Why Is Your Hair Falling Out? The PUFA-Thyroid Connection
Why Is Your Hair Falling Out? The PUFA-Thyroid Connection
TL;DR
Hair loss is usually thyroid-related. PUFAs suppress thyroid function, slow hair growth cycle, and increase shedding. Women lose hair postpartum or during stress because thyroid crashes. Men lose hair when testosterone converts to DHT in low-thyroid states. Eliminate PUFAs, support thyroid, hair regrows in 3-6 months.
Your hair is everywhere.
In the shower drain. On your pillow. In your brush. More every day.
You're not old enough for this. Your parents have full heads of hair.
Your doctor tested thyroid. "TSH is normal." She offers Rogaine. Or finasteride.
But your hair isn't falling out because your scalp is broken. It's falling out because your metabolism is broken.
Hair is like grass on a lawn. PUFAs are drought. No matter how much you water, nothing grows when the soil is dead.
How Hair Growth Works
Hair grows in cycles:
Anagen (growth phase): 2-7 years. Hair actively grows.
Catagen (transition phase): 2-3 weeks. Growth stops.
Telogen (resting phase): 3-4 months. Hair rests, then falls out. New hair pushes old hair out.
Normal shedding: 50-100 hairs per day.
Problem: Low thyroid shortens anagen and lengthens telogen. Less growth. More shedding.
More hairs enter resting phase. Fewer stay in growth phase. You shed faster than you grow. Your hair thins.
Why PUFAs Cause Hair Loss
They suppress thyroid function. Low T3 means slow cellular metabolism. Hair follicles need high metabolism to grow. They shut down when thyroid is low.
They increase inflammation. Chronic inflammation damages hair follicles. Follicles become miniaturized. Hair grows thinner and weaker.
They disrupt hormones. Women get estrogen dominance. Men get low testosterone and high DHT conversion. Both patterns cause hair loss.
They impair nutrient absorption. Damaged gut lining from PUFAs means poor absorption of iron, zinc, biotin, protein—all needed for hair growth.
Types of Hair Loss
Telogen effluvium (most common):
- Diffuse thinning all over scalp
- Caused by stress, illness, hormones, thyroid
- Triggered by PUFAs suppressing metabolism
- Reversible if you fix the cause
Androgenic alopecia (pattern baldness):
- Men: receding hairline, crown thinning
- Women: widening part, diffuse thinning
- DHT (potent testosterone metabolite) miniaturizes follicles
- Worse with low thyroid and high aromatase from PUFAs
Postpartum hair loss:
- Massive shedding 3-6 months after birth
- Caused by thyroid crash postpartum
- Normal if it stops by 12 months
- Abnormal if it continues (thyroid needs support)
Autoimmune (alopecia areata):
- Patchy bald spots
- Immune system attacks follicles
- Often triggered by leaky gut and inflammation from PUFAs
What Your Hair Tells You
Falling out in clumps: Severe telogen effluvium. Check thyroid labs immediately. Likely very low T3.
Thinning at temples and crown (men): Androgenic alopecia plus low thyroid. DHT is miniaturizing follicles while low metabolism prevents regrowth.
Widening part (women): Usually thyroid-related. Can also be PCOS or estrogen dominance.
Shedding 3-6 months after stress/illness/birth: Classic telogen effluvium. The stressor pushed hairs into resting phase. They're shedding now.
Brittle, dry hair that breaks: Poor protein absorption. Gut health compromised. Need collagen and amino acids.
Slow growth: Low thyroid. Hair should grow 6 inches per year. If it's growing 2-3 inches, metabolism is suppressed.
How to Stop Hair Loss and Regrow Hair
Eliminate PUFAs immediately. Stop eating seed oils. Canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, corn oil. These are killing your thyroid and inflaming your follicles.
Support thyroid function. Eat adequate carbohydrates. Fruit, potatoes, rice, honey. Your thyroid needs glucose. Get enough iodine (seafood, eggs, iodized salt). Consider thyroid medication if severely hypothyroid.
Get adequate protein. Hair is made of keratin (protein). You need 0.8-1g protein per pound of body weight. Meat, eggs, dairy, fish. Don't skimp.
Add collagen/gelatin. Glycine and proline support hair structure. Bone broth, gelatin powder, collagen supplements. 10-20g per day.
Support nutrient absorption. Fix your gut. You need iron (meat), zinc (oysters, beef), biotin (eggs), vitamin A (liver). Can't absorb them with damaged gut lining.
Reduce stress. High cortisol pushes hair into telogen phase. Sleep well. Don't overtrain. Manage psychological stress.
Track your temperature. As temperature climbs toward 98°F, hair growth should improve. This confirms thyroid function is recovering.
Be patient. Hair grows slowly. You won't see regrowth for 3-6 months. The hair falling out now entered telogen phase months ago. New growth is coming but takes time.
Most people see:
- Shedding slows within 6-8 weeks
- Baby hairs (regrowth) appear at 3-4 months
- Noticeable thickness by 6-9 months
- Full recovery by 12-18 months
What About Supplements and Treatments
Biotin: Helps if you're deficient (rare). Most people aren't deficient. Get it from eggs instead. High-dose biotin can interfere with thyroid labs (shows false results).
Rogaine (minoxidil): Forces follicles into growth phase artificially. Works while you use it. Stop using it, hair falls out again. Doesn't fix the root cause (thyroid/metabolism). Can cause initial shedding.
Finasteride (men): Blocks DHT conversion. Can help male pattern baldness. Side effects: erectile dysfunction, low libido, depression (in some men). Optimizing thyroid and testosterone naturally is safer.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma): Injections into scalp. Some evidence it helps. Expensive. Temporary. Doesn't fix metabolism.
Iron supplements: Help if you're iron deficient (common in women with heavy periods). Get ferritin tested. Should be above 50 ng/mL, ideally 70-100. Get iron from food first: red meat, liver, oysters.
Bottom line: Address root cause (PUFAs and thyroid) before throwing money at treatments. Many people don't need supplements or medications once metabolism is optimized.
Men vs. Women
Men: Pattern baldness is genetic but low thyroid makes it worse. When testosterone is low and thyroid is low, your body converts more testosterone to DHT to compensate. DHT miniaturizes follicles. Fix thyroid and testosterone, slow the pattern baldness significantly.
Women: Most hair loss is thyroid-related, not androgenic. Postpartum loss, PCOS, stress-induced shedding—all thyroid and hormonal. Fix metabolism, hair grows back.
FAQ
Q: My dermatologist says it's genetic and nothing will help. Is she right? A: Genetics load the gun. Environment pulls the trigger. If your relatives had hair loss but ate butter and lard, they still had some loss (genes). You're eating seed oils (environment), making it much worse. Fix metabolism. You might not have perfect hair but you'll have significantly better hair.
Q: I've been losing hair for 5 years. Is it too late? A: Depends. If follicles are completely miniaturized and scarred, they won't regrow. But most people have dormant follicles that can reactivate. Try 6-12 months of metabolic optimization. Many people regrow hair they thought was gone forever.
Q: Can I dye or heat-style my hair while regrowing it? A: Avoid harsh treatments while follicles are fragile. Once hair is growing strong again (6+ months of optimization), you can resume styling. But mechanical damage won't cause the metabolic hair loss you're experiencing.
Q: Should I take thyroid medication for hair loss? A: If your thyroid labs show low Free T3, yes. Hair loss is a symptom of hypothyroidism. Medication supports regrowth while you fix root cause. Work with your doctor.
This isn't medical advice. I'm not your doctor. If you have sudden severe hair loss, get evaluated for serious conditions.
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