Hormones Play a Key Role In Hair Loss

There are many causes of hair loss, but the main culprit behind extensive hair loss conditions (such as male-pattern baldness) is hormonal imbalance. This also affects women to a similar extent during pregnancy and menopause, when drastic changes in the body’s hormonal levels can cause hair strands to become brittle and weak, inhibiting the hair follicles’ natural life cycle, thereby disrupting further growth. The possibility for hair loss increases, as specific key hormones rise above or dip drastically below the normal levels.

One of the hormones suspected to contribute to hair loss is thyroxin, a substance which regulates your body’s nutrient consumption. This is secreted by the thyroid gland, and if it is produced in excessive levels, it can cause your hair follicles to shed hair at a quicker rate. On the other hand, if the gland produces too little thyroxin, the hair strands and shafts become brittle, and eventually fall off.

An imbalance of the male androgen and female estrogen hormones also causes hair growth abnormalities, and will affect a person a certain way at different stages of life. For instance, when women enter the menopausal stages, the ovaries quit functioning, estrogen production drops, and testosterone (a male hormone) increases to significant levels. This results in hair loss, as the reduced estrogen cannot sufficiently inhibit the negative influence of androgens on the hair follicles. For men, the DHT hormone is the main cause of most types of baldness, usually occurring at the onset of middle age. Men start to lose hair when the scalp becomes hypersensitive to dihydrotestosterone, a testosterone derivative which shrinks the hair follicles and discourages further growth. This tendency may be hereditary, and can also affect women to a certain extent, albeit in a slightly different manner.

In women, the possibility of acquiring thinning hair increases dramatically during middle age (starting at 40 years) when menopausal symptoms kick in; the risks can rise up to 300%, as there is less estrogen production, and more DHT to be derived from testosterone increase. Also, women who use contraceptive and pregnancy-inducing pills are more prone to hormonal imbalance, and may suffer more severe forms of hair loss in consequence. For men, the possibility of hair loss is almost inevitable, especially if baldness runs in the family. Testosterone plays a key role in the development of the masculine body, and although it is beneficial in many ways, such as promoting for enhanced muscles, in some cases increased testosterone levels also equates to hair loss. There are various treatments for hair loss, anything from topical applications to invasive surgery, but the definitive cure for it remains to be discovered.

Although the imbalance of several key hormones is distinctively linked to hair loss, it is very difficult to determine which imbalance (and at what levels) is the main contributor for the condition. The body secretes up to fifty hormones, and with an interaction so complex and unpredictable, pinpointing the exact hormonal cause of hair loss can feel like flipping a coin at times. But with recent and continuing developments in the medical field, the possibility of bringing a solution to the hair loss dilemma seems closer than ever; it’s only a matter of time before a breakthrough drug or treatment is discovered.