12 Oct Health Reasons Why Hair Loss Is Happening
Is hair loss happening + you’re freakin’ out? It’s your body trying to tell you something + we’ve got to tune in to what may be going on. P.S. I always encourage emails + messages via social media platforms (Facebook + Instagram) about topics you guys are wanting to know more about, so I can create the resources for you to help you start taking back your health.
Let’s hop into some of the top health reasons why you may be losing those goldilocks of yours…
Nutrient Deficiencies/Diet
Certain nutrients are needed for the health of our hair and deficiencies can happen when we’re not properly eating a wholesome real foods diet OR we’re not able to absorb the nutrients from our food, which can stem from if you have gut issues.
Ask yourself if you are diagnosed with a GI condition, like colitis, IBS, crohn’s or if you are struggling with gut symptoms, like gas, bloating, cramps, constipation/diarrhea, etc. You have to have a happy, healthy gut in order to break down and take out all the nutrition in your food.
Iron deficiency has been linked to people who suffer from hair loss. I don’t recommend supplementing with this nutrient, unless you’ve been tested to be deficient in it. Even then, I recommend starting to eat more grass-fed, organic meats because plant sources (containing non-heme iron) of iron is NOT equal to animal sources (containing both heme + non-heme iron).
Other nutritional deficiencies that can cause hair loss:
- Biotin
- Niacin
- Zinc
- Vitamin D
Looking at more of the macro scale now, if you aren’t getting enough protein and/or fats, hair loss may happen too. Fats break down into fatty acids and are SO important for hormonal balance and help nourish the hair and hair follicles. Amino acids that come from proteins play a role in producing keratin, a protein found in hair production, to keep it healthy and strong. Certain amino acids, like lysine, also helps increase the absorption of nutrients that play a role in hair loss – zinc and iron.
You also want to make sure that your diet is free of any inflammatory foods – inflammation is a big driver behind many chronic diseases, along with symptoms like hair loss. This is one of my biggest initial goals for a new client is to cut out certain inflammatory foods to get you to a really good nutrient-dense foundation!
If you are curious if you struggle with any nutrient deficiencies, I use a lab test that looks into your white blood cells to find out which nutrients you are deficient in. After you take the test, I’m able to build a supplement and food list for you that is specific to your deficiencies, so we can get you back on the right track! Don’t forget to book your free 15 minute call with me.
If you aren’t on a good multivitamin, that’s a great place to start. Check out mine over on Amazon, which is full of amazing bioavailable nutrients! *Remember though, if you are deficient in a certain nutrient, your basic value you’d find in a multivitamin won’t fix it. You’ll most likely need a higher dose to get your levels back to normal + then multivitamins are great for maintenance.
Thyroid Problems
Have you had your thyroid checked? And I mean COMPLETE thyroid check? Read my blog on why you need a full thyroid panel in order to properly assess your thyroid with your doctor. Thyroid problems, hypo or hyper thyroid can cause a disruption in the growth of your hair. Autoimmune conditions of your thyroid can also cause hair loss.
Testosterone
Testosterone plays a role in hair loss as well, in both men and women. The metabolism of testosterone in your body plays a role because if it favors the more alpha pathway of testosterone metabolism, the hair follicles can be affected resulting in hair loss. One of my favorite tests that I run on clients is the DUTCH test, which looks at a comprehensive view of your hormones. Not just looking at the levels of hormones, but tying it together with how we metabolize them. We can see with this test if you’re favoring the alpha pathway (even if you have normal testosterone levels!).
If you do favor the alpha pathway, we need to dive deeper into blood sugar regulation and inflammation {diet is a HUGE part in this!!!}, but there are also certain herbs that are beneficial for blocking this alpha pathway- like saw palmetto.
Blood Sugar Imbalances
A lot of chronic conditions and symptoms stem from a blood sugar imbalance. Any sort of blood sugar imbalance sends your hormones off balance and creates inflammation in the body. This can cause hair loss because it interrupts the natural process of hair growth by slowing down hair growth and increasing the amount of hair that is loss.
If you suspect this is a problem, I recommend having a blood sugar monitor, which you can buy at a local pharmacy like CVS, and taking your fasting blood sugar and your blood sugar a couple hours after your meals for a good couple of weeks to get a feel for how your body is handling certain foods and what your blood sugar looks like.
Estrogen Imbalances
Estrogen is one of the main hormones in women + is amazing for us…..only when it’s balanced. If you have TOO much estrogen, this can create something called estrogen dominance and can lead to hair loss. This is why during pregnancy and postpartum, hormone levels are fluctuating and you can experience this.
While there are many lifestyle fundamentals that I help clients with (diet, stress, sleep, environment, etc. and all of this impacts estrogen levels), something that I see a lot is women struggling with constipation and when our bowels aren’t moving enough, estrogen can get reabsorbed into the body creating estrogen dominance.
Stress
What doesn’t stress cause? Stress can trigger hair loss, among other health issues. Make sure that your stress is under control with lifestyle changes, like doing something you love, meditation, etc. Taking adaptogenic herbs, like ashwagandha, holy basil, rhodiola, can all help you handle stress better. These herbs make an impact on your adrenals and help you not be in the fight-or-flight response all the time.
If you’re tired of guessing at all this healthy lifestyle stuff, book your free 15 minute phone call with me to see how I can help you! 🙂
