I wondered to myself how she could justify trying to treat something she didn’t understand. Taking action is great but, consulting with experts, creating a plan and sticking with it is an even better solution. Ah, the impatience of youth!

I explained that the causes of hair loss for women are many and varied and that if her thinning hairline was simply the result of a regular, tightly pulled hairstyle (traction alopecia), then wearing her hair loose for a while could reverse the problem and allow a full, natural recovery.

I further explained that the abundance and quality of hair is an indicator of overall health and that only a doctor could truly determine the underlying reason for her specific situation, possible spotting something more serious. The cause could be relatively simple and resolvable over time, like diet, stress and medications but could also be more complex like heredity (androgenetic alopecia), hormonal fluctuation and disease or even some combination. Undiagnosed, her hair problem and potentially her health, could deteriorate further.

I asked her if she wouldn’t feel better knowing what the cause was and she agreed she couldn’t afford not to go.

Look Good, Feel Great!

Dale
www.vollumaforwomen.com

The thyroid is a little butterfly shaped gland just beneath our Adam’s apple that produce the hormones that regulate tissue growth, metabolism and maintain blood pressure. Our bodies normally need only a small, but critical amount of these hormones every year. What does this hormone have to do with hair loss? Actually, it affects your hair more than you think as women are five to eight times more likely to have thyroid dysfunction than men.

Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces too few hormones to help your body function properly and in that condition all metabolic processes “slow down.” According to the Thyroid Foundation, this deficiency leads to weak slow heart beat, muscular weakness and constant fatigue, poor appetite sensitivity to cold, thick puffy skin, slowed mental processes and poor memory, constipation, goitre and hair loss.

Hyperthyroidism is the opposite of hypothyroidism. This condition is caused by an overactive thyroid that produces too much hormone for the body. It leads to rapid forceful heartbeat, tremor, muscular weakness, weight loss in spite of increased appetite, restlessness, anxiety and sleeplessness, profuse sweating and heat intolerance, diarrhoea, bulging eyes, goitre and hair loss.

Experts estimate that many people with hypothyroidism do not get diagnosed for several years because the symptoms develop slowly and mimic so many other conditions. For those of us who suffer from this condition, finding a doctor who can properly interpret inconclusive and often conflicting information can be a challenge, and remember – it’s okay to get a second opinion.

The good news is that a few weeks after treatment begins, your symptoms will gradually subside and you will notice your energy returning. If hormonal imbalance is the cause of your hair loss, your hair will start re-growing in a few months after your thyroid hormones have normalized. In the time it takes for your hair to recover, consider trying a hair thickening cosmetic for instant results and a shot of self confidence.