Thinning Hair and Your Health


By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Each of us normally loses 100 strands of hair every day from brushing, combing, and showering. While that might sound like a lot, it’s really a tiny percentage, since we have about 100,000 hair follicles! But excessive hair loss should not be ignored and could be connected to a specific health concern.

Thinning hair can be related to a nutritional deficiency (like protein and/or vitamins), medications, stress, hormonal changes, or medical conditions, including abnormal thyroid function. Even your family history can play a role.

Hair loss is not related to the normal activities of your daily routine, such as vigorous brushing, daily shampooing, wearing hats, or pulling your hair back into a pony tail. These are all old wives tales, with no evidence to back them up.

If you suspect that your hair is thinning over a period of weeks and months (not years – sorry to all of you men with male-pattern baldness!), take a look at your lifestyle. If you’ve started some new medications (either prescription or over-the-counter products) or changed your diet significantly (especially extreme dieting), this might be a clue to your thinning hair.

After you’ve taken a look at your lifestyle, share this information with your doctor to determine if a more comprehensive evaluation is needed. 

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