It is unusual for thyroid disease to cause hair loss without other symptoms of an over- or underactive thyroid. Your doctor will decide if it is appropriate for you to have additional tests to exclude other causes of diffuse hair loss such as iron deficiency.
According to a review published in Molecular Biology of the Cell, thyroid disorders caused by disrupted T3 and T4 hormones can cause hair loss, especially in untreated or extreme conditions. Unfortunately, the review found, hair loss (as well as breaking or thinning hair) is found in both hypo- and hyperthyroidism.
Treatments. Treatment for thyroid-related hair loss usually involves being properly medicated for the condition. In most cases, getting your thyroid hormones adjusted will reverse the hair loss,3 though it may take several months for the hair to grow back.
Thyroid-related hair loss will usually improve once a doctor treats the underlying health condition. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, hair shedding decreases 6 to 8 months after treatment.
Monitor the intake of iron in your diet
Iron is one of the most important minerals for the thyroid to function properly. The lack of it may trigger some issues, including hair loss. Consider having iron-rich foods like red meat, beans, seafood, green leafy veggies, dried fruit eggs, and so on.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Hypothyroidism is a fairly common cause of hair loss, and hypothyroidism-related hair loss can also be reversible.
Official answer. Yes, levothyroxine, the main treatment for a sluggish thyroid gland, may cause hair loss in addition to other side effects. You may experience partial hair loss in the first few months of treatment, but this usually resolves and hair growth goes back to normal within a short time.
When the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone (overactive), the condition is called hyperthyroidism. When the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone (underactive), the condition is called hypothyroidism. Thyroid problems can occur at any age; infants can even be born with a thyroid problem!
Subclinical overactive thyroid gland
If you are diagnosed with subclinical overactive thyroid, you may not need treatment. In most cases, the reduced level of TSH in your blood returns to normal within a couple of months and your subclinical hyperthyroidism will resolve by itself.
Having too much of these hormones can cause unpleasant and potentially serious problems that may need treatment. An overactive thyroid can affect anyone, but it's about 10 times more common in women than men, and typically happens between 20 and 40 years of age.
Your hair will grow back after treating the thyroid condition. However, the amount of time it will take for complete restoration is unpredictable. Treatment for thyroid hair loss may take several months for some people and less for others.
Although having the capacity to grow in response to a stimulus that perturbs the pituitary-thyroid axis, the thyroid gland is considered not a regenerative organ.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
Medical and Other Conditions
There are a wide range of conditions that can bring on hair loss, with some of the most common being pregnancy, thyroid disorders, and anemia. Others include autoimmune diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and skin conditions such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, Rogers says.
A blood test measuring your hormone levels is the only accurate way to find out whether there's a problem. The test, called a thyroid function test, looks at levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) in the blood. Doctors may refer to this as "free" T4 (FT4).
Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism can show up in the hands and nails. Hypothyroidism can cause dermatologic findings such as nail infection, vertical white ridges on the nails, nail splitting, brittle nails, slow nail growth, and nails lifting up.