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Hair health: 5 things your locks are telling you

Woman combing her hair
If you’ve noticed changes in your hair health, it may be trying to tell you something about your overall health. Watch for brittle hair and shedding.

If you’ve noticed your hair is thinning, or that a growing amount of hair is piling up in your shower drain, your hair might be trying to send you a message about your health.

Research shows that changes in your hair health — be it look, texture, or thickness — can offer signs of underlying health conditions, like thyroid disease. They should not be taken lightly.

Dr. Diane Meyer, a Marshfield Clinic dermatologist, covers five things your hair may be saying about your health, and what you should do about them. Next time you look in the mirror, look for these hair symptoms.

Brittle hair

“When I see people with brittle hair, it may be related to nutritional deficiencies or thyroid disease and hormones you should discuss with a physician,” she said.

Most commonly, hair can also be made brittle by hair styling practices including harsh hair care products or chemical and heat treatments, like curling irons and blow-drying. Sometimes cutting back on chemical and heat treatments will help your hair significantly.

Thinning hair and thyroid disease

Both hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormones) and hyperthyroidism (too many thyroid hormones) can cause hair loss.

In hypothyroidism, hair is often dry, brittle and thinning, and can be associated with fatigue, cold sensitivity, weight gain, brittle nails and dry, rough, itchy skin.

In hyperthyroidism, hair is often fine, brittle and thinning, and can be associated with weight loss (despite increased appetite), increased sweating and heat sensitivity, nervousness, rapid heart weight and tremor.

Both can be diagnosed with thyroid blood tests.

Hair shedding and thinning

If you’re suddenly noticing more hair in your hairbrush or on your shower floor, this could indicate a medical problem that warrants blood testing.

In addition to thyroid blood testing, your doctor may want to check iron and ferritin levels and vitamin D or hormone levels.

It is normal to shed between 50 to 100 hairs per day. More is excessive and can be seen in people who have experienced one of these stressors:

  • Significant weight loss
  • Delivery of a baby
  • High stress level
  • A high fever
  • Surgery
  • Stopped taking birth control pills
  • Started a new medication

Hair thinning also can be hereditary as we age, and it can be caused by hairstyles that pull on the hair.

“When evaluating hair loss, I also look for autoimmune diseases like lupus erythematosus, which can affect many parts of the body, and alopecia areata, which usually appears in patches,” Dr. Meyer said.

Yellow flakes and dandruff

Yellow or white flakes in your hair, on your shoulders and even in your eyebrows can be dandruff.

Over-the-counter or prescription shampoos and leave-on products like topical lotions or solutions can help manage the condition. Dandruff, caused by yeast on the skin, which results in inflammation, is usually worse in winter.

Sometimes, scalp scaling and itching also can be caused by a fungal infection, psoriasis or eczema.

Gray hair

Research shows gray hair is almost purely genetic, with rare exceptions for medications and nutritional deficiencies.

Some claim stress plays a role but research does not support this. Other than trying hair dyes or colors, no “magic tonics” exists to stop hair from turning gray.

“The take-away is that your hair says a lot about your health,” Meyer said. “Don’t overlook the importance of healthy hair. It can be much more than just aesthetically pleasing.”

If you experience significant changes in your hair health, please consider talking to your physician.

19 responses to “Hair health: 5 things your locks are telling you”

  1. Kathleen

    Yes, I have thinning hair and don't know why. My thyroid was checked some yrs ago and it was normal. Is it possible you could recommend a dermatologist? It would be nice to get one close to home. I live in Merrill, WI.

    1. Kirsten Shakal

      Hi, Kathleen. The closest Marshfield Clinic location to Merrill that also has dermatologists is Wausau Center.

      Wausau Center has these dermatologists: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/doctors/search?k=dermatology#Default=%7B%22k%22%3A%22dermatology%22%2C%22r%22%3A%5B%7B%22n%22%3A%22AllLocationTerms%22%2C%22t%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22%C7%82%C7%825761757361752043656e746572%5C%22%22%5D%2C%22o%22%3A%22and%22%2C%22k%22%3Afalse%2C%22m%22%3Anull%7D%5D%7D

      You can find dermatologists in our other locations here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/Doctors/Search?k=dermatology

      I hope this helps and you find the answers you're looking for. Please let me know if you have any further questions. -Kirstie

  2. Julia

    What about different meds that cause thinning? I've been on Plaxix for almost five years due to a stroke. Would this med cause my hair thinning?

    1. Kirsten Shakal

      Hi, Julia. I reached out to Marshfield Clinic's pharmacy team. Their response: "Per Clinical Pharmacology and the prescribing information, clopidogrel (Plavix®) does not have 'hair loss' or 'hair thinning' listed as a potential adverse reaction." -Kirstie

  3. Carol

    My daughter has had eczema and was bothered with dandruff. I read about using mouth wash to cure the dandruff. It worked great!

  4. June L.

    I have been on Levothyroxine for many many years and my hair has thinned some, but not that much, but I recently read an article about memory loss due to taking this medication. I think I would rather lose my hair than my memory. Can you enlighten me on this finding?

    1. John Tracy

      June, Thanks for the feedback. I am checking with our doctors in Endocrinology to get their input. – John

    2. Sue h

      I have also been on thyroid medication for many years, and am experiencing memory problems. Please respond to June's question. Thank you for all the good information you give us.

      1. Kirsten Shakal

        Hi, Sue. I am sorry we did not receive a response on this and did not follow up sooner. I will see what information I can get today from our doctors in Endocrinology. -Kirstie

      2. Kirsten Shakal

        June and Sue – Given responses from our pharmacy and endocrinology teams, it's my understanding there is not scientific evidence linking thyroid medication with memory loss, which means they could not point me to documented literature on this topic. If you could point me to the article you found, June, I'd be happy to share it with our pharmacy and endocrinology teams for specific feedback on that article.

        Our best recommendation now is to discuss your concerns with your primary care doctor. -Kirstie

  5. Janet Q.

    I have been on thyroid medication for 50 years. I was 25 when I lost most of my hair due to my thyroid problem. I was tested and put on medication but my thick hair never returned.

  6. Jacqueline J.

    My hair is getting thinner and thinner. I am on thyroid medication and have been for years.

    1. Ginny R

      I have the same problem as Jacqueline. Thinning hair and have been on thyroid medication for years.

    2. Mary Jane R.

      I have been on thyroid medication for about 40 years and my hair is shedding by the handfuls. My thyroid tests come back as "normal" and I'm wondering if I should see and Endocrinologist for further tests!!

      1. Kirsten Shakal

        Mary – We cannot provide individualized medical advice on this forum and suggest you re-share your concerns with your doctor. He/she can refer you to a specialist if needed.

        If you would like to request an appointment, you can do so here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/appointments. I hope this helps. -Kirstie

  7. Donna R.

    Grey hair that is getting finer….almost like babies hair. I perm every three-months, do not use heat on my hair.

  8. Linda K. Olson-Hellerud

    These 5 things…was very helpful. Thanks

    1. Jake Miller

      Glad you found it useful, Linda. Have a great weekend!

    2. alice

      What helped for the hairless?

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