Hair loss
This blood test includes examination of the blood values that can cause hair loss:
- vitamin B12
- Iron
- Ferritin
- TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone)
- Cortisol (stress hormone)
- Iodine deficiency (Iodine serum)
Many women but also men are experiencing hair loss at an increasingly younger age. Everyone suffers from healthy hair loss, losing 100-150 hairs a day is normal, but if you see more and more hair disappear or get bald patches on your head something is wrong. In many cases, however, hair loss turns out to be easily remedied if you know the cause.
Stress
Stress depletes the body and disrupts the internal housekeeping. Prolonged elevation of the stress hormone cortisol is linked to hair loss. But lack of cortisol, as a result of adrenal exhaustion, for example, can also cause hair loss. Too much cortisol can be recognized by a nervous, anxious and stressful feeling and fat accumulation around the abdomen.
Have you (had) a lot of stress? Then pay extra attention to your diet, avoid too much fat and caffeine, take a good multivitamin daily and get plenty of exercise.
Iodine deficiency
According to studies, more and more Dutch people are becoming iodine deficient despite the fact that many people use iodized salt and eat a lot of bread that contains iodized baking salt. Iodine deficiency generally causes a slower functioning thyroid gland but also affects other processes in the body. A lack of iodine can be one of the causes of hair loss.
To get enough iodine, it is important to eat foods such as sushi, fish or seaweed. Also, be sure to use iodized salt (Jozo) or possibly supplement your diet with kelp tablets or liquid iodine. You can discuss the latter with an orthomolecular therapist or dietician. You only need 150 micrograms (not milligrams) per day so don't overdo it as it can make you feel restless. Note that some multivitamins contain iodine (from kelp), this is something to consider.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is known to cause hair loss when deficient. A deficiency of vitamin B12 also makes people feel tired and listless. Many Dutch people have a deficiency without knowing it. A good multivitamin contains vitamin B12 but to raise the level in the blood a higher dosage up to sometimes 1000mcg every other day is needed. Have a blood test done and make sure you are high-normal in terms of the reference value of vitamin B12.
Ferritin
Lowered ferritin occurs in depot iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia
,malabsorption syndrome or an iron restricted diet. Ferritin concentrations lower than 40 μg/l can cause hair loss in women.
Iron
Iron deficiency is common in women and is also linked to hair loss. Iron deficiency can occur as a result of menstruation, in vegetarians or when eating little iron-rich food. Iron deficiency can be easily diagnosed through a blood test. If you want to have your iron determined make sure that your ferritin is also pricked. This is the supply of iron that the body has stored. Some people have an iron level within the reference value but a very low ferritin level. This can be the cause of your hair loss.
A slight iron deficiency can be solved by using Floradix, available at any drugstore and at some supermarkets. A greater lack of iron can be solved by steel pills, these must be prescribed by a doctor. With an iron deficiency, there is also often a deficiency of vitamin B12.
Slow Thyroid
A slow-working thyroid can be the cause of hair loss. A slow-working thyroid is called hypothyroidism in the medical world and is determined on the basis of a blood test. In this test, the TSH is measured. A lot of stress and little exercise can have a negative impact on the functioning of your thyroid gland.
With a slow-acting thyroid, there is also often a deficiency of iron and/or vitamin B12. In Hashimoto 's Disease, it is measured whether you make antibodies against the thyroid gland, causing it to slow down.
Toxins
Due to our relatively unhealthy diet and the not too clean air we breathe, many toxins accumulate in our bodies. This poisoning can disrupt processes in our body and cause unexplained symptoms. Chlorophyll is a natural product (it consists of the pigment that gives plants their characteristic green color) that can help with hair loss.
Chlorophyll is found in high doses in chlorella and to a lesser extent in spinach. Chlorophyll purifies the blood of toxins by binding harmful substances to itself and removing them from the body. Chlorophyll is also able to bind with chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in tobacco smoke. In addition, chlorophyll counteracts hair loss, makes hair stronger and, in some men, the gray color disappears, perhaps as a result of DNA repair.
(Crash) diets
Following a particular diet can cause hair loss due to a rapid adjustment of metabolism or lack of sufficient building blocks. This is a physiological response to (rapid) weight loss. In most cases, hair grows back as soon as a change in diet is made.
Side effects
Some medications have side effects that cause hair loss in sensitive people. Drugs such as Seroxat and Colchicine are known to cause hair loss as a side effect in sensitive users.
