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Issue:
Suffering from hairloss ; thinning hair and hair loss
Background:I have a 70+yr old relative
She is on thyroxine and her thyroid markers are stable and good and has been for the last several years since she started suppmenting
She has very high thyroid antibodies which she has had for a few years now, but we have managed to reduce this overtime by supporting her immune regulation, and by doing a little bit of heavy metal detox through chelation several years ago .
Her thyroid antibodies do remain elevated, but are much lower than when they were several years ago, we suggested she takes high-dose vitamin D as well as glutathione, which has helped her; at the same time she has avoided things that stimulate her immune function such as vitamin C
She has recently been complaining for the last year of Hair loss and more recently over the last several weeks, some joint pain .
It would be good to get guidance and steer on what we can do about it and what additional information would be helpful for me to provide to you in order to better guide, the conversation and your recommendation
For the sake of completness, she is also on a bone supplement( bone up by jarrow ) given her Dexa Scan results. Her GP did suggest bisphosphonates several years ago and she was tild that she has osteoporosis and she did take several doses (as at the tome she had a minor back fracture) ; However, I have advised her to come off it and her DEXA scan results have not deteriorated and she keeps supplementing with bone mineral supplements that I described above.
Thank you
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@MS91
Hypothyroid function is often a major root cause factor for hair loss, so perhaps her dosage needs to be adjusted? Does she have any other hypothyroid symptoms? You can watch this video for signs & symptoms: https://bbv2.genesisengine.io/courses/thyroid-balance/lessons/signs-symptoms-of-thyroid-dysfunction/
Other things to consider:
1. Nutrient Deficiencies:
-Check iron panel (ferritin should be > 70 ng/mL for healthy hair growth)
-Test RBC Zinc (essential for hair follicle function and also a key nutrient for immune health)
-Does she consume enough B vitamin rich foods? Biotin & B Vitamin deficiencies (especially B12, which can be lower in autoimmune cases) can lead to hair loss
-Does she consume enough Omega-3s (anti-inflammatory for both hair & joints)
-Vitamin D & K2. You said she’s on high-dose D – what’s her dose and how long has she been supplementing with high dose D? And what about vitamin K2 for for bone & hair?
-Does she consume enough protein and collagen (needed for joint and hair health)
2. Check Autoimmune Activation:
Her elevated thyroid antibodies means that her immune system is still overactive. It’s not uncommon for a person to develop a 2nd or 3rd autoimmune condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or psoriatic arthritis which can affect her joints.
Consider testing hs-CRP, ESR and ANA to check for systemic inflammation along with other autoimmune antibodies more specific to autoimmune arthritis to rule out another hidden autoimmune condition.
3. Age – Postmenopausal Hormone Decline
DHEA, estrogen, and testosterone play a role in hair retention and joint health. Low estrogen can accelerate hair thinning and contribute to bone loss. Given her age, it’s likely that her hormones are contributing to this dynamic.
Check DHEA-S, estradiol, progesterone, and free testosterone to see if low levels are contributing. If so, she may want to speak to a menopause doctor to explore bHRT.
4. Heavy metal toxicity remaining
Since she had chelation several years ago, a follow-up hair mineral analysis such as an HTMA could be useful to see if metal toxicity is resurfacing. This will absolutely trigger an immune reaction and inflammation.
Hope this helps give you some direction and questions to answer so we can continue guiding you. -
Very helpful thank you – a few follow on questions ..
1. On heavy metals – you mention this will trigger an autoimmune reaction; do you mean the test or underlying heavy metals in the body or both?
2. On hormones – whatâs the speciality title of a hormone doctor in a hospital ; would be OBGYN in this instance or someone different?
3. I will get back to you on your queries on her dosage on some of her supplementation
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1. Yes – heavy metals are very often triggers for autoimmunity. Testing for heavy metals will uncover if that’s contributing to her symptoms.
2. As for hormones, unfortunately, for many years women have been let down by OBGYNs because they have not been well educated on the subject of bHRT. The good news is that we’re beginning to see a shift and more and more functional docs, naturopaths and integrative OBGYNs are seeking outside education to really be able to help their female patients with proper hormone therapy.
In Dubai, I’ve been referring clients to Dr. Liliana Skorski at Health Bay or Dr. Hajra Adil at King’s College Hospital London. However, I have also referred clients to do virtual consults with Dr. Felice Gersh and Dr. Lindsey Berkson in the US who teach the doctors. Once they give the protocols, the prescription can be fulfilled by a local doctor who is willing to do so. Dr. Liliana is great about that. I interviewed both of these amazing doctors in B Better if you’d like to watch and learn more or have your relative watch them:
Dr. Berkson the topic of bHRT: https://bbv2.genesisengine.io/resource-library/guest-expert-recordings/bio-identical-hormones-in-perimenopause-and-menopause-unpacking-the-controversy-with-dr-lindsey-berkson-january-30-2025/
Dr. Gersh on the topic of menopause: https://bbv2.genesisengine.io/resource-library/guest-expert-recordings/navigating-menopause-with-dr-felice-gersh-august-23-2023save/
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Thank you!
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