posted March 31, 2014 05:15 PM            

Although most people believe that hair loss is general a man’s issue, the fact as many as two-thirds of all women experience hair loss as some point. Forty percent of women have visible hair loss by the time they are forty according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The medical pays little attention to the issue of women and hair loss and most doctors don’t take complains of hair loss in women seriously.

Hair loss in women can be devastating for self image and emotional wellbeing. Even hair thinning can make a woman feel unattractive, stressed and depressed. To make matters worse doctors usually have no explanation and little too often for this devastating problem. Worst of all many women are told hair loss is just part of the aging process. This is farthest from the truth. Hair loss in women can be stop and reversed. We can uncover and treat the causes.

The three most common types of hair loss are:

1. Hair loss due to thyroid disease or hypothyroidism

2. Androgenic alopecia

3. Alopecia Areata

Hypothyroidism or Low Thyroid is one of the most common causes of hair loss in women. Frequently this goes undetected because the routine test thyroid blood test (TSH, T4, T3) often fail to detect the problem. Many women complain to their doctor of hair loss and intuitively believe there could be a thyroid problem, yet blood tests come out normal. With the use of a more sensitive thyroid test, called the TRH Stimulation Test we have found the many of these women were right after all. Their thyroid was low, yet they were misled when based on the routine thyroid tests doctor’s told them their thyroid was normal.

Hypothyroidism is more common in women, the balance of estrogen and progesterone can have an indirect effect on the thyroid. High estrogen levels in proportion to progesterone suppress thyroid function.

Stress can result in high levels of cortisol which suppress thyroid function. It can also lead to low DHEA, which can make one more susceptible to hypothyroidism. Frequently when the thyroid is the cause of the hair loss women have other thyroid related symptoms as well but at times hair loss can be only symptom. Other symptoms of thyroid disease include fatigue, weight gain (even though one might be eating very little).

How demoralizing it is for women with hypothyroid related hair loss when this condition is also associated with weight gain and fatigue, frequent low thyroid symptoms, but what is most troubling and frustrating is when women go from doctor to doctor and no one can give them an explanation or adequate treatment. The TRH Stimulation thyroid test change Janet’s life. Since she was thirty five Janet has been losing hair, gaining weight, yet eating very little and feeling tired. She went to her doctor thinking that there was something wrong with her thyroid, but her doctor told her that her thyroid blood tests came out normal. Her doctor told her that her symptoms were likely due to stress and told her to go on a diet. Janet felt humiliated but didn’t give up on her search to find out what was wrong. When she came to see me I did the more sensitive yet forgotten thyroid tests called the TRH Stimulation Test. Sure enough we detected a low thyroid. With natural thyroid hormone the addition of biotin, silica in liquid form, iron and selenium, her hair loss stoop and hair re-grew. Her energy dramatically improved.

An autoimmune disease is another cause, Alopecia Areata, is another cause of hair loss in women. This type of hair loss appears on various degrees or severity, from small round patches of hair loss to chronic extensive hair loss. Like any auto-immune inflammatory disease it is critical to look for the causes. Frequently gastro-intestinal imbalances with overgrowth of certain bacteria are found in association with auto-immune diseases. Additionally, heavy metals like lead or mercury can cause immunological imbalances. With chelation (the removal of these metals with EDTA or DMSA) immunological function improves. Removing the overgrowth of certain bacteria is also a critical step in normalizing immune function. The risk of developing Alopecia Areata is very high on people with asthma, thyroid disease, vitiligo and Down syndrome.

Certain natural compounds such as astragalus, Russian Choice Immune and Transfer Factors can balance the immune system, we also use thymus gland intramuscularly which also has a immune-modulatory effect. These natural compounds stimulate the component of the immune system that is weak in autoimmune diseases, which while in effect toning down the component of the immune system that is hyperactive.

Other treatments include cortisol cream, immunotherapy using medicine such as Diphenylcyclopropenone (DCP) or squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) on the scalp can calm the hyperactive immune cells. Topical minoxidol which accelerates the speed of the natural hair cycle and increases the diameter of the hair that regrows.

Anthralin (Orithocream, micanol) which causes scalp irritating that can stimulate hair growth. Infrared light/low level laser can help hair loss from all causes since it improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrient delivery. Androgenic alopecia, another major cause of hair loss in women is caused by high levels of DHT a metabolite of testosterone. Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. Is not the level of testosterone that causes hair loss but its metabolite DHT which binds to the receptors in the scalp follicles. DHT shrinks the hair follicles making difficult for hair to survive. Even so called normal levels of these hormones, can still trigger hair loss. A rise in DHT from one’s baseline even if the new level is still within the normal range can be enough of a rise to cause hair loss.

Hormones need to be in a delicate balance. Testosterone and DHT do not even need to rise to cause hair loss. Their counterpart female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, can drop causing an overall imbalance.

The majority of women with androgenic alopecia have diffuse thinning all areas of the scalp. Men rarely have diffusive thinning but instead have more distinct pattern of boldness. Some women have a combination of two pattern types.

Ovarian cysts, high androgen index, birth control pills, pregnancy and menopause can cause hormonal shifts leading to hair loss. Women who have polycystic ovaries and high levels of testosterone and thereby high levels of DHT. Also insulin resistance, a condition in which one’s cells are not efficiently picking up insulin, causing the pancreas to produce excessive amount of insulin can also cause a rise in testosterone and DHT. Treating the cause of high testosterone is of course critical. Natural compounds can make the cells more sensitive to insulin.

A comprehensive program is necessary to treat and reverse androgen-related causes of hair loss in women. Blood levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHT, DHEA, glucose-insulin tolerance test, vitamin profile are all part of the routine workup.

Treatment includes the herbs saw palmetto, a DHT blocker, nizoral shampoo, which not only eliminates the yeast, a cause of hair loss but is also an androgenic blocker. Sometimes progesterone can be beneficial as well. The drug Propecia, a DHT blocker can also be effective but should not be taken if you are planning on becoming pregnant. At times Aldactone or Spironolactone usually use as a diuretic can also be helpful as it slows the production of androgens in the adrenal sand ovaries and it blocks DHT from binding to the receptors.

Hair loss in women is not just a cosmetic issue but frequently the tip of the iceberg of serious health issues. Taking hair loss in women seriously will not only result in an improvement in cosmetic issues but also in an improvement in general health issues as well.

http://raphaelkellmanmd.com/health-issues-we-treat/womens- and-hair-loss-overlooked-causes-most-effective-treatments/