Oil and massage into the scalp for 30 minuets before washing your hair. Repeat three times per week.
6. Perimenopause + menopause
As hormone levels begin to change, changes in hair texture and thickness, is common. Both oestrogen and progesterone are wonderful for hair.
Progesterone levels start to decline first during perimeonpause. This can contribute to a relatively higher androgen state (as we see above) as progesterone naturally reduces testosterone activity.
Oestrogen works to keep hair follicle healthy and as it declines closer to menopause, this may cause some shrinking of hair follicles and hair loss.
This stage of life can be an extremely emotionally stressful time as you care for children, elderly parents and are still working 9-5. In case you needed more on your plate, you start to experience hormonal changes that often disrupt sleep and affect your ability to cope with stress, all of which can contribute to hair loss, too.
Perimenopause can also imitate thyroid symptoms eg. low mood, insomnia, irregular periods, brain fog, anxiety and weight gain. So it’s really important to check your thyroid function, too, as about 26% of perimenopsaual women also have autoimmune thyroid disease.
Holistic hair repair rx:
For perimenopuase consider steps in the “High androgens that cause female pattern hair loss”
Rest and self care is paramount here. Looking at reducing your working hours, hiring help, saying no, setting boundaries and asking for help.
Weekly massage and sign up for a yoga class or meditation class
Reduce alcohol as this will interfere with the calming effects of progesterone on the brain which is already declining
Supplements: Magnesium, Taurine, Vitamin B6, Ashwagandha
Consider a holistic plan to work on ways to support sleep, stress and blood sugar
Consider body identical micronised progesterone and low dose estradiol with your integrative GP - (not the same as progestins given in hormone replacement therapy or the Mirena or the pill)
7. The Pill / IUD/ Depot injection
Most forms of contraception contain a progestogen medication (note: this is different to progesterone that you produce when you ovulate). Some progestogens have a high androgen index, meaning they work a lot more similarly to testosterone, then they do progesterone. These include: levonorgestrel (Mirena, Levlen), medroxyprogesterone (depot), norgestrol, etonogestrel (implant, Nuvaring).
The effect over time, is that they can shrink hair follicles, so it may be a gradual loss of hair that you notice over many months or years.
Holistic hair repair rx:
Take a high quality multivitamin or pre-natal supplements
Take a probiotic to support gut bacteria that can be impaired on the pill
Consider alternative means of contraception
8. You recently came off the pill
This is something I wish all women new prior to going onto the pill, so they can be better prepared when they decide to come off it. Pills that contain progestogens with a low androgen index include cyproterone (Diane, Estelle, Brenda) and drospirenone (Yasmin) can cause hair loss when you stop them. This is due to a rebound surge in androgens and greater sensitivity that usually happens around 3 to 6 months after stopping the pill.
For many women, their doctor may have recommended this type of progestogen containing pill due to acne or PCOS and often when you stop it, it feel like all that and more is coming back with vengeance. . And it may very well be, if you haven’t done any work on addressing the underlying causes as to WHY you were experiencing problems prior to the pill.. This is why I am not a fan of women going on the pill to mask symptoms like acne, menstrual irregaurlies, heavy periods, PCOS without addressing the root cause etc.
If you who didn’t go onto this pill for this reason, it may be the first time you ever experience acne, oily skin, or hair loss. The answer is NOT going back on the pill. Read that again, do not go back on the pill. You have to give it some time. There are targeted strategies that you can implement prior to coming off the pill to ease the burden, but knowing it is coming, is important, and working with someone to navigate through those times, is what I do.
Holistic hair repair rx:
I love to see women proactively supporting their bodies when coming off the pill (that’s for another blog)
Key areas to work on are gut health, replenishing nutrients that the pill deletes (B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, selenium) and supporting liver detoxication.
I’ll do a whole other post of coming off the pill and how to support your body.
9. You aren’t ovulating
Your hair LOVES your own natural oestrogen and progesterone! Who knew that all we had to do was let our body cycle naturally, produce it’s own natural hormones, and it would take care of all the things (heart, moods, brain, bones etc), including our hair.
A really important question is… are you ovulating each month?
If the answer is yes, wonderful, keep it coming.
If the answer is no, then why not? Some major reason for anovulatory cycles are stress, low calorie diets, dramatic weight loss, low carb diets, periods illness/trauma, overtraining with not adequate nutrients/calories, hypothyroidism, PCOS and hormonal contraception.
Holistic hair repair rx:
This will depend on why you are no longer ovulating
For my female fitness enthusiasts or professionals: be very careful of the super lean, six pack abs, thigh gap, women you see in magazines or on instagram promoting health. Many, no longer have a menstrual cycles as a result of hypothalamic ammenhorea. This is where your brain stops communicating to your ovaries usually as a result of undereating, over exercising, low body fat, excess stress, the pill or a combination of these.
Work to restore ovulation and work with your natural cycle
This will require working one on one with a holistic health practitioner.
10. Autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata and universalis
Alopecia means hair loss. Both are autoimmune conditions where hair loss is the main symptoms and is more common with autoimmune thyroid conditions.
Holistic hair repair rx:
Working on the lifestyle and nutrition areas that can be helpful on autoimmune conditions may be helpful alongside some of the more general recommendations in the hair growth protocol below
Holistic Hair Growth Protocol
Identify your root cause(s) and work to address these as they will make the biggest impact. It is going to take some time for you to see improvements, so don’t leave it too long, before acting
Make sure you are eating enough overall calories. Plug in your info HERE, then track a few days worth of food intake in an app like MyFitness Pal.
At each meal focus on including healthy fats (olive oil, coconut products, avocados, nuts, and seeds, salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna, grass fed and finished red meat, grass fed butter), protein (beef, lamb, seafood, eggs, quinoa, buckwheat, chia, a good quality grass-fed whey protein body, legumes) and nourishing carbs (fruit, potatoes, pumpkin, brown/white rice, quinoa).
Alongside this, consider a high quality multivitamin or pre-natal supplement + omega 3 fatty acid supplement. I prefer the DOTERRA LifeLong Vitality Pack as it’s a food based multi-mineral & multivitamin + omega 3 fatty acid complex + anti-oxidant and cellular energy complex. This is helpful if you’ve come off the pill, are on the pill or even as a pre-post natal supplement (with some additions). I really like it as contains milk thistle, some powerful polyphenols, the brassica family, for liver support. To purchase doTERRA at wholesale head HERE and watch this VIDEO.
Check out Biosil - comes recommended by some colleagues.
Also, add in some superfoods weekly for their nutrient profile: organic liver (50g twice a week), oyster (6-12 per week), bone broth (most days).
If you aren’t consuming bone broth regularly, add in a collagen powder, and consume in your smoothie or hot drink daily. If you don’t consume liver or can’t source high quality, look into desiccated liver capsules
Make sure you have tools and activities built into your day to manage stress (P.S the antidotes to stress can be found in pleasure, joy, gratitude)
Be aware of the toxic chemicals and gluten (if you have an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto’s) you are applying to your scalp through hair dyes, shampoos, hair sprays and other products that can cause hair follicles to become inflamed. There are a host of endocrine disrupting chemicals in most commercial hair care products that can wreak havoc on your hormones. I use the doTERRA Shampoo and Conditioner, which I’ve found to be both safe and effective in giving me beautiful and shiny hair.
Topical Hair Growth Solutions
Castor oil: supports circulation through the scalp and helps hair shafts retain moisture.
Jojoba: Increases hair luster, encourages the growth and decreases scalp dryness. May even help reduce the appearance of gray hair.
Incorporate essential oils that can encourage growth into your weekly or daily routine. My tried and tested favourites are rosemary, geranium, cedarwood, cypress..
Note: Rosemary inhibits 5-alpha reductase which is the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Ok, here are a few recipes to try out. Remember you will have to be patient, and give it time, but be consistent, as I have seen some really incredible results in telogen effluvium and post pill.
Recipes
Hair Growth Serum
Mix 2 drops each of cedarwood, cypress, geranium and 4 drops rosemary essential oil in 1/4 cup each of organic jojoba and castor oil and massage mixture into the hair and scalp, three times a week (or more). You can substitute the castor oil for coconut oil if needed.
2. Hair Growth Spray
Mix 7 drops each Rosemary, Cedarwood, Cypress, and Geranium into 120ml of distilled water and spray roots of hair daily.
3. Pimp Your Shampoo / Conditioner
Add 7 drops each of Rosemary, Cedarwood, Cypress and Geranium to a 250ml bottle od shampoo or conditioner.
I would only recommend using Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils, such as doTERRA essential oils and organic, cold pressed, jojoba and castor oil (prefer this in a glass bottle).
Noone wants the stress of losing their hair and feeling at a loss as to why. It can make us feel really vulnerable and even devastated, especially when it gets dismissed as nothing you can do about it. This is why getting clear on what if any are the underlying causes for your hair disappearing. The great news is that many of causes can be reversed and whilst hair regrowth is a slow process (at least 3-4 months) it can be rewarding to see things get back on tract and stay that way.
However, friends, there are times when genetics, autoimmunity or an undiagnosed condition are at play and even with all the natural approaches, you may not see results. If this is the case, please don’t lose hope, there are still many other options and advances in technology that you can explore.
I hope this helps. If you are interested in working one-on-one to dig into things more deeply and take a holistic approach, you can visit HERE .
If you would like to purchase doTERRA at wholesale price with my ongoing support you can do that HERE or email me at chantelhutnan@gmail.com
CLICK HERE for the results from my stepdad’s hair growth after using the hair growth serum for 3 months.
Love,
Chantel x