Will Hair Loss from my Thyroid Ever Grow Back?

Will Hair Loss from my Thyroid Ever Grow Back?

The Good News About Thyroid Hair Loss… It Can Grow Back

Hair loss, next to weight loss, is one of the more tragic consequences of having low thyroid function. 

I don’t know a woman (or man) around that thinks losing their hair is acceptable and something that they are just okay with occurring. 

The hair loss industry is HUGE and there are more and more treatments coming out every year. 

There’s one big problem:

Most of these therapies don’t work for people with thyroid conditions because hair loss from your thyroid is a beast in itself. 

Don’t let this bring you down, though, because there ARE definitely ways that you can regrow your hair if your thyroid has taken it from you

In this article you will learn:

  • Why hair loss is so difficult to treat if you have thyroid problems
  • What type of hair loss your thyroid causes and how you can use these patterns to help identify the cause of hair loss
  • My top 3 best treatments for reversing thyroid hair loss and how I help thyroid patients regrowth their hair
  • What to expect in terms of how long it takes to regrow your hair if you have thyroid problems
  • And more…

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The Bad News?

If the good news is that you CAN grow your hair back then what’s the bad news?

The bad news is that it’s not exactly easy to improve hair growth if you have any sort of low thyroid condition. 

And when I’m talking about low thyroid conditions I am referring to people who have a sluggish thyroid, those who have hypothyroidism, those who have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, those who have had their thyroid removed, and those who have had their thyroid ablated

All of these conditions result in a situation in which it’s possible (and usually likely) that you do NOT have enough thyroid hormone in your body. 

This is true even for those people who are taking thyroid medication, by the way! 

Going back to hair loss in thyroid patients…

Why is it so difficult?

Because the hair loss found in thyroid patients is unlike any other type of hair loss out there. 

Most cases of hair loss can be attributed to one major cause. 

But patients who have hair loss from their thyroid usually have more than 1 problem going on. 

To complicate matters further, doctors are really not educated when it comes to managing these issues. 

For instance, it’s unlikely that your doctor knows or even cares that one of the most common causes of hair loss in thyroid patients is from thyroid medication (more on this later). 

Because you can’t count on your doctor to help guide you, you are kind of on your own. 

Thyroid Hair Loss Patterns

Why does your thyroid cause hair loss in the first place?

Thyroid hormone impacts almost every cell in your body and this includes your hair follicles (1). 

As thyroid hormone drops in the body, the activation of hair follicles is also impacted. 

Hair follicles go through a number of phases that regulate when they grow and when they fall out. 

Low thyroid states limit signals to the hair follicles which results in decreased growth. 

Hair that grows slowly will still fall out on time but it won’t catch up to other hair follicles and their phases. 

The result is that your hair is falling out faster than it can grow. 

The exact opposite is true in cases of hyperthyroidism. 

If you have too much thyroid hormone then the signals being sent to your hair follicles are one that will cause them to grow and then fall out too quickly. 

The result is the same, you still experience hair loss. 

Understanding how your thyroid impacts hair growth can help you understand if your hair loss is actually attributed to your thyroid. 

As I mentioned earlier, there are many different types of hair loss and each one tends to be associated with a different pattern. 

You can use these patterns to help identify what type of problem is causing your hair loss. 

Signs your hair loss is from your thyroid:

  • You have lost the outer one-third of your eyebrows (this is an incredibly sensitive marker for thyroid problems and is often the FIRST sign your thyroid is in trouble)
  • Your hair is looking more thin and sparse
  • You notice an increase in hair in your brush or when you take a bath/shower
  • Your hair is not as thick as it used to be (you know it’s bad if your hairdresser comments about the thickness of your hair)
  • The hair loss is diffuse across your entire head
  • You also have additional symptoms of low thyroid (fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, and so on)

I want to pay special attention to the first item on the list above. 

Many women with thyroid problems experience hair loss on the outer one-third of their eyebrows (right around the tail). 

This sign is very specific to thyroid problems and it can be used as an early warning sign that you have thyroid problems. 

The main issue with this finding is that it can occur slowly over time and may be missed! 

In addition, many women are used to tweezing their brows and they may accidentally hide this sign as they try to make their brows symmetrical. 

I’ve also seen women who “hide” this problem with the use of microblading, microshading, and/or eyebrow tattoos. 

It’s fine to do something about your eyebrows if you are self-conscious but do make sure you keep an eye on them. 

The reason is, you can use your eyebrow hair growth as a marker for whether or not you are on the right track. 

It’s a GREAT sign when you start to see your eyebrow hair grow back. 

How to Grow your Hair Back

Okay, so let’s get into the specifics. 

I mentioned previously that it can be difficult to figure out what is actually causing your hair loss and that’s because there are several things that matter to thyroid patients and no one else. 

Let’s get into each of those: 

#1. Thyroid hormone status. 

The first and most obvious source of hair loss stems from the status of thyroid hormone in your body

For most people, this will mean that you are NOT getting enough thyroid hormone. 

If you don’t get enough then the hair in your hair follicles won’t grow, it’s quite simple. 

This is also true for people who are taking thyroid medication. 

If your dose of thyroid medication is too small then you will always be in a continual state of hair loss. 

The key to fixing this problem is to simply adjust your dose (if you are taking thyroid medication). 

Taking a higher dose of thyroid medication will increase thyroid hormone status and improve hair growth. 

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You should also be aware that an excessively HIGH dose of thyroid hormone can also cause hair loss as well. 

This is unusual, but it does happen from time to time. 

Both a hyperthyroid and a hypothyroid state, induced by thyroid medication, can trigger hair loss. 

But as I mentioned, probably 98% of you reading this are not taking enough thyroid medication so you will need to increase your dose. 

#2. Thyroid medications. 

The next source of hair loss can stem from the very medication that you are taking to try and fix your thyroid hormone status. 

That’s right! Thyroid medication ITSELF can cause hair loss regardless of the dose that you are taking. 

It’s a side effect of ALL types of thyroid medications

If you aren’t aware of this problem then you can continually adjust your dose up and down trying to fix the problem only to later find out that the problem is with the MEDICATION and not the dose. 

But just because it CAN happen doesn’t mean that it ALWAYS happens. 

There’s a big difference between those two. 

The risk that your thyroid medication is causing your hair loss by itself is probably only around 2-5% (depending on the type of thyroid medication you are taking). 

Some thyroid medications, like Cytomel, cause hair loss but it’s usually only temporary

The good news is that even if your hair loss is caused by your thyroid medication you can easily solve this problem:

How?

By simply switching to another brand of medication. 

If you are taking levothyroxine and it’s causing hair loss then switching to Synthroid should fix the issue. 

If you are taking Armour thyroid and it’s causing hair loss then switching to Nature-throid should fix the issue. 

It’s not a hard fix but it’s often completely missed. 

#3. Nutrient deficiencies

The next most important cause of hair loss in thyroid patients stems from nutrient deficiencies

I’m not talking about ALL nutrients but instead a very important one:

Iron

Iron, more specifically ferritin, plays a HUGE role in hair growth. 

And thyroid patients tend to have LOW iron (and ferritin) from absorption issues. 

Ferritin is NOT the same thing as iron, but ferritin is related to iron. 

When you test for ferritin you are checking for the amount of iron STORAGE in your body. 

Testing for iron, on the other hand, tells you how much iron is in the bloodstream. 

When it comes to hair growth, ferritin seems to matter more than your serum iron. 

If you have ANY sort of thyroid problem make sure you check your ferritin level and take iron if you find that it is low!

But be sure not to take iron within 4 hours of taking your thyroid medication or it will inactive your medication and may cause more hair loss (back to problem #1). 

How Long Does it Take Hair to Grow Back? 

What about expectations? I’ve come to learn that people (women especially) are not too patient when it comes to hair regrowth. 

And I don’t blame them one bit!

This is why you should be aware of what to expect when you are trying to grow your hair back. 

You should know that it takes WEEKS to MONTHS to see improvement in your hair growth if you have any sort of thyroid condition. 

In fact, the minimum amount of time it takes to see improvement is usually around 6 weeks. 

And it’s usually around this time that you start to see baby hairs start to grow back. 

Don’t expect to see significant improvement in the density of your hair for at least 4-6 months. 

By 12 months, if you are on the right track, you should see a significant and dramatic improvement in your hair density and quality. 

Your ponytail should be thicker, your hair should be shinier, your eyebrows should be back, and so on. 

But this all assumes that what you are doing is the RIGHT therapy and the CORRECT treatment. 

It’s certainly possible for you to make changes you think might be working but not see any progress at all for months. 

This is part of the trial and error process, so don’t be discouraged. 

Because it takes so long, you may want to make more than one change at a time to see if you can see improvement faster. 

Final Thoughts

While your thyroid can absolutely take your hair away, you still have control to bring it back. 

It won’t be easy, and the road may be long, but it’s absolutely possible. 

When trying to grow your hair back make sure you do these two things:

#1. Remember that hair loss in thyroid patients is multifaceted

And #2. Have the right expectations in terms of how long it will take to see improvement

These two things will help keep you grounded and help you stay on the right path. 

Now I want to hear from you:

Are you currently suffering from thyroid hair loss?

If so, what type of hair loss pattern do you see?

Do you think more than just your thyroid is involved in your hair loss?

What type of treatments have you tried? Have they worked for you? Why or why not?

Leave your comments or questions below! 

#1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18728176/

does hair loss from low thyroid ever grow back?

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About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

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76 thoughts on “Will Hair Loss from my Thyroid Ever Grow Back?”

  1. I have Hoshimoto’s auto immune. I have lost all but a 1/2 inch of my eyebrows, my hairline has receded on my forehead, and I can’t wear a ponytail because so much hair is missing on my left side above my ear. I’m able to look normal as long as my hair is down.

    Reply
  2. Pennie Parker
    9/22/20 2:11 pm
    My hair loss is my hair line has receded up my forehead. Also my hair has gotten really thin on top and sides. I also have thyroid issues and take 75mcg of levothyroxine. I had my hair cut and colored last year but it didn’t really help much. I don’t put my hair in a ponytail anymore because it pulls to much hair out. Also receding hair line and thin hair runs in my family. My Mom had really fine thin hair. She also had thyroid issues. I’ve been using Vitality’s Hair Envy for about 2 months or so. I can’t tell if it’s working or not.

    Reply
    • I felt tired, out of breath when walking up a flight of stairs and lost more than usual amounts of hair over a three month period. I take 125mg of thyroxin also going through the menopause and my iron storage is always low. So now I take iron tablets, 2 tbsp of organic milled flaxseed mixed in low fat yogurt. Vitamin E, C, magnolia capsules and sage complex capsules from Victoria health on line. Also collagen powder mixed in my coffee in the mornings from So Body Co online. My hair nails and skin are looking amazing now after 3 months and my hair has stopped falling out just have the usual small amount.

      Reply
  3. Hair on one side of my head is about an inch to an inch and a half shorter than the other side. Like its not growing at all on that side. 🙁 Ive been dealing with this for at least 2 to 3 years trying to get it even but though I trim regular it doesnt seem to get better. Eyebrow hair loss on that same side. Anyone else have this type of hairloss?

    Reply
  4. Hair loss can be from many things and that’s why it is so difficult to attribute it t any one thing because we do so many different things in our life. One thing is medication, like Lorrazapam for sleep can cause hair loss, and believe me the doctor never tells you this, and you must find this out on your own. So you take it and time goes on and one day you start to notice that you hair is very thin and sparse and even bald spots. No one knows what is going on, so you begin trying to help yourself. You research on line and read that people taking this prescription also have the same problem. Now you are on a new journey to stop lorrazapam and regrow your hair. Time will tell. Hope this helps!

    Reply
    • I used to take Lorazapam for anxiety, didn’t know that one could take it for sleep. You’re right about having to do the research yourself as the doctors have not been able to solve the problem. I started to go the natural route, but also taking Levothyroxine 88 mcg. I read that Ashwaganda Powder helps with anxiety and improves sleep, and you can buy it at Costco. I heard that Lorazapam is very powerful, and hard to wean off of (my doctor told me this, and would not prescribe me a lot of it) but maybe slowly supplementing with something natural, like the powder, as you lower your Lorazapam dose could help.

      Wishing you well. Hairloss is so traumatizing…especially if one feels like it’s out of ones control.

      Reply
  5. Thank you for the article. May I ask what you consider low ferritin numbers?

    I’ve had anaemia before, but even then, wasn’t sure what the goal for ferritin levels was.

    Thanks again—

    Reply
    • Hi Kiki,

      It depends on what study you look at but most people agree anything less than 40-50 is insufficient for proper hair growth.

      Reply
  6. I have been taking synthroid 100mcg and cytomel 5mcg a day
    Hair loss on and off Over the last 18 years. My body is super sensitive to everything!!! I take supplements, iron, b12, collagen, horsetail supplements (silica), vitamin c, coconut oil, borage oil, ect. I take the iron at night. Lately , the past year my hair has been thinning all over. I’m 50 so also could be hormones. I still take birth control, because I’m deathly scared what will happen when I come off it!! I can only imagine. My doctor says I have to go to a lower dose bc, cause of my age, but I told her no I don’t think so not right now! I NEED HELP!!! Any advice?

    Reply
  7. Hi Dr. Childs: I have Hashimoto and my hair line has receded up my forehead. My eyebrows are ok and my ferritin levels too. I have been under Syntroid and Nature Throid treatment with no results. Right now my TSH , T4, T3, etc., are normal, but still losing hair and feeling cold. My Functional Medicine doctor have no clue yet how to treat those two. I’m 49 and don’t know if homones are the issue.

    Reply
    • Hi Brenda,

      Make sure to check your estrogen and progesterone as you are within that perimenopause age range.

      Reply
  8. I’ve been taking Armour Thyroid for 17 years and for all that time I have felt “normal”. No issues with weight gain. Starting with my husband’s first back surgery in 2009 however I started losing more hair that didn’t come back as it had done in the past. I naturally have fine hair that has never been abundant. As time went by and he had other surgeries and issues I was losing more and more hair regardless of what I tried. I felt quite normal however except for the stressors that cropped up. No real issues with the outer 1/3rd of eye brows.
    When 2020 and Covid-19 came around I was without a PCP and ran out of the Armour Thyroid about June of 2020. I had ordered the Thyroid Hormone of Dr. Childs for my husband and decided to take it for a period while I was out of medication. I took 2 capsules a day and stayed with that until late January this year. I felt that I was doing as well as I had on the Armour Thyroid. I was surprised when my test came back with TSH of 47.49! Even years ago when I finally talked a doctor into giving me the thyroid medication I never had such high TSH; in fact they would always say it was “within range”. The new PCP only tested for TSH and T4-Free which was “normal” at the low of the range at .8. The lab which is not identified on the report. I am scheduled for a repeat test very soon.
    BUT, very interestingly my hair improved while using only the Thyroid Hormone supplement. At about 2 months it seemed I had less falling hair. It has now thickened to the point I rarely use those fill-in powders at the part as I used to. I’ve always felt my adrenals were stressed but never had a supplement that seemed to offer any support. So, since January of this year I am back on Armour Thyroid but I continue to take at least one of the Thyroid Hormone, sometimes 2 if I am looking for a stressful day.
    Great supplements, Dr. Childs! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi C Stowe,

      Glad they are working for you! Optimizing your thyroid usually results in at least some improvement to your hair.

      Reply
  9. Over the past 7 years I have noticed more and more hair on my brush or in the shower after washing my hair. I mentioned it to my doc and he literally laughed in my face. Months later I again mentioned it to the same doctor explaining that the rate of hair loss had accelerated and my hair was noticeably thinner. Again, he laughed in my face. Back then I had a big thick head of tight coils. It hides a multitude and I suppose when you go into a doctor with a thick head of hair (albeit thinner than it was) it’s hard to be taken seriously. I changed doctors eventually and in a visit to my new doc I again mentioned the hair loss. At this stage my hairdresser had expressed shock at how little hair I have left and she advised me to get my thyroid checked. My doctor examined my scalp and diagnosed my hair loss as “minimal” even though large areas of scalp can be clearly seen all around my head. I have tried biotin supplements, I’ve had my iron levels checked and taken iron tablets to bring up the levels, I’ve used minoxidil, olaplex, protein treatments – you name it, I’ve bought and tried it. All to no avail. I have finally been diagnosed with hypothyroidism in the last few months and only in the last week have I found a doctor who is willing to take my blood tests seriously and actually medicate me. I have heart issues as a result of the thyroid issues ongoing for over 7 years without treatment so we’re starting low and slow with meds. I just hope to goodness that I can get my levels sorted before I lose the rest of my hair. At this stage I have roughly 18-20% of my hair left and will not leave the house without a hat on. I’m a 50 y.o. woman and I know it’s devastating for men to lose their hair but trust me, it’s soul destroying for a woman and not too many women talk about hair loss so it really comes with a stigma. I’d be totally lost without these posts from Dr. Childs. Be strong everyone. Hopefully one day soon we’ll be back to admiring our beautiful locks again.

    Reply
    • Hi Bluecurlygirl,

      Thank you for sharing your story! You’ll know if you are on the right track if your hair fall declines. The actual regrowth of hair can take a while.

      Reply
  10. I have had my issues with hair and skin over the many years of thyroid dysfunction but my recent issue with hair is interesting. During the covid shut down when I could not go in to get hair colored and cut I tried a home color which came out fabulous but I had reactions to it including bowel issues so I decided not to do any color and low and behold my hair started growing back. My hair dresser even used a gluten-free color. It has been a year and my hair is still coming in. My hairline is filling in and bald spots at temples are filling in. It has been interesting to watch. Even though they say you cannot absorb gluten I think the body mounts an immune attack at the hint of gluten or other chemicals it does not want. I have no other explanation. So if you do color and are losing hair you may want to stop and see what happens.

    Reply
    • Hi Katherine,

      There’s no question in my mind that hair coloring causes absorption of chemicals which can cause hormone imbalances. In addition, the chemicals used for hair dying can also be very caustic so that may be part of the issue.

      Reply
  11. Interesting article, but you didn’t address hair on arms and legs. Had undiagnosed Hashimoto’s for 15+ years, been on WP/Armour/NT for 17 years. Noticed I had no hair on arms and little on legs 12 years ago, now none on legs or underarms. Thinned a bit on head but I always had very thick hair there, so not a biggie (yet). I’ve been attributing it to the thyroid stuff, but is that correct?

    Reply
    • Hi Geri,

      It could be but that type of hair loss is usually related to blood flow/nutrient issues as opposed to thyroid problems.

      Reply
  12. I’m past 80 and have recently noticed my hair loss–it is mainly on the top and upper back of my head. I’ve been taking Armour thyroid all my adult life and in the last 30 years it was supplemented with levothyroxine. Long ago I lost the outer portion of my eyebrows and have always been susceptible to cold. What tests should I ask my doctor to perform and
    do you think I should try to change my medications? The only other prescription I take is gabapentin.

    Reply
  13. My hair loss worsened when menopause started. I have tried so many things I can no longer count. I take 75 mcg of Levoxyl. i also take a tiny dose of T3 formulary. Medicine hasn’t changed my hair loss. I have seen a reduction in hair fall from your Hair loss supplements and also from another Hair loss vitamin I take. Truth is my scalp is showing more and more 🙁

    Reply
  14. I think putting a young, seemingly healthy, young vibrant person with a gigantic head of hair was very unthoughtful and missed the mark. We are insecure and jealous enough, why not have showed hair loss stages instead of what most of us will never look like.

    Reply
  15. This is 1 thing I’ve I’ve able to resolve. I noticed that after starting thyroid meds, there was a minor improvement but whenever I had a hard workout it would trigger massive hair shedding so I concluded it was stress-related. I added DHEA, tiny dose of 5mg at the time and 1x a year I order labs to make sure I’m still within range. Last year I also cut my hair back so that damaged ends were gone. I barely shed at all now. It’s wonderful.

    Reply
  16. I have been diagnosed with alopecia areata recently (about 6 months now). I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2016. Are they related?

    Reply
    • Hi Charlayne,

      They are both related in that they are both autoimmune diseases. So whatever underlying immune problem lead to one most likely lead to the other.

      Reply
  17. Hi
    I’m curious to see, if anybody here has the same issue. My ferritin levels are low about 25. My total iron is low as well. ( I can’t remember the exact number but it’s low). Every time I start iron -I take it at night with vitamin C ( usually about 18-25 mgs, either from pure encapsulations or blue bonnet) I start to feel like either I’m getting palpitations, or my eyes start to get gritty/ irritated/ teary/ dry – almost as if I’m either becoming hypothyroid ( where I’m not absorbing my Med) or hyperthyroid (like it potentiates my Med). So I end up having to stop. I don’t get any of the stomach upset at all. I tolerate it just fine. It’s a weird feeling that’s likes it’s directly at my thyroid Med. Does this happen to anyone or maybe you have an answer Dr. Childs. It’s really disheartening, I can’t even seem to get on it without feeling this way. The same thing happens to me with the b-complex vitamins in particular biotin, selenium. My heart may get a bit racey, I can hear my heart pounding in my chest and ears. However, I check my pulse and it’s in the high 80s low 90s. I take NP thyroid 1 grain 2Xs/ day and compounded T3 5 mcg in am(gluten and dye free). I had a total thyroidectomy 13 years ago. Any answers would be great. Thank you

    Reply
    • I don’t know if you know this but NP thyroid by Acella was having a problem with accuracy in their meds. I was using it and felt hyperthyroid symptoms, so I got off it after a short time. Then later on ( several months ),I found out that during the time I took it, it was over the dose stated on the bottle. Yikes. You should check into it. Not sure if it’s been corrected.

      Reply
      • Hi Patricia,

        The dosing was off by about 9-18% or so but it could certainly impact some people. They are required to fix it which is why the medication was put on recall.

        Reply
  18. I have lost all of my eyebrows save a few hairs. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in my 20s.
    About 6 mos ago I convinced my doc to increase my Armour Thyroid (for Hashimoto’s). Not long after (a month or two?) my hairline hair began growing back! After so many years. But now, several months later, it isn’t growing back any more and I’m not sure whether what came back has remained either.

    Reply
  19. Hi;
    I was just listening to Dr Bergs video on Bile salts
    The 9 Benefits of Bile Salts
    He goes into the conversion of 80% of T4 to T3 by the liver and then transporting it out to the small intestine via Bile. If you are short bile then that wont happen as much. (actually in another video)
    But basically you get the idea that if you have fatty liver your conversion will suffer and you will get the side effects

    Reply
  20. This article was extremely useful
    I currently deal with hypothyroidism
    Very low in iron
    I am having extreme hair loss dull hair dry hair

    Reply
  21. When writing an article about thryroid and hair loss, why on earth would you select a photo of a model with full, thick hair? Is that supposed to make those of us suffering from this issue feel better???!!! That was incredibly tone-deaf. Wow.

    Reply
  22. thank you- I am fighting this issue right now, I been under extreme physical stress, ( had oral surgery) and now fight getting over pneumonia. Lossing hair, eyelashes, and have NO fingernails! I was always so healthy when young~! But stress has taken a toll on my body! I take 11 vitamins throughout the day. Iron and B12 have been low in the past but not nothing like this nail thing! I do avoid gluten much as possible- But symptoms tell me this is low B12 and low iron/ferritin and unable to convert T3 plus stress sickness double whammy also!

    Reply
  23. Hi,
    I am experiencing significant hair loss evenly on my entire head to the point of needing to think about wigs. The outer part of my eyebrows are gone. I have been on Levothyroxine since 1995 and my doses just keep going up, I started on the CBD oil and my dose has come down to 175 from 225 but it took 2 years. I am taking your hashimotos supplements now and the hair restore but I am still struggling. I have worked in the past with with Dr. Joshua Redd at the wellness clinic but nothing seems to help completely. Don’t even like to go to my regular dr.s because the are clueless. Very frustrated here and it’s getting expensive to get the supplements that may not work 🙁

    Reply
  24. Are you currently suffering from thyroid hair loss? Yes, my brows are almost completely gone regardless of taking 75 mg of Levo daily and my doctor will only run TSH and states all is fine. Although, I had a balanced health scan done and showed low T4.

    If so, what type of hair loss pattern do you see? My hair sheds but finally growing, body hair grows slowly and my eyebrow hair is pretty much non-existent. I had to have them microbladed otherwise they are practically gone.

    Do you think more than just your thyroid is involved in your hair loss? Yes I do but none of the doctors will help me, I have Kaiser and Naturopathic docs are too expensive. I have changed physicians multiple times, it’s the “Kaiser way”.

    What type of treatments have you tried? Have they worked for you? Why or why not? I use babe lash and brow, micro-blading, my meds, hair grow supplements. Nothing works for the brows but my lashes are growing and so is my head of hair 🙂 It’s very disheartening and embarrassing as the microblading doesn’t show well when you’re hypothyroid. I have to pencil them in completely which looks strange to me. I feel very defeated and stuck.

    Reply
  25. First, I had my entire Thyroid remove surgically due to cancer in 2005. I too, have experienced tremendous hair loss which sadly, I am attributing to my Thyroid and/or my Thyroid medication. I’m not sure which of them is the culprit. My hair loss is definitely in my temples, receding hair line overall and thinning in the back of crown too. Unlike, Dr. Childs eyebrow picture, my eyebrows are thinning mostly in the middle of the brow. I am also, experiencing extremely, dry, cracked lips and finger tips. No matter what I do, Aquaphor with gloves every night and two creams prescribed for my lips twice a day and nothing helps. My nails have strong ridges and and my thumb nails have some of those horzontal lines present too! I’m 57 and through menopause, but, I still take, Bio-Identical Biest Cream and Progeterone SR 100 too along with my Armour Thyroid 60 for 6 days and 90 mg Armour Thyroid on the 7th day. I’m now adding Dr. Child’s Thyroid Hair regrowth Complex and Thyroid Adrenal Reset Complex. I’ve been taking for about 2 months now and no change. Please help me!!!

    Reply
    • Hi Leslie,

      After thyroidectomy, managing your thyroid medication becomes critical. I would look to your dose as well as your total and free T3 levels.

      Reply
  26. I have taken Armour thyroid in prior years. It helped to reduce Hashimoto’s antibodies but I did have heart palpations. I’m not really sure if the thyroid caused me to have A-fib or? I’m now on 88 mcg Levo – doctor doesn’t want to go to Armour or to up the dosage of Levothyroxine because of the A-fib. My Hashimoto’s antibodies have increased since I got off Armour and started Levothyroxine. Because of the A-fib I’m on Propafenone to regulate heartbeat and Xarelto “just in case”. I have very little eyebrow, thinning hair, almost no body hair, and now my eyelashes are severely limited. It’s very frustrating. I’m probably going to look like a cancer patient before much longer.

    Reply
    • Hi Marilyn,

      It’s possible for excess thyroid hormone to cause atrial fibrillation but, usually, a fib is triggered by other factors.

      Reply
  27. Hello my name is Jessica I had a thyroidectomy and have hypothyroidism. I was on levothyroxine and had a lot of stomach issues on my third year with it. Currently still have stomach issues. I switched from levothyroxine to NP thyroid and it was just horrible palpitations and my thyroid levels went up. Switched me back to synthroid now and I’ve been feeling a bit better. I have been shedding hair like crazy though and my hair is thinner on the sides. I asked my dr to check my iron and they kept telling me I was fine. I am still feeling sluggish and tired and light headed and my tongue would feel swollen and looked pale. Still told me it wasn’t my iron and wouldn’t even test me for it. I paid for the test my self and my ferritin level is 16. Which is on the low spectrum anything lower and I would be considered deficient. Yet drs and endo said it was fine. That it’s better to have it low than high. So any recommendations? I was taking a vegan 25 mg capsule if iron but not sure what to do?

    Reply
  28. I am 59 and have multiple health problems. I have a rare disease of the spinal cord called syringomyelia, I have NASH or liver disease from taking extra strength Tylenol and had thyroid cancer resulting in a TT. I’ve had my gallbladder removed and have a hiatal hernia. I don’t have tonsils or adenoids and may have lymphoma (formally undiagnosed). I take 125 mg’s of Synthroid and an extra on Sunday. My nails are thin like paper and crack and break into the nail bed. My scalp is irritated like crawling under the scalp and I’ve lost half of my head of hair and it’s most prevalent in the front hair line. I have a few hairs to zero in the last 2/3 of brow line. I take medication for the hiatal hernia so I take tons of supplements every day. I’m menopausal since my thyroid was removed and developed an auto immune disease called Liken Sclerosis. I now use bio identical hormones and take a probiotic every day. I feel like every day of my life now is spent studying to learn about my health problems because I’m a challenge to endocrinologists with the many health problems, but most especially the spinal cord disease. The hair loss is so demoralizing and doctors don’t seem to think in the scene of things it’s all that important, but I look normal to other people and they have no idea how sick I am unless I tell them. I’m disabled and use almost all of my time studying my symptoms and related diseases and often feel better informed than many doctors. I’m struggling to live my best life and keep moving. I take opiates when I want to do something that requires my body to move and they have many side effects too. I’m taking every vitamin and mineral you suggest and a few of your supplements and my hair has stopped falling out at the same pace so some improvement, but still can see my scalp through my hair line and now considering a wig. I’ve been in the beauty business all of my career and owned two salons previously. My expertise is in skin care, but trained in hair as well. My skin has become dry from still being oily after my thyroid was removed. Loss of thyroid and hormonal change all at once seems to be the culprit. No one told me I needed to take replacement hormones and this has had a huge impact on my over all health as well. I’m fighting to live! I’m so glad I came across you Dr. Childs, you’re a God send of information making my life and the struggle so much easier. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Debra,

      I’ve seen some success with thyroid injections in managing skin related thyroid changes. That might be something to look into!

      Reply
  29. Hi Dr. Childs,

    I was wondering if you have heard that people on T3-only treatment tend to have more hair loss? I have been taking Liothryonine only for a couple of years now, and while this treatment generally works pretty well for me, the hair loss has been continuous and without improvement.

    Thanks,
    S

    Reply
  30. I’m going to be 60 this September.
    I do take Thyroid Medicine,
    The last few months I and my hairdresser have noticed a major loss of hair, hair thinning tremendously.
    I take 50 of Levothyroxine once a day, for years now, Cholesterol medicine, and a ProBiotic supplement,
    What do I do to help grown some of my hair back? Most Drs I spoke with said, there’s nothing that can be done, side affects of this disease.

    Reply
    • Hi Mary Lou,

      Yes, they can be used together. You’d just follow the instructions on the back of the bottle/container. They can be taken apart or at the same time.

      Reply
  31. I’ve been treating my hypothyroidism (incorrectly with only T3) for about 5 years now, and I feel like I’ve always had sparse eyebrows / have been missing the outer 1/3. About 10 months ago, I realized I had significant hair loss, distributed but particularly noticeable at my center part. I saw a cosmetic dermatologist who diagnosed the hair loss as being from nutritional deficiencies (no surprise to me, I have a bunch of gut issues). We did a course of PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments that made a huge improvement in stimulating new hair growth.

    Reply
    • I am really glad you wrote this because I suffer multiple issues, one of which is gut stuff and I am sure that despite my OCD for eating properly and fresh, well…you know the deal. I actually laughed when they first diagnosed me as hyperthyroid because I have always been so thin and completely ignored it all.

      This was totally detrimental because eyebrows and hair, once gone, are much harder to bring back! I only wish I had known about this site and listened. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write in because I learned something from everyone, and Dr. Childs – wow! A huge thanks!

      Reply
      • Hi Lisa,

        Glad you found it helpful! And I agree, it’s always better to prevent hair loss if possible because once it’s gone it takes a lot more work to bring it back.

        Reply
  32. Hello,
    I am 67 yr old, I want to thank all of you for your stories.
    Before Covid I went to the Doctor with the following systems, hair loss, weigh gain I had gained over 90 lbs , back and joint pain to the point I was having problems getting out of bed. Tired all the time, Depression which I did have before and was on meds years ago but this was different where I felt like my moods were out of balance, constipation nightmare, no energy to care, fog and the final thing that I have never had in my whole entire life Vertigo!!!! which would put me in bed for 2 days.
    What I got was touch your toes “Well it doesnt look like you back hurts you Now”!? Lets run some tests
    I went back to the Dr saying that the reason I was tired was because I was FAT. and that would make me depressed. I was mad and I can tell you I dont know I said but I got a referral to a bunch of Dr when I left.
    For a Gastric Bypass Consult, MRI , and Back Surgery.. which all I didnt do but I landed with a Pain Management Dr. who gave me non-narcotic meds for my back and joint. yeah! But the list of all the other problems are still there and now I see that its time to go find A Dr with my list and fight for myself. Before I am bald… smh
    Thank you for letting me share because I know that is someone just like me out there.

    Reply
  33. Hi! I have been struggling with low ferritin and Hashimoto’s for a decade. I try to be consistent with the iron, but it causes severe constipation so it’s difficult to take it on a consistent basis. My ferritin got all the way up to 30 recently (My energy was much improved, I was running which I haven’t done in a decade) but fell all the way back down to 14. Now I’m extremely exhausted again, have shortness of breath on exertion, restless legs. My T3 used to be consistently in the high 3’s like 3.7 or 3.8. Not anymore.

    I’m taking Levoxyl 37.5 mcg. My T4 is fine, 1.2 but my T3 is 2.8. I really want symptom relief (the fatigue is so bad that I can do very little for myself and have to rely on other people). I don’t want to take Cytomel unless I absolutely have to since I know it is likely to suppress my TSH. I don’t want a TSH of 0, that’s not natural. And I’m worried that can cause heart problems or other consequences or tooth chipping. But I find it very hard to believe that correcting the low ferritin will make my T3 go all the way back to 3.7 or 3.8.

    I am suffering with severe debilitating exhaustion and severe depression. I’m also very cold.

    What is the better option, to take a small dose of the Cytomel or to correct the low ferritin first?

    Reply
    • Hi Lauren,

      You can do both things simultaneously, but I would put preference on the ferritin. You may ultimately benefit from something like an iron transfusion if oral iron supplements aren’t working for you.

      Reply
  34. I’m 62 years old. I had thyroid cancer and a thyroidectomy in April 2014 and remain cancer free. My hair does not grow in length neither does it grow thicker as it once was. Hair is very sparse on top and sides. Very thinned out eyebrows especially on the ends, sparse hair on legs, not much hair on arms and underarms. Like I said, my hair doesn’t grow. I am taking 1.37 mg of Levothyroxine which I was switched to after surgery from Synthroid. I was prescribed 1.50 mg of Levothyroxine after surgery but had an AFIB episode in September 2018 due to Clinical Hyperthyroidism. I have tried Biotin, Aveda Invati, Nutrofol Growth Accelerator, all for at least a year each and none of them worked. I am also a diabetic, non-insulin. I take 5000 IU of Vitamin D3, 2000 mg Vitamin C, and my 9 medications, Trulicity-once a week, Jardiance, Glimepiride, Metformin, Inderal, Maxide, Zoloft, Eliquis for Afib, Crestor. Is there any hope for my case?

    Reply
  35. Thank you for the article. I have had hypothyroid for more than 10 years and been on Levothyroxin since diagnosis with no side effects. Recently my blood work came back that I was now hyperthyroid which explained the sudden symptoms of hair shedding and my menstrual cycles changing. I have lowered my dose for about 2+ month now, but am not seeing any improvement in my hair shredding. How long before the excessive shedding stops? And what other tests should I have done to see if Im deficient in any one area ?

    Reply
    • Hi Amylee,

      The issue with your statement here is that, most of the time, people taking thyroid medication who believe they are ‘hyperthyroid’ aren’t. They are simply told this based on their TSH level. It’s hard to know if you are truly hyperthyroid or if you have just been incorrectly told that you are hyperthyroid. If it’s the former, then your hair shedding would improve rather quickly. If its the latter (which is more common) then the answer to stopping your hair loss may be more thyroid medication, not less.

      Reply
  36. Hello,
    I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism years ago and put on Synthroid and the past few years they added Liothyronine to help with absorption. Then in the past 5 or more years diagnosed with Hashimoto’s but don’t really notice anything different from before the Hashimoto’s diagnosis.
    Recently my doctor had been reducing my Synthroid and then took me off both Synthroid and Liothyronine for three months because my TSH numbers were at 0.044. During the three months I had become lethargic and not myself. By the end of three months, I felt like my body was shutting down and felt like couldn’t pick my self-up from the floor. At three months my TSH went from 0.044 in September to 26.900 in December. He has since put me back on Synthroid, but I am losing my hair by handfuls. I was not told by my doctor that I could lose my hair, if I had known I would not have let him take me completely of the meds. I am concerned and feel like I will look like a chemotherapy patient soon. What can I do?

    Reply

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