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I have noticed thinning of my hair around the crown over the past couple of months. I think I understand some or all of the contributing factors, but now I don’t know what to do to try and stop it. I had been on OrthoEvra (the patch birth control) for a few months, stopped it because it was giving me horrible anxiety, went on the Nuva Ring for the past three months, and finally decided today that the anxiety has returned as well as headaches, sleeplessness, and now hair loss. I didn’t know until I read things on this site that stopping the birth control might result in the hair loss getting worse, but I really don’t think I can continue on it because of the emotional/mood swing effects it has on me. I’m 30, and have had one child
(5+ years ago). I wonder if I can wait out the next 6 mos. while the birth control leaves my system and my hormones return to normal. I wonder if I should try Rogaine NOW, before it gets any worse (it’s really minor, but it’s starting to be noticeable enough that I try to style my hair over the thinning area or pull it back). I wonder if I should go back on birth control but I really shouldn’t do that. I wonder if this is permanent. HELP!
********************************
Hi, thanks for writing. I always say this at the beginning of my responses to emails so that there is no misunderstanding. I am not a doctor and cannot give medical advice, this is just my thoughts and opinions.
I did some searches in Google for “Nuva Ring and hair loss” and there are several cases of women who are experiencing the same thing as you. Since it is birth control, it does alter your own hormones, and anything that does that can cause hair loss. But you should realize everyone responds differently to the effects of the pill. For some women going on the pill can cause hair loss, which seems to be your case, and for others the hair loss begins when they discontinue the use. It sounds like you already made the choice to get off the pill and are currently not taking it due to the many unpleasant side effects you were experiencing. In my opinion that was definitely a good decision.
I think it is too early to tell whether or not your hair loss will simply be a temporary shedding or the onset of androgenetic alopecia. It would probably be a good idea to consult a knowledgeable physician in this matter. Experienced doctors can tell whether or not the hair follicle is miniturizing which is usually an indication of female pattern baldness. But it is very possible this will just be a temporary shedding (telogen effluvium) similar to the hair loss many women experience after having a baby. As mentioned in my response to Sarah’s story, I actually met a woman who had hair loss from going on the pill, she stopped taking it an told me eventually all her hair grew back. It all depends on the individual.
I found a thread on a health forum that dates back from 2005, all the way to the last entry which was April 2007. All the women seem to be complaining of experiencing hair loss while on the Nuva Ring also with a plethora of other side effects. No one seems to have provided an update on their situation, which may very well mean that their hair grew back and they simply had no more reason to discuss it. It may be worth it to try and contact a few of those women on the board since their situations were so similar to yours. Perhaps they can provide even greater insight. The link is: http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic40802.html
If I were in your place, I would wait on taking Rogaine so that I could see if my hair would improve on it’s own. Rogaine is something that has to continue to be used basically forever to continue to maintain any benefits it provides. The information from drugs.com states “If treatment is discontinued, new hair growth will usually be shed within a few months.” Before I would start a treatment regimen I would give it some time to ensure you actually need treatment. This is just my opinion, you have to do what you feel is best for you. It becomes incredibly frustrating because hair growth is such a slow process, but I’m pretty hopeful that your situation may improve on its own with time. Does your family have a history of androgenetic alopecia (male/female pattern hair loss) ?
Please keep us updated!
~Y
Technorati Tags: birth control, hair loss, nuva ring, OrthoEvra, rogaine
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
mls 11.13.07 at 10:25 am
I just wanted to comment since I’m the one who wrote this original post. It’s been a little over a month now since I stopped using the Nuva Ring, and while some of the emotional side effects of it have begun to subside, I am still experiencing hair loss - probably more than I had when I was on it. I’m still convinced that the Nuva Ring is what caused it in the first place, and I’m still hopeful that after some more time has passed, I’ll notice it slowing - but I’m very nervous. I pull about 5-10 strands out each morning, and notice it on my clothes and things. It’s thinning mainly on the top of my head, but I try to comb it in certain ways or just pull it back - my hair is very long, I don’t know if that’s good or bad in this situation. I notice short pieces on hair on the top of my head, and I don’t know if that’s old hair breaking off or new hair growing in - when hair falls out, doesn’t it fall out right from the root, or is this breakage common? I’m taking some vitamins and trying to stay healthy in other ways. I’m feeling helpless, though - at what point do I decide that this is not reversing itself, and begin trying some other treatment? It’s really making me sad sometimes, when I think about it, since I’ve always had really long, curly hair, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose it all. It’s frightening, and I’m sure the stress I’m feeling from this, as well as some other aspects of my life, aren’t helping.
Sarah 11.13.07 at 5:34 pm
Hello, i totally know what you mean, i am in the same position.
I had decided to go off birth control ( my post - sarah’s story) in June because of hair loss… the shedding decreased primarily, but then it became really bad in october, and has not really stopped. i am still hopeful that the shedding will stop, but i am really scared that it wont. I also have seen tiny hairs at the top of my head, and i THINK it is growth, but who realy knows? is it possible to be shedding, and growing new hairs.. at the same time?! the whole thing is really something women like us shouldnt have to worry about.. it sucks, but i guess we just have to deal with it.
Some days are better than others, and other days are so bad, and i get so frustrated. anyways, i know what your feeling! good luck!
baf 12.16.07 at 9:15 pm
Hi. I have experienced hair loss from Nuva Ring as well. At first, I thought it was just breakage from having my hair colored but then more than normal amounts started coming out in the shower. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the hairs still had the root attached and it was not breakage at all. I stopped taking Nuva Ring about 3 months ago. I am now on Yaz. I am still losing hair but I don’t think quite as much as before. Our shower drain even got clogged a couple of times and we had to use Drano. I’m hoping this will end soon but I would have thought 3 months would be long enough to get it out of my system.
My friend had a Norplant about 7 years ago and she lost almost all of her hair. She wore wigs and then eventually got extensions. She said once it was removed, she immediately started to see new hair growth.
Tobi 12.30.07 at 3:17 pm
Hi—there is a product called Bumble & Bumble Hair Powder that comes in different colors—I use black for my dark hair—and it will hide a lot of the thinning and also lifts the roots so the thinning is not as noticeable…i am in the same boat as you all and since I’ve been using this product (my hairdresser recommended it), it has changed my life.
baf 05.14.08 at 3:01 pm
Well, it took about 6 months but my hair FINALLY stopped falling out after I stopped using Nuvaring. I went on Yaz and haven’t had any hair loss problems since. I also took fish oil and evening primrose oil to stimulate my hair follicles. Whatever it was it worked!
admin 05.14.08 at 3:04 pm
Hi Baf, Thanks for posting back your update and wonderful success, I’m so happy for you!!
~Y
Stacey 06.13.08 at 12:11 pm
Hello, I too am going through the same scary situation. I went off ortho evra patch 3 months ago after being on it for 5 years. I started noticing 2 months ago all this hair in the shower and sink. I’m afraid to even comb my hair due to the fact that it just keeps coming out. My doctor just recently ordered blood work. But I know that it is due to going off the patch. Will this eventually stop or will I continue to lose my hair until I am bald.
Christon 07.09.08 at 9:20 am
I’m 19 years old and I had a baby a year ago. I was using nuvaring but I stop using it in December and every since than my hair has been falling out like crazy. It was never doing that before and now it is. I don’t know if nuvaring is the cause but I’m really frustrated over this. I have never experience this problem with my hair EVER! I wonder because I stop using the nuvaring could it have cause this problem. Can someone please HELP me because I’m so desperate right now. My last resort is to cut all my hair off, and it’s very long. It still is long but my pony tail just keeps getting thinner and thinner every single week!
pixy 07.10.08 at 10:48 am
I’m 21 and I’ve been on the nuvaring for about 2 months, and just like you guys, I’ve been noticing big clumps falling out in the shower. I’ve decided to stop using it, and I can only hope that the situation will get better and not worse (it seems that either can happen when stopping BC?) I’m so upset but it helps to know that I’m not the only one. Good luck ladies!!! I’ll post again if I notice any change… (it doesn’t help that my doc thinks this the connection between the ring and my hair suddenly falling out is “unlikely”– but i know that the nuvaring started this because the hair loss started just a few weeks after!!) peace and love
Karen 08.05.08 at 12:46 pm
I am 32 yrs. old and have 3 children. After weaning my 3rd son when he was 12 mo., I started using the nuva ring. My OB told me that it would work well for me because it is a continuous dose of hormones that does not fluctuate during the month.(like triphasil) I only used it for 2 or 3 months and noticed that it was causing headaches and mild depression. I did NOT lose any hair while using it, but about a month after stopping my hair started shedding. It is not too bad–not like after my babies were born. I have noticed that the hair coming out has a white tip on the end. That means that it is coming out by the root and that a new one is coming up behind it.
I experienced this after having my children and it is only temporary. Your hair should grow back-don’t stress!
Kelly 08.19.08 at 9:12 am
I am 25 years old and was on the Nuva Ring for a little over 2 years. I experienced several side effects including digestive problems and gall bladder disease. I ended up having my gall bladder removed a year ago. My doctors never attributed those problems with the ring but they disappeared after I stopped using it. I have been off the ring for a little over a month now and I have noticed a dramatic increase in hair loss. I have very fine hair to begin with and I am concerned with the amount of hair that I am loosing. I don’t know if I can wait 6 months for it to start growing back.
Bethany 08.23.08 at 5:02 pm
I’ve been on the ring since Feb/Mar, and around later this spring it felt as though my hair was thinning. I have always have VERY thick hair and I’ve been on several different pills(always looking for something better) and never had this problem. I now have gaps and a thin hair line on the top of my head and all arounf the front hairline. I took it out this week and will not continue. I only hope my hair grows back. Even it takes as long to grow back as it did to fall out, it should grow back if I go back on the pill right?
Sonya 10.28.08 at 11:04 am
I had the same problem with hair loss. For the last 8 months I have had my hair falling out each day in high numbers. I have to remove the clumps from the drain weekly. I talked with my doctor about 5 months ago about the problem but she did not say anything about the possibility of this being due to the Nuvaring. I know that I am under a lot of stress and I changed my diet, exercised more and started taking vitamins and supplements to try and stop this problem. Nothing worked. I have had serious hair loss on the top of my head and worry each day about how many I will lose. Since this isn’t something you just randomly talk about with people, I never associated the ring and hair loss since I didn’t have any problems in the first 8 months of using the ring. Mostly what I read suggested it was due to diet. I asked another doctor about possible causes and she suggested that it could be due to such a constant high dose of hormones. I have only recently switched to a lose dose birth control and hope that the problem will cease in the next 6 months as others have described. I am angry that doctors do not inform patients of this possibility and leave them to suffer silently at the side effects.
admin 10.28.08 at 2:54 pm
Hi Sonya,
Doesn’t it just make you so mad that doctors prescribe the pills, the ring, the depo provera shot without WARNING us that the possibility exists that they could make our hair fall out? I can guarantee I never would have touched the pill with a ten foot pole had I been explained that little piece of information. I am even more shocked when doctors deny the connection.
Not all hair loss from the pill is permanent, and for some women the hair loss improves after stopping it or, like you did, switching to a lower dose, hopefully lower androgen birth control.
You are not alone and I’m glad you found us!
All The Best,
Y
nattyb 11.10.08 at 6:09 pm
I to have had a problem with nuvaring and hair loss. I started the Nuraving and 2-3 months later I started to notice hair loss. After being on the ring for 5 months I took it out. It has now been 6 weeks off the ring and still major hair loss. Like everyone else I have never ever had hair problems I have always had very full hair. My pony tail is half the size it used to be. It is sooooo stressful. I have given birth and breastfeed 3 children for 12 months each and never any hair loss surley it is the RING!!!
Melia 12.01.08 at 7:45 am
Im having trouble with the nuvaring and hair loss as well, and i’m only 16 years old! My doctor said that it was unlikely that it was the nuvaring, but i’ve researched enough online to know, that isn’t necessarily true. I plan on switching to a different kind of BC, probably an IUD (i’m very forgetful…i wouldn’t remember to take the pill everyday). So i’ll update if anything changes. =(
brandy 12.27.08 at 9:03 pm
I am in the same boat as all of you. I stopped using the NuvaRing in August. All of a sudden, in about November, I noticed I was shedding like crazy. My hairdresser even asked me to have my thyroid checked. Everything came back fine. I’m not sure how long this will go on. I’m already switching from styling my hair straight to wearing it curly again. My dermatologist has put me on some steriod creams, but I really don’t know what else to do.
Bees 12.29.08 at 4:59 am
Dear Brandy
Just wondered what steroid creams your derm put you on. I have been having excessive hair loss from mid. Sept and am quite distraught about it, thinking of it all the time, my derm also put me onto an anti-inflammatory drops to rub into my scalp. I am also now wearing my hair curly, just cannot dry it straight and see all the hair fall out. I used to love washing my hair and showering, now every 2 days when I have to wash my hair I det nervous and cry when I see the hair fall away. My hair shedding could be due to a relaxer or brazilian hair straightener that I had done I January and then in September. I am busy with derms, haematologists etc, no one seems to be helping me.
KP 12.31.08 at 11:26 am
Wow, I’m sitting here in shock, because for the last 3 years I’ve had on & off again hair loss at my crown and overall shedding. When it first started it was about 3 years ago & I’ll have to check my records, but I could swear that’s when I started using the Nuvaring. But this revelation just hit me TODAY.. I’m so mad at myself. Why didnt I think of that???? A friend recommended the Nioxin shampoo/conditioner products when it first started & they worked IMMEDIATLY. So, I thought I just had a scalp problem & the shampoo corrected it. My hair stopped falling out & started to grow back. BUT, about a year later it started up again, went to the dermatologist, had all the blood work & test done and I mean ALL and everything came back normal. He said it was probably just hormones and put me on Rogain, which helped, but dried my scalp out SOOO bad that I had to stop using it. Talked to my OB and she said it was unlikely it was the nuvaring.
About 2 years ago I started suffering intense pms syptoms, anxiety, depression, but only during the 2 weeks before my period. I felt like I was going crazy because I knew some days of the month I wasnt acting or thinking rationally. That’s how the doctors figured out it was PMS or PMSD as they call it. Because it was only happening 2 weeks out of the month. Things that got me really upset today wouldnt even phase me 2 weeks from today, type of thing. I never even thought about how I didnt suffer from this until after I started birth control again. I wasnt on anything for about 5 years. So I have that gap to compare things too.
Well my OB put me on Serifem, which is a pretty name for prozac, for only 2 weeks out of the month. It did help with the PMS, but then the hair loss started up again. I knew instantly that it was the prozac. I stopped taking it immediatly. The only time I’ll take it is when the PMS is extremely bad and that’s only happened one time this year. Not sure why that month was bad, but I felt depression coming on like never before. Scared me actually, because I was afraid I’d have to keep taking the prozac. But luckily the following month(s) the pms was ok.
For about the last 6 months, Ive had the hair loss happening again and worse this time. I only have bangs in the very middle of my crown, the sides only have baby fine hair. Over all shedding as well. I know in my heart that this hair loss is hormonal. But not until today did I put everything together & realize it could be from the nuvaring. BUT I’m scared to stop using it now since people are also experiencing hair loss when they go off of it. UGGG I hate this stuff. I just dont know what to do
Wanda 01.01.09 at 2:16 pm
I noticed someone mentioned that her dermatologist had put her on some steroid meds. My dermatologist prescribed Clobetasol(liquid for the scalp) mainly because I started having a lot of burning and itching on my scalp. However, I am concerned that it may make the hair loss worse???? She told me it could “encourage” hair growth. Any opinions or experiences with Clobetasol?
Patricia 02.10.09 at 5:17 pm
I stopped using the nuvaring about 2-3 months ago and now I have very thin/shedding hair. It looks very sick and I am wondering if I should cut it a little shorter to make it appear thicker. I have read the information about a product called hair essentials and I am wondering if it really works to stop hair loss. If anyone else has information about this products please email me back.
Franci 02.18.09 at 8:24 am
I used Nuvaring for about 2 years after using many, many other froms of birth control. I started to lose my hair and it was thinning. I have had long straight, thick hair my entire life and if you saw me now you would never know that! I was feeling very self-conscious about it being noticably thinner so I started researching and researching and finally read some fine print on the actual Nuvaring box where it said that if hair loss runs in your family then Nuvaring might not be for you (my mom’s & grandmother has experienced thinning and hair loss)! Well my gyno never asked me and it never occured to her that Nuvaring might be the casue for my hairloss even when I came in complaining about my hair. We ruled out several other causes after blood tests and countless dermatologist appointments. It’s now been about 3 years since i stopped taking Nuvaring and about a year since ive been on prenatal vitamins (only thing that has worked for me). My hair has grown back a lot! I have a ton of baby hairs, BUT (this is a big but). The texture has changed. I was having to blowdry my hair everyday and it was always frizzy. One day my hairdresser said, Franci give it up, your hair texture has changed, your hair is curly now! She blow dried my hair and my surprise I had soft natural curls. I’m getting used to it now, even starting to like it a bit
but I wouldn’t wish hair loss on any woman. It’s a tough thing to deal with.
Good luck to all
Remember i didnt start to see hair grow back for a long time, hang in there!
Ms. B 03.02.09 at 12:19 pm
I started taking the NuvaRing about three months prior to my wedding and by my wedding day I lost most of the front edges of my hair. At the time I attributed it to stress and maybe the fact that I ended up wearing extensions on my wedding day. However, the front of my hair really never grew back. If it tries to go a little bit it will just suddenly fall out from the roots, and sometimes in little pieces. I have always had long beautiful hair that grew no matter what I did to it (coloring, cutting) etc. Now, I have no hair in the front and had to cut it so many times and yet it’s still falling out. So, I decided to research whether it could be the birth control, and I have found sooooo many blog/commentary sites where woman are complaining of this issue. It’s absolutely terrible that the drug manufacturer did not reveal this and neither do doctors! I will stop using it this month and I will post here in a few months to provide an update.
Mel 03.12.09 at 8:40 am
Oh Gosh! I went through this with Nuva Ring about 20 months ago. I have long hair and lost about half of it. My doctors ran EVERY test in the world becuase they didn’t think the hair loss was due to the ring. I change birth control and lately have been having problems so my doctor recommended to try the ring again - still convinced my hair loss was due to stress. I’ve been on it for 6 weeks and my hair suddenly, almost overnight, got EXTREMELY thin again. I am terrified! I ran my fingers through my hair about an hour ago and had over 25 strands in my hand. I ran to the bathroom and removed the ring forever! The hair loss lasted for MONTHS last time - I can only pray it doesn’t this time. So very sad.
andrea 04.11.09 at 11:55 am
I have been on the Nuva Ring for a few months now (I think about 4). I have never, ever had a problem with losing or shedding my hair but all of a sudden starting about a month ago my hair is coming out in large amounts!! I run my finger through my hair and can easily grab between 5-15 hairs at a time, and they have the root attached! Our drain collects little clumps of hair every time I shower, and I don’t even want to comb my hair because I know there will be a huge amount of hair on the comb or brush. I definitely noticed my ponytail getting thinner and lucky people can’t tell (yet) that my hair is thinning just by looking at it- but *I* know and cal tell! My gyno did not even warn me about this side effect. Today I decided to just remove the Nuva once and for all, even if it jacks up my menstrual cycle. Shame on Nuva Ring and shame on the doctors for not telling us about this side effect!
rosaespinas 04.25.09 at 4:44 pm
I recently, and for the first time in my life, have been experiencing hair loss too, every time i wash my hair i end up pulling out countless strands when i condition my hair. I have very fine hair, so i HAVE to wash it everyday or it appears greasy and the hair loss is noticeable. The problem started when I got my hair dyed dark brown at a salon about 2 months ago. I have dyed my hair many times in my life and never had this problem! This time, the hair dresser was very rough, he used rubber gloves which made my fine hair knot very badly, and then proceeded to rip out the knots with a comb as he put dye into each section. Im in chile, so at that time i wasnt confident in my language ability to ask him what exactly he thought he was doing. Anyway, as soon as i walked out of the salon i felt like I had half the hair I had had walking in, and immediately noticed a bald spot at the crown. Since then, hair has been coming out every day, and my drain is getting clogged. Its horrible! I never thought that the nuva ring could be part of the problem, but I am on the nuvaring as well, although I have been on and off of it but never had a problem with hairloss. Those of you who think its the nuvaring, have you dyed your hair before? Also im living in a very smoggy city, my diet has changed, and im a bit stressed. I just purchased a rather expensive JOJOBA hair mask and I think it made my hair very soft and possibly a little thicker. I plan to keep using it maybe 3 times a week. Has anybody else had success with Jojoba? Or hair masks in general?? Has anybody noticed that a haircut stopped the shedding? Am i losing these strands permenantly? AH! Good luck..
c 06.01.09 at 12:45 pm
nuva ring is evil. I was only on it for less than two months. Since then my hair has not stopped falling out…its been almost 6 months since i stopped using it. I do not feel right and am in the process of trying to figure out the cause, I am suspecting that I am hypothyroid and I think the nuvaring messed with my hormones so bad that it caused me to be all f’ed up…….oh btw when I was it I became so moody and depressed, one day I actually had the thought of suicide…NOT my personality at all, I was always a happy go lucky person…that scared me and I did a little research online and discovered how bad it was for so many people. Anyways, the hair loss has been common in a lot of women on it, and I am sure there is something else wrong with me, its just difficult without insurance to first get a doctor to see me and then get them to listen…..im trying and will let you all know. Goodluck!
Brandie 06.08.09 at 9:39 pm
My daughter started using NuvaRing 1 month ago. She has a 4 month old baby. She has lost so much hair at the front of her scalp in the last month, there is just fine baby hair there now, it goes back on each side about 3 inches. She had the thickest, coarse curly hair before. Hairloss does not run in my family or my husbands family. I decided to look up NuvaRing and I’m glad I found this site. My daugther is only 18 and there were huge clumps in the shower and in her brush daily. I have never seen so much hair fall out at once!
We will definitely be looking into an alternative birth control.
wendy 06.17.09 at 12:03 am
I have been on NuvaRing for about 7 years. I never had any bad hair loss…it mostly seemed normal. However, 6 months ago I stopped using the Ring. I was also going through a horribly stressful time in life and attributed my newly (VERY) increased hair loss to the stress. The stress faded away three months ago, but the hair loss is still in full effect. I hope that there is an end in sight to this hair loss phenomenon, because not only do I have less hair (that falls out in at least 200 - 300 strand per day amounts), but the hair I do have has become thin and lifeless.
Does anyone have any timelines for successful hair recovery/regrowth AFTER going off the Ring? I’m patiently waiting, but I may need to donate my >12 inch long hair to a good cause and go for a pixie cut to make it worth my while.
May we all eventually be blessed with full bodied, long, luxurious hair!!