Could Obesity Cause Female Hair Loss?

Hello Dr.

I am a 21yr old female. I am 5’5″ and 85kgs overweight girl. My TSH level is 7.49mg/dl. So I have hypothyroidism. I had started hair loss since the age of 12yrs. But I didn’t really notice it then. The hair loss then worsened gradually until at the age of 16yrs I developed a bald patch on the left lateral aspect of my scalp which slowly spread to my right lateral aspect also. This had affected my psychologically and socially. I am a MBBS student.

I had read that if there is excess Oestrogen levels then it gets converted into testosterone which causes hirudism and baldness. My question is this: does obesity cause baldness in any way? I am taking treatment for hypothyroidism and also am taking multi vitamin supplements. Still there is no improvement. In fact… My baldness is increasing. Kindly help me out please. Thank you

While obesity itself doesn’t cause female hair loss, stress and poor diet can certainly contribute. I’ve written the same thing before here.

Hypothyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and many other medical issues can potentially cause hair loss. The goal is to treat the medical issues and the hair loss should slow down. You need to be followed by your physician. That is the best help I can offer.