Episode 55: Dr Carrie Jones
Why is your hair falling out?
In this episode, Dr Jones covers:
follicles, color and the growth cycle
’normal’ shedding
main types of hair loss in men and women
how the pattern of balding can indicate the cause
the major causes of hair loss
how the pH level of your shampoo could be accelerating baldness
how Dr Jones investigates hair loss in her patients
the effect of weight loss and weight gain on hair growth
water softeners and filters - do they make a difference when washing hair?
red light therapy for hair
what to do if you think your hair is shedding more than it used to
castor oil - why are people using it on their hair?
what Dr Jones does to keep her hair growth as healthy as possible
‘Think of all the people that said “Wow, I lost a lot of hair in 2020”’
Did you know losing your hair can be part of your body’s survival mode? It's not all genes and aging after all. According to hormone expert Dr Carrie Jones, lifestyle and environmental factors can trigger noticeable shedding.
“If the body is ‘off,’ growing hair is not a priority,” Dr Jones told me in healthHackers episode 55.
“If the body is ‘off,’ growing hair is not a priority,” Dr Jones told me
It could be a stressful event, new medication, childbirth, allergies, nutrient deficiencies or a new healthy eating plan; “it's a rapid shift as perceived by your body” which means it’s “not going to divert time, energy and nutrients to growing hair.”
Dr Carrie Jones describes her work as helping “hormonally challenged people feel less crazy”. She is board certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology with a Master's in Public Health and has spent over 15 years working in functional medicine.
She sees certain types of hair loss most commonly.
First, telogen effluvium, a temporary form of hair loss which can be seen in people who’ve recently given birth, or who have thyroid disease, low iron, or have been dealing with a stressful event, for example.
Another common type is androgenic alopecia, “we call it male or female pattern baldness,” a genetic condition.
A common type of hair loss is androgenic alopecia, “we call it male or female pattern baldness,” Dr Jones said
Dr Jones notes that the pattern of hair loss can be an indicator of the cause.
“[If] men say ‘I’m getting that male pattern hair loss, I have the bald patch in the back of my head’. I'm thinking androgens as opposed to a woman who says, ‘You know, I just run my fingers through my hair and I feel like it’s just sort of coming out from all over. Then I'm thinking telogen effluvium.”
“If I can see a patch of hair loss, if I'm looking at somebody's scalp or they point it out to me, or I have a man who says I have this quarter-sized missing patch of hair - I'm thinking autoimmune [disease],” she told me, adding that some people have more than one type at the same time.
With telogen effluvium, stressful life events can trigger the onset.
“Think of all the people that said ‘Wow, I lost a lot of hair in 2020’,” she said.
Dr Jones explained that stress and inflammation pushes the hair into the resting phase or to the fallout phase, “it's speeding up the process of don't grow or fall out.”
Other contributors can vary from hypothyroidism, low iron levels, inadequate nutrition, poor absorption of nutrients, new medications, gastrointestinal issues, to hair products and water quality.
Telogen effluvium is temporary, you can still recover your hair
“I have people that tell me, ‘Oh I rented an Airbnb for a month because I can work from home and… a month after that I started noticing hair loss’.” Dr Jones suggests they consider that the water was different - or look at whether they switched their shampoo and conditioner during that time.
For those men and women with androgenic hair loss (male and female pattern baldness): “There's no hard and fast rule about what pH your shampoo and conditioner have to be. But yet, a more acidic shampoo and conditioner can encourage that androgenic hair loss.”
Dr Jones explained it’s all to do with an enzyme that can activate a potent form of testosterone when at a pH of 5.5 or lower. Therefore, it may be better for some people to consider a higher pH hair product, she suggested.
“If you're already struggling [with male or female pattern baldness], then that's the person I might say, ‘Hey, look up the pH of your shampoo, conditioner… and let's see what you keep putting on your head and maybe that's accelerating the issue’.”
I asked Dr Jones for her thoughts on shower water softeners or filters, and whether they really make a difference to hair growth.
“Anecdotally, I do have women and men who say to me, ‘I bought a water softener, and my hair feels healthier or shiner shiny.’ Or, more importantly, it seems water filters are what make the biggest impact; filtering out chemicals.”
“I have women and men who say to me, ‘I bought a water softener, and my hair feels healthier’”
“Think about it: when you're in your hot shower, all your pores and follicles open on your face, on your arms, on your legs, in your scalp,” she told me.
“Chemicals make it through our water system, even just medications. We read these reports of our water and how they can test for trace amounts of antidepressants, birth control pills, HRT and statin medications… you can't filter that out 100%.”
Patience with your locks
Navigating your way back from telogen effluvium can take time.
“There's a lot we can do. But it's going to be like turning a cruise ship,” Dr Jones said, citing six months to a year before you can see significant improvements.
Find out how Dr Jones looks for the root cause of her patients’ hair loss in healthHackers episode 55.
One therapy that's been reported as safe and effective for male or female pattern baldness is red light and infrared light therapy. I asked Dr Jones what she thought about light therapy for hair growth.
“I think it's really, really encouraging,” she said. “In the creation of our energy, known as ATP, there is an enzyme and it has what's called a photoreceptor on it meaning when light comes in, particularly red and near infrared light, and activates it [and] makes it happy. When you get that red and near infrared light you can actually improve or enhance your mitochondrial energy ATP production. So when you have it right on the scalp, not only will it help your mitochondria but it can help reduce inflammation.”
If you’re wondering how Dr Jones maintains her own healthy hair, although partly genetic (“I take after my dad… even in his early 70s he has gorgeous hair”), she has several habits, and avoids specific ingredients in her hair products. Watch episode 55 for more on this. Plus, discover her top recommendations on what not to do if you’re worried about hair loss.
Follow Dr Jones on Instagram. Visit her website.
Common sense caution: Not personal or medical advice. You know the score - always talk to your own health provider about your concerns.👌
Thank you to the sponsors of this episode: GlycanAge. See my review of the biological age test with money off here.