A vital part of your Endocrine system, your Thyroid gland is third in command of every hormone your body produces. Located at the base of your neck, and shaped like a bow, this gland oversees or influences almost every system in your body. From metabolism and body temperature to menstrual cycles, cardiac health, digestion, and emotional state – you name it, and your Thyroid is involved somewhere.

And it does all of this by producing two specific hormones, known as T3 and T4. Produced at the behest of your Hypothalamus, the commander in chief of the Endocrine system, in response to levels in your blood, those two hormones control how fast or slow your cells use energy. That’s every cell in your body taking orders from your Thyroid.

It’s a super-delicate balance that keeps your body working the way it should, at exactly the right levels for you.

Thyroid issues can take a few different forms, from over and underactive, to the auto-immune forms of both, known as Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and even a specific form of cancer.

And what that basically means is that a Thyroid can produce too much, or too little of those hormones, regardless of what your Hypothalamus is telling it. And both states can have far-reaching health consequences if left undiagnosed.

Signs that something is awry can be disparate and slow growing. They include weight gain or loss, change in cycle length, irregular periods, insomnia, exhaustion, regular bouts of illness, headaches, vomiting, nausea, aches, cramps, mood changes, anxiety, brain fog and muscle weakness, to name just a few.

Chances are, though, that you won’t see all of them at once. Thyroid symptoms can be highly individual and easily explained away by other things, like stress or PMS. The thing is, these issues affect around 20% of women worldwide, with a good deal more who are yet to be diagnosed.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a gland in your neck couldn’t possibly have anything to do with your hair. But, your Thyroid gland is all-powerful and hair definitely comes under its remit. All things being equal, the levels of T3 and T4 in your blood help keep your hair follicles ticking over nicely. So when something is off, your hair will likely notice eventually.

Hair follicles have a cyclical growth pattern that lasts for months. But they’re not all in the same growth phase at once. Some are growing right now, while others are resting, and that’s why we’re always all losing hair, around 60 or so day. Having too much or too little T3 and T4 can cause hair loss by impacting the health of your follicles, leaving some in the rest phase for longer than usual.

In general, Thyroid-related hair loss can affect your overall hair growth, leaving thinner hair, but few visible patches. If, though, your Thyroid issues are of the auto-immune kind, that can increase your risk of Alopecia areata. That’s a form of hair loss that leaves patches of scalp with little to no hair at all.

The good news is that hair loss resulting from Thyroid issues isn’t necessarily permanent. Getting the right treatment, which includes a blood test to determine where your hormones are at, is crucial.

After diagnosis, readjusting your Thyroid hormone levels with medication can stop hair loss and even get it growing again. Your hair may not recover fully, but it certainly won’t get any worse. That said, it can take several months for your follicles to get back into their natural growing rhythm.

Also, make sure you’re getting regular checks on your medication levels, to make sure they stay optimal for you.

If, even after several months of Thyroid treatment, your hair still hasn’t returned to its usual density or growth, there are still things you can do.

Treatments to improve and encourage hair growth stretch from topical creams and gels containing Minoxidil, to hormonal birth control. Each can be effective when used as per instruction and for up to 12 months.

But for those who prefer a chemical and hormone-free alternative, there’s a solution for you, too. A new innovation using your own platelets to increase follicle activity and health could be just what you’ve been waiting for. Called PRP, it’s shown incredible effectiveness in hair regrowth and quality. Don’t live with hair loss. Talk to us.