Zinc Deficiency Associated with Hypothyroidism: An Overlooked Cause of Severe Alopecia

A 36-year-old man with androgenetic alopecia suspects copper and zinc deficiencies may be accelerating hair loss and is supplementing copper to address this. He is also monitoring blood sugar levels due to previous prediabetes concerns and plans to test for insulin resistance.

Zinc supplementation caused significant hair shedding for the user, who had been successfully managing hair loss with finasteride, minoxidil, RU58841, and microneedling. The user discontinued zinc after noticing no libido increase and believes the hair loss was due to zinc's interaction with other minerals or hormonal changes.

A female experienced hair loss due to low iron and an undiagnosed thyroid issue, specifically Hashimoto's, and saw improvement after starting thyroid medication, iron supplements, and making lifestyle changes. She emphasizes the importance of addressing the root cause and shares her journey to regrowth and emotional recovery.

The conversation is about a user planning to start minoxidil treatment and considering increasing zinc intake to improve testosterone and libido. They are concerned about potential hair loss due to increased testosterone and are advised to consider magnesium supplementation and the effects of DHT if not on finasteride or dutasteride.

Hair loss may be linked to thyroid issues, with some individuals noticing changes in hair texture when taking substances affecting the thyroid. Treatments mentioned include a topical mix of finasteride, minoxidil, and tretinoin, along with microneedling.

A 27-year-old male experiencing increased hair loss despite using 0.5mg dutasteride daily, minoxidil nightly, and optimizing vitamin D, is considering zinc supplementation and seeking a dermatology referral. Concerns about potential shedding, thyroid levels, and zinc dosage are discussed, with advice to monitor and avoid over-supplementation.