Hair loss and brittle nails... anyone else?

I’ve got a bit of an issue...
Lately, my hair has been thinning out quite a bit. I know it’s winter and all that, but it’s worse when I’m brushing or blow-drying—it just comes out in clumps. Plus, I’m seeing it all over my shirts and everywhere else. Honestly, I’m losing weight faster than my cat does. My nails are splitting too, and I’m naturally very thin and have a hard time putting on any weight. Should I be worried?

maybe you’re just low on vitamin B

I don't get it. My blood work has always been perfect. Everything looks fine on paper, but I just can't seem to put on any weight. No thyroid issues either. Someone suggested I should probably have my stomach enzymes checked out... but still. =(

I honestly think you should get your thyroid checked out; it sounds a lot like hyperthyroidism to me. I deal with it myself, which is why I’m speaking up—it’s the exact same thing I went through, especially if you feel like you're eating plenty but the scale just won't budge.

http://sites.google.com/site/stealthawarenes/

If you’re just dealing with hair and nail issues, try Viviscal. Every fall, my hair thins out so much I could practically make a wig out of it. One year was particularly bad. I took Viviscal for three months, and everything stabilized. My hair remains thick and full now, with zero signs of massive shedding. Plus, those supplements helped my nails recover too. During the autumn months, my nails would get thin and brittle, snapping before they could even grow out properly. Viviscal fixed that as well. Give it a shot; it might work for you too.

Thanks for the advice.. Honestly, some of this scares me a bit. I'm still pretty young, only 17, and I go for regular checkups with my endocrinologist, but it isn't anything related to my thyroid...

Lisa Hernandez80 said:Thanks for the input... honestly, some of this is a little daunting to hear since I'm still pretty young at 17, though I do see an endocrinologist regularly for checkups—and it’s nothing related to my thyroid specifically.

When was the last time you actually had your thyroid hormones and antibodies checked? In younger people, those levels can fluctuate quite a bit, almost like weather patterns shifting unexpectedly.
The symptoms you're describing seem to point toward a common denominator involving the thyroid, so if it's been a while since your last blood work, getting those levels tested would be a wise move.

Alex Moore62 said:When was the last time you actually checked your thyroid levels and antibodies? In younger people, those numbers can swing pretty wildly.
Everything you're describing sounds like a thyroid issue. It’d be smart to get those labs done if it’s been a while.

Honestly, I can't even remember. I don't think they ever even tested my thyroid because nobody suspected anything was wrong there. Guess I'll find out what the doctor thinks at my next checkup. =(

Lisa Hernandez80 said:I can't quite recall the details, honestly; I don't think they ever actually tested my thyroid because nobody at the time thought that was the issue. But, I suppose I'll find out what the verdict is once I head in for my follow-up appointment. =(

Don't just sit around waiting for your scheduled check-up. Just call your local primary care clinic, explain exactly what you're feeling, and ask for a referral for thyroid hormone testing. Or, if you have the extra cash to spare, you could always just head down to a LabCorp and pay for the labs out of pocket.

When it comes to your thyroid, playing guessing games or putting things off is a dangerous way to live—you need to get the bloodwork done so you aren't just flying blind. 😉

Frank Booth9, I think Alex Moore62 made a really solid point there, and it would honestly be a smart move to get your thyroid checked out because those levels can fluctuate in all sorts of ways without you even noticing it right away.
If your thyroid comes back perfectly fine, then your next step should definitely be looking into your vitamin and mineral levels, since a standard blood panel won't always give you the full picture on that front.
Beyond just a potential B vitamin deficiency, you might be running low on calcium or perhaps something else entirely; while it’s likely nothing life-threatening, I completely understand why you want to stay ahead of it, especially if you're worried about hair thinning or having trouble growing out your nails, not to mention how much any nutritional gap can impact your overall organ function.
Do let us know what your first step is going to be, and please, by all means, share your test results with us once you have them!

I've got an appointment with my endocrinologist on December 7th. I'll just lay it all out for her, because my primary care doctor is honestly useless... I'm not even sure if it's a thyroid issue. It could be, but then again, a friend of mine couldn't put on any weight at all because she was dealing with some stomach enzyme problems =( and honestly, that sounds way worse than thyroid stuff to me...😢
So, I guess I'll just wait and see what she says.

Lisa Hernandez80 said:I have an appointment with the endocrinologist on December 7th, so I'll run it by her then, because my current GP is honestly useless... I'm not entirely sure if it's a thyroid issue or something else, but I had a friend who struggled to put on any weight at all because of some enzyme issues in her stomach, which honestly sounds even more taxing than a thyroid problem.😢
So, I guess I'll just wait and see what the specialist thinks.

Well, December 7th isn't exactly ages away.🙂
Do yourself a favor and look up the symptoms for hypo- or hyperthyroidism online to see if anything rings a bell.
And please, never just sit there in the exam room waiting for a doctor to tell you what’s wrong; you need to be proactive and actually suggest possibilities. For instance, bring up the thyroid concern specifically and back it up with the symptoms you've been experiencing. Let's face it, not every doctor is a gifted diagnostician, and some are far too eager to cut corners on testing to pad their own bottom lines.
If your primary care physician is incompetent, find a new one—an ineffective GP can genuinely be dangerous because they might lack the knowledge or simply lack the motivation to refer you to a specialist. You really have to advocate for your own health, even at the most basic level of primary care.👍

Alex Moore62 said:Alright, December 7th isn't that far off. 🙂
Do a quick Google search on hypo/hyperthyroidism and see if those symptoms match what you're feeling.
And look, don't just sit there at the doctor's office waiting for them to tell you what to do. Be proactive. Ask questions. Suggest things. Tell them you want to get your thyroid checked and explain why based on your symptoms. Let's be real—not every doctor is a great diagnostician, and some are just too cheap to order tests because they want to save money.
Stop settling for a primary care doc who's totally incompetent. That kind of negligence can actually kill someone because they either don't know what's wrong or they just won't refer you to a specialist. You have to fight for yourself, even with a basic GP. 👍

I already know the symptoms and all that. I've done my homework. And yeah, I know how doctors work, but mine is a total disaster. I've been a patient here for two years and I've only actually seen him once by pure accident in passing... thank god I didn't run into him more often. =)

Lisa Hernandez80 said:I’m pretty familiar with the symptoms and all that—I know my way around these kinds of things... Look, I get the whole "see a doctor" advice, but mine is honestly a lost cause. I’ve been under his care for two years now, and I’ve only actually bumped into him once by pure accident in the hallway. It’s a good thing it wasn't more often, honestly. =)

There really isn't any reason to stick with a physician who does more harm than good, especially when they're just lining their pockets with your insurance money without providing the actual level of care you deserve. It’s like staying at a budget motel where the plumbing doesn't work and the staff ignores you; eventually, you realize you're paying for a headache. Find a competent doctor—someone who actually prioritizes patients—because switching is ultimately in your own best interest. In this country, you have the right to choose your provider, so don't be afraid to exercise that freedom and find someone reliable. 👍
Definitely let us know how that follow-up goes so we aren't left wondering. 😉

Just wanted to check in.... this hair loss thing is actually pretty normal. It hasn't been too bad for me, and my nails aren't falling apart either. My doctor told me she doesn't think it’s anything with my thyroid; she thinks it's mostly just the daily stress I've been dealing with. We're going to handle it another way instead...

Heh, I’ve been feeling pretty much the same way over the last few months. It started with hair thinning, then my nails became super brittle—and don't even get me started on my skin. My body feels constantly dry, and my facial skin has become an absolute nightmare to deal with. On top of that, there's this lingering fatigue, trouble focusing, and even my vision seems a bit off lately... I went in for blood work and everything came back fine; checked my thyroid levels too, and those seemed okay—though maybe I should probably go back and re-test them—and my reproductive health was all clear, too. To be honest, I’ve dealt with a massive amount of stress over the last couple of years, and while things are still a little tense right now, I find myself wondering if it's really possible for stress to be the culprit behind *all* of this.
Do I need a referral to see an endocrinologist?

My hair is thinning out too... honestly, it’s starting to get under my skin 😁
. If I actually had a decent amount of hair left, I’d be genuinely worried. But since I have far too much to begin with, let it 😁😁. It seems to happen around this time every year; perhaps my body is just shedding the "old" layers to make room for the "new," since I can see the regrowth coming in. Quite the spectacle, really 😁😁
. P.S. Does anyone happen to know of a good shampoo for reducing volume? Hahahaha 😁

Well, then you don't have anything to worry about. My hair is thinning out way too much—it’s actually getting pretty bad—and there are spots where I’m starting to look as bald as a 😢

You absolutely need to see a dermatologist. But honestly, just seeing a skin specialist isn't enough—you need an interdisciplinary approach here. You really ought to go through a systematic full-body screening, because hair loss like this often isn't just a surface issue; it’s frequently a red flag for something deeper inside, like a dental granuloma, a stomach infection from something like H. pylori, or even gallbladder inflammation.
Once you actually pin down the root cause, solving the problem becomes a much more straightforward task.