# After total thyroidectomy - did you have hair losss?



## psychopika (Mar 1, 2015)

Hey guys,

I'm 29 years old and have a nodule that I will probably end up removing. If it turns out to be cancer I will have to undergo the total thyroidectomy.

I'm quite afraid of the hair loss that I've read about online. I know 3 women who had thyroidectomies in their 30s and 50s and 2 of them have their normal hair and one of them has rarer hair but you definitely can't see the scalp, it's just not as thick.

However I read that the synthetic thyroid hormones (Synthroid, Euthyrox) cause hair loss and was wondering what your experience with it was? Did you have a lot of hair loss & how long did it last, did you manage to grow the hair back?

I also added a poll, for those who wish to remain anonymous.

Thank you for sharing <3


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

First, all thyroid medications are synthetic. (Sorry, pet peeve. Desiccated meds might be derived from natural sources, but they are highly processes and certainly not "natural.")

Second, all thyroid medications, be it t4 meds or desiccated meds, will cause increase hair *shedding* but they don't cause hair loss. What does cause hair loss, however, is the exceptional hormonal swings we all go through after a total thyroidectomy. And what causes sustained hair loss after the surgery is improper titration of meds.

To answer your question directly, yes, I experienced significant hair loss following my TT. I did have bald spots and had to wear a hat in sunny weather. However, if you look at my signature, you'll also see that I was severely under medication after my surgery and that was the reason for the hair loss. I am thriving on Synthroid now and am hairer than ever. Every time I have to get my hair cut, my hair dresses has to thin out my hair because it is so thick.


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## psychopika (Mar 1, 2015)

joplin1975 said:


> First, all thyroid medications are synthetic. (Sorry, pet peeve. Desiccated meds might be derived from natural sources, but they are highly processes and certainly not "natural.")
> 
> Second, all thyroid medications, be it t4 meds or desiccated meds, will cause increase hair *shedding* but they don't cause hair loss. What does cause hair loss, however, is the exceptional hormonal swings we all go through after a total thyroidectomy. And what causes sustained hair loss after the surgery is improper titration of meds.
> 
> To answer your question directly, yes, I experienced significant hair loss following my TT. I did have bald spots and had to wear a hat in sunny weather. However, if you look at my signature, you'll also see that I was severely under medication after my surgery and that was the reason for the hair loss. I am thriving on Synthroid now and am hairer than ever. Every time I have to get my hair cut, my hair dresses has to thin out my hair because it is so thick.


That's so encouraging! So once you got the dosage right and your TSH levels got stable, the hair grew back, normal as before.

I did see in your signature that it was tough for you to get those levels right. Glad that you fixed that and you've been doing well for the last years.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I lost some hair for a few months after my TT. I have thick hair, though, so it was never noticeable. After a few months, everything was back to normal.


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