How I’m treating: HAIR LOSS

Hair loss amongst females has been a popular complaint amongst females that I’ve seen in clinic in 2026 thus far. Alongside skin and acne concerns; it is a touchy topic for many because, well.. it’s visible.

Or so people think it is. Females (particularly) are very self observant when it comes to a perceived issue like hair loss. They monitor shedding, volume, hair colour changes, brittleness, dryness, speed of growth, patterns of growth and many other factors in ability to justify the severity of their hair loss.

When a client presents with hair loss in consultation; it is very important for me as a practitioner to gather all the right information in order to enable an accurate assessment and plan of action for the patient.

Treatment in 2026

Three female patients have presented this year alone for hair loss specifically. All of different ages, and all of varying causes behind their hair loss. So what do I do with a hair loss patient?

I begin with an accurate assessment.

Baseline blood nutritional levels.. everytime

I send them straight for essential nutrient testing to identify whether they are nutritionally deficient, or not. And no, this isn’t expensive. It’s as cheap as $24AUD through Instant Scripts.

I test for the key vitamins and minerals needed for hair follicle growth -

Ferritin (Iron), Folate, Zinc, Biotin, Vitamin D, Active B12.

All three patients who presented for hair loss this year have been low in at least 3 of these nutrients. Without these essential vitamins and minerals; the hair follicle wont grow. The cell won’t replicate. So of COURSE hair loss will occur.

Time and time again I go into discussion of why these nutritional deficiencies are so common.. but it comes down to the same factors every time.

Poor gut absorption, poor good-quality food intake, taking poor quality supplements, internal body stress that is draining these vitamins and minerals.. and the list goes on.

But put simply, if you’re experiencing hair loss - please make sure you are testing these nutrients and ensuring they are ALSO in optimal levels.

Check hormones

Hormones play an important role in controlling the hair growth cycle. Changes and fluctuations in hormones (which happens almost daily in our lives after puberty and up until menopause) can disrupt this cycle and lead to increased hair shedding OR growth!

Hair follicles are very sensitive to hormones such as androgens (male hormones such as testosterone), oestrogen and thyroid hormones.

Androgens: (such as testosterone) can cause hair follicle shrinking if elevated over a long period of time. A good example of this in females is in the diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). In PCOS, androgens are more potent then they should be; and females identify hair thinning, shedding, frizzyness and even abnormal growth around the scalp and hairline.

Oestrogen: Supports the hair growth phase! So when oestrogen DROPS (which happens after pregnancy and during menopause), hair growth slows and hair tends to favour the shedding phase.

Thyroid hormones: which are involved in the SPEED of the body (especially cell growth and metabolism). When thyroid hormones are low (underactive thyroid) or high (overactive thyroid), this disrupts the normal speed of the hair growth cycle and lead to increased hair loss.

Indirectly; thyroid imbalances can also impact BOTH sex hormones (as above) and cause increased nutrient deficiencies (such as ferritin, zinc, folate, B12).

I use particular questioning methods to identify if hormone imbalances are relevant for each patient.

Stress, cortisol and adrenal issues

And the big one.. stress & cortisol.

Let's be honest.. everyone experiences stress.

But it is a combination of the severity of stress, the length of time under stress and the impact of stress on other body systems that determines whether or not hair loss occurs.

Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is normal in small amounts to function optimally! However, when stress is prolonged; cortisol levels can remain elevated and prolong the body’s fight or flight response.

High cortisol will cause more hair follicles to shift from the growth phase into the shedding phase; leading to hair loss several weeks (or months!) after periods of stress.

In my clinical experience.. getting on top of cortisol-induced hair loss is by far the most difficult to treat. Why?

Because I can’t really do it for you. Yes - we can work with herbs and nutrients to support the nervous system response. But at the end of the day, it is up to you with how you manage your stress.

Putting it all together

As we’ve identified.. hair loss is not a quick fix. Due to the complexity of factors causing hair loss and shedding; you do need to allow for patience and trust in your practitioner as they guide you step by step through the treatment journey.

In my clinical experience in treating hair loss; each patient does need to undergo an accurate assessment phase before I begin treatment.

Whether that includes extended questioning in consultation (yes, it takes longer than 20 minute free calls!), blood testing or further urine/saliva testing; these tests provide me with the accurate information & data to identify the root cause of each patients hair loss.

From here is where I begin treatment! Whether that be therapeutic doses of supplements and herbs, or even (and most of the time), lifestyle and dietary advice that patients can follow to self-sufficiently treat themselves.

I always allow for 3-6 months for a patient to begin seeing progress with their hair loss when undergoing Naturopathic & Nutritional treatment.

Thanks for reading -

NW Naturopath

9th March, 2026