Women’s Hair Loss Project

I wrote this about the pill and acne: http://www.savvyskin.com/the-pill-to-treat-hormonal-acne , but it can also apply to hair loss because I list pills high and low in terms of androgens. I put this list together a few years ago when I was trying to cure my hair loss/acne. At least my acne is cured:(

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, but I thought I’d mention that I was on the Patch for 2 years and Nuvaring for 1 year. I had some relatively steady thinning while on the Patch, but things got heaps worse practically overnight when I switched to Nuvaring. I’d be interested in finding out the androgen index for both of these forms of BC. And ideas? I noticed that the American Hair Loss Association lists both of these as particularly bad for hair loss/thinning. And of course, the web is full of forums where women complain of having devastating hair loss issues on Nuvaring.

I’ve been off of all hormonal contraception for a year in May and I will never go back. Only within the past 2 months has the shedding seemed to really slow down/taper off…knock on wood, that is! After ending use of Nuvaring, I also had a terribly annoying problem with getting pimples in addition to the “dread shed.” (I never even got pimples as a teenager!) That problem also seems to have taken care of itself, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that these are signs indicating that things are getting better. I can see more little hairs growing than ever before, but it really is hard to tell whether things are improving. Watching your hair grow is like watching grass grow — only slower. I can only hope that I’ll fully recover from this nightmare. It’s a shame that more women aren’t informed about ALL of the potential side effects of hormonal birth control.

I too was given Loestrin, and after 4 months when I noticed it started thinning, everyone told me I was crazy and my hair was fine. I let another five months go by until I could see my scalp in the sunshine, and finally called my obgyn and now I am on YAZ (1 month) and it seems to be getting worse. I’m shedding more short hair (my hair is angeled, so I can tell whether its coming from the top or bottom, and its SCARY how much is coming out from the top!!) I don’t know if it has to get worse before my body regulates the hormones and it gets better, or if I should go off the pill all together.

My obgyn and a hair loss doctor I saw both say to wait 3 months to decide if the pill was the issue…the problem is that its happened so fast and in 3 months it will be really bad…and if then they determine that its triggered androgenetic alopecia that isn’t going to reverse itself with the absence of the androgens from Loestrin, I’m behind 3 months is trying to treat it.

Luckily no pattern baldness runs in my family, so I have a hopeful outlook that its temporary, but until I know, I can’t relax, it consumes me.

It sounds like everyone on here is like me and is weathering the storm as best as we can and searching for answers, so if you are on here, and you recover and it grows back, please (PLEASE) come back on and tell us your story and what you did, and how long it took to regrow!! thanks!

Hey all…

I’m 20 years old and have been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for 5 months now and have experienced incredible hair loss and it just seems to get worse the longer I’m on it. The weird thing is though… I was on Loestrin (a generic form of it) for a year and although I experienced shedding the first month or two, my hair grew back fairly quickly come month 4 and 5 and I had a full head of hair back after a year. But with the Ortho, it just won’t stop, it gets worse daily. What can possibly be happening in my body if one of the lowest androgen pills is causing so much hair loss and the highest androgen one I remained fine on? Now I’m not sure if I should switch back, get off it, or stick it out. They all have their consequences. Anyone?

Hey Sarah,
your story actually gives me a little hope! I kind of went through the same situation, I think (but am no way sure) that Yasmin was causing my hair loss. I had been on it for 2 years when I stopped, which was in January. my hair shedding was never *excessive* but the hair on my head was getting noticeably thinner, and not really growing in very much, so my scalp was very visible.

anyway, I decided to stop taking the pill, because nothing was getting better and for the few months after I had no hair loss (it was AMAZING, i felt great)

then this past month or so, my hair actually started falling out like crazy –I’m guessing telogen effluvium? well yes, my hair freaked out, and long thick hairs are falling out from all over my head and so fast too! it’s been 6 months since I’ve stopped taking it.. do you have any advice of things I can do? should I just be patient or should I go see a dermatologist or take supplements? I started rogaine because I really don’t want to lose any more hair!!

any advice you have would help!!! I haven’t read much about people in similar situations where birth control caused their hair loss and then they stopped taking it.

thank all of you so much for being there and being so supportive of everyone going through these miserable situations!!!!

Hi everyone, I wanted to say I have experenced the same things as you.. Its so sad because no one knows our pain of losing our hair as a woman, its devistating.. I started on orthotrycycline at about age 15 after getting pregnant, I noticed that it made me sick and had many effects, I then later went and was on lo-estrin 1/30 and I had no problems on that pill, I then lowered and went to the 1/20.. My skin was great and I had no trouble on that but noticed the 1/30 worked better.. I then heard about elesse bc, and decided to try it and it was the best for my hair skin and I had no problems.. Well I got married and my husband already had kids and this was years later, he had the visectomy done so I decided to go off the BC all together, well my hair sarted falling out so bad and I already have fine hair and I lost about 50% when my mother died in 87, it did grow back but I lost lots of weight and hair due th the stress, so that alone can damage your body and harmones… Anyway back to the hairloss after I got married and stopped the pill, I cried and studied everything trying so many things and came across a web site on hairloss and the things that help.. believe it they had Diane-35 listed as one the things to help hairloss, I looked at what was in this pill and since it had been over a year and I was going bald I had to do something i was afraid to leave the house.. I tried many natural salutions and the one thing is the shocker of all of this is I went back on lo-estrin and my skin cleared up and my hairloss stopped.. I dont know why and one shampoo I swear helps hairloss is called Thymuskin’ It has helped my hair and my sister in law who had a hystorectomy and lost almost all of her hair.. I know this shampoo works and it is exspensive, but it does work!! I also know that our bodies are all different and going on BCpills does effect you harmones and some like my body gets addicted to having that harmone I cant exsplain why I just know that I went back on lo-estrin and my hair has stopped falling out, so those of you who had good luck with this pill and notice you change pills like I did and get the hairloss go back on the lo-estrin, I did and exsperemented with others to find that it fell of when I changed and it stopped when I went back on, I feel I am stuck on it but I have my hair my skin is clear and I dont gain weight on this pill.. So I am saying to look back and moniter which one was causing you hair loss and problems then try and remeber the one that was not and stay with the one that does not caue problems, have endometreosis so I have to be on a pill it helps me cope with the pain and cuts it in half, I promise you that this will help and try the Thymuskin its amazing and has also done wonders.. Now I am 42yrs and my hair is slowly getting thinner with age which we will all go through, but to keep your body balanced you need to moniter how the pill effects you and really pay attention, I have been told by many pharmacist and some ob’s that lo-estrin is thier favorite pill this is why I stayed on it.. I hope this helps and like I said we are all different and if any one would like to talk to me I have been studying hair skin and nails and products related to problems for 20 yrs and I would love to help with your problems..I promise i have many ideas and salutions that have helped so many people and i do this for nothing, why? its because I have been there and ant to help others in the same situation that i was in.. You can IM me at lilladyvixen@yahoo.com I would love to give advice and help if i can..Thanks and the best of luck to you all.. Rhonda

Thanks Rhonda.
I am 30 years old, I also have endometriosis and depend on the pill. I am taking YAZ it’s been one year and a half. I’ve recently noticed my hair thinning, specially on the top of my head. I got very scared when I saw my head under a good light. I have baldness cases in my family. My doctor suggested me to stop the pill for one month to do hormonal tests. I read on internet that if you stop the pill it gets worse and that we should keep taking the pill and wait for the regrowth that may happen soon. I do not know what to do, I hope that my hair do not fall even more once I stop the pill. I have taken Diane for more than 10 years and have never noticed any change in my hair.

Hi i’m glad i found this site i been on bc for 11 years i’m now 27 and my hair on the top is so thin i can to see it in the sun and yes it scared the hell out of me, i through the pills in the trash and will not take any more bills my hair is more important and sad that the doctor don’t tell you this i also got my tyroid check and it fine so i now know whats the problem, i already order some growth pills so when my body adjust if it falls more i have pills to bring it back until my haif gets better.

Stay away from Seasonique!!!!!!!

I have been taking Yaz also continuously for quite some time a) to avoid acne and b) to avoid periods. I also have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease (thyroid issue). I am talking meds for that and have been having great trouble with my hair now falling out. The other thing that I have done differently lately is I have been alternating back and forth with packs of Yas and an orthotrycyclin. So one day I take Yaz and the next the other. It has occurred to me that perhaps this is messing with my hormones and causing the falling out. I have never had trouble with hair falling out, even when on the Yaz alone. My problem now is trying to figure our if it’s the change in my meds that the doctor has been giving me or the pill issue, both of which happened about the same time. So I understand your frustration. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks!

I started taking seasonique back in March and in July was told by my hair stylist that he couldn’t get over how much my hair had grown sisce the last time he had seen me. Then about a week later I noticed that I was shedding a whole lot more than normal. So I did some investigating and came to realize that the pill could be the cause so I quit taking it right away. My gyn offered to switch the brand but the pill he wanted to switch me to states right on the pack that hair loss is a side effect. So needless to say I just quit taking them. I had my thyroid checked and all was normal and I was told to just wait it out. It has now been a month and a half since I quit and I’m still shedding. When will it stop!?

wow.. ive been on bc for about a year.. and my boys actually noticed it before me.. since hes now taller and looks down on me.. i do know its hereditary in my family but.. my mom didnt start her thinning untill 3 years ago.. and im well younger! it sounds like one pill that helps one woman on here has horrid results for another… i think id rather live with 3 month long periods than go bald.. i love my hair.. its funny because i never used to think i was so attached to it…. i know stress is prob a contributing factor.. but.. once you realize your losing your hair….. who isnt going to stress even more! i cant see my gyn for another 5 months… but i think im going to call and see if i cant get in earlier. or try see someone else idk. we have a dr shortage here. i was jw if after you go off the pill.. and lose more hair…. does it grow back? ive read conflicting things on here.

If this helps (Ortho Tri-Cyclen-low ) grew my hair like crazy. I never had hair so long and healthy, not even in highschool.

Just an Update!
I have been off the birth control pill for 2 months now and no shedding so far. I’ve continued with the acupuncture once a week rather than twice a week and will see a nutritionist this Saturday. I have been to the doctors to get loads of blood tests for her to interpret the results but the doctors simply state that all results are within range but it will be interesting to see if she finds anything. I have been told that while thyroid results are within range they may be at a point that can cause hair loss.
I shed about 20 hairs a day but I’m still trying to work out what will actually regrow my hair.
Just in case nothing happens I have got human hair clip on extensions which my hairdresser will use on my wedding day next March. They look fantastic. I will provide an update in the next few weeks.

I’m considering going on the hormone-free copper IUD (I have an appt. tomorrow). I’ve been pretty fed up with the problems of mood swings, headaches and hair loss I have encountered with the pills and now the Nuvaring.

I think the women who are considering not using any form of birth control should look into the IUD. Better safe than sorry.

I know the stress you are feeling about the hair shedding with a wedding coming up. My hair is rapidly thinning (i’m 29). i’m getting married in october and at the rate i’m going….well. i hate thinking about it. i just want you to know that realistically, you WILL have hair for your wedding. it feels like a lot of hair to lose, and it is a lot of hair to lose. but your wedding is so close….try to focus on the wonderful time in your life is and SHOULD be. i need to take my own advice and start getting excited for my own wedding rather than dread what my hair might look like. it’s hard.

in terms of when the shedding will stop. it could be weeks or months. it depends on how long it will take YOUR body to balance. but one thing for sure, the more stress you feel, the longer that balancing act will take because stress hormones negatively affect your body’s sex hormone balance. SO. you can’t control your hormones DIRECTLY but you can influence them indirectly by trying not to stress. good luck, and i’m sure you will be a gorgeous bride. believe that you will be

I just started Nuvaring 4 days ago immediately after I finished my last pack of Yaz which I was on for 2 months. This morning I began noticing a change in my hair and that it seemed to be thinning. I have always had long thick hair but its no longer what it used to be. I removed the Nuvaring this morning and I have now sworn off BC. I am completely devastated over this. Will my hair grow back???? Or has the damage been done???

I’ve been on BC since 15. I’m now 20. I’ve always been on Yasmin but recently (4 months ago) switched to the generic brand Ocella. The past two months my hair has been thinning so much and my scalp is becoming more noticeable especially in good lighting. I talked to a dermatologist and she had me take a thyroid test and prescribed a shampoo for itching scalp (which i also have been experiencing). I took the thyroid test today and will also begin using the shampoo today. I am also going to switch back to Yasmin (which i absolutely loved while i was on it for most of high school and my first year in college. In fact, I normally have fairly fine hair and felt that it looked my best when on Yasmin). I will keep you posted with what the cause was in a couple of weeks. But I’ve been researching this like crazy and found a couple of interesting things:
1. If you need to be on birth control, try to use a birth control that is low or no androgen. This is a male hormone that is linked to hair loss in women
2. Have your vitamin and mineral levels checked! You could have a deficiency in iron or certain vitamins that have been causing your hair to thin or shed.
AND
3. DONT WAIT TO SPEAK TO YOUR DOCTOR! I completely feel everyone’s pain of experiencing hair thinning. But it’s even more painful to feel helpless. Take your health into your own hands and speak to a dermatologist and your gyno!

I have been on the “mini pill” Nora be for a year now while breastfeeding and have had EXTREME hair loss for 4 months now blaming my synthroid but thanks to this website I made the connection that an only progestin bc pill is the cause. I just stopped taking it last night & am hoping it will stop my hair loss but freaked to hear it can take long…wondering if I should go on a pill with estrogen like a combo low adrogen one?

I was on Ortho Tricylcen for 10 years with no problems. Last year, I started taking Yaz. After several months, I noticed my hair thinning, along with a myriad of other medical issues, including uncontrollable weight loss. I switched back to Ortho, but the damage is done. I’ve lost at least 50% of my hair, which used to be beautiful. I am interested to know if it will grow back. Stay away from Yaz. I am still battling the crazy side affects, even though I’ve been off it for months.

I have been on ortho-tri cyclen for 9 years, my obgyn (who was at the time also a pcp) put me on it because my menstral cycles were so heavy cauing me to miss school. My mom thought this was best and my dr never discussed any adverse side effects. I am now 25 and am losing a lot of hair from the top of my head, you can see the scalp. It has made me not want to be social anymore, I go to work and then home. It is probably one of the most scary, and devasting things.
I have seen my obgyn, pcp, a dermatologist, all of my blood work came back normal. The dermatologist said to continue on birth control because it is probably helping so I don’t lose anymore hair and to try Rogaine.
All of the doctors I have seen say to stay on the pill. I am so lost as to what to do…. I have heard so many negative effects of the pill and am worried that since I have been on in for so long I have caused this myself.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful!

I had the thickest hair ever when I started taking the bc pill at the age of 17 - I mean, 45 minutes just to blow dry it. I took it for years - I’m now 41 - and as the years went by I was first happy to see my hair thin - it was so thick it was unmanageable. Then, slowly, I started noticing that I could see right through to my scalp in sunlight about 5 years ago. I had no idea it could be linked to the pill, really didn’t know what to make of it. Earlier this year I went off the pill (Loestrin - the worst of them all) and started noticing my hair started falling out even faster - to the point that my husband and mother pointed out how thin my hair was (kindly/with worry). Obviously, this was the “dread shed”. Finally, after stopping the pill in February, my hair loss has finally slowed down just recently in August. What’s left? I can see so easily through my hair that I HAVE to use Topix to go out in public or I’m basically bald (easy to see how bald I am). I hopefully await my hair’s regrowth without the bad effects of the pill messing with my system (any hair would be good!).

Finding this website has been a Godsend - I really felt so alone and freakish before finding out that the Pill often causes serious significant hair loss. Thank you all for your stories and helpful advice. I would say to anyone that if they go on the Pill and experience any hair loss at all, that they should go off the Pill and stay off of it. It should be something regularly mentioned by ObGyns/doctors when the pill is prescribed, but that will never happen (those doctors get prizes/bonuses like nice free vacations in the Caribbean from the pharmaceutical companies when they prescribe that company’s pills - they don’t want to jump off that gravy train). I know about the whole RX/Doctor game from an insider friend in the business - trust me, it’s real.

What we CAN rely on is great websites like this one (with a community) that help us all come together to share and support each other with this terrible problem. Thanks Y!

Hi Ladies!

I’m trying to keep my cool here but hear my cries -

I’m 23 years young with beautiful long brown hair. I started taking BC when I was 15 because I have the worlds worst cramps - long periods etc. (Orho-tri-lo and eventually switched to Tri-Sprintec). In early March of this year I went off the pill because my bladder started acting up. Couldn’t hold it and was going to the bathroom every 30 minutes! The Eurologist put me on Detrol LA and we thought it may be wise to discontinue the BC just incase. Well, the Detrol takes 6 weeks to work, stopped taking BC a few weeks into Detrol and things started to get better, we had some confounding variables now. With that being the case I went back on BC at the end of June. I’m trying my hardest to remember correctly but I believe my hair started to shed some time towards the end of June - early July. It’s not towards the end of August and my hair is going like crazy! Shower in the AM - bye bye bye 60 strands, brush my hair after the shower, cya 20-30 more, stroke my hair while I’m stretching in my office chair, there goes 10 more! It’s awful and it breaks.my.heart. I know that stressing over it will ONLY make it worse. I went to the Dr. who’s also a women’s specialist and she had no idea what to tell me and didn’t really know much about BC and hair loss - HELLO it’s listed on every pill. My case is hair loss AFTER BC. So here’s where I’m at now - stopped taking the pill in ealry March, went back on end of June. Is it possible that there’s a lag in the side effects of hair loss once you go off the pill? It makes sense right? Is it just a matter of time before my body regulates and becomes used to the pill again? I’m going for a long list of tests tomorrow but do believe it’s BC thats the problem. I’ve been on it for almost 8 years and I’m 15 - YIKES! I will be fine taking it until I’m ready to have kids. It’s so depressing to see your hair go, I usually touch up my roots at the salon but am afraid to do that, my natural hair is coming in which is lighter than the color and it makes the spotting look worse. I feel so sad and it’s a constant reminder every time I touch my hair. Is it true that putting it up in a clip is worse because it causes stress on the roots? What are you ladies doing to help mask this so you don’t have to remind yourself every time you look in the mirror.
Please help me lift my spirits, when I get depressed I get realllly depressed and we’re supposed to be living our lives in happiness - we only have one life, let’s be here for one another….

-Sho

I have been on YAZ since Aug 08, and it was the first time I have ever used birth control. It’s also the ONLY medication I am on. I first noticed that my hair looked a bit thinner about 3 months later but didn’t know if I was just worrying over nothing. Then in June of this year, family members mentioned my hair looked thinner. This made me realize it wasn’t all in my head- I have to clean out my brush after every use because it is full of hair! And it isn’t just breaking off because I can see roots on practically all of them.

I have always eaten healthy, been active, don’t smoke and don’t color or use chemicals on my hair. Went to the doctor and had my thyroid, hormones, iron, protein, vitamins, etc tested. Everything came back within the normal range, but I too was told thyroid levels can come back normal but still be out of whack enough to cause hair loss. Went to the gyno, asked her if bc could be the culprit. She had never heard of that before. Went to a dermatologist, and he said there was nothing that could be done, must be hereditary.

I KNEW something was wrong! There was no reason a healthy 28 year old should be losing her hair! I didn’t even link my hair loss to my bc until 2 months ago. After endless hours of research and many days of stressing about it, I have found many boards that women have posted on describing my very same syptoms (I have others, but the hair loss is the most prevalent and devestating one)! Besides finding out that bc can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb B vitamins-which are needed for healthy hair and nail growth- there is nothing to tell me why this is happening (besides screwing with my hormone levels).

I am strongly leaning towards stoping all hormonal bc, but since my main reason for taking it is to prevent an unplanned pregancy (instead of cramps, acne, medical condition, etc) I feel at a loss as to what to do to take it’s place. IUD’s are not an option as they too have serious side effects-both hormonal and non hormonal ones.

I too want to know if stopping it well cause the ‘dread shed’ since I am on a supposedly low level and I have only been on it for 13 months. Also, I have seen several women posting about accupunture helping. I would love any information anyone has found to help!!!

Thank you to Vivian for her continuing updates! It has given me hope that even if I do lose more when I stop it, it will eventually even out. I do want to tell her that it is common to have an extended period of hair growth when you are pregnant due to the higher levels of estrogen. After having your baby, a period of shedding will occur when your estrogen drops. This is normal and will even out after a few months. Congrats on your baby!

Several posts up, someone mentioned telogen effluvium. I did a quick search online and it sounds like this may be a potential “diagnosis” that you can go to your doctor and specifically ask about. I found good info here - http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1071566-overview

I am so grateful there is this website. I am 28 years old, I was taking Yaz for almost 2 years, unlike most people on here I experienced no side effects while on it. My insurance doesnt cover contraceptives and the $80 a pop was too much so I switched to Reclipsen (generic for Desogen) on the 17th of October. I noticed a few weeks later alot of hair loss, I spoke to co-workers and they were experiencing the same thing, and I have been told before the fall/winter season is when you lose the most hair due to the hair cycles. So I passed it off. Well now its over a month later and the hairloss hasn’t stopped. I can see my scalp, never had that before. When I grab all my hair it is HALF of what it was just a short month and a half ago. I don’t know if its Reclipsen in specific causing the loss or my bodies adjustment to the new levels, more estrogen and a different form of progesterone.

I called my OBGYN’s office and told them my concern about a week ago, they said it couldn’t be the BC because a month is too soon to see hairloss from it. Reading all of your stories I see some of you also experienced hair loss with in 2 months or so.

My concern now is, do I wait it out and see if my body adjusts or do I stop taking it immediately and go back to YAZ? I have read on numerous sites that stopping BC cold turkey can cause the shedding or loss to worsen about 2-3 months afterwards.

I bought NUTRI-OX shapmpoo for thinning hair and been using it for a few weeks with no change. Not to mention it dries my hair out so I will stop that.

Has anyone else experienced hair loss within a few weeks after switching birthcontrol or has anyone taken Reclipsen?

My thoughts and prayers are with all you ladies out there.

Sorry for the sloppiness and not making since in my posting.. Im all depressed.

My history - I am 38 years old and have been experiencing significant hair loss for the last 6 years. I have no female hair loss in my family. My maternal Grandmother died at 98 with a slightly thin but full hair of head. My Grandfather was slightly bald on top. Same for my paternal side. My Mom and Dad have a thinner but still full head of hair for their ages. I have been off and on birth control since the 9th grade due to period problems. I have had three surgeries to take care of cysts which develop during my ovulation. I do have thyroid disease but I have had normal results for the past 5 1/2 years. My hair should have started growing back around the time my thyroid was regulated. However, it was also 6 years ago I went back on birth control pills “full-time”. I have taken Yaz and the generic Ocella. My hair is now so thin I get nervous when the wind blows because of scalp exposure. I don’t like riding in my car with the sunroof open because I can see the skin on my head. I get nervous when my boyfriend runs his hands through my hair. I am uncomfortable sitting at my daughter’s middle school football games because of what the person behind me is seeing on my head. This is consuming me!

Within the past year, I have expressed my concern to my gynocologist, three dermatolgists (one was supposed to be a hair specialist), and recently to a plastic surgeon regarding a hair transplant. None of them were overly concerned! I kept getting the “well, I have seen worse”. Of course, the plastic surgeon did assure me that he can fix it.

I have decided that I am going to stop taking birth control pills. This decision will cause me to eventually have to have a hysterectomy because of my endometriosis/cysts. But I would rather have hair on my head with no uterus inside than the other way around.

I would love to see an update from Vivian. Any luck? I will post with my updates in case anyone is interested.

i’m 25 yrs old, asian, female and losing hair.
after reading all these posts, i’ve decided to stop taking BC. specifically, ortho tri cyclene lo, which i’ve been on for over 5 years. i’m going to post monthly status updates if anyone is interested. i too would like to know what Vivian is up to…unlike Vivian, i’m not planing to have babies anytime soon.

i’ve been to a dermatologist and 2 gynes. they all think i’m crazy and they immediately tell me my hair loss it’s NOT due to my BC. I’m calling BS on that - just a bunch of pill pushers i tell ya!

According to them, my feritin is slightly low (whatever that means) so i’m taking iron supplements daily. i’m constipated now and i’m still losing hair.

my dad has male pattern baldness, my mother has a full head of hair and my sister is in denial, as she too is experiencing hair loss and on BC. i’m not stressed and i don’t pull my hair out on purpose. i don’t have an acne issue since i’ve been on BC. i PMS like it’s nobody’s business the week prior to aunt flow’s visit.

side note: this paragraph is gross and weird, but i’m wondering if anyone else had a similar experience: the hair that falls out does not come with a little white bulb (usually does when you pull hair out). instead, when i scratch at my scalp, i come up with little bulbs in the shape of tear drops…anyone know anything about this? sometimes i get pimples on my scalp, which i naturally scratch resulting in the release of pus.

back to the issue at hand.
-my hormones, including androgens are normal (whatever that means).
-i had a fungal culture and no surprise, you guessed it, results were normal.
basically, unless i have diabetes, toxic poisoning, a leaky gut or candidia, i’m healthy on paper.

here’s what i’m gonna do…
1) stop taking ortho & continue taking my iron supplements and vitamins;
2) i’ll probably start experiencing the “dread shedd” a few weeks thereafter;
3) completely freak out…contemplate returning to BC (BF would love that!);
4) take a day, realize that my body needs time to readjust - suck it up, think positive;
5) give it 6 months…start to notice less shedding, but now my hair is probably VERY thin;
6) then, by year’s end, i’ll start to notice my hair growing back; and
7) by the following year, it will be like it used to be - thick and healthy

Finally, i’ll be free from BC pills and the threat of baldness! i knew birth control was too good to be true! i should’ve known, never mess with your hormones; they’re too critical. it’s time to return to my own internal balance and let my body do what it was designed to do.

that’s my plan. i’ll let ya’ll know how it goes.

Wow! All I have to say is that I’m SO RELIEVED to have found this site! Its so comforting to know I am not alone! I too am completely healthy, and dr’s dont think there is any link between hairloss and birth control pills! This is crazy! I never put 2 and 2 together until reading all of these posts and it makes sense! I’m a hairstylist, and we learned in school that about 3-5months after giving birth, most women experience excessive hairloss due to the change in hormones…..of course birth control can cause it then! We are messing with our hormones! I’ve always had fine hair, but lots of it, up until about 2 years ago. I kept tryng to figure out what lifestyle changes I have made in the past 2 years since the hairloss started and at first came up with nothing. I am actually healthier now than I have ever been in my life so it didnt make sense. I started doing research when my boyfriend told me it was getting so bad that he could see my scalp….YIKES! I was in tears! I knew I was losing alot because there was tons in my brush, and also my drain was getting clogged…ALOT! Well its no surprise that I switched my bc pills about 2 yrs ago!!! Go figure! But after doing research on the androgen index in pills, it seems that I shouldnt be losing hair? I’m so confused, but so afraid to go off of pills altogether, as I dont want to lose more, or risk getting pregnant! I think I’m going to switch back to Ortho Tri Cyclen, it was the one I was on for years and had no troubles! When I started taking Yaz and Ocella, thats when the hairloss started. Its so sad too because even though I’ve only trimmed my hair a few times to “grow it out” ( I chopped it off over a year ago thinking it was breaking off, not realizing it was falling out!) it is shorter on the sides than it was a year ago! This makes no sense! Hair is supposed to grow on average 1/2in a month…so my hair should actually be 6 inches LONGER instead, the back has grown a few inches, but the sides are SHORTER! I made some clip in hair extensions to make me feel better, but I’m hoping that when I switch back to Ortho Tri Cyclen it helps…I will keep you guys posted!

PS - I used a diaphragm for ages and ages instead of BC pills. used it every time, exactly as directed. I never got pregnant. I also never had hair loss from using it. I really feel it’s a good option for avoiding pregnancy over messing with hormones, FWIW.

Hi everyone,

I am not sure yet if it is my BC that is the cause of my hair shed but after reading some of the comments here I am slowly believing it might be.

I was on Ortho Tricylen after I got married for about 5 months and then decided to stop taking it because I didn’t enjoy what it was doing to my emotions. During this time I really didn’t notice any hair shed.

In the past month my husband and I decided that I should get back on because we don’t want to get pregnant. I just finished my first pack and have noticed that my hair is thinning. I have thick hair so it isn’t hard to notice how much is gone. Even my husband has noticed and of course gets frustrated seeing long strands of hair all over the place.

Do you guys think it is due to the pill? We recently had to move overseas and it was a little stressful and might have also triggered the hair thinning. I am seriously contemplating on getting off the pill again. Any suggestions?

I originally started losing hair when I went off birth control, but the main problem was that when I went back on birth control a year later…OrthoCyclen had been replaced by a generic birth control. I was on Ovcon and then later Ogestrel, which turns out to be incredibly high androgen level birth control pills. That only served to exacerbate the problem, so for the last two years, I have been losing over 100-300 hairs just when count after showering. If I had only gone off the pill altogether two years ago, or stayed on OrthoCylen. Switching from low to high androgen levels, progestrin levels, etc. was the worst thing for me. I have lost most of my hair, but have decided to just stay off birth control as the reports are too varied to feel secure with any birth control. I am still losing hair, but have started a regimen of vitamins and am changing my diet to include healthier food. I will also try an acupunturist. Other than spironolactone (on it for 1 year) and Nizorel shampoo, I am staying away from Western medicine. It is just too confusing and it makes me so damn angry that no one just told me to stop varying my birth control. I feel as if I lost too much time not doing the research myself. We’ll see. And I too hope the shedding will stop. It would be hard being a single bald 37 year old

hi - I’m 31 and I stopped taking Loestrin 30 about 6 weeks ago (through being abroad and not having access to a doctor - nothing more than that) and am losing a LOT of hair, which at first I thought was due to being in a new, hot climate. I now have bald bits around my temples and on the top of my head it looks pretty bad. I have had to have my hair cut from long to medium length as it got so ratty and it feels really weird to the touch - I really think it is all going to fall out. I am now in a total dilemma as to whether to go back on Loestrin 30 for now in the hope it stops the hair fall or to tough it out. I really don’t want to be bald though - I have a big fringe covering a large forehead so am not one of these people who can get away with it by putting hair up in a ponytail / clipping in extensions. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Have the people who stopped taking the pill completely got their hair back yet? Is there anyone who was in my position and went back on Loestrin with successful results? Many thanks, Melissa

Hello girls I stopped taking birth control last year October 2009. It’s a really stressful problem for a women when her hair falls out. I HAVE GREAT NEWS THOUGH!!!! I started eating alot of vegetables, fruits, eggs, and milk, and all types of dairy, and even cheese. I also started drinking green tea because green kills DHT which is what causes hair loss. I drink a cup of green tea everyday hot preferrably. I also am taking a mulivitamin, biotin, zinc, and fish oil pills. Last but least the best thing that helped me to regain my thick and beautiful long and healthy hair was protein shakes. TRY IT YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS MARK MY WORDS.

JUST BE PATIENT BECAUSE ITS BEEN A ONE YEAR PROCESS!!! :0)

I am so glad that I found this website. It’s a relief to know that I’m not the only one going through this.

I am 27 years old, and I have been losing my hair for the past 2 years. I have been to 4 different doctors, two of which are hair specialists. Each doctor told me I have telogen effluvium, but everything I read about telogen effluvium says that it ususally corrects itself in 6 months- year. I feel like the only thing I haven’t tried is getting off of my birth control pills. One doctor suggested I could try it, but my gynecologist insisted she’d never heard of hair loss from BC. I was still seriously contemplating getting off of BC, but now after reading the comments, I’m more confused than ever. I can’t imagine possibly losing more hair than I already am with the “dread shed.” And I’ve been on BC for 10 years- could it be that it took 8 years to make my hair fall out?

I’ve been tested for everything my doctors could think of; everything came back “normal.” I tried collagen injection treatments in my scalp a year and a half ago. This helped for about 2 months, then my shedding began picking up pace again. I also received steroid shots, which seemed hopeful at first. The last two rounds of shots I received did NOTHING for my hair. Needless to say, I won’t be getting any more steroids. Has anyone tried anything like this?

These past two years have been hard, and this hair loss has really affected me emotionally. I know that stress can make it worse, but it’s so hard not to be stressed out when you’re balding!

Wow, I’m 44 and have been on yasmin/ocella for the last 5 years (taking it due to having ongoing ovarian cysts and my depression seemed better on it). I have had ongoing hair loss with big shedding every fall since I started taking it. I had thick, but fine hair and I really didn’t pay attention to it figuring that it would grow back. I noticed one year ago big part spots on the back of my head, my husband said I was crazy and he would believe me only if my hairdresser confirmed. It was as if I was looking at my hair for the first time and I realized that I had been using the tiny hair clips when I used to have to use a big one to put up all my hair, my pony tail was NOT what it used to be etc. Hairdresser confirmed that it was much thinner and suggested that I have my hormones checked and I said that it wouldn’t do much good because I was on birth control. Called the ob/gyn and he said to see a dermatologist first and she said that I had accelerated hair loss that comes with aging, she also denied that it was BC. Had all the normal blood tests with the gyno including thyroid and testosterone and everthing was normal. Gyno also said that it was not due to BC. I started taking vitamins, biotin, fish oil, have been taking rogaine since April (suggested by the derm)and really have not noticed a difference. I obsessed about it for months and then decided to stop as it was consuming my life, had a nice break from the worry, but decided to really look at my hair the other day and noticed it is much thinner than a year ago. I had an ongoing suspicion that it had something to do with BC and I don’t know why I believed the Dr.’s because there is a connection with thousands of women with yaz & yasmin/ocella all over the internet. I threw the BC in the trash, at least I’ll save $50 a month and looking forward to my sex drive coming back. It’s so utterly depressing, and isn’t it sad that we all seem to be spending a lot of time counting the hairs we lose. I am so mad at myself when I look back to remember when it started and it was the same year I started taking them. I have two older sisters who have a lot more hair than me and they haven’t taken BC for years and years. I do not remember having hair loss when going off of them when I wanted to get pregnant and hoping that it doesn’t happen now. Wish there were more positive outcomes after stopping - I’ve read too many stories of worsening shedding : ( Is there anyone who experienced going back to normal shedding and regrowth?

Thanks everyone for sharing all this great info. I, too, was on Loestrin for 4 months, stopped taking it (made me feel awful) and two months later my hair starting rapidly falling out. Feels exactly the same as my hair loss after giving birth. Worse at the temples, but generally bad all over. I’m off all pills and will have the paraguard copper IUD put in once my body calms down a bit. I’m sure it’s the pill and I’m hoping the hair will come back once the hormones are out of my system. Loestrin was terrible for me.

Hello to everyone!

I’m so happy I found this website!
I have been struggling with hair loss for the past year now..
It’s devastating.. Just the thought of having to wash my hair makes my stomach sink.. Since that’s when I see all that hair falling down the drain. It’s a terrible feeling.. and unless you’ve experienced it, you can’t relate.
So, it’s a relief to read all your stories and not feel so alone.

I have been on YAZ for a year, and never thought that my hair loss could be related to BC. But now I’m seriously considering either changing it to ortho tri-cyclen low (it seems most of you guys haven’t had problems with this pill) or stopping it all together. But I’ve been reading that your hair sheds even more when you go off BC.

Well, I’m going to change it to Ortho tri-cyclen low next month, and I’ll keep you guys updated.
I’ve been reading a lot of bad things about YAZ.
So, I’m gonna try changing it.

Oh, silly question.. but do any of you guys really hate all those shampoo commercials? Those where the models have the most gorgeous hair?
I have to confess that I change the channel everytime one of those commercials comes on!

Anyways, you will all be in my prayers!

Hello everybody,

I couldn’t sleep and was searching for some information about hair loss. I am 29 and have experienced hair loss since 2006. I had normally really thick hair and up to now I can tell I lost already 50% of my hair. It is really depressing..I’ve cried a lot and had alreay dreams about being bald, having hair in my hands..so really bad. Finally I think I found the reason for my hair loss.
I started to get on birth control with 18. After 4-5 years being on the same birth control ( soemthing with micr…) don’t remember the name of the pill I had to switch to another on as I was bleading to often. I switched to yesmin and I can’t really tell when I start losing my hair as it was so thick but I deffenetly noticed it in 2006. I must also say that I have anemia which I somethimes forget. I have to take suppelments to keep my iron level normal.Anyhow. At the end of 2008 I stopped taking the pill and 8 moth later my hair stopped falling out and it start to growh back. I will never get back what I lost but its still nice to know something positiv happend. And please keep in mind it can take up to a year until your hormon balance again and you see your first results but don’t give up. Now, around 5months from today I met my boyfriend and started to get on birth control and here I am now. My hair is falling out..the first 2 moth I was taking yaz but had bad heart burn and chast pain and my doc. switched me to apri which is great but not for my hair. So finally I decided I will stay away from any kind of hormons and try something else(diaphragma).I will finish my pill this week as I don’t want to mess up my cycle and on dec 7th I will get measured for a diaphragma. Tomorrow I will get also my iron level results as this is causing my hair loss too but not as much as the pill. Like I said, I experienced how it when you stop taking the pill and I really belive this is the reason at least at my situation why it falls out. And don’t panic after going off the pill and experiencing more hair loss. That is normal. It takes weeks till month until your hormon level balance out again. Any switches to another pills can couse hair loss to. I had always long, strong beautifule hair. I had to cut it past Friday as it is thinning so much out and breaking up..even my hair stylist noticed it. I know how all of you feel. I was there and I am there again but I know I will be better again. I had a hard time, crying, shaking, panic attacked during washing my hair…My whole day was just going about my hair loss. I was so unhappy and depressed and this wasn’t the right me. But I really belive that I will be better again and of course I will let you know. Don’t wast to much money in hair loss products…its not helping..I regred that I never did a hormon test as it was always so expensive but when I look back how much money I spend in docotors visits and shampoos, medecine and and and…I could invest it better in a hormon test. As well as a hormon test get your bloodtest done and chech your iron ferritin. Thats the best way to start..and talk to somebody with who maybe has the same problems. It helps if somebody listen and understand how you feel. I am sorry if my spelling is not right…english is not my mother language…:-) but I hope I could help some of you..I wish all of you the best and good luck…

Hi Ash:

I took Yaz from August-September 2009 and by November my hair was falling out. The heavy shedding went on until May 2010 and SLOWLY began to decrease from there on. It didn’t get normal until end of September 2010.

Were you shedding while on Yaz? Or did you just start shedding after stopping the pill?

I started seeing re growth around the end of January, so it’s possible that your boyfriend is seeing some re growth.

I also had a low ferritin - actually VERY low (<5)! I had that tested in August and it was at 109. My doctor has taken me off prescription iron supplements and now I’m just taking an 18mg supplement and 2 of them while on my period. He wants to keep my levels at around 100.

I’ve had around 10 blood tests done since the hair loss set in. ALL of my hormones came back normal. Make sure to have your hormones tested on Cycle Day 3.

Hello, all! Well here’s my story: I’m 22. I started Loestrin August 2009. I was on it for about a year, then I went off due to a change in insurance. After being off the BC for about a month, I started shedding. Obviously, I had never heard about this possibility (i am so so so mad that the drug companies and doctors do not openly discuss this risk!) that the BC was causing my hair loss. After speaking with my general physician, he said the BC could be causing it, but to go back on my birth control in order to level the hormones back out. (side note: while on bc, my hair stopped shedding altoghether & was very thick! So of course this sounded like a good idea at the time.) So here I go, right back on the evil drug Loestrin without doing any resesarch of my own–boy did I learn my lesson! Three months later, still on this horrible pill, and my shedding has not stopped. I want off NOW, but feel trapped. I’m getting married in a little over six months, and don’t want to lose any more of my hair (I didn’t have extremely thick hair to begin with). The only thing I can do is hope that it at least stops shedding…I’ve given up on the fact that any re-growth will appear before then!

On another note, this has terrified me. I desperately want to start a family and have lots of children. But… A. I’m scared of going off of the bc again (especially if the hair stops shedding WHILE on it) and B. Everyone talks about the post-partum shed…this terrifies me also! Maybe it’s selfish, but after going through it once, I hate the thought of dealing with this again.

Right now, my feelings are so mixed. I’m due to start a new pack tonight. Every ounce in me wants to go off of them right now, because I am so tired of being a slave to Loestrin (not only has it caused the hair loss, but also mood swings, weight gain, and a decreased libido). But at the same time… I just cringe at the thought of having to wear a wig to my own wedding. Any insight/words of encouragement are GREATLY appreciated.

Jamie/Carla,

the only thing I can recommend is to go off the b-pill. I was there and if you guys would see my pictures how I my hair was just 6 years ago and how it is now you would be shocked. I could kick myself for going back on the pill after haveing the problem of hairloss solved. I was on the b-pill for years, stopped it in the middle of 2009 and it took really months..I think it was 6-8 months until it finally stopped. some of that growths back but not as it was before. I was back on the pill for 4 moths and noticed thats I am shedding again after being on it for 3 months. My doc. wanted me to switch again to a mini pill or something like that but I have enough. I feel like a depressed person going through this again and again. I know I have to give it time until it gets better but its hard..I had always so bautiful hair..I think the worsed thing what happend to me was when my best girlfriend saw me in the beginning of 2009 and asked me if I am sick and what happend to me..I am sorry for saying this but just stop taking this shi…..its not worse it. It takes time but you will be fine..its not only the hairloss..it made me feel like people are looking just at my hair..I lost a lot on my sides and on the front of my hair line..you can see my scalb and thats really bad .. frinds and my boyfriend are always sweet and saying they wouldn’t notice anything if I would not mentioned it..I’ve got off the pill 3 weeks ago and still shaking when I see how much I am losing when I shower, brush or just go with my hand through my hair but I was there already and I know I will be fine again..just wait and hope everything will be normal again..
good luck girls and please don’t give up ….it will get better..and if you have any questions..I am here

Hi girls,

I almost feel like crying after reading all of your posts, yet I feel some comfort in finding out that there are others going though this mess too. I have been on the Nuvaring for about two years, and I have lost about 50% of my hair. I never had thick hair to begin with, but the loss is drastic and very noticeable. I experienced some light shedding when I moved from the US to Europe, before starting to use the Nuvaring, which was probably stress related (and in part to some minor anemia). However, the significant amount I’ve lost since I started using BC was unexplainable, and none of the doctors I’ve spoken to have made a connection between the birth control and my symptoms. I’ve been checked for everything from dermatitis to lupus and been evaluated by dematologists, gynocologists, hematologist and family MDs, (of which the hemotologist was the only one who discouraged to use of any hormonal bc) . I even visited a hair loss clinic. The clinic tried to sell me a “solution” which offered no guarantee on regaining my hair for 6000 euros! I’ve also spent tons on various scalp treatments to try to prevent any further loss, but to no avail. I’m relieved to hear all of your stories, since I don’t feel alone in this struggle, and I can make a correlation based on what you all have said between the loss and the birth control (which finally resolves my doubts about it). Although my periods have been lighter and shorter, the sadness, embarrassment and loss of self-esteem I’ve felt due to my hair loss isn’t worth that minor convenience. I am planning to stop using the ring after New Year (once I talk to my gyno again); I just hope the situation doesn’t get worse.

I wish you all the best of luck with your individual healing processes and I hope there are tons of success stories that come from them.

Happy Holidays

Did your hair start to grow back and/or grow thicker after you made the switch? Or is the damage permanent?

Almost 40 I’ve been on BC pills since my 20’s. Never had a hair loss problem until I went on Quasense a generic of Seasonique which I loved since you only have 4 cylces a year, but hair loss doesn’t run in my family and I am seeing scalp and only since I’ve switched to this pill. Since i never experienced it on other BC pills I never related my hair loss to BC pills until now. I’ve read the low androgen index birth control pills can treat hair loss. I will be consulting my Dr to verify this and GET ME OFF the Quasense.

Hello Ladies!

I am very stressed about this hair loss/shedding issue due to bc, however I am thankful that it occured early to make some decisions.

Hoping someone has advise:

I starteed The Nuvaring in middle of Jan. and I got my hair done about 3 weeks after. When my hair started to shed, I assumed it was from getting it done, but realized after an Aha moment, it was possibly the BC. I am now on the second ring and it is a constant issue. I want to switch to a lo androgen BC next cycle, because I am convinced this will help. Does anyone have any experience with this? What is the best way to switch? Also, i was thinking of completely getting OFF BC LL TOGETHER but I am afraid that my hair will fall out more.

Someone help! :/

Ladies,
6 month agao I stopped taking the yaz and yasmin bc and I am so happy about it that I am through it. My hair growths back again and I know it will never be the same again but this is the last time, me trying to go back on the bc. It is not worth it. There are other options to protect yourselfe.
But I just wanted to give you a quick feedback that I am not loosing my hair anymore..so there is hope for all of you..

Good luck and have a good night!
Agnes

I stumbled upon this website because iam considering to try bc again. Due to the fact that I had a pregnancy scare this month and the thought of being pregnant scared the crap out of me . I’m 28 but not ready to have a child. The last bc I was on was yaz. I was on it for about a year 1/2 with no problems unlike with ortho tricyclen I spotted in between periods. I notice while on yaz when the seasons change my hair would shed alot . Then the shedding would slow down. I notice that my hair was falling out so much that I couldn’t even straighting it. So I stopped taking yaz. I was so scared I was going to go bald but in about 4-5 months my hair loss slowly died down. Im now debating which bc to go on. I use to be on the patch it kept falling of and gave me real bad eczema. im thinking of trying out ortho trycyclne lo for 1-2 months and as soon as I notice a change I’m quitting bc . Good luck to you all sorry for my poor grammar and terrible spelling.

Holy crap!! I am SO GLAD I ran across this website! I was searching for an alternative birth control pill to the Yasmin/Ocella I had been taking for about 5+ years which I stopped recently to see if my sudden and excessive weight gain was from it, and now I see that my hair loss probably has to do with that stupid pill??

I had my thyroid checked no less than 3 times because I was having all kinds of symptoms that point to the thyroid, including depression, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, weight gain, digestive problems, anxiety.. I’m sure there are others but I can’t think of them right now.. I stopped the BCP about a month ago and my skin is getting better and the hair isn’t falling out as bad but my fatigue, depression, and the weight is still there really bad (and I even have a bloated abdomen so I’m going to see about possible ovarian issues as my grandmother died of ovarian cancer because they didn’t find it until it was too late) and antidepressants are not working anymore (I have Major Depressive Disorder).

It was strange how all these symptoms cropped up over the past few years. I gained over 50 pounds (40 pounds in TWO MONTHS!) when I was exercising almost every day and eating right (I remember because we just got my kids the Wii and we were playing Wii Fit almost every day but I started GAINING weight) and the antidepressant that worked WONDERS for me 4 years ago and helped me get a job AND finish my bachelor’s degree suddenly stopped working this past summer and I still have the severe fatigue that not even Provigil will help.

I just switched docs because the last one ignored my symptoms.. and this new doc made me mad because after I talked to him about how Yasmin freaks me out and how I heard it needs to be pulled of the shelf, etc. etc. he went on to tell me at the end of the appointment that if I wanted to get back on the Yasmin to let him know!! So he didn’t pay any attention to my concerns about that pill.. I don’t understand why these doctors won’t help me.

Well, I’ve been dealing with sexual dysfunction because of antidepressants for my entire marriage (going on 12 years) and now that I’m off almost everything I finally have a libido and a sex life and can orgasm, but my husband and I are having trouble with all the different types of contraception out there and he won’t be getting a vasectomy for a while because his doc appt. to talk about it isn’t until next week. Sooo.. I am looking at getting back on the pill but now I’m not so sure.

I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has posted on here!! I am saying NO to BCP!

http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm

site lists a chart for bc pills and progestin contents vs. estrogens.
hope this helps!
-T

One final offer of help…dusting your hairline with an eyeshadow that matches your hair color can help disguise it a LOT in the interim while you get your testing and things figured out.
There is even a product specifically designed for this purpose:
matte hair powder by Joan Rivers Beauty. It comes in blonde, light blonde, red, brunette, & salt & pepper.

Well I have decided there is no one perfect pill. I have been on BC pill for about ten years and taken many different. I started taking Seasonique 6 months ago to treat menstrual migraines. It does work great for that. However, I remember vividly sitting the Dr. office and telling her that I didn’t want a pill like Loestrin (Seasonique is obviously the same type of pill) because of the high androgens. She prescribed it anyway. Now I have an appointment tomorrow to switch back to Ortho Tri Cyclen or something similar in hormones. On Seasonique my already fine hair started to noticeably thin, I have terrible acne, I have never had acne in my life, and I can’t lose weight. So I guess I will have to deal with the headaches on OTCyclen because the high androgen side effects are really stressful.

I am taking Tri Sprintec, does anyone know where this pill is on the list? My hair goes through phases of thinning. Right now, I’m getting worried.

Uh, Melissa, no one can “force” you to take a medication — birth control pill or otherwise. If you don’t want to take it, just don’t take it.

Thank you, all.
For the first time ever, I don’t feel alone.

I’d suspected PCOS for years before going to a great gynecologist who took the time to do all of the blood work, ultrasounds, etc., to confirm. She also wanted to laparoscopically confirm endo; I didn’t have the money at the time to throw at a large medical bill so I didn’t do it. She also offered tubal ligation (since I don’t want biological children). I froze up at most things, thinking: “I’ve lived with myself for 30+ years the way it is, so I’ll be okay.” (I was really thinking, I’ve learned how to deal with all of the issues this far, I don’t want to rock the boat and potentially be stuck with even more issues.)

She prescribed Metformin and Sprio, which I started both out very slowly. I was finally up to 1000mg and 200mg respectively, and had my very first panic attack while on vacation. Scared out of my mind (I didn’t know it was a panic attack at the time ,coupled with/followed by PTSD for the experience) , I stopped both meds the next day. That was Sept. 2010; I’d started the pills probably in early August. (There were a few false starts; I’d start one pill, add the other then have some type of reaction so I’d stop and start over again, even slower.)

Last month I went for my annual and saw my Dr’s PA. She prescribed Lo-Loestrin as she wanted “to protect my uterus/lining” from the PCOS/lack of ovulation. ?? I explained my prior bad experiences with BCP which is why I’d shied away from them for years.

I’d also said I’d experienced some reduced facial hair growth with the spiro last year and was actually interested to try that again so she prescribed that no problem, along with the metformin to help with the IR.

I’ve done the BCP now for about 3 weeks and just got the other prescriptions filled. (I build up slowly; I can’t just start taking everything at once!) I was ready to start the spiro tonight and stumbled upon this site. Again, nice to know I’m not alone.

I’ve had substantial hair loss for years—YEARS—that just seems like there’s no cure for… and then to read on here that BCP is one of the worst things I can be doing in terms of hair loss!! OMG!! I don’t know if I should stop “cold turkey” on those (I’m due back to the dr on the 23rd for her to check my potassium levels), or wait until I talk to her. I can’t see taking BCP AND sprio if they essentially just cancel each other out. And the metformin? I think I’m still in denial that I need it and keep thinking, “I’m going to try a better diet to see if that helps.”

I’m encouraged that others are having success with similar treatments, and I’m very interested to learn about that shampoo (though I have curly hair and shampoo is frowned upon…of course, without some intervention there won’t be any hair to worry about damaging; right?!).

I didn’t mean for this to be so long, but I’m 35 and have “joked” about the time when I’ll need a wig, just knowing it was inevitable… ::sigh:: it was great to find this site.

To anyone else feeling afraid, angry, confused and alone—you’re not the only one. :0)

Hi everyone. I’m so lucky to have found this website.

I’ve had bouts of hairloss on and off for the last decade (and I’m only 22). Years ago I had hairloss due to my yo-yo-ing weight and hair perm. But I’ve been on a proper diet for the last few years and I’ve stopped torturing my hair with perms. Since then I have had normal amount of hairloss. And my hair seems to be growing normally.

But recently I’ve experienced sudden shedding (this morning). It really took me by surprise. It was like the hairloss was coming back to haunt me.
Then I remembered I took an emergency contraceptive a few days ago after my bf insisted I take it (to be in the sureside).

It’s called Trust Pill. 4 pills per day. I took it for 2 days. 12hrs in between.

http://www.mims.com/Philippines/drug/info/Trust%20Pill/Trust%20Pill%20tab

Since then I’ve noticed an increase in shedding.
I don’t know what to do!!

I thought that hairloss related to taking BC could trigger hairloss if taken for a year or more. But now I’m starting to wonder if EC can also cause BC-related hairloss. I’m now depressed because my hair isn’t that thick to begin with.

Can anybody help? Will it correct over time or do I have to resort to treatments?? I know Minox doesn’t work. at all. It causes really bad shedding. (as told by my Trichologist) And I don’t want to be on BC.