Is a brush full of hair familiar? Do you feel like handfuls of hair come out when you wash your hair?
Are you suffering from hair loss? Do you wish you had a bit more hair on your head?
Hair loss can be traumatic for people, especially for woman. Most people tend to associate hair loss with aging, so it can be particularly difficult for people to deal with when it begins early in life. On the surface, hair loss seems like an aesthetic concern, but it can be indicative of deeper underlying health issues.
HEALTH ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH HAIR LOSS
Nutrient deficiencies are one of the areas that has been researched in the area of hair loss. Some commonly seen deficiencies include having low levels of iron, vitamin D, biotin (vitamin B7) and vitamin C. One study found a correlation between low iron and vitamin D levels in relation to female hair loss (Source).
Androgenic alopecia, also known as male and female pattern baldness, results from high levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is converted from testosterone, and then binds to cell receptors on hair follicles, which results in the follicles shrinking. Regardless of whether you are male or female, DHT can be problematic for your hair follicles. In men it typically shows up as a receding hairline and follows male baldness patterns, but in women it shows up differently. In women androgenic alopecia can cause either thinning or patterns that resemble male baldness. Hormonal health is dependent on a balance of hormones, not necessarily on the amount of one or two hormones. This means that levels of DHT can be low, but still contribute to hair loss if other hormones aren't balanced with the amount of DHT present. Control of DHT levels is largely regulated by the amounts of testosterone and other hormones present in the body.
Low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism, can be another hormonal reason for hair loss. When thyroid hormones are low it is not uncommon to have thinning hair. Stress plays a significant role in reducing thyroid function, as does low levels of selenium in the body. Gut health plays a role as well, as organisms in your gut are responsible for converted about 20% of T4 to T3, the active form of the hormone. Other indications that you might have a low thyroid condition include fatigue, weight gain, dry skin and hair, and cold hands and feet.
STEPS TO REVERSE HAIR LOSS
1. Eat a Nutrient Dense Diet
Ensuring you are getting nutrients associated with reduced hair loss is an important first step. Foods rich in iron include liver, beef, lamb, and nuts and seeds, with pumpkin seeds coming out on top. Vitamin D is difficult to get from food sources, but some good sources are cod liver oil, oily fish such as trout and salmon, mushrooms and egg yolk. Exposing your skin to sunlight is one of the best sources of ensuring we get vitamin D, though you want to ensure you don't burn. High levels of vitamin C can be found in bell peppers, broccoli, dark leafy greens, citrus fruit and berries. To find biotin, look to eggs, nuts, liver, meat and oily fish.
Luckily some of these foods have more than one of the nutrients you need. Make sure you regularly consume liver, meat, oily fish, nuts and seeds and a variety of vegetables and fruit.
You can also add a good quality multivitamin that includes a B Complex to ensure that deficiencies get corrected.
2. Block DHT
Drink green tea. Green tea contains EGCG, which has been shown to be protective against the effects of DHT (Source). If you are a coffee drinker, try replacing your coffee with green tea.
Consume pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil. Pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil block the effects of DHT (Source). Not only will these help block DHT, but they are rich in iron, as well as zinc. Try a salad with a dressing made with pumpkin seed oil, or sprinkle seeds on salads, soups or just eat on them on their own.
3. Get your hormones tested
If dietary changes in the first two steps aren't working, then visit your naturopathic or functional doctor to get hormone testing done. Both of these types of doctors are well equipped to look at how well your hormones are balanced. For a comprehensive look you should consider testing for sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and even cortisol (stress hormone). A variety of treatment options will be available to you. For a look at some herbal options click here.
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Happy, Healthy Eating!
Tracey