1. What Is The Best Treatment For Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a problem for many people, both men and women. Because of the cosmetic nature and impact on the individual's self-esteem, there are many different hair treatment programmes, products, and procedures on the market, which are often very expensive but not effective.
According to Dr. Ray Peat, hair loss is a hormonal imbalance involving high stress hormones and impaired cellular energy production. Resolving hair loss is linked to resolving the inflammatory processes and low thyroid function that are the main drivers of hair loss. Hair loss is actually an indication of general health issues — it is just the visible sign. An effective hair loss treatment programme should therefore focus on correcting the imbalance of the body as a whole, rather than focusing only on the cosmetic side of hair loss. My approach is to correct the underlying causes, supporting thyroid function and shifting the body away from stress and inflammation towards a higher energy state with a healthy hormonal balance. I use a thyroid-promoting diet and lifestyle approach, as well as targeted supplements that further address the nutritional and hormonal issues behind hair loss.
2. Does Balding Mean High Testosterone?
Excess testosterone is often said to be the cause of male pattern baldness, and is also assumed to play a role in female hair loss, which is why many hair growth products for the scalp contain oestrogenic substances, as oestrogen inhibits testosterone.
However, studies of large numbers of people with hair loss have failed to show a connection between testosterone and hair loss — testosterone levels were not elevated in men with hair loss compared to men with a full head of hair. This has given rise to the notion that people with hair loss have a special sensitivity to testosterone, underlining the lack of evidence for testosterone actually causing hair loss.
According to Dr. Ray Peat, testosterone is not the cause of hair loss. Testosterone actually promotes faster growth of strong, thick hair, whereas oestrogen terminates the growth of the hair shaft, causing the hair to fall out.
3. What Causes Hair Loss?
The cause of hair loss is a hormonal imbalance in which stress and pro-inflammatory hormones are elevated and protective, anti-stress, energy-producing hormones are low. In this low energy state, the body loses structure and control, allowing harmful degenerative processes to occur instead of healing and repair.
A person with hair loss will often have elevated blood levels of prolactin, cortisol, oestrogen, and parathyroid hormone, together with low thyroid function, indicated by an elevated TSH level.
As the normal ranges for these hormones in the blood are very wide, the numbers may still fall within the upper end of normal. According to Dr. Ray Peat, a TSH level above one can create problems, even though the normal range goes as high as five in some countries.
4. Can Hypothyroidism Cause Hair Loss?
The thyroid gland controls metabolism and therefore the energy production in each cell of your body. Low thyroid function, also called hypothyroidism, leads to many different symptoms as the tissues and organs are not functioning optimally. A common symptom of hypothyroidism is hair loss, thinning of the hair, and hair shedding. Low thyroid function also induces the overproduction of cortisol, prolactin, and parathyroid hormone, all of which contribute to hair loss.
5. Does Cortisol Cause Hair Loss?
People with hair loss tend to have excess levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is an emergency stress hormone. Under stress, almost all hormonal precursors are directed into the production of cortisol, leaving less available for the production of hormones that actually promote hair growth — including progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA.
Cortisol is a catabolic hormone, meaning that it breaks down the structures and tissues of the body, leading to hair loss. Whereas progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA are anabolic hormones that promote growth and tissue rebuilding, including hair growth.
Hypothyroid people compensate for their low cellular energy production by increasing their production of cortisol — a person with low thyroid function effectively runs on cortisol instead of producing enough energy in their cells. Good thyroid function is therefore very important for preventing long-term exposure to excess cortisol and the hair loss that follows.
Low blood sugar and a diet with too much protein relative to good carbohydrates are other common reasons for the overproduction of cortisol. A diet that keeps blood sugar stable and balances protein with healthy carbohydrates is important for preventing excess cortisol production and thereby preventing hair loss. You can learn exactly which foods to include in my book How to Boost Metabolism with Food and my Metabolic Nutrition Mastery course.
6. How Does Prolactin Terminate Hair Growth?
Prolactin is produced in females during lactation but is also produced in men, and regulates almost all cells in the body. Overproduction of prolactin occurs in stress and oestrogen excess. Long-term exposure to prolactin has many negative effects on the body, including inflammatory diseases, heart disease, and hair loss — with prolactin, like oestrogen, directly terminating the growth of the hair shaft and causing the hair to fall out.
Keeping thyroid function up is very important for preventing the overproduction of prolactin, as the kind of stress that occurs when cellular energy production is low induces prolactin overproduction. Vitamin A and calcium also help inhibit excess prolactin production.
7. Can Hyperparathyroidism Cause Hair Loss?
The parathyroid hormone is secreted by the parathyroid gland, which controls the body's blood calcium level. When the diet is not rich in calcium, the parathyroid hormone increases, signalling the bones to release calcium into the blood. Stress, including low thyroid function, also induces an increase in parathyroid hormone. Elevated parathyroid hormone promotes inflammatory processes and hair loss. Bringing the parathyroid hormone down has been shown to improve hair growth. Vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A, and good thyroid function are all important for keeping the parathyroid hormone within a safe range where hair growth is promoted.
8. How To Address Hair Loss?
As described, people with hair loss have a tendency towards low thyroid function with excess levels of stress and inflammatory hormones — including cortisol, prolactin, oestrogen, and parathyroid hormone — which all induce hair loss and shedding.
My approach to hair loss is to look at the body as a whole, not just as a cosmetic issue. Hair loss is a sign that your body is experiencing low energy and an inflammatory state, which also makes you more prone to other diseases including heart disease.
The key to resolving hair loss permanently is to shift the body back into a high cellular energy state with good thyroid function — which I cover in depth in my book How to Use Thyroid Medication and my Thyroid Recovery & Renewal course — and enough of the protective, youth-associated hormones — pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA — which I address in my Hormone Rebalance Intensive™ course.
9. Can Diet Promote Hair Growth?
The right diet is often the key to resolving hair loss. Many people with hair loss have been eating a diet that directly suppresses thyroid function. A number of so-called healthy foods actually strongly suppress the metabolic rate — examples include raw vegetables from the cabbage family, nuts, fatty fish, and polyunsaturated oils. Some common nutritional supplements can also be thyroid-suppressive and inflammation-promoting. The key idea of my diet and health recommendations is to base the diet on foods that support metabolism and avoid foods that directly suppress cellular energy production.
10. What Are The Best Supplements For Hair Growth?
In some cases, a dietary change alone is not enough to restore the body, and using a thyroid-supporting supplement can be very useful for supporting good thyroid function and promoting hair growth. You can learn more about over-the-counter thyroid support options in my book How to Use Thyroid Medication and my Thyroid Recovery & Renewal course.
11. Best Hormonal Hair Loss Treatment?
Both progesterone and pregnenolone have strong anti-stress properties and help the body shift away from the stress and pro-inflammatory hormones that cause hair loss. You can learn more about progesterone and pregnenolone supplementation in my Hormone Rebalance Intensive™ course.
12. Do Vitamins Help Hair Growth?
Selected nutritional supplements can be useful in supporting hair growth. The vitamins most important for healthy hair are all the B vitamins (vitamin B complex), vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium. These nutrients are important for preventing the formation of the pro-inflammatory hormones — cortisol, prolactin, and parathyroid hormone — that are involved in hair loss.
13. What Foods Can Help Reverse Hair Loss?
Low blood sugar induces overproduction of cortisol, and high cortisol is, as described, involved in hair loss. Fructose helps build the glycogen stores in the liver, and thereby stabilises blood sugar. Fructose is found in fruits, but for people with blood sugar issues, pure fructose powder is a useful supplement for preventing the stress and excess cortisol production associated with a drop in blood sugar.
Another excellent food for addressing hair loss is hydrolysed gelatin. Besides its anti-inflammatory properties, gelatin has the correct amino acid composition for forming new hair. Because gelatin is a pure protein it is important to eat it together with good carbohydrates in order not to disturb blood sugar levels.
14. Counselling For Hair Loss
I offer online counselling sessions via phone, Zoom, or WhatsApp with clients from all over the world. If you would like to work with me personally, you are welcome to book a counselling session and I will get back to you with a time for the session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hair loss always a sign of a thyroid problem?
Not always, but low thyroid function is one of the most common underlying drivers of hair loss that is frequently overlooked. Hypothyroidism creates a cascade of secondary hormonal imbalances — elevated cortisol, prolactin, oestrogen, and parathyroid hormone — all of which directly contribute to hair shedding and poor hair regrowth. If you have persistent hair loss, checking your thyroid function (including TSH, T3, and T4) is a sensible first step.
Can reducing stress stop hair loss?
Yes — chronic stress is one of the primary mechanisms behind hair loss, operating mainly through cortisol and prolactin. However, managing stress in isolation is rarely sufficient. The most effective approach is to address the underlying cause of the stress response, which is usually a low cellular energy state driven by poor thyroid function. When thyroid function is properly supported, the body's reliance on cortisol decreases and hair growth tends to improve alongside overall health. I explain how to address the stress-hormone connection in my Hormone Rebalance Intensive™.
Does oestrogen cause hair loss?
Yes. Despite the widespread belief that oestrogen is good for hair, Dr. Ray Peat's work indicates that oestrogen directly terminates the growth phase of the hair shaft, causing the hair to fall out. This is in contrast to progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA, which all support hair growth. Oestrogen dominance — which occurs when oestrogen is elevated relative to progesterone — is a common hormonal pattern in people experiencing hair loss.
How long does it take to see hair regrowth after addressing the root cause?
Hair grows slowly — typically around one centimetre per month — so it takes time to see visible improvement even when the underlying hormonal imbalance is being corrected. Most people notice a reduction in shedding within two to three months of making meaningful dietary and lifestyle changes, with visible new growth becoming apparent after four to six months. Patience is important, and consistent application of the pro-metabolic approach yields the best results.
Are there specific foods to avoid if you have hair loss?
Yes. Foods that suppress thyroid function should be minimised, as low thyroid function is central to the hormonal pattern that drives hair loss. The most important to reduce or avoid include: polyunsaturated vegetable oils (sunflower, soybean, rapeseed, corn oil), raw brassica vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) consumed in large quantities, unsalted nuts and seeds in large amounts, and fatty cold-water fish consumed frequently. Prioritising easily digestible carbohydrates, good-quality protein, and calcium-rich dairy foods supports metabolism and creates a more favourable hormonal environment for hair growth. I explain the nutritional detail in my book How to Boost Metabolism with Food and my Metabolic Nutrition Mastery course.
