Hormone Imbalance and Hair Loss

Everyone longs for strong and shining hair. Healthy thick hair helps enhance your looks in a big way. It is obvious that nutritional deficiencies can lead to hair loss. A few decades ago, thinning hair was considered as a warning sign of ageing mechanism. These days, men and women of all ages complain about hair loss. They think that using expensive cosmetics would easily solve their problem. Very few people try to understand the relationship between hormone imbalance and hair loss. Usually, men are not much bothered about baldness, they consider it as natural. Women are more worried about hair loss than men. Baldness in women is a cause of cosmetic concern. It has been observed that now, men are also interested in innovative hairstyles. Good looks help boost the confidence of the person. These days, men also take care of their looks, especially hair and skin, just like women.

Hair Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance

Hair loss in women over 40 is a common cause of concern worldwide. Having normal hormonal levels in the body is essential; if you want to enjoy healthy and strong hair. Hormones, along with vitamins and minerals, promote hair growth. Women are more likely to suffer from hormone imbalance as compared to men. A woman's body goes through various phases like puberty, ovulation, menstruation, fertilisation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause, etc. The pituitary gland controls the functioning of the thyroid, adrenal glands and sex glands; and the hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland.

An under-active thyroid can lead to hair loss, weak hair, fragile nails, dry skin, excessive tiredness, and weight gain. An overactive thyroid can also cause hair loss, oily skin, weight loss, increased appetite, profound sweating, rapid heart rate, etc. Lack of the hormone parathyroid can also result in thinning of the hair, excessive pigmentation of the skin, and muscle cramps. The hormones adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) help fight stress. You won't be able to manage stress if these hormones are not produced in sufficient quantities. Excessive stress can lead to severe hair loss. Low or even excessive production of cortisone by the adrenal glands is also responsible for hair loss. Excess cortisone can lead to scalp problems, weight gain, excessive accumulation of fat, and excessive facial hair in women. Women have small amounts of male sex hormones androgens in their body. Excessive androgens can lead to a receding hairline, like what men experience, hair loss, excessive facial hair, and outburst of acne.

Women generally suffer from hair loss during puberty, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause. Female hormones progesterone and oestrogen play an important role in all these phases. Low progesterone and high oestrogen (oestrogen dominance) can cause mood swings, lack of ovulation, growth of facial hair, difficulty conceiving, miscarriage, depression, fatigue and hair loss. During pregnancy and childbirth, if your hormones go awry, you may shed hair at a faster rate. Usually during pregnancy, a woman experiences high hormone levels. As the hormone levels come back to their normal levels after childbirth, the hair start falling off. Similarly, when a woman enters her menopausal stage, the ovaries start producing less oestrogen. Low oestrogen level and increased testosterone level during perimenopause and menopause, results in hair loss.

Not only women, but men also suffer from hair loss due to elevated levels of testosterone hormone or lack of certain hormones in the body. Women have high levels of oestrogen to balance the androgens. Therefore, hair loss in women is not as common as in men. Hormonal reactions during autoimmune conditions can also lead to the loss of hair and premature balding. Most birth control pills contain synthetic forms of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Excessive consumption of these pills can lead to hormonal imbalance and hair loss. Women usually are not aware of this fact.

Most men and women opt for expensive cosmetics to stop hair loss. But they actually need to check their lifestyle. If they are leading a hectic and stressful lifestyle, their adrenal glands are likely to become overworked; owing to the constant need for cortisol, the stress hormone. In case of women, this leads to excessive production of adrenaline, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), resulting in hair loss. Both men and women should try to reduce stress and lead a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercises play an important role in maintaining hormone balance. Since hair growth cycle is regulated by the hormones in the body, hormone imbalance is one of the main causes of hair loss.