Health problems can manifest themselves in many ways, giving subtle alarms that “something’s going on” in your body. One of the most subtle alarms, and probably overlooked as much or more than any other, is a loss of body hair.
Why should you notice if the hairs on the back of your fingers, arm hair or other hair seem thinner than before – or even more alarming, missing altogether?
It could be a sign of some benign changes, like a hormone imbalance, or something more severe, like diabetes. The most common problem hair loss points to is one of several different skin conditions, like keratosis pilaris (an inflammatory disease of the hair follicles), eczema or seborrhea (dermatitis that leads to patches of itchy, red skin), psoriasis (a condition where the body’s immune system start attacking healthy skin) or parasites like ringworm.
All are minor conditions, easily treated. On the off-chance that hair loss may be something more serious, however, you should mention it to your doctor during your next visit. It could point a more pressing condition. Among them:
Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, conditions in which your thyroid gland is not performing as it should, producing an overabundance of hormones (hyperthyroidism) or not enough of them (hypothyroidism). The hormones the gland produces influence almost all of the metabolic processes of your body. If it’s not performing as it should, the cause could be as harmless as an irritation that can be treat with medication. It could also, however, be an early effect of cancer.
Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or diabetes, can cause the body to literally attack itself. One of the effects of such an immune reaction is the loss of body hair, usually in areas most afflicted by the disease. For diabetes, the hair loss is first noticed in the extremities, where the effects of the disease – like reduced circulation and nerve damage – are prevalent. Hair loss can occur anywhere on the body, however, especially in diseases such as lupus which are rarely confined to a certain part of the body. Again, it’s important to mention the loss to your doctor so they have a full picture of all the clues your body is sending you.
Medication interactions can also be the problem. Drug side effects are a fact of life. While addressing one condition, they may cause another. Chemotherapy can have this unintended effect – loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, or scalp hair, is common to some chemotherapy treatments. In most cases, the hair loss is temporary, easily reversed when your physician merely prescribes another medication for you. Still, like other causes, it’s best to advise your doctor and let them follow the trail of clues.
