The first memories I have about my hair (apart from the time my mum cut it all off due to my unfortunate securing of nits) was the obsession I had to lighten it. I disliked my mousy brown hair and wanted highlights. As I wasn’t allowed, I obviously did the next best thing…I spent numerous hours outside in the sun with beer drenched or lemon soaked hair in the hope that all the old wives tales would not mislead me. Lamentably My hair remained indifferent. As the years went by I managed to colour, curl, tease, cut, bleach, apply hair extensions, chemically straighten and treat my hair with such disrespect and insensibility that it should be of no real surprise that in the last few months my biggest gripe was that my hair was falling out.
I decided I would visit a few hairdressers to see if they could shed light with any explanations or at best see what they suggested. They were unanimous in their responses…. I was either pregnant, breastfeeding or going through menopause. I was obviously neither ,but there was some truth in their feedback.
Cyclical shifts in the body like pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause hair loss in women, but so can any hormonal shift. A hormonally challenged woman (most of us, as we are all indeed human!!) is one that is always on the run and always stressed. Her moods are low, cravings are out of control, she is bloated , probably eats on the run, or worse, considers dinner to be the children’s leftovers on their plates, and her hair and skin are lacklustre and dry. Lifestyle factors and choices coupled with stress are the very reason we are losing our ‘spirit ‘and unfortunately our hair.
Women with hypothyroidism have thyroid glands not functioning at optimum levels. They are generally very fatigued and hair thinning is very evident. High levels of oestrogen in the body can also lead to fatigue, weight gain, depression and hair loss. High testosterone levels in women can cause male pattern baldness where you find the hairs on your head falling out but unfortunately start to find new ones where women don’t want them… on our face. Low progesterone levels can cause oestrogen levels to dominate due to the inability of progesterone to counterbalance the effects of oestrogen so then we again see the irritability, anxiety, weight gain and hair loss. Low Cortisol levels caused by ongoing stress causes the adrenal gland to function below a favourable level and can also lead to hair loss.
The stress that can cause the hormonal imbalances is also the reason our bodies are robbed of various nutrients, and todays diet plays no role in compensating for that loss. Without proper nutrition our hormones fail us, and our bodies fail us. Iron Deficiencies, protein and fibre deficiencies, and low levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin B. Iodine, Zinc and selenium can all impact on the health of our hair.
Ultimately it’s the balance between our hormones and our diet that can help us achieve that beautiful, thick mane of hair that I remember so long ago, taking for granted. And well, truth be told, I will also be ecstatic to never have to find a hair in my food again!!
The Staff at Custom Made medicine are ready to provide evaluations and recommendations in relation to your hormone levels, whether checked by them through saliva testing or through blood analysis collected by your doctor. They create their own hair loss lotion and can also compliment your diet with nutritional supplementation.
Maria Zaknich B.Pharm