Understanding Blood Tests for Hair Thinning: A Comprehensive Guide

Blood work is key to preventing and curing baldness by identifying the cause. Testing must be done to determine the causes of hair thinning and devise an appropriate intervention plan. They are used to reveal hormonal imbalances and deficiencies in nutrients, leading to large-scale health disorders and baldness.

There are countless reasons one loses their hair, anything from genetics to lifestyle. When the thyroid function and iron levels become imbalanced, for example, one can identify the cause with a blood test and correct it.

This article will discuss the most common causes of hair loss, the blood tests to diagnose hair loss, and the proper treatment according to those findings. We’ll also inform you how Hairy Hair can help you if you’re struggling with hair loss.

What are the Leading Causes of Hair Loss?

Genetics, hormonal imbalances, medical conditions, medications, and lifestyle factors commonly cause hair loss. Alopecia can significantly affect someone’s confidence and self-esteem, so it’s vital to understand why it’s happening to address it effectively.

1. Genetics: Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss, a hereditary condition that causes thinning. According to research from Endotext, between 30% and 50% of men will experience male androgenetic alopecia. It can be identified by high levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

2. Hormones: Imbalance in hormones, particularly for women experiencing pregnancy, menopause, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can all cause hair loss.

3. Medical Conditions: Thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, including alopecia areata, and scalp infections can trigger hair loss.

4. Medications: Some drugs, including those used to treat cancer, heart problems, and arthritis, are all linked to excess shedding.

5. Lifestyle Factors: Reactions to stress, poor nutrition, and harsh hair treatment all encourage thinning.

Some types of hair loss are usually only temporary, like shedding because of stress (telogen effluvium). Others are long-term conditions, like male pattern baldness, which requires early diagnosis to have the best chance of successfully restoring hair regrowth.

What Do Blood Tests for Hair Thinning Reveal?

Blood tests will allow you to determine the cause of hair loss that you would not know from just observation. Iron, ferritin, vitamin D, and biotin deficiency contribute to hair loss. Knowing your levels will allow you to adjust your diet and consume more food with these vitamins and minerals or supplements to cover the nutritional gap.

Hormonal imbalances are also among the reasons for shedding. The hormones androgen and thyroid hormone can be tested via blood work, and they both affect hair growth. Both an overactive and an underactive thyroid can reverse hair growth. Too much stress hormone in the form of cortisol also causes excessive shedding.

A blood test can not be the sole basis for checking for baldness. A professional dermatologist or trichologist will also perform a physical exam, visual inspection and, in some situations, a scalp biopsy. A scalp biopsy takes a small sample of your scalp skin to test if there are microscopic disorders leading to thinning.

Even if your levels are normal, there can still be an underlying hair loss condition. For example, 80-85% of women who present with female pattern baldness still have normal hormone levels despite excessive hair shedding, according to The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. An effective treatment protocol is created by adopting a holistic approach, bearing in mind the family history and other systemic diseases that interact with hair.

What Blood Tests are Used to Diagnose Hair Loss?

Depending on how your hair loss is showing – whether it’s diffuse, patchy, or receding – your doctor may order different blood tests to diagnose your condition. Different kinds of blood tests are used for hair loss, including:

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): These help provide insight into your overall health by providing detailed information on your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. 

• Inflammatory Markers: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) tests will determine if and what inflammation is causing your thinning.
• Vitamin Levels: Blood tests will determine if there are deficiencies in vitamins like D and B12 that can cause excessive shedding.
• Iron and Serum Ferritin: A blood test for iron can diagnose disorders like anemia linked to hair loss. Ferritin should be 80 ug/L or more for normal iron levels.
• Sex Hormone Tests: This includes a test for testosterone levels in men and women and a diagnosis of PCOS in females, which causes baldness.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): This is used to identify thyroid conditions associated with baldness, like hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. A study from the Indian Journal of Dermatology found that 18% of alopecia areata patients are linked with thyroid conditions.

Blood test results are always to be interpreted by a professional, as abnormalities in these tests may not necessarily be attributable directly to hair loss and may indicate an unrelated disease. Those with other conditions of hair loss, like pattern baldness or scarring alopecia, may still be revealed to have normal blood test results.

What Treatments are Available After Doing Blood Tests for Hair Thinning?

Once you have had a blood test, it may give you some insight into what treatments will be appropriate for you. Some of these are:

Medication

Prescription and over-the-counter medications may both be employed to treat baldness. If you have androgenetic alopecia, minoxidil may be purchased to stimulate the delivery of nutrients to your scalp and hair strands. Prescription blockers like finasteride can also help battle the leading cause of pattern baldness and give your hair follicles a chance to produce strong and resilient hair.

Hair Transplant

Hair transplantation is a cosmetic procedure that can produce long-term and rewarding outcomes for extensive baldness. You will, however, require a sufficient quantity of donor hairs (typically on the rear of your head) in good health to harvest and utilise to create thickness in thinning or bald areas. Surgery is expensive and requires recovery and follow-up responsibilities. 

PRP Injections

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has the ability to stimulate dormant hair follicle regions. The nutrient-rich plasma is drawn from your blood by a centrifuge and injected into thinning or balding areas. PRP injections are an ongoing treatment, requiring six or more shots spread out over weeks, but they can treat hereditary and stress-related baldness.

Diet and Nutrition

Changing your diet, specifically if your blood tests identify a nutritional deficiency, can help tackle thinning hair. Common alterations to support your hair health include having enough protein, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and a range of vitamins.

Lifestyle Changes

Regular exercise and low stress levels are essential for managing many hair loss cases. Getting enough sleep and stopping smoking can also improve general health and help promote hair growth.

Hair Care

If you are prone to excessive hair loss, then avoid using hair care products and shampoos containing harsh chemicals, and also be gentle to your hair. Gentle hair care practices like avoiding bleaching or tightly pulled hairstyles will also be helpful. Small changes like sleeping on a silk pillow or using a spray protection before exposing yourself to UV radiation for long hours will also spare your hair from breakage or damage.

How Can Hairy Hair Help with My Hair Loss?

If your hair loss concerns you, a blood test will reveal underlying conditions contributing to your shedding. However, blood tests are not the sole tool used in the diagnosis of hair loss, and an expert dermatologist or trichologist will consider your family history, external inspection, scalp biopsy, and other diagnostic markers when treating your condition.

Knowing how to interpret your blood work is the second part of treating your shedding appropriately. Unless you’re doing something with the information that you receive from taking blood tests, the issue won’t be fixed. Getting treated by hair loss experts who understand the complexities of hair loss and the necessity of providing you with a treatment plan that suits your specific case is the best way to find the perfect solution for you.

If you want to tackle your hair loss, contact Hairy Hair today. Our targeted treatment takes a well-rounded approach to thinning by comprehensively addressing the leading causes of hair loss. It works as a vasodilator and helps lower DHT levels to give you a better chance at recovering hair growth compared to a single-ingredient treatment used in isolation.

When ready to start, just fill out our short online form. One of our qualified Australian GPs who is an expert in hair loss will review your information and create a personalised treatment plan based on your needs. They’ll give you a call to outline the details and answer any questions you have. Your treatment will then be ready to ship to your door for a convenient and discreet solution to treating hair loss.