Big hairball man
Blood analysis for thinning hair and hair loss
Thanks to a genuine collaboration with Blodkollen, we are able to offer professional blood tests for hair loss. Blodkollen works with several of the country's leading laboratories. The analyzes are of the same quality as at your doctor, and are carried out by authorized laboratories around the country.
Are you losing hair or feel that your hair has become much thinner? Then you should start by checking for possible nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances via a blood test.
Hair loss (alopecia) can affect the scalp or the entire body, and the condition can be temporary or permanent. Hair loss or thinning hair can be due to various reasons such as deficient nutritional intake, heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or is simply a normal part of aging. Hereditary hair loss that comes with increasing age is the most common cause of male pattern baldness. Anyone can lose hair on the head, but it is more common in men.
In many cases, it is possible to do something about hair loss or thinning hair, and it is then important to investigate the underlying causes in time.
BIG HAIR COLLECTION MAN is a blood test where various parameters are measured in your blood, to gain a deeper insight into possible causes of a loss of more than 100 hairs a day and/or thinning hair. The analysis also includes follow-up dietary advice and recommendations.
The blood test is a step in the process to investigate and find possible causes of increased hair loss or thinning hair.
THE BLOOD ANALYSIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TESTS:
Folate/folic acid (vitamin B9): Folate/folic acid is needed to form new cells and red blood cells. These cells include those found in your skin tissue as well as in your hair and nails. This B vitamin keeps these cells and red blood cells healthy, optimizing hair follicles to support hair growth. Generating new red blood cells can help in the keratinization of hair which generates hair growth and which stops hair loss.
In addition to preventing hair loss and supporting hair growth, folic acid or folate has other benefits for hair. A lack of this B vitamin can cause hair to thin and eventually fall out, as the hair becomes weak. The increase in new cell production that the vitamin provides can therefore cause hair to grow where it has thinned.
Folate is the variant that comes from food and folic acid the variant that comes from dietary supplements. Both have the same effect in the body.
Cobalamin (vitamin B12): Vitamin B12 promotes healthy hair growth by aiding in the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells that supply hair follicles with the nutrition they need.
Ferritin: The ferritin value reflects how the body's iron stores look. In the hair follicles there is a certain amount iron . Iron helps stimulate new hair growth. In case of iron deficiency, the body reacts by using iron resources from less important parts of the body. One of the places that the iron is then taken from is the hair follicles, which results in the hair becoming thinner and falling out. Hair loss due to iron deficiency usually results in the entire hair thinning/falling out equally over the entire head, rather than in bald spots, so-called patchy hair loss.
Zinc: Zinc is involved in protein and nucleic acid synthesis and plays a role in various metabolic pathways and cellular functions. In terms of hair loss, zinc is a potent inhibitor of hair follicle regression and accelerates hair follicle recovery.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D modulates the growth and differentiation of keratinocytes – which make up the most common cell type in the epidermis. It is the keratinocytes that manufacture keratin , a protein found in skin, nails and hair - 95% of hair consists of keratin.
Another important role that vitamin D has is to stimulate new and old hair follicles. When there is not enough vitamin D in the body's system, new hair growth can be inhibited. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to alopecia (hair loss), an autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other parts of the body.
Blood count : The blood count is a collection of analyzes which give an overall picture of the blood's various cells. The analysis can give indications of several conditions in the body - which can affect the hair - such as, for example, vitamin deficiencies, iron deficiency and inflammations/infections.
The analyzes included are: platelets (TPK), leukocytes (LPK) EVF, MCV, MCH and hemoglobin .
Thyroid Status: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates the production of T3 and T4, which in turn controls TSH production, to keep levels within the normal range (so-called feedback regulation). In the case of an overproduction (hyperthyroidism) or underproduction (hypothyroidism) of these hormones, an effect on the hair can be seen, with increased hair loss and lack of new hair growth as a result. Even some autoimmune diseases such as Alopecia areata (spotted hair loss) can be seen in connection with thyroid problems.
The analyzes included in the thyroid status are: T3, T4 and TSH.
Testosterone : Testosterone can affect hair, as some forms of testosterone produced by the body can shrink hair follicles. The form of testosterone that is the most common cause of poorer hair quality is called dihydrotestosterone, also known as DHT. About 10% of an adult's testosterone is normally converted to DHT in the body.
Shrinking follicles make the hair shaft smaller in diameter, making it more brittle. This makes the hair weaker overall, as the individual hairs that grow out are more sensitive. The hair falls out more easily than usual and the hair becomes thinner overall.
DHEAS
Dehydroepiandrosterone, abbreviated DHEA, is a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal gland from cholesterol. High DHEA levels can cause hair loss and thinning hair. This is due to the hormone DHT, which can be formed from DHEA.
DHT causes the hair follicles to shrink and shorten the hair cycle. The longer the hair follicle is exposed to DHT, the more the hair follicle shrinks. What happens is that DHT causes the hair to enter the resting phase more quickly, which means that the hairs become more brittle, thinner, shorter, decrease in number, and fall out more quickly. DHT can also make it take longer for your follicles (hair follicles) to grow new hair when old hairs fall out. These factors together contribute to a noticeable thinning of the hair.
Protein Status:
Eating enough protein is important for optimal hair growth because hair follicles are mostly made up of protein. A lack of protein in the diet can therefore promote hair loss. Even the hair itself is made up of protein, and a full 95% of each strand of hair is specifically made up of the protein keratin.
The analyzes included in the protein status are: urea and albumin.
What are the most common causes of hair loss and thinning hair in men?
Alcohol can cause hair loss
Alcohol leaches the body of important vitamins and minerals that are important for, among other things, the hair, including the mineral zinc and various B vitamins.
Medication can cause thinning hair
Increased hair loss and thinning hair can also be caused by certain medications such as antidepressants, blood thinners and chemotherapy.
Dietary supplements can cause hair to fall out
Overdosing on certain nutritional supplements can cause side effects such as increased hair loss and thinning hair; these include vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and selenium.
Diseases can be a cause of hair thinning
Certain diseases such as diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), thyroid diseases (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism), Alopecia areata, and infectious disease with fever, can cause hair loss and thinning hair.
Also certain diseases and conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can cause hair loss. In this type of disease and condition, there is often a deficiency of iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin B9. Another example is gluten intolerance (celiac disease), where deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin B9 can be seen.
Diet (eg vegetarians and vegans) can be the cause of thin and sparse hair
A diet with too little protein can contribute to increased hair loss and thin hair. Even a diet with too little nutrition (vitamins and minerals) contributes to increased hair loss and thin hair.
Weight loss can cause increased hair loss
Hair loss after severe weight loss is usually associated with a condition known as telogen hair loss (effluvium). Severe weight loss causes physical stress, which signals the hair follicles to enter an inactive stage, where hair production shuts down and the hair follicles are put into a resting phase. Here, a lot of hair is lost in the telogen phase in a short time, perhaps 1000 hairs daily, for one or a few weeks. Usually the hair loss comes 2-3 months after the triggering cause.
Other causes of this "diffuse hair loss" in men can be; infectious disease with fever, stress, various medical conditions and also chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, as well as various medications.
Heredity and androgenic disposition can be the cause of thinning hair
Androgenic hair loss - male hair loss, occurs due to increased sensitivity to testosterone of the hair follicle which eventually re-forms (goes into involution). The condition affects genetically predisposed men and can start already after puberty at the age of 17–18. Usually manifests in middle age in more than half of all men.
Aging can cause thinning hair
As part of general aging, the number of active hair follicles decreases, around 20-30 percent, which causes the hair to become thinner and the hairline to become higher. This affects both men and women. Can also start early in adulthood (presenile).
Smoking is a major contributing factor to thinning hair
Cigarette smoke contains toxic chemicals that cause constriction of the blood vessels and block blood circulation in the hair follicles. Since the hair follicles then do not receive the necessary nutrients from the blood, the hair growth cycle is disrupted, which in turn leads to noticeable hair loss and thinning hair.
Stress contributes to telogen hair loss
Different types of stress (physical and mental) can cause reactions in the body that lead to telogen hair loss. Stress can put the hair follicles into a "resting" phase so they don't produce new hair. Over time, hair can fall out, even if you just wash, comb or touch it. Telogen hair loss (effluvium) - can also be caused by the body not getting enough nutrition or by changes in hormone levels.
IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOUR SAMPLING:
If you take dietary supplements with biotin (vitamin B7), you should stop taking it at least one week before sampling, as it affects the analysis results.
The following medication can also affect the analysis results:
- Certain medicines, such as some steroid medicines