Comments on: Getting Off The Birth Control Pill After 13 Years – My Biggest and Hardest Hair Loss Decision https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/ A Community For Women Dealing With Hair Loss - Help, Hope and Understanding Wed, 05 Oct 2016 19:40:11 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.16 By: lindsay https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2236113 Wed, 05 Oct 2016 19:40:11 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2236113 I recently got off the pill at 24, after being one one form or another for the better part of the last 9 years. My biggest and most heartfelt suggestion is to focus on your nutrition. Though, personally, I am vegan, I think eating lots of plant based foods and taking any vitamins/ supplements I need to ensure I am getting my micronutrients has been key. I have worked with a naturopathic doctor to help here. It has been almost two months since I stopped and yes I am shedding. Probably losing about a quarter size amount in the shower plus more on my brush when I style my wet and then dry hair. From what I have read it could be much, much worse, but as I’m sure you know, any amount of hair loss can be traumatic. Hair loss comes from a hormone imbalance and proper nutrition is key in balancing your hormones. My suggestion is a focus on this, it can only help you, and it promotes so much self love and care which you certainly need during this time. This is what I have continued to do with fingers super, tightly crossed that this slows down soon. Sending you much love and acceptance. You’re beautiful and strong 🙂

]]> By: Madeline https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2173824 Thu, 17 Sep 2015 02:35:47 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2173824 Hi, I’m not sure if anyone still stumbles upon this page but it’s worth a shot. I’ll be 20 in a week and I quit taking Sprintec about 3.5-4 months ago because I didn’t want to put synthetic chemicals in my body when I wasn’t sexually active. About 2 weeks after quitting, I took a shower and noticed way more hair than normal was falling out and it was a downhill spiral from there. It’s now been 3 steady months of intense shedding and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. I’ve seen doctors that have simply told me to take biotin and that I shouldn’t worry too much but my hair is certainly down to half of what it was. My hair has always been thick, so it’s not like the birth control was the reason I had thick hair. I’ve had blood work done that turned up nothing unusual, and the timing makes it pretty clear to me that the birth control cancellation was the cause (must be- right?). I’ve reached the point of desperation and I don’t know what to do. A friend of mine’s mom who’s a nurse suggested getting back on the pill and basically being reliant on it the rest of my life, but that doesn’t sit well with me because I 100% want children and can’t deal with the hair loss again once I decide to stop taking bcp to get pregnant. I had pretty much decided to get back on the pill until I found this page tonight and now I don’t know what to do. If I choose not to, will this end? I already have severe depression and anxiety and losing my hair would be tragic to my already low self esteem.

Kaylee- I’m having the exact same problem. Along with the shedding it seems I have seborrheic dermatitis (eczema/dandruff and waxy-looking residue even after washing). This, of course, does not help my case with thinning, flattening hair. I tried using diluted apple cider vinegar as recommended online and it made nearly 100 hairs fall out in the shower. I saw a doctor today that recommended Head & Shoulders, which I used tonight. Issue is, it made about 60 hairs fall out IN the shower and probably 60 more AFTER the shower. The only thing that keeps shedding “minimal” (yeah right..) is using natural shampoos, which do not help the dandruff by any means. Be careful what you use, I’ve found that any strong products just make the hairs release even sooner which is devastating.

To anyone that can- please help.

]]> By: Yani https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2171878 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 17:22:53 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2171878 I have been on birth control since the age of 17. I’m 40 now. A few years ago, I stopped taking birth control. About the same time I stopped, I started having super cold hands and feet. I didn’t really think much of it as I work on the computer all day. Long story short, after going to several doctors, chiropractors nobody ever found anything. About 9 month later I realized that my hair had gotten thin. My hair dresser asked if I had a thyroid problem, that something definitely was going on. The timing of the hair thinning and the coldness in my extremities seemed to much of a coincidence. As I suspected that the cold hands had something to do with the pill, I went back on again. It seemed to fix the hair thinning but the cold hands took a while to get better. I went to a hormone specialist who did a bunch of tests but also with no clear results.
Thyroid ok, Sugar ok, other tests ok, Iron high, testosterone low. As I’m not having much of a period on the pill, I wasn’t surprised about that.

This year, I stopped with birth control again as I was having stomach issues and I seemed to remember that I didn’t bloat as much off the pill. I stopped for 4 month and noticed the hair loss almost 1 month after stopping. (The cold hand issue came back soon as well.) I should mention that maybe it’s not so much hair loss as hair breaking. I have a lot of short “baby” hair except that I don’t think it’s new hair but broken off hair. I went to the doctor again and did the sames tests off the pill. Thyroid ok again. I think I noticed the Iron Binding Capacity and Transferrin being low as well as Vitamin D.
I ordered Rogaine but as I was reading the instructions, it says that it’s not for hair loss due to recent discontinuation of birth control!
When I talked to my gynecologist about the hair loss, she didn’t think it had anything to do with the birth control :0
I guess, Rogaine knows more then my doctor about birth control?? I was prescribed a new birth control. I’m still experiencing the hair breakage. I don’t know if it will normalize with the new one or if maybe the ingredients of the new pill does not have what the old one had that made my hair stronger?
I just hope, that my hormones will normalize themselves at some point as I can’t be on birth control forever…

]]> By: Nora https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2168671 Tue, 08 Sep 2015 07:12:51 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2168671 Karen,
I was on BCP since 17. I’m 34 now. Because my period was irregular until it almost disappeared when i was 17. My hair was miniaturized like a new born baby. Bald! I mean bald, at the age of 17 for a girl. I was ‘diagnosed’ by PCOS. They said they saw multiple small cycts in my ovaries. I always had very thin hair. I stopped taking BCP several times since then..and no period without them plus getting to the edge of baldness. I got my brain MRI’ed 3 times over the years. My prolactin was slightly high but Drs were ignorant about it as my pitutery looked normal and the hormone level was just a little bit off. Until the last year when my goddess endocrinologist saw sth in the pitutery and put me on Cabergoline to lower my prolactin level. 6 months later she put me off the BCP. I was scared to death that i would lose all my hair again.
I got my period/spotting naturally almost on time afyer 16 years! I could scream of excitement. Since then I’m getting my very light period naturally. But, TO RHE EXPENSE OF MY HAIR. Yes. It’s been 5.5 months that I’m shedding worse than a dog. I got nervous breakdown. Lost 4 lbs in a month that i couldnt eat and sleep.
My dermatologist told it’s like a post partum hairloss. Hair follicles get dormant due to the hormonal shock. Hair falls out and it takes up to a year to stop. Though im seeing some baby hair regrowing back.
Here is my regimen :
Shampoo Nioxin cleanser 4 (miracle)
Prenatal vitamin everyday (high dose in Folic Acid, Zinc, Vitamin B and ..)
Biotin 10,000 mg
Rogane (have been applying for 3 years)
Laser comb (Hairmax. 40 minuets every night)
Fish oil (to let ur liver process out the BCP entoxication)
Toppik hair fiber (to hide my scalp front)
And prayers every night. I beg the Lord to give hair back.

I made the mistake of starting Spironolactone of 100 mg a day last month. Im so scared that it stops my period this month. I will stop taking them as soon as i get my this month’s period!

The hair is still falling out. I see a white flake sometimes at the dead hair’s root. This is a sign o Telogen Effluvium( hair follicles get dormant ).

Long story short. I was misdiagnosed for PCOS for 16 years. Took the BCP for no reason. The bcp took my hair and killed my sex drive when i was younger. Yes. I didn’t have interest in sex. I lost boyfriends to that reason. The bcp killed the sense of womanness in me. I’m depressed and feel unattractive since all my life i failed to be sexy and charming due to the bcp.

My advise to you. Be brave. All these brave stories ppl write helped me alot. I feel i owe every single one of you girls! Don’t be slaved to these synthetic hormones. It ruins your life.

]]> By: Kaylee https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2128800 Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:11:21 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2128800 So I am 24 years old and was on BC for almost 9 years and switched to a new kind this past January… I noticed my hair was thinning and freaked out and stopped taking it completely by the end of February. So its now been about 4-5 months and my hair is thinning more and more every week. I’ve always had very thin and fine hair so the extra thinning is extremely stressful. Especially towards the back of my hair line, that is where it is thinning the most. I also have some itchiness as well. But when the hair falls our sometimes there is a dandruff like flake at the end of the follicle?? Does anyone else have this??????????
I’ve read so many different posts where some people it takes years for the shedding and hair loss to stop and for regrowth, and others say up to 6 months… I hope I’m in that 6 month category but not knowing is so stressful. If my hair keeps thinning like this I’ll have bald spots all over by the end of the year! It’s embarrasing and depressing.
Also, does anyone have any suggestions for a good shampoo/conditioner to use? I’ve been trying to wash my hair every other day since the shedding got worse but I tend to have very oily hair. I’ve just been alternating between a dove shampoo and head and shoulders…. not really impressed with either though.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know what to do about this anymore! The docs all say I’m fine, but this is definitely an issue I’m struggling with.

]]> By: Karen https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2118526 Wed, 17 Jun 2015 04:44:25 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2118526 Hi Ladies! It’s been awhile since I poured over these posts desperately searching for someone to tell me good news about stopping birth control pills. I went off my pills (marvelon) 3 months ago, and I bring good news.

I was soooo worried about stopping because I’d been on the pill for 9 years straight, and when I tried to stop 4 years ago my hair was coming out in handfuls, so I immediately went back on it at that time. I thought I would just take it forever, and even did research to see if it was ok to stay on it after menopause even though that’s a ways off at 34.

I believe my body started fighting back against my pill. I’d never had any problems with hair or skin before, but 6 months ago I started to realize that my hair just seemed finer and more sparse. It didn’t grow quite as long anymore. I started to get acne, and a weird sort of rosacea looking rash. I even had pimples on my chest. I just feel like my body was trying to ovulate and it couldn’t and didn’t know what to do.

I did a lot of research on the pill and am convinced that it can be the culprit of many things from hair loss and mood disorders, to nutritional deficiencies and thyroid problems. I decided enough was enough. I had to quit despite my doctors belief that switching to oral tricycle would be the answer.

In preparation of quitting, I gave my diet an overhaul. No coffee (not that I ever had more than 1 cup per day), and I nearly eliminated all refined sugar and processed foods. Lots of protein and veggies and berried. Basically a well balanced diet. I started drinking sea buckthorn juice, and taking a silica supplement which is supposed to be good for skin, hair, and nails. I actually quit taking my multivitamin and b-complex because I read that these synthetic vitamins can take up the place of real vitamins in your body, and a carefully planned and well balanced diet should supply me with all I need since I’m fortunate enough not to have any food sensitivities. The exception to this is vitamin D since we can’t get it from food and I stay out of the sun. After a month eating like this, I finished my pack and I quit the pill.

I had built it up in my mind to be this terrifying thing. I have to say I think it may have been important that I finished the pack and did not quit part way through a pack like I had the first time. Ok and here’s what you’ve been waiting for….NO SHED!! My first period came 28 days later. I did have quit significant abdominal pain with my first ovulation but nothing a hot water bottle couldn’t handle. I felt like a woman again! My skin is glowing, not old and dry and flaky looking like it had become over the last couple years on the pill. I have had a few pimples around the time of my period but who the heck cares! I feel healthy and amazing. My second period came on day 29, and here I am on my third at day 28 again. My moods are better, my body is happy doing what it’s meant to do, and I no longer have to live with that looming fear of what is going to happen when I stop. I may be one of a fortunate few, but I had to tell you my experience because I sure was looking for one of hope before. You women are incredible and strong. Love to you all.

]]> By: Leslie https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2098294 Wed, 27 May 2015 14:59:39 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2098294 PLEASE UPDATE US! Hope to hear good news 🙂

]]> By: Emma https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2085690 Sat, 16 May 2015 05:51:37 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2085690 Hi.

I went on birth control at 19 and my already fine hair, which I had enough of, went very very thin. My family were shocked. I went on it for irregular periods and bad skin, and somehow I justified my thin hair for the sake of being able to control when I got my periods and clear skin.

Fast forward 11 years and I finally made the very hard decision to come off the pill. I was sick of the bloating and ended up with melasma on my face. Ugh.

Been off the pill 4 months now.
Pros to coming off the pill- less bloating; new hair growth along temples and less dry hair (yay); weight loss; regular periods that are lighter than before
Cons- a little uncomfortable at ovulation time but this is getting less and less each cycle; Quite bad acne that has spread down to my back, I have gone on a course of antibiotics mostly for the backne because it was red and swollen and sore, the face acne was healing by itself except for the stuff along my jawline.

The pros do outweighs the cons. I am hoping a course of antibiotics will kill of the acne, knock it in the head since I got it quite quickly, it is much better but who knows once I’m off the antibiotics. Just have to cross my fingers and hope!
It’s a bit early to know if the melasma has been affected or not.
It’s funny, but since being on the antibiotics for only two weeks, I’ve lost three and a half kg. I think there might have been a lot of bad bacteria in my gut from the pill. I am taking loads of probiotics to try and counteract the antibiotics so maybe I’ve had a flora imbalance in my gut for a long time?

So apart from the acne I have had a positive experience so far being off the pill (touch wood). Especially for my hair.

Good luck with your journey! X

]]> By: Kristina https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-2038288 Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:47:09 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-2038288 I just recently got off the pill. I was forced to take it originally to receive accutane for my horrible acne at the time – as a girl, regardless of sexual activity, it’s required to prevent any accidental births. Whatever.

I actually kept up with it 4-5 years after finishing accutane because I loved the way I could control/predict my unpredictable menstruation periods and then it started to make me feel sick as if I really were pregnant and stopped.

I started losing chunks of my hair, the one thing about me I had so much pride in, and I had no idea why until I figured it HAD to be the bc. I was and am still embarrassed to look at pictures of myself or walk outside knowing how visible my scalp is now… It has been about 6 months since I stopped and just this month I think I also stopped shedding uncontrollably. I don’t know when I’ll grow my hair back, I think people say to take vitamins or something but… I’m glad I read this. I was actually considering about going back on the pill to get my hair back… I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about taking a stupid pill that made me feel like throwing up everyday.

]]> By: jade https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/birth-control-pills/getting-off-the-birth-control-pill-after-13-years-my-biggest-and-hardest-hair-loss-decision/#comment-1985068 Sat, 07 Feb 2015 11:28:57 +0000 http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/?p=1489#comment-1985068 Try a bcp with a very low androgen activity such a one containing desogestrel.

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