When To See A Doctor About Hair Loss And Pcos
If youre worried about hair loss and/or other
Hair loss can be caused by many things apart from PCOS, including other health conditions and stress, so its important to see a doctor to find out why its happening.
They can do tests to rule out other conditions and check if you should have a
Not Just Your Weight Pcos Also Affects Your Hair In Fact It Can Give You Major Hair Loss Leading To Baldness
PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age and its prevalence ranges between 9.13% to 36% in India and its increasing yearly. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone levels. The ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid and fail to regularly release eggs.
Signs and symptoms of PCOS include irregular or no menstrual periods, heavy periods, excess body and facial hair, acne, pelvic pain, difficulty getting pregnant, and patches of thick, darker, velvety skin.
Why does PCOS cause hair loss?
PCOS hair loss occurs due to an increase in the male hormone in the body. These excess androgens trigger hair thinning on the scalp. However, there is not complete baldness as seen in men.
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The major hormones that play a vital role are testosterone and androstenedione. Other androgens include dihydrotestosterone , dehydroepiandrosterone , and DHEA sulfate .
These are commonly called male hormones and naturally produced within the ovaries, the adrenal glands, and the fat cells of a womens body.
These play a key role in puberty by stimulating pubic and underarm hair growth. They control the degree and frequency of blood loss during menstruation and they become converted into oestrogen.
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Heres how you can stop hair fall associated with PCOS
Here are some remedies to help to deal with hair loss associated with PCOS:
Can You Reverse Pcos Hair Loss
Although reversing PCOS-related hair loss can take time, it is possible. Your efforts need to be focused on addressing the cause or driver, which means identifying the underlying condition that is contributing to and exacerbating your PCOS, for example, IR.
Then, its about improving it through the correct lifestyle choices. If you do this, youll be giving yourself the best chance at reversing PCOS hair loss.
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How To Stop Pcos Hair Loss
PCOS hair loss treatments are available. Traditional over-the-counter remedies like specialized shampoos, hair treatments, and vitamins aimed at skin, hair, and nail health are all good places to start. If standard strategies arent working, a hairstylist or health care provider may be able to suggest other options.
The problem of PCOS-related hair loss needs to be addressed in a comprehensive way, both externally with the help of proper hair care and internally by taking care of the body with diet and exercise and consulting a health care provider about the potential benefit of medications.
It may take six months to a year to see the results of hair treatment. Medications should be taken on a strict schedule and hair care procedures should be regular .
Its also important to keep in mind that if hair thinning is associated with hormonal imbalances, regaining hair health may be possible by balancing hormone levels.
A well-balanced diet with vitamins or supplements that a health care provider recommends may also help optimize hair health.
Magnesium, zinc, iron , as well as vitamins A , B , E , and F are all great for health.
Iron deficiency is among the main causes of hair loss, and people with PCOS typically have lower ferritin levels. Eating foods that are rich in iron and/or taking iron supplements can help raise iron levels.
What Does Hair Loss In Pcos Look Like
If you have PCOS and hair loss, you may lose 100 to 150 hairs a day. Bear in mind that its normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day, so this extra loss may not be obvious at first. In fact, you might not notice youre losing hair until youve lost 20-25% of its usual volume.
Female pattern hair loss usually happens as a general hair thinning that starts from the centre of your head, with the front of your hairline often unaffected. Hairs grow thinner and shorter at first, before failing to grow altogether.
This is different from male pattern hair loss, where the front hairline usually recedes first and then a bald patch develops on top. However, if your hair loss is caused by high levels of male hormones , its possible to get this pattern of hair loss although its very uncommon.
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What Causes Hair Loss In Pcos
PCOS hair loss occurs due to an increase in the male hormone in the body. These excess androgens trigger hair thinning on the scalp. However, there is not complete baldness as seen in men.
Note:
The biggest difference between male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness is that in women, the hair follicles remain alive, unlike in male baldness. This means that PCOS hair growth treatment has a fair possibility to work.
Symptoms Of Androgenic Alopecia With Pcos
Androgenic alopecia, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is the patterned loss of hair that can affect males and females. In people with PCOS, the pattern is usually different from what is seen with male pattern hair loss.
With male pattern hair loss, the hair loss will start in the front of the head and gradually recede to the back.
With female pattern hair loss, the pattern will develop in one of two different ways:
- The thinning will start mid-scalp and gradually spread in a circular pattern.
- The thinning will start at the hairline and gradually spread backward along the center of the scalp in a triangular pattern .
Rather than complete baldness, female pattern baldness typically causes thinner and shorter hair. Even so, the thinning can be significant enough to expose large areas of the scalp.
In people with PCOS, androgenic alopecia rarely occurs in isolation. In addition to female pattern hair loss, people with PCOS may also experience:
This video has been medically reviewed by Anju Goel, MD, MPH.
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Pcos: Its All Connected
The thing to remember about causes and symptoms is that often health issues are both intertwined and self-prophetic. Essentially, an unhealthy diet and excessive weight gain can lead to triggering PCOS, and/or PCOS can lead to an unhealthy diet and excessive weight gain. Both can then lead to diabetes, facial hair, depression, infertility, and so on.
Its all connected, and what can spiral downward can also spiral upward. You can lose control of your health in the exact opposite way that you can gain control of your health.
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- How to use: Shampoo and condition at your typical cadence, ensuring to massage the scalp with fingers for 60 seconds to help the product absorb into your scalp. This is formulated safe for all hair types and textureseven color-treated strands.
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Unwanted Hair Growth And Hair Loss
These medicines work by blocking the effects of male hormones, such as testosterone, and some also suppress production of these hormones by the ovaries.
A cream called eflornithine can also be used to slow down the growth of unwanted facial hair.
This cream does not remove hair or cure unwanted facial hair, so you may wish to use it alongside a hair removal product.
Improvement may be seen 4 to 8 weeks after treatment with this medicine.
But eflornithine cream is not always available on the NHS because some local NHS authorities have decided its not effective enough to justify NHS prescription.
If you have unwanted hair growth, you may also want to remove the excess hair by using methods such as plucking, shaving, threading, creams or laser removal.
Laser removal of facial hair may be available on the NHS in some parts of the UK.
Symptoms Of Pcos Hair Loss
Some of the common signs indicating female hair loss are given below:
- Increased hair shedding
- Dry or damaged hair follicles
- Visible scalp at the crown or hairline.
- Itchy/irritated scalp
- Dandruff and build upon the scalp
- Hair fall affects the sidewalls and frontal area of the scalp.
- Thinning hair at the parting area.
- Receding hairline above the temples.
On average, we shed about 100 to 150 strands of hair in a single day. A noticeable difference in hair loss is only observed when youve already lost 20-25% of your total scalp hair.
It is essential to observe the excess hair loss during combing, the pattern of thinning hair, and the presence of other symptoms to pinpoint the reason for scalp hair loss in an individual.
Alopecia is not an isolated cause of an increase in androgens hormone due to PCOS so its beneficial to look out for other signs such as menstrual abnormalities and increased facial hair growth .
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What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a common health problem thats caused by a hormonal imbalance.
If you have PCOS, your ovaries may produce an abnormally high amount of male sex hormones called androgens. These hormones can affect your reproductive health and cause a wide range of different symptoms.
Likewise, PCOS is also correlated to higher levels of insulin, which also means that if type 2 diabetes runs in your family, you may be at an elevated risk of having PCOS.
A common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome is missed or irregular periods. This can affect your fertility.
In fact, some women with PCOS are unable to become pregnant due to the effects of this syndrome on their menstrual cycle.
PCOS can also cause other symptoms, ranging from acne to excess body hair, changes in body composition and several skin issues.
Currently, experts arent aware of precisely what causes polycystic ovary syndrome.
Research suggests that it may be related to insulin resistance, obesity and genetic factors inherited from your parents or other family members.
How To Stop Hair Fall Due To Pcos
Besides the above-mentioned clinical approaches, here are the top 9 tips that you can follow to control PCOS hair loss by making healthy lifestyle choices.
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Psychological Aspects Of Hirsutism And Pcos
Dealing with hirsutism and PCOS can be emotionally difficult. You may feel unfeminine, uncomfortable, or self-conscious about your excessive hair growth or weight, as well as worried about your ability to have children. Even though you may be embarrassed to share these feelings with other people, it is very important to talk with your physician as soon as possible to explore the medical and cosmetic treatments available to treat these disorders. It also is important for you to realize that these are very common problems experienced by many women.
Is It Possible To Reverse Pcos Hair Loss
Yes, it is possible to reverse PCOS hair loss if you follow an integrative approach for curing PCOS. You can see a positive transformation in your hair as soon as a treatment limits the production of male sex hormones and increases female sex hormones in your body.
You can also get back your hair volume if you choose a holistic treatment that focuses on your entire body, not just the specific part that has a disease. Synthetic medicines may not reflect hair loss immediately, but gradually damage your hair follicles.
Ayurvedic herbs boost your resistive power to fight PCOS and hair loss naturally. The holistic approach can reverse your hair loss and provide a long-lasting impact to maintain your naturally beautiful hair.
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Nutrition For Hair Loss
Nutrition plays an essential role in your overall health which impacts your hair.
Did you know that your hair is the last place in the body that absorbs nutrition?
So it is important to make sure you are eating healthy and providing your hair cells with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to grow.
Certain nutritional deficiencies in iron , zinc, protein, and biotin can impact your hair structure and growth.
So what foods can help with hair loss and should you be eating?
There are several foods you should incorporate into your diet.
Eggs are a solid choice as they are a great protein source and are a good source of biotin.
Healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids are also wonderful for your hair, skin, nails and heart health.
Vitamin D is very important for immune health and functioning so adding vitamin D fortified foods to your diet is a smart choice as well.
Also, eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables will also supply your body with vital nutrients.
It is also necessary to note that restrictive diets like the keto diet can cause harm to your hair. These crash diets can cause undue stress to the body and shock your system and exacerbate hair loss.
The most critical thing you can do is to eat a healthy, balanced diet that incorporates a variety of foods.
Treatments For Scalp Psoriasis
These treatments can help men and women deal with hair fall caused by scalp psoriasis:
Medicated shampoo: Regular shampoo can make the scalp and hair overly dry during this medical condition. This can result in hair loss. Use a medicated shampoo rich in salicylic acid. It will lift and soften hair strands and help get rid of scales on the scalp.
Coconut oil: This natural remedy will not only help in treating hair loss caused by scalp psoriasis but also inflammation. It has a unique combination of fatty acids that improve strands’ health and also condition them. The anti-inflammatory properties of coconut oil help ease psoriasis pain.
Steroids: Another treatment that can help in dealing with hair loss caused by this medical condition. Corticosteroid creams, injections, and short-term systemic steroids can help men and women with hair recovery. They can reduce swelling, inflammation, and redness of lesions caused by scalp psoriasis.
Note: We highly suggest taking a prescription from a dermatologist before using steroids for treating scalp psoriasis hair loss or any other medical condition.
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How To Prevent Pcos Hair Loss
You can prevent PCOS hair loss by diagnosing PCOS in its initial stage. Go for a medical checkup as soon as you recognize the symptoms of PCOS. As soon as you are diagnosed with PCOS, begin to change your lifestyle and daily routine before it increases your hair loss.
Focus on your hormonal balance and hair care simultaneously. Have a nutritious diet and adapt physical exercise as your habit. Prevent PCOS hair loss naturally with herbal hair care products and Ayurvedic home remedies.
The Key Ingredients You Should Look For In Hair
Whether youre looking to prevent or treat signs of hair loss, your first step may be consulting with a trusted dermatologist or trichologist to determine the root cause and create a plan of next steps. Saedi recommends prostaglandin analogs to help promote growth or supplementing your diet with biotin.
Aside from prescription formulas, Hodgdon is partial to clean-plant actives, which are at the heart of Vegamours lineup. I recommend using products that ensure these actives are bio-available and included at effective levels, he says. Of these, he specifically highlights turmeric, topical caffeine, red clover, mung bean extract, and CBD.
Whereas Reavey recites an approach rooted in the root of hair loss. If it is hair loss that is tied to environmental factors like stress or poor diet, I would suggest products that include ingredients like peptides, caffeine, rosemary, ginger root, red leaf clover, and basil leaf, she says in light of these ingredients antioxidant properties, along with apple stem cells, which can extend the growth phase of hair follicles. For hair loss as a result of menopause or female/male pattern baldness, shed recommend incorporating minoxidil. As for supplements to fill any nutritional gaps in your diet, she would suggest taking a supplement that includes biotin, zinc, selenium, and iron at the least, as these are all minerals necessary for growth.
Below, 10 hair-growth products that experts recommend to help boost your hair-growth potential.
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