Eyebrow Hair Loss, Flaking and Scabbing, Is this a Thyroid Issue?

Question

I've white-ish & yellow-ish scabs forming in my brows: taut, dry & scaly. The sizes of these scabs vary from tiny to chunky (as the pic of the fallen scabs shows). When they come off (while washing my face or just gently lifting them off from the brow), they invariably come off with some brow hair that has been uprooted with them. Please don't suggest Trichotillomania. I don't pluck. I merely dust them off. I'm also suffering from severe hairloss and thinning all over my scalp. Is this thyroid?

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

You should schedule an appointment with a dermatologist or primary care physician to determine your specific scalp and eyebrow condition. Both may be due an underlying illness, your thyroid, psoriasis or eczema.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

I'd need to see the area up close, know more about  your story and most importantly take a look at all your blood tests. If you TSH is between 0.5 and 3.5, and free T4 and free T3 are normal,  there is a 99.5 % (or greater) chance that medial brow loss with crusting in this manner is not related to a thyroid issue. This overall, is not a very typical presentation of a thyroid issue.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

There are many causes of eyebrow hair loss besides thyroid problems. See a dermatologist to get a proper diagnosis

Eyebrow Hair Loss, Flaking and Scabbing, Is this a Thyroid Issue?

Answers (3)