What Is Your Hairs Says About Your Health

 Unhealthy hair symptoms

Being a human, or something similar, entails having body hair. The hairs called vellus, which come from the Latin word for "fleece," make up the fine fuzz that covers your skin. But what about those ugly, long, and colored boys? The terminal hairs that grow on the head, chin, beneath the arms, and in the pubic region are what give your eyelashes and eyebrows their shape.

According to Gary Goldenberg, M.D., an assistant general professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, your genes typically determine how much thicker hair you have on your body. There are different types of normal: Some people will note that they have very little body hair that is very light in color or texture, whilst others might have more body hair that is darker and coarser.

The rapid shift in your body hair, however, may indicate that something else isn't quite right. Here are some signs your body hair may be indicating about your health, whether it's growing more quickly than usual, growing thicker, or even falling out.

1. An imbalance in your male hormones.

An imbalance of male hormones (androgens), which are naturally found in both men and women in varying degrees, is frequently the root cause of a rapid surge in hair growth or loss in women. For example, extra hair may grow if your testosterone levels rise.

According to Margaret E. Wierman, M.D., a medical professor at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver & chief of endocrinology at the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center, it is known as hirsutism—a disorder in which undesirable male-pattern hair development occurs in women. "The'male-pattern' component of the diagnostic refers to hair on the upper back, upper chest, or above the belly button. Women are said to have hirsutism if they have more than eight hairs on a single nipple.

Male-pattern baldness in women is a sign of changing male hormone levels, just like male-pattern excess hair. Many women discover that their facial hair gets coarser as the hair on their heads thins after menopause when estrogen levels fall and testosterone rises as a result. Even a stray hair could end up on your chin. Doctor. Wierman adds, "Initially terrifying, yeah, but everything is totally normal."

2. It can be a symptom of PCOS.

Based on the U.S. Office on Women's Health, PCOS, a condition brought on by an imbalance of reproductive hormones, affects roughly one in ten women of childbearing age (OWS).

It may result in problems with your ovaries, which create the egg that is discharged each month as part of your menstrual cycle. This egg may not hatch as expected during your period if you have PCOS, or it may hatch but have developmental issues.

This may result in a variety of symptoms, including irregular periods, adult acne, thinning hair, or an excess of hair on the face, chin, or other areas of the body. According to Dr. Goldenberg, this occurs because your body produces more testosterone, which promotes the growth of abundant body hair.

3. There may be an iron deficit.

A hair cycle exists in everyone. Some people typically lose their hair on their own in the spring and fall, while others do it in the summer and winter. However, diffuse hair loss, or noticeable hair loss both on the body and on the head, can signify anemia or a lack of iron in the blood. Women who have heavy periods, vegans, and vegetarians are more likely to experience hair loss, brittle nails, and strange appetites. See your doctor for a blood test if you think iron may be the problem.

4. Underactive thyroid problems.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that your thyroid is a tiny gland at the front of your neck that resembles a butterfly that secretes hormones that help regulate how your body uses energy (NIDDK). Several bodily processes, including the production of hair, slow down when you don't have enough thyroid hormones.

According to Dr. Wierman, there are particular signs of thyroid disease that might cause hair loss. "If you notice that you're losing the outside third of your eyebrows and you're developing ridges in your nails, you likely have autoimmune thyroid disease," she advises. Have your producing cells' hormone (TSH) levels tested by getting a blood test.

5. Recent changes in your estrogen levels.

Your body's estrogen levels can also affect how well your hair grows. According to Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, hair tends to be thicker than typical when estrogen levels are high; when they're low, it might result in hair loss. Temporary hair shedding can also occur if your estrogen levels suddenly shift, such as after giving birth or quitting birth control medications.

6. There may be adverse health effects from your drug.

Dr. Goldenberg claims that specific drugs may directly affect the body hair on your body. A disease known as telogen effluvium, which can also occur after pregnancy, major surgery, drastic weight loss, or intense stress, is one that several medications, particularly some antidepressants, and anticoagulants, can cause temporarily. Telogen effluvium is a disorder where hair follicles are shed.

Several medications, including those that increase body hair, can grow hair. He lists them as being testosterone, danazol, androgen as well, phenytoin, an anticonvulsant, and glucocorticoids, a class of steroids. The hair changes are often temporary and will go away once you stop taking the drug.

7. An immune disorder may exist in you.

Your immune system may malfunction and destroy your hair follicles in uncommon autoimmune diseases. Alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, or complete alopecia, which causes you to lose all of the hair on your head and body, including your eyebrows and eyelashes, are possible outcomes (alopecia universalis). Systemic steroids are frequently used to treat these diseases, and although the treatment is often temporary, hair can regrow in some cases.

8. You may possibly have a tumor.

If hirsutism appears very suddenly and dramatically—"Say, over a period of six months," advises Dr. Wierman—and your testosterone and DHEAS levels are extremely high, as determined by a blood test, you may have a tumor that is secreting male hormones and altering your body's hormone profile to the point where you're rapidly growing hair.

According to her, "in these circumstances, we check for an ovarian or an adrenal tumor—both are possibilities." Although it's uncommon, your doctor will nonetheless examine it.

When to talk to a doctor regarding body hair

Although though changes in body hair can be a sign of a health problem, this isn't always the case. The majority of individuals with excessive facial or body hair that I see are a variation of normal, according to Dr. Goldenberg.

Nevertheless, "if you are acquiring new, changing, or unpleasant hair on your face, jaw, chin, or chest, make absolutely sure to touch base with your dermatologist to see if there is any fundamental medical concern," advises Dr. Zeichner. Being checked out can help you rule out any issues and start any needed treatments.