Nine times out of ten when a person suffers from hair loss, the first place they will look for answers-a new shampoo, hair oil or blaming their genes. Only rarely do they think about what’s going on inside. And here’s where the number one most surprising and best-supported trigger for hair loss lies-deep in your gut. That connection between gut health and hair loss is very real, widely researched, and can change your approach to hair loss dramatically.
Your Gut Is More Powerful Than You Think
The gut is far more than just a tunnel to break down food. It is a living environment that harbours trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microscopic organisms which make up the ‘gut microbiome’. What many don’t realize is that these tiny organisms do much more than simply process our food: they control our immune systems, our hormone levels, inflammation in our bodies and the efficiency with which nutrients are absorbed. When this ecosystem is well balanced, our bodies operate normally. If it gets out of balance, a state referred to as gut dysbiosis, the knock on effects can be observed all around the body. Some of the most obvious signs often appear on the scalp.
How an Unhealthy Gut Triggers Hair Loss?
Here are some obvious ways in which an unhealthy gut may be causing you to lose and thin your hair:
Malabsorption of nutrients
They require a continuous supply of iron, zinc, biotin, Vitamin D and the B vitamins if hair follicles are to remain healthy and growth take place. A compromised and/or inflamed lining to the intestine ‘leaky gut’ causes poor nutrient absorption. In essence, the body is not using correctly even if the diet is all it can be; hair follicles will begin to starve and the growth cycle to falter-and then the shedding occurs.
Inflammation
A damaged or disrupted gut microbiome may promote inflammation of low-grade systemic level within the body. This systemic inflammation may be directly responsible for pushing the hair follicles into a premature telogen (rest) phase, leading to diffused thinning of the hair and daily shedding, medically known as telogen effluvium.
Disrupted hormone signalling
The gut has a vital role in regulating hormone signals throughout your body including those for estrogen, thyroid hormones and cortisol, all of which are well known for causing hair loss. This can result in the production of hormonal signals that starve follicles of their need to grow.
Gut-skin axis
New research has identified the “gut-skin axis.” The inflammatory signals produced by your gut could potentially make their way to your scalp and affect the local hair follicle environment and potentially cause problems such as dandruff or a sensitive scalp which again affect the way your hair grows.
Signs Your Gut May Be Affecting Your Hair
It’s not the case that every person who has hair loss suffers from an underlying problem with their gut – but if you find that the following conditions accompany the increase in hair shedding then it is worth looking further.
- Constant bloating, gas or digestive unease
- Irregular bowel movements or digestion issues – both constipation and diarrhoea can occur
- Skin conditions, acne, eczema or rosacea for example
- Constant exhaustion and feeling tired, even when sleeping 7-8 hours per night
- Food intolerances that are worsening on a regular basis
- Low iron or vitamin D levels, even when you’re eating correctly
Collectively these are all indicative of an issue with your microbiome that may not be restricted to the stomach.
What You Can Do: Rebuilding Gut Health for Your Hair?
The great thing is that the gut microbiome can actually be easily influenced by changing the lifestyle. This is where to begin with:
Eat more varied diet
Variety in your diet means food rich in fiber and this feeds helpful gut bacteria. Eat a lot of various vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds etc. Greater variety of plant foods leads to greater variety of microbiome and this means a healthy gut.
Cut down processed foods and sugar
Process foods and sugar can feed the harmful bacteria and thus result in dysbiosis and inflammation. Once you cut down the above-the things will be turned around in your favor.
Handle stress actively
Chronic stress disrupts the gut-brain axis and leads to an unfavorable gut microbe environment. Yoga, meditation or a daily walk would do great job both to your gut and your hair.
Think about specialized supplementation
There can be supplementation that helps if you have a deficiency from bad gut absorption. Take advice from a doctor before starting the supplements like Probiotics, Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, Omega-3 Fatty acids etc. Always check before you begin supplementation, otherwise blind supplementation will do more harm than good.
When Gut-Directed Changes Are Not Enough
Improving your gut health can halt or even reverse some types of hair loss. These primarily consist of deficiency driven loss or inflammatory loss. If hair loss has occurred over a long duration or to the extent that follicles are not producing hair, then a lifestyle change will not bring back the lost density.
This is where hair loss treatment in India has come of age. From non-surgical treatments such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy, which uses one’s own blood to stimulate follicles to the complex surgical procedures- people all across India have now come to have real solutions for hair loss.
The hair transplant for men in India continues to be the only permanent remedy when the patches are evident. The procedure involves transplanting follicles from the donor site to the recipient site to provide natural, long-lasting results.
Addressing Hair Loss at Its Root and Beyond
It’s beneficial to become aware of the gut-hair link, as this opens up the possibility of dealing with things on a deeper level, rather than just on the surface. Consult your physician and test for vitamin and mineral deficiency, rule out whether there might be any gut-related inflammation causing problems and make slow and small adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.
Meanwhile, if structural hair loss is present you have treatments available that a healthier gut cannot provide. From finding out about hair loss treatment, including the possibility of a hair transplant, always speak to a qualified medical professional as your first port of call.
Your hair has a story to tell; often that story is starting in your gut. Tune in to that story.
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