Unpacking Hair Loss: The Numbers, The Frustration, and What to Test

Did you know...?

[video transcript] Hey there! Did you know that by the age of 80, a staggering 80% of people experience some form of hair loss? And here’s another cool fact: we lose between 50 to 100 hairs every single day. Curious how much Americans spend on hair care annually? We’ll get to that in a minute!

It's Dr. Dan, coming at you with another "lunch and learn" video. Today, we're diving deep into hair loss. You might be thinking, "The guy with great hair is talking about hair loss?" Well, I've got a little thinning going on up here myself, so I get it.

The answer to that question about spending? Americans spend a whopping $70 billion a year on hair care alone!

Hair Loss: First, Test!

So this is clearly a really important subject. Hair plays a huge role in self-esteem. Remember Samson in the Bible, whose strength came from his hair? It's incredibly troubling when you notice your part thinning, your hairdresser points out thinning spots, or you’re stressed out and find clumps of hair coming out in the shower. It makes you wonder, "What is the deal?"

You might visit your family doctor, who might suggest a drug store remedy or tell you to take biotin. You may see a hot new product online that promises to be THE solution you've been waiting for.

But if you’ve been watching these videos long enough, you know you need to test, test, test! So, what are the two main things you need to test for when it comes to hair loss?

Key Test #1: Comprehensive Thyroid Hormones - include Anti-TPO and

Reverse T3

The first crucial area to test is your thyroid hormones. Most doctors typically only test TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). TSH is a signal from your somewhat hairless head down to your thyroid, helping regulate your metabolism. However, you really need to go beyond just TSH. That’s just one signal.

We need to test the actual thyroid hormones because too little or too much thyroid hormone, or even antibodies to the areas in the thyroid that make those hormones, can actually cause hair loss. What am I talking about? I'm talking about:

Total T4 (the storage form of thyroid hormone)
Free T4
Free T3
Total T3 (T3 is your active hormone)

Again, too little or too much of these, and out goes the hair.

The other thing we need to make sure of is that your body isn't attacking your thyroid. There's an antibody you need to check called antithyroid peroxidase (or Anti TPO) This helps bind iodine and make your thyroid hormone.

The body also has a really cool mechanism in the thyroid. If you have too much of certain hormones, your body starts to turn them off. So, you've got to check something called Reverse T3. Too much or too little of any of these components, and the hair is going. Thyroid issues can also affect your iron, which is also really important for your hair.

Key Test #2: Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)

Now, what’s the other critical thing I mentioned you have to check when it comes to hair loss? Something called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This is probably the number one thing men need to check.

What happens with DHT, and why is it so important? Well, if you have too much testosterone, or testosterone is metabolizing into this DHT, the body tries to put all this extra stuff somewhere. And guess where you have receptors? All over your scalp! It gets in there and makes those hair follicles smaller and smaller to the point where they squeeze so tight, no more hair fits in, and out goes the hair.

The good news is we can open those follicles back up, but we've got to check to make sure DHT is the cause. There are lots of products out there that actually block this process. You might have heard of them: Finasteride and Minoxidil. They’re really just blocking DHT in the scalp. There are creams you can put on that block it out, which stops that miniaturization that's starting to happen in the scalp, and the hair loss stops.

Common solutions for thyroid and DHT-mediated hair loss

With the thyroid, if you get on a thyroid hormone and get that balanced, the hair loss stops. With DHT, if you can get in there, block that DHT out, or reduce the amount of testosterone or DHT that's circulating in the body, the hair loss stops. This is called non-scarring hair loss, and these are the two main things you've got to check if you are losing your hair.

Need a Custom Solution for Hair Loss?

Here's something else you need to check: my website! Come see me, please if you have hair loss! I offer free 15-minute visits anytime that you book on my website drdanwool.com. Let's do a call. I can quarterback your own custom solution and point you in the right direction. We want you well, and I never want you to feel over 40! Thanks a lot for listening today. We'll see you soon.