A couple of years ago, I started experiencing a significant amount of hair loss. Like anyone would do, I reached out to my friends, family, and even my hairdresser for advice. The common responses I got were pretty standard: “It’s probably just the monsoon season; hair loss tends to happen more then,” or “Maybe you should reduce the length of your hair; longer hair gets damaged more easily.”
But deep down, I knew something wasn’t quite right. My hair wasn’t tangling up and breaking; it was just falling out from the roots much more easily than it ever had before.
During a routine appointment with my dermatologist for an acne check-up (I had been on Accutane, and thankfully, my acne was clearing up), I decided to mention my hair loss. Instead of offering the usual explanations I had heard, he suggested something different—getting a broad spectrum blood test to investigate further. He mentioned that my hair loss could be linked to a hormonal imbalance.
Curious, I asked him about other nutrients that should be checked, even if they might not directly relate to hair loss. He encouraged me to go ahead and check my male and female hormone levels, along with iron, zinc, thyroid and vitamin D. He even suggested I take deworming medication, which was a new concept for me!
Once I received the test results, I was shocked to find several deficiencies, including low iron, zinc, and vitamin D levels, along with an excess of male hormones. My doctor suspected I might have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). However, he prescribed hormone-balancing medications to help with my hair fall, irrespective of whether I had PCOS or not.
After following up with my gynecologist, I learned that I didn’t have PCOS. She explained that for a diagnosis, you need to meet at least two out of three conditions: elevated male hormone levels, excessive hair growth (which wasn’t really my issue), and the presence of ovarian cysts (which would show up on an ultrasound during my period).
What I did realize, though, was that hormonal imbalances can manifest in various ways. For some, it might mean severe acne or significant weight gain; for me, it expressed itself through hair loss.
Looking back, I’m grateful that I took my symptoms seriously and didn’t ignore them. Getting regular blood tests is crucial, and I’ve learned that it’s important not to wait for physical symptoms to show up before getting a full panel check. This experience not only helped me to gain control over my hair loss but also to start taking deworming pills, regulate my periods because of the hormone balancing pills and discover the many deficiencies I had (and start taking the supplements I truly needed)!
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