While it doesn’t happen to everyone, hair loss is a side effect of birth control for some individuals. Here’s everything you need to know.
Hair loss, or shedding, occurs naturally in the hair growth cycle, but certain hormonal changes can lead to a noticeable increase in hair loss. While a few strands in your hairbrush are normal, an excessive amount may be a sign of a change in hormonal levels in your body.
If you’re of reproductive age and on hormonal birth control, you may notice an increase in hair loss. Although it’s hard to say how many people experience hair loss while on birth control, research suggests individuals with a family history of pattern baldness or hormonal hair loss are at a higher risk of experiencing this adverse effect.
Here’s a rundown of how birth control works, why it can cause hair loss, and treatment options you may want to consider.
The science of birth control
While both hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives are used by many, the hormonal type — taken either orally or via injections, a vaginal ring, patch, or an intrauterine device (IUD) — carries a risk of hair loss. Non-hormonal birth control methods, such as condoms and copper IUDs, do not carry the risk of hair loss. These are good options if you want to avoid this issue completely.
Hormonal birth control contains the sex hormones estrogen and progestin, which encourage changes in your body to prevent pregnancy. These hormones thicken cervical mucus and stop the ovaries from releasing eggs, making hormonal birth control 99% effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.
Why does birth control cause hair loss?
Along with the changes that hormonal birth control causes in your reproductive system, the hormonal changes your entire body experiences can also affect other functions and parts of your body, including your hair.
To fully understand why birth control can cause hair loss, it’s important to understand that hair grows in stages. These stages are the anagen (growth) stage, the catagen (transition) stage, and the telogen (rest) stage. While these stages usually occur on a rotational basis, the hormones in birth control can sometimes disrupt this cycle. The hormones can cause the hair to remain in the telogen stage — the stage where there is no active hair growth and you shed roughly 25-100 strands a day — for an extended period of time.
Treatments
For many, hair loss can be a source of embarrassment and low self-esteem. Thankfully, there are various treatments and procedures that can help. Treatment options range from increasing your intake of hair-benefiting vitamins and minerals like biotin, B-12 and folate to laser hair therapy and non-invasive options such as wigs and hair extensions.
If you’re dealing with hair loss, Genesis II can help. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Photo credit: slavoljubovski via Pixabay
