Julie Olson was working in her dream job as a media research analyst in California when she got the call — her mother had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and was going into surgery the following day.

Julie immediately returned to her hometown of Denver to support her mother through the crisis.

Time away from her job gave her space to reflect — and brought fresh insight into her own health. She, too, had been dealing with symptoms she had long assumed were simply due to the stress of long days and late nights in a demanding job.

Her digestion was a mess, she wasn’t sleeping, and her hair was falling out.

“The worst was when my hair started falling out in clumps,” Julie says. “I was a type A personality. I was in a very competitive job. And I also was on the party train. I was up late a lot. I didn’t prioritize my health or sleep, and I just thought it was because of my lifestyle that I didn’t feel that great.”

Listen to Julie’s interview:

Gut Disruption, Epstein–Barr Virus, and Celiac Disease Behind Hair Loss

As she helped her mother through treatment and recovery, Julie saw doctors in hopes of getting answers for her health challenges. But rather than merely managing symptoms, she wanted to understand the root causes.

“I was so disappointed and discouraged because all the doctors, all the practitioners I talked to said there’s nothing I can do about my hair loss except get on some lifelong medications, which of course have side effects,” she says.

At one point, she even left the waiting room of a dermatologist’s office before her appointment. A lifetime of medications or creams didn’t feel like the right path.

Instead, Julie searched for answers on her own and uncovered lifestyle as a major factor in hair loss — regardless of genetics.

“Even if you carry genes for hair loss, it doesn’t mean they’ll be expressed,” she says. “Identical twin studies have shown that one can lose hair while the other doesn’t — and it comes down to lifestyle. That’s epigenetics in action.”

In time, testing gave Julie answers to her health puzzle. She uncovered gut dysbiosis and infections such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), Candida overgrowth, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and food sensitivities.

She also found high levels of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), the active infection that causes mononucleosis. When chronic, EBV remains persistently active and can lead to prolonged symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, liver inflammation, anemia, and fatigue.

Most telling, however, was discovering celiac disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder triggered by consuming gluten. It damages the small intestine and impairs nutrient absorption.

Celiac disease and potentially EBV had left Julie anemic and nutrient deficient — likely contributing to hair loss.

“Our scalp hair follicles are their own microbiome,” Julie explains. “They’re like mini-organs with high metabolic demand, so when nutrients are limited or gut function is impaired, hair is one of the first things affected.”

Addressing the Root Causes Behind Hair Loss

With a celiac diagnosis, Julie immediately eliminated gluten from her diet, reduced her dairy intake, and adopted a more nutrient-dense approach. She focused on quality protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, mostly in the form of vegetables.

To support gut health, she treated H. pylori and addressed food sensitivities, Candida, and SIBO.

Other lifestyle changes included prioritizing sleep, hydration, and movement.

Hair Regrowth in Six Months

With these steps, Julie regained her energy, improved her digestion, and started seeing hair regrowth.

“It took about six months,” she says, “but I hung in there.”

“If you get your gut healthy, not only can you grow hair you’ve been told you’ll never be able to grow — you can resolve your other health issues,” she says.

Now in her 60s, Julie continues regular lab testing and optimizes her thyroid and hormone levels as she moves through menopause.

She also helped her mother embrace dietary and lifestyle changes — and today, her mother is not only a breast cancer survivor but thriving.

A New Purpose: Helping Others with Hair Loss

Julie’s personal and family health journey ultimately led her to leave her job and become a functional medicine nutritionist. Today, she specializes in helping others uncover the bio-individual causes behind hair loss — which can include hormone imbalances, digestive dysfunction, nutrient depletion, autoimmunity, toxins, trauma, and chronic stress.

She’s also seeing a new wave of clients struggling with hair loss following COVID-19 infection.

“It’s temporary,” Julie says, “but it needs to be addressed with the same root-cause focus.”

Functional lab testing helps her uncover clients’ personal triggers.

“You can go down a rabbit hole if you’re not fixing the right type of hair loss,” she says. “Most likely, even if it’s autoimmune, hair loss can be reversed, if it’s caught soon enough. If you feel like you’re losing more than 100–150 hairs a day… don’t ignore it.”

The Steps That Helped

  • Cut out gluten — After being diagnosed with celiac disease, Julie immediately eliminated gluten from her diet to prevent further gut damage and support nutrient absorption.
  • Adopted a nutrient-dense diet — Julie focused on whole foods with each meal including quality protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates — especially vegetables.
  • Addressed gut infections and imbalances — Through lab testing, she discovered and treated H. pylori, Candida overgrowth, SIBO, and food sensitivities, all of which were contributing to poor digestion and nutrient deficiencies.
  • Prioritized restorative sleep and hydration — She made sleep a non-negotiable part of her routine and stayed well-hydrated to support overall healing.
  • Incorporated consistent movement — Gentle, regular physical activity helped improve circulation, manage stress, and support detoxification.
  • Focused on stress reduction — Recognizing stress as a major contributor to hair loss, she addressed both emotional and physical stressors through lifestyle changes.

Find and follow Julie at Healthy Hair Fix and on Facebook and Instagram @JulieOlsonFN.