I get a lot of emails regarding the specific androgen index of birth control pills. I haven’t found the full and complete definitive list available online, however, the American Hair Loss Association lists a small number of pills from lowest androgen index to highest. The list is as follows:
Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Micronor, Nor-Q D, Ovcon-35, Brevicon/Modicon, Ortho Norvum 7/7/7, Ortho Novum 10-11, Tri-Norinyl, Norinyl and Ortho 1/35, Demulen 1/35, Triphasil/Tri-Levien, Nordette, Lo/Ovral, Ovrette, Ovral, Loestrin1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30.
Of course very last you’ll see Loestrin listed has one of the highest androgen pills. It wasn’t until recently it all clicked, loestrin sounds like LOW ESTROGEN. That is the pill of doom that I took that started this whole hair loss process for me. I suppose it is all luck of the draw. Many women have probably taken that pill and never had the hair loss troubles I have been dealing with for the past 8 years. But there is no denying the hair loss birth control pill connection, messing with hormones can results in some unpleasant occurrences. Depending on the doctor, some will openly admit that hair loss can occur from taking the pill, others will dismiss it as merely coincidence. The packet insert of all the pills that I have seen clearly state it as a possible side effect. Women of all ages need to be aware of this before considering taking any pill, don’t expect to hear that little tid bit of information from the doctor prescribing it to you.
Low androgen birth control pills are also commonly prescribed with the anti androgen spironolactone as a treatment for women losing their hair.
I would love to find a complete listing of all birth control pills and their androgen index. If anyone knows of any please send me an email so I can post it on the site.
Technorati Tags: american hair loss association, birth control pills, loestrin, womens hair loss
March 24th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I burst into tears when I read this article, for the last 6 years I have been on 11 of the pills listed and for the last 6 years my hair has gotten thinner and thinner. This past month I finally decided to stop taking the pill because I couldnt deal with the loss of hair anymore. I dont know whether to be relieved that I know for sure the pills were causing my hair loss or extremely pissed off. Thank you so much for this site.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:19 am
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:(
March 26th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Hi Mira & Jeni,
Mira - I’m so sorry to hear about what you are going through. Please don’t misunderstand the post I made. Not all the pills listed on the list are high androgen. I know that Ortho TriCyclen is among the lower androgen ones and the one I currently take to actually help treat my hair loss.
I had a lot of anger emotions finding out after I started losing my hair that this resulted from taking the pill, and I guess I still do to some extent, although for the most part I’ve made peace with it. I don’t know if things would have improved more for me had I not gotten back on the pill to treat the resulting hair loss. Or perhaps things would be much worse. But, that ship has sailed. I torture something thinking what would have been.
It is very early to tell how you will respond to getting off the pill. If the problem was from being on any oral contraceptive your condition very well may improve. It may be a good idea to consult we a dermatologist knowledgeable in women’s hair loss, that perhaps can check for miniturization. Please keep us updated.
Jeni-
Thanks for pointing that out. I also just posted a whole listing of various pills hormonal components that was sent over to me by Gracie. The pill I was prescribed Loestrin ranks among the lowest in estrogen also listing among the highest androgenicity. I often wonder if things would have be different had a taken a different pill. Who knows, I still may have had the same result. thanks for stopping by!
~Y
March 26th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
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.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Have you noticed a difference in your hair since switching to Ortho Tri Cyclen?
I have a gyno appt. next month and I’m trying to decide whether to stop the pill or switch to a different one. The one I’m on now (which I believe is the cause of my hair loss) is Necon 1/35 (generic for Ortho-Novum 1/35).
I’m so torn on what to do. I wonder if my hair will get worse if I stop… and if I switch pills, what do I switch to. A dermatologist recommended Yaz or Yasmin, but I’ve read a lot of negative things related to hair loss.
April 27th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
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!
April 28th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Marie,
I would get off the pill. I didn’t notice a dramatic shedding while being on the pill (more of a steady shed) but once I got off of it was when it got bad. I didn’t there was a correlation at the time so I got back ON it and now I feel trapped.
I think for you, since you are already going through a shed, its best to just stop all of it and let your body adjust to having no synthetic hormones. Because if you wait a few months, and it doesnt get better (but worse) your body will be more confused than if you were to stop it now. And, if you stay on the pill and your body “adjusts” to it, you risk losing more hair when you get off of the pill because of the shock it imposes on your system once you take it away.
I say get off the pill now!! Derms and gynos often know close to nothing in regards to these issues and they never want to think their beloved pill is responsible for hair loss. The BC pill is evil. I used to think it was the best invention ever made, but now I hate it so much and am a total advocate of non-hormonal forms of birth control.
Angela