Episode 56: What You Need to Know About Hair Loss in Women

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni discuss: the different types of hair loss, causes, lab tests to consider and solutions that can work for women in perimenopause who are experiencing hair loss. It’s important to recognize that some hair loss is normal but unfortunately, abnormal hair loss is common. Up to 50% of women will experience significant amounts of hair loss in their lifetime. What is Normal? * Loss of 50-100 hairs on average per day* No change in hairline/scalp you can see; pony tail still same size* 3-4 months postpartum: * you don’t lose hair during pregnancy; make up for it at this time* normalizes at around 6-12 months postpartum The Four Stages for Hair Follicles: * Anagen - active growth phase lasting 2-7 years* Catagen - brief transitional phase where fibre stops growing* Telogen - rest phase lasting 3 months where old hair pushed up to skin surface then shed What is Abnormal? * Losing more than 100 hairs per day when not postpartum* Change in your hairline with more scalp visible* Telogen effluvium: temporary hair loss after stress, shock or traumatic event Type of Hair Loss: * Genetic - progressive gradual reduction in your hair volume, can make your hair follicles more susceptible to reactive hair loss* Reactive - also known as telogen effluvium, temporary hair loss Causes of Hair Loss: * Nutrient deficiencies: low iron, vitamin b12, protein intake* Low thyroid function: Hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis* Your thyroid gland helps to regulate your body's metabolism by controlling the production of proteins and your tissue use of oxygen. Any thyroid imbalance can therefore affect your hair follicles. * If hypothyroidism is left untreated it may result in anemia or iron deficiency* Stress, shock or traumatic event* Can negatively impact your estrogen levels which can impact hair loss* Raises your androgen levels, disrupts your scalp health causing dandruff, negative impact on your digestion* Can negatively impact your thyroid function* Leaky gut, celiac disease and eating gluten - see Episode 8 for more info on gut health* Damaging hair dye or other hair care products that weigh your hair down* Traction alopecia: caused pulling hair back tightly (eg. ponytail, bun or braids) and weakening hair follicles* Hormone changes and imbalance* Perimenopause with lower estrogen* PCOS with high androgens and insulin resistance* Caloric restriction:* Excessive fasting* Cleanses with low protein intake* Eating disorders* No or low carb intake Laboratory Testing You Can Consider To Determine The Cause of Your Hair Loss: * Nutrient testing* Iron panel - hemoglobin, ferritin, iron and transferrin saturation levels* Vitamin B12* Celiac screen* Food sensitivity testing* Thyroid panel (TSH, free T4 and T3 plus thyroid antibodies) - see Episode 42 for more info* Autoimmune testing* Hormone testing* adrenal/cortisol* hormone panel with estrogens and androgens* Blood sugar testing* Insulin and glucose levels when fasting* Hemoglobin A1C* Glucometer or continuous blood sugar testing at home What you can do about it? * Biotin:  does it really work? * Found in eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower* Can impact accuracy on certain lab testing like t...