How many women think Hormone imblance is cause of hair Loss?

[lorihutch13]

I'm starting to think it's my hormones causing severe diffuse hair loss. Hormones are all low. Has anyone else had this checked out?

[kathryn21]

hello,
i really dont know if this will help but i was diagnosed with alopecia areata when i was 18 and i am now 21 and have been on steroids and a number of other treatments. My hair would always grow back but then i would get new patches in different places..eventually i got so sick of taking steroids they made me feel terrible and were terrible for my body. Everytime i went off them i would get so sick and spend weeks on antibiotics.
I went to my gynocologist who specialises in hormones and he told me he could see i had a problem with my thyroids and this could be a reason for my hair loss. I had them looked at and thyroids are ment to be 5cm on each side my right side is 0.9cm and my left is 3cm with a cist..i feel tired all the time and am very moody and have a number of other problems. My doctor is now convinced that he can change my hormones by my diet and giving me pills, my next appointment is on the 19th of june. I help maybe this helps u. let me know if i can help you any further :). I was really angry to learn this and asked my doctor why my dermatologist could not of told me this when he did my blood test etc and he said to me kathryn shoe makers they make shoes and dermatologists they study the skin they have no idea. so i really do advice you to go to your gynocologist and ask them about your thyroids!!!

[lorihutch13]

I started losing hair all over like crazy and then My legs were swelling too. I was having edema but there is no known cause of the edema. ALL this came after having one ovary removed and I found out later that my hormones likely have been low and imbalanced for quite awhile. I had endometriosis too.
Anyone else that thinks low hormones are the cause of your hair loss? And does anyone else start having water retention around the same time as hair loss?

[kathryn21]

i would suggest giving you the number of my doctor as he specializes in all of this but i live in Switzerland so i really don't think it would help. I definitely recommend you go to to a gynecologist though one that specializes in hormones too and im sure he or she will give you some type of pills as he also checked my ovaries and told me that could be causing my hair loss. He said it was also connected to thyroids..i also just read edema can be linked to thyroids ..i hope this helpss

[yarnspinner]

Lori, most definitely YES, hair loss can be caused by hormone imbalances.

I too had endometriosis and had an ovary removed. Then 10 years later, I had a partial hysterectomy because the endometrial adhesions had gotten so bad, and they took the other ovary. I moved shortly after that, and my new doctor -- one that practises complimentary medicine -- said he would have been able to control the endometriosis with hormone therapy and diet and I wouldn't have had to have the hysterectomy. Too late. By that time I had had diffuse hair loss for over ten years.

With the help of the new doctor I was able to stop the hair loss, but I am still struggling to find the answer to regrowing some of what I've lost. Here is what helped me: First, I was hypothyroid, so he put me on Armour thyroid. If you haven't done so, you should have your thyroid checked. Also check out the website: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ . Second, my Dr. took me off of the Premarin my old doctor had put me on after my hysterectomy and gave me three hormones which he said were necessary: Bi-Est (2 types of estrogen), Progesterone (this turned out to be the 2nd most important hormone for STOPPING the hair loss, and Testosterone.

Since you sound as though you are still premenopausal, I would do some research into progesterone supplements. Progesterone can be comverted by our body into other hormones we need, so it is the most important in my view. And it is the one that stopped my hair loss because I was still losing some hair even after getting thyroid meds.

Hope that helps.

[lorihutch13]

I had my thyroid checked and it was "normal" but I did have high thyroid antibodies. I could not take synthroid..bad headaches and nervous. Not sure I need it either.
Now , let me tell you, I found a cutting edge Gyn. doc. in Indianapolis, IN who tested hormones and he put me on prometrium, testosterone/estrogen. ALL NATURAL hormones though. DO NOT take synthetic ones. My tesosterone, DHEA, and progesterone was really LOW!! I am now on testerone/estrogen cream daily and Prometrium day 14-28 of my cycle. ;) I think this hair thing is hormones and hormones CAN affect thyroid. so i am hoping all I need is hormones and it will ALL straighten out I will keep ya posted if this is the culprit.
I think we need to work together to help each other & each individual on this sight. There is so much to learn from each other that even doctors have no clue about.
thx. and keep the post coming and i will too.
FYI: I am mostly healthy but do have terrible mold allergies.

[lorihutch13]

i did find a decent gynecologist. Cannot afford those anit-aging docs. THX for the info.
You might have Polycystic ovarian syndrome Kathryn

[lorihutch13]

yarnspinner - you are right on i think. Same situation as you. see my post earlier.
started hormones just the other day.

[lorihutch13]

Kathrn--I think hormone imbalance may also cause edema and not just thyroid?? not sure though?

[janetknight]

I'm just starting to look closer at the causes of hair loss. It seems there are very many reasons why we experience it. From my preliminary research it seems hormones are definitely one of the possible causes of hair loss. Talk with your doctor. Good luck - JK

[NightNurse]

I'm 46, and I was on BCP since I was 19 (Nordette). I have been off of them for 4 1/2 months now, and I'm experiancing lots of hair loss. After researching the internet, I now find out that Nordette is a high androgenic pill. If I would have know that it would cause me to lose my hair when I stopped taking them...I never would've done that to my body. I have been in tears the last 3 weeks and sick at my stomach. I lose handfuls of hair with each shower and just running my fingers through it. The thinning is noticeable at my temple and through the top.

[divinem]

Absolutely. For me, it's thyroid hormone imbalance. I have Hashimoto's, which causes me to go from hypo- to hyper-, which creates crazy shedding when I'm in that transition. That's what's happening right now, I think. Blood tests taken this week will reveal more.

[dazzleca]

Yes! I am almost convinced that my HL is due to hormones. I do have Hashimotos (hypothyroid) but all tests are normal and have been on synthroid since 2003. My HL started in Sept 2008 3 months after my period stopped (May 2008) and I started having hot flashes etc. Increasing my thyroid meds did not stop the HL. It only stopped after my period abruptly started again in November (8 months after stopping). I had no HL or itchy/burning scalp until my period stopped again in Mar 2009. My new doctor tested my hormone levels and put me on HRT 2 months ago. HL and itchy/burning is worse than ever so she has now upped my dose of estrogen (from .5 to 1mcg) and I started on spironolactone this week, too. I have had a lot of other 'hormone' related issues since last fall too (breast cysts, cysts on my ovaries ,,, even ringing in my ears that the ENT said might be hormone related).

[Shania]

Mine is definitely caused by a type of hormone, in my case the artificial progestin in the Mirena Coil.