Common Causes Of Hair Loss

Hypothyroidism And Hyperthyroidism

Individuals who have thyroid problems often experience hair loss. The major conditions that cause hair loss are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. In the former, patients have an underactive thyroid, and in the latter, they have an overactive thyroid. Thus, patients will have either too much thyroid hormone or not enough. There are a couple of reasons why patients with these thyroid conditions deal with hair loss. Hair loss is a side effect of some antithyroid drugs, such as methimazole.

In addition, having too much or too little thyroid hormone can often trigger telogen effluvium. This is a scalp disorder. It causes the patient's hair to enter a resting phase too early, where it will not grow. In this state, patients may deal with the loss of up to seventy percent of their hair within two months. Patients must receive treatment for their thyroid condition in order to reverse their hair loss. This may mean taking the right medication or undergoing thyroid surgery, among other options.