Hair loss in healthy 24 y/o F

I am a 24 year old, healthy female who is experiencing extreme hair loss. Out of the blue, bout 5 weeks ago, my hair became extremely dry, to the point where I was unable to brush it. After putting a ton of leave in conditioner in it, I was able to brush it and noticed that a lot of hair fell out. Now, my hair is not nearly as dry as it was that day, but I am still losing a large amount of hair a day. Anytime I get out of the shower, I lose handfuls and I lose handfuls if I brush my hands through my hair. I really don't know what to do, as I can see my scalp more and more each day. It is scary to think that I have no clue why this is happening to me.
I a thyroid and blood test done, which both came back normal. I eat a healthy diet and use good shampoo and conditioner. Please help me if you know what may be causing this. It is much appreciated.

[meniere135]

It doesn't sound like male hormones causing this.  Usually male hormones make the hair greasy, not dry (though I'm not a doctor), and that much hairloss wouldn't occur over such a short period of time in male patterned baldness, I don't think.  Hypothyroidism can make hair dry and fall out, but you say that came back normal.  Do you know what your TSH was?  

Since you have many cysts, were you diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)?  Are you a diet soda drinker - not as common but some women complain they lost hair drinking that stuff..  Certain medications (you'd have to type in medications that are associated with hairloss) can cause this.  What is the pattern of the hairloss - all over, male pattern, diffuse, patchy?  Are you losing hair anywhere else on your body?  Might be an autoimmune type hairloss.  That is why you need a doctor.
Push to get an appt. sooner than later, explaining to them the extent of the hairloss.
Hopefully they will squeeze you in soon.  Do you have a restricted diet in any way?  Any anorexia or bulemia?  Any family history of celiac disease - any intestinal issues?

The more information you give, the more likely you'll find out why it is falling out.

Hope this helps.

[KansasKate]

Do you take or have you taken oral contraceptives (birth control)?

[meniere135]

Make an appt. with an dermatologist.  Were you under any extreme stress 3 months prior to the hair falling out?  If that is the cause, it will grow back in time.  If it's something else and it's falling that quickly, I really think you need to see a dermatologist.  

[lbirky]

I just started taking the birth control pill, Yaz, about 2 weeks ago. I have ovarian cysts, so the MD told me this was the only way to fight them.

I am definitely under some stress as I am in an accelerated nursing program, but I am over a year into the program and feel as though I have learned how to manage my stress.

I will make an apt with a dermatologist. Do you think it could be hormone related? I have read about having too much androgen hormone?

Thank you for the feedback- it is MUCH appreciated!!!

[meniere135]

It doesn't sound like male hormones causing this.  Usually male hormones make the hair greasy, not dry (though I'm not a doctor), and that much hairloss wouldn't occur over such a short period of time in male patterned baldness, I don't think.  Hypothyroidism can make hair dry and fall out, but you say that came back normal.  Do you know what your TSH was?  

Since you have many cysts, were you diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)?  Are you a diet soda drinker - not as common but some women complain they lost hair drinking that stuff..  Certain medications (you'd have to type in medications that are associated with hairloss) can cause this.  What is the pattern of the hairloss - all over, male pattern, diffuse, patchy?  Are you losing hair anywhere else on your body?  Might be an autoimmune type hairloss.  That is why you need a doctor.
Push to get an appt. sooner than later, explaining to them the extent of the hairloss.
Hopefully they will squeeze you in soon.  Do you have a restricted diet in any way?  Any anorexia or bulemia?  Any family history of celiac disease - any intestinal issues?

The more information you give, the more likely you'll find out why it is falling out.

Hope this helps.

[lbirky]

Yes, my thyroid panel results are as follows:
T'3 Uptake                 26.9          Reference 25.0-40.0 %
T4                             8.1            Reference  5.0-13.0 ug!dL
FTI (TI) (Calc)            2.10           Reference: 1.25-5.20
TSH, 3rd Generation  2.447          Reference: 0.350-5.500 uIU/mL
Free T4                     0.91            Reference: 0.80-1.80 ng/dL

I have been told that endocrinologist have smaller reference ranges, so I may have hypothyroidism if I were to be assessed from a smaller scale. What do you think?

I have never been diagnosed with PCOS. I have only been diagnosed with having severe ovarian cysts. The last one burst and after having an US done, they said the cyst was about the size of a tennis ball- not fun! I rarely drink diet soda, or any soda for that matter- maybe 1/month. I don't have a h/o anorexia or bulimia and am not on a restricted diet, although I do watch what I eat, very healthy eater most of the time :) The only medications I am currently on are Yaz, a prenatal pill (for my hair) and biotin (for my hair). The hair loss looks as though it is being lost from the middle of my hair; all the way from the front to the back, straight down my part. I have no other hair loss on my body, just my head.

There is no family history of celiac disease, although my sister has been diagnosed as being on the border of having hypothyroidism and cysts, as well.

Thank you so much for your information. You are really helping me out and I am thankful for your time :)

[meniere135]

Your TSH is not real impressive.  I've read it should be closer to 1.  And another thing I just learned from my sister last night (who is also losing her hair and has hypothyroidism and is on medication for that) hypothyroidism can cause   iron to be depleted from the iron stores in the body.  She got her ferritin level back yesterday and it came back low.  Ferritin is the stored iron.  When the body pulls too much iron out of the stored form, hairloss can result.   So I looked up info on the ferritin levels - it needs to be somewhere between 70-100.  My sister read that if you have hypothyroidism, you should have ferritin levels at 125.  Of course, due to the fact that iron can become toxic at certain levels, you should consult with a doctor about that information.  And if you get your ferritin checked and it is low, take l-lysine along with the iron and maybe some vitamin c and b12 to help with hair regrowth.

Do you have regular cycles?  Is menstrual bleeding heavy or light?  Another thing to consider is your estrogen to progesterone ratio.  Low progesterone can cause problems like possibly cystic ovaries and can expose hypothyroidism (I'm not 100% sure about that - I've read so much on the internet that I'm starting to slip up on my facts).

Has anyone in your family, especially the women, lost hair at a young age?  I remember reading that the younger you are when hair is lost, the more likely(though not definitely)  you are to have higher insulin levels (low carb diet would be needed for that).
Ask you gyn if you have PCOS.

That's all I have for today.  I'll check for your posts.  Hope something helps.

[Caryopteris]

It could be the Yaz or it could be Celiac disease.  Hypoparathyroidism: Too little of the parathyroid hormone, causes levels of calcium to fall and phosphorus to rise, leading to a condition known as hypoparathyroidism. This can lead to dry brittle hair, rough skin, muscles spasms, seizures and many more problems. The most common cause of this problem is an injury to the parathyroid glands during head and neck surgery.
There are other BCPs besides Yaz.  
http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm