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.
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