Hair Loss and Hormones

Hair loss is a common complaint in women, and many are looking for the magic bullet supplement, lotion or potion to solve the problem. Most likely the solution lies in hormone balance, although nutrient imbalances can contribute as well.

In young women, consider birth control pills (BCPs). Many otherwise healthy women lose hair on BCPs. Another consideration is PCOS due to excess androgens – Testosterone, DHEA, DHT. DHT is dihydrotestosterone, an excess of which has been attributed to male pattern baldness.

The hormone issues most likely to cause hair loss in women are low estrogen, low thyroid or high androgens. Adrenal imbalance can contribute as well. If correcting these imbalances doesn’t stop the hair loss, check FSH and LH.

FSH in normal women is always 2-3 times higher than LH, except during ovulation when the LH “surge” brings it almost equal to FSH. If, at any time in the cycle, LH is significantly higher than FSH, especially if it’s double the FSH, one may likely have PCOS and the hair loss could be associated with that.

Sometimes the testosterone levels are ok but DHEA is high, which can be as bad or worse than high testosterone. Here’s an article with more information on the topic that you may find interesting:

• Treating female pattern hair loss
• Diet and hair loss: effects of nutrient deficiency and supplement use