I always thought hair loss was just a part of getting older—until the shedding got so bad I couldn’t ignore it. At first, I blamed my styling tools or stress, but deep down, I knew something more was going on. That’s when I started digging into the connection between thyroid and hair loss, and everything began to make sense. What I learned not only changed how I care for my hair, but led me to a solution that actually worked—one I wish I’d discovered years earlier.
When I noticed a change in my hair
‘Wow, that’s a lot of hair caught in the drain,’ I thought as I glanced down at the huge pile on my shower floor. And when combing my hair, it sometimes seemed like handfuls of hair were coming out. I would also look in the mirror and notice my hair looked a lot flatter than usual, but then I simply wondered if maybe I had used the flat iron a little too much.
It wasn’t until my son, who is autistic and has texture issues, refused to go near my work chair that it clicked what was really happening. This chair was where I would sit at my desk and spend hours working. One day, he walked into my office, took one look at that chair and said, ‘I can’t be near that!’ Suddenly, the blanket of hair covering the back of my chair came into sharp focus for me, and that’s when it clicked that I was actually losing my hair!
My experience with Hashimoto’s and how thyroid and hair loss are related
I’ve had thyroid issues for many years, dating all the way back to my mid-30s, but once I hit my 50s, I developed Hashimoto’s disease—an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland—and really started losing my hair. This kicked off the start of several visits to different doctors to address my hair loss.
It was so frustrating because I just kept being told it was part of Hashimoto’s and to try powdered collagen, which was believed to be an effective treatment for dealing with this type of hair loss. So for about 2 years, I faithfully took powdered collagen. In the end, I got zero results. I just kept trying, hoping and praying something would change—figuring eventually it would work for me, too. But no, there was absolutely no change. Then, after about two years of faithfully taking the powdered collagen, in July of 2019, a friend suggested I try liquid collagen.
Research I found about liquid collagen for hair loss changed everything
So I did a ton of research and was shocked to learn that most powdered collagen formulas have a much lower absorption rate than liquid varieties. It was enough to convince me to switch and go all in. In the beginning, I doubled up on the suggested serving amount of liquid collagen, taking 2 tablespoons twice a day in the am and pm. I read that when you first start, you can increase the dosage to ramp up the absorption and get results faster. Though the change wasn’t instant, in 3 months I could see a difference. I started noticing less hair in the shower drain and in about 6 months of regular use of liquid collagen, my life had completely changed for me and my hair!
In fact, after taking the liquid collagen for about 6 months, I went to a hormone specialist for my Hashimoto’s and also to address some menopausal symptoms I was experiencing. During my appointment, my doc came directly out and asked me, ‘How are you not losing hair?’ That’s when I told her that I had indeed experienced hair loss and had started taking powdered collagen before switching to liquid, which essentially halted my hair loss.
She immediately had so many questions. So I shared that the liquid collagen I used, a brand which has since been discontinued, sadly, contained hyaluronic acid, which boosts mitochondrial function and, in turn, helps the production of the hair cells. This made me realize doctors don’t always know everything, so we all have to be our own best advocates.
At my next visit, which was about 3 months later, the same doctor revealed to me that she had stopped recommending powdered collagen and was now giving liquid collagen to all of her patients. What’s more, she had started using it herself after she did her own research. She found that liquid collagen I’d been using protects the hair follicles from damage and inflammation, which supports normal hair growth—something I hadn’t experienced in years before trying liquid collagen.
Extra benefits I noticed from taking liquid collagen
Besides addressing my hair loss, there were some other great benefits from using liquid collagen. For example, I used to have severe joint pain, and was on 14 medications for it, but after taking liquid collagen, I was able to cut back to only taking a few meds.
Not only was my joint pain better, but my skin looked brighter and firmer. My husband noticed, and my friends all said, ‘Your skin looks great!’ I’m going to be 61, and I’ve never done anything other than taking liquid collagen, but people are always shocked at my age.
Another thing I think really helped halt my hair loss was drinking a gallon of water per day. Water carries vitamins and minerals to the hair follicles, which keeps the hair hydrated, promoting cell turnover and hair growth. I used to say I hated water. I simply couldn’t drink 16 ounces, so I would play games with myself—like take a bottle and drink it in the car while running errands. Now it’s a habit, I love drinking out of a bottle and will just chug it.
Final advice for women struggling with hair loss and thyroid problems
What I would tell anyone considering taking liquid collagen for hair loss is to really do your research! What I found is that not all collagen is equal. The one that worked for me had quality collagen. Some other brands have been sued for using cartilage from sources like pig hooves, so always read the label!
Lastly, trust yourself! After my own journey, I truly feel that we have to be our own best advocates. My hairdresser was very supportive when I was going through my hair loss, so I would also advise women to really dig in and find your people—the ones who are going through the same thing you are experiencing. There are so many social media groups out there.
Looking back, I really struggled with how bad I thought my hair looked. I always hid and truly didn’t take a lot of pictures when my hair was falling out due to the shame I felt. Now, I color the bottom of my hair purple in a peekaboo style, where the color is kind of underneath, so when I put it up, it really calls attention to my hair, which I’m so proud of these days!