Beard

[Wetsuiter]

A few days ago, i think i saw a comment that a hairy chin is a hypo symptom (i may have dreamt this though, i do have v vivid dreams). Has anyone seem any papers /have any useful links about this?

[TSH110]

There’s this paper that links hirsutism with taking Levothyroxine.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3...

It is quoted as a cause in many papers but with no further discussion! I certainly have got bad beard hair since my hypothyroidism galloped out of control (I had problems getting a diagnosis for decades) all my female relatives with it (we are many) have suffered from excessive facial hair so I doubt it is a coincidence.

Will post any other links I find........

Here’s one from the 50’s linking Hirsutism with childhood hypothyroidism

jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...

This one mentions there are thyroid hormone receptors on hair roots and hypothyroidism tends to decrease the hair growth cycle and hypo to increase it so there’s a direct link to hairs and their growth and thyroid hormones

ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=...

[Wetsuiter in reply to TSH110]

thank you. i'll have a look. i'm confused cos hair everywhere is depleted

[TSH110 in reply to Wetsuiter]

That will be due to the hypothyroidism interfering with the hair growth cycle causingvit to become sparse and weak - my body hair has almost vanished 😃 after a decidedly gorilla 🦍 phase but the facial hair is relentless and strengthening 🧔! Sounds like it is not as straightforward as the experts make out and half the time they have never even researched it. The paultry number of scholarly references to hypothyroidism and hirsutism and the very casual but unexplained mention of it in some papers plus doing thyroid hormone testing as part of the investigations but no explanation of why or how it might be significant speaks volumes - I bet loads on this forum have problems with lack of or excessive unwanted hair growth

[Wetsuiter in reply to TSH110]

sounds about right!

[Lora7again in reply to TSH110]

Well I have a couple of hairs on my lip which I pluck out ... as for being hairy? I have no eyebrows and hardly any body hair but I am 60 so it could be my age or it could be my thyroid - on a good note my hair has stopped falling out and is growing back yippee!

[Sishey1]

Yes! I have been trying to find info on this for years... I have lots and lots of downy hair and use an epilator weekly to remove. It’s not dark, unlike my hair, but left alone would definitely be very noticeable. It’s a very minor symptom in the scheme of things but it drives me mad!

[Wetsuiter in reply to Sishey1]

i started electrolysis almost 4 years ago when i couldnt keep up with thick bristles on a daily basis. in that time, i must ve had 150 full clearances. its not the most bothersome i deal with, but it is v obvious.

[TSH110 in reply to Wetsuiter]

Yes it is recognised by dermatologists as being significant. I hate mine and I an never happier than when I pluck the blighters out but talk about a never ending task...

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

Significant to hypo? How interesting. Mine are irritating. They're maybe worse since getting closer to menopause. I tend to tweeze daily to keep them more or less invisible. I'm considering some form of permanent hair removal but haven't got further than considering. My hair - the hair on my head - is actually great. Still thick and in good condition and in fact little grey.

[TSH110 in reply to Hidden]

I think more the psychological distress it can cause, although some articles do mention thyroid disorder as a possible cause. I looked into lazer but it was quite a commitment in time and money. It cannot stop new hairs and white ones are not treatable as they have no melanin. Special lazers with different settings have to be used on darker skins to prevent burning and scarring too. Good to start it before hairs loose their color. My head hair is much thinner but I had very thick hair indeed when I was young to the extent that I had problems getting any brush to go through it when long hair had gone out of vogue. Luckily I found a lady on a market stall in London who had an old denman D5 from the 60’s - that soon sorted it out. Now I can scarcely get it up in a bun it is so fine pining it up is a challenge, mind you I am glad it is not as sparse as my grandma’s which was like a thin veil of candy floss.

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

My (head) hair is thick but has always been fine - as in the individual hairs are fine, just lots of them - and straight, so brushing has never been an issue.

I should do something about the facial hair because it does get me down. I was just interested to think it might be linked. It does sound logical as people talk about hormonal hair growth. There is a laser clinic near us run by doctors, so hopefully have a good idea of not scarring. Some of the hairs are white now though. I'm leaning toward electrolysis but really have to do some research before I decide anything.

[TSH110 in reply to Hidden]

I did have electrolysis which kills the hair root. Mine were very tenacious requiring several treatments to destroy them. May be a combination of the two methods would get the best result. I think lazer is much quicker as they can blast an area of hairs but each hair must be done individually with electrolysis. It can be quite painful too, not sure about lazer but think it may be less so or even painless. It takes a long time because they need to blast the hairs over a full hair growth cycle to catch as many as possible.

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

Definitely worth some research

[Wetsuiter in reply to Hidden]

i think the reputable places will advise you that laser wont work if its hormonal. but then, i clearly know nowt after all these years.

[Rennixon]

Yep it’s there, just like I am every morning plucking the damn things out!( wish my name was Micheal Finnigan)

I thought my maternal family was to blame for the low thyroid until I met a cousin of my dads, for the first time, recently and she had a moustache and beard too! 😕☹️

[Hidden]

I just assumed my eyebrows were now popping out of my chin! 😱

[Wetsuiter in reply to Hidden]

me too