This article was reviewed by Sara Harcharik Perkins, MD.
If you’ve got polycystic ovary syndrome (AKA PCOS), you might experience symptoms like acne, irregular periods, and weight gain. But there’s another symptom to add to the list: hair loss.
Yep, PCOS hair loss is a real thing — which is ironic since another common PCOS symptom is hirsutism (excess facial or body hair). But the same hormones causing all those other symptoms can wreak havoc on your scalp follicles.
If you’re dealing with both PCOS and hair loss and think they might be connected, you probably have a number of questions. Below, we dive into the causes of PCOS hair loss, whether it’s reversible, and what treatment entails.
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Does PCOS Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, PCOS can cause hair loss.
If you have PCOS, your androgen levels (AKA male hormones) could exceed the normal range for women, which tees you up for hair loss. In particular, you may experience a type of hair loss called female pattern hair loss (AKA androgenic alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness).
Female pattern hair loss is a condition in which your androgen levels begin to damage and eventually kill your hair follicles. While this type of hair loss is similar to male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss typically looks like:
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Visible thinning near your part line
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Diffuse thinning across your entire hairline
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What Is PCOS?
Let’s back up for a second. What exactly is PCOS? Polycystic ovary syndrome — sometimes called polycystic ovarian syndrome — is a condition that results from a hormonal imbalance.
With PCOS, your ovaries may produce an abnormally high amount of certain hormones, like male hormones (androgens) and insulin.
These hormones can:
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Affect your reproductive health
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Elevate your risk of type 2 diabetes
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Cause a wide range of symptoms (including hair loss)
PCOS symptoms include:
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Darkening skin around the neck, groin, and the area under the breasts
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Weight gain around your abdomen
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Oily skin and frequent acne breakouts
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Irregular, very light, or missed periods
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Skin tags around the neck and/or armpits
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Hirsutism — excess body hair growth (facial hair included) in a male-like pattern
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Large ovaries
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Ovarian cysts
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Difficulty becoming pregnant, or infertility
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A higher risk of miscarriage or complications during pregnancy
PCOS can also increase your risk of health issues like high cholesterol, sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and endometrial cancer. There’s also a link between PCOS and mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Experts don’t yet know what causes PCOS, but digestive health (specifically insulin resistance), obesity, or genetic factors may play a role.
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Why Does PCOS Cause Hair Loss?
Back to your hair. Hormones are the main culprit behind PCOS hair loss, but there are a few other factors at play.
Here’s what could be to blame:
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High testosterone levels. With PCOS, you may have high levels of testosterone. Your body can convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone binds to hair follicles and causes them to shrink, a process known as miniaturization. Over time, these shrunken follicles produce shorter and thinner hairs, and eventually stop producing hair altogether.
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Low estrogen and progesterone levels. Your estrogen and progesterone levels may be low, and this can lead to hair loss, increased hair shedding (more hair in the shower drain), and slow hair regrowth.
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Inflammation. People with PCOS can have low-grade inflammation, and inflammation can impair the hair growth cycle, contributing to hair loss.
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Nutritional deficiencies. Women with PCOS tend to have nutritional deficiencies. And there’s a link between deficiencies in nutrients like iron, biotin, and vitamin D and hair loss.
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Is PCOS Hair Loss Reversible?
PCOS hair loss probably won’t grow back by itself — or at all if you leave it untreated for too long. But with treatment, it’s possible to slow hair loss and promote hair growth.
Generally, the sooner you get treatment for hair loss, the better the results. Keep in mind it might take a few months to see results.
Let’s dive into your PCOS hair loss treatment options.
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How to Treat PCOS Hair Loss
There’s currently no cure for PCOS. But several medications and other treatment strategies are available to help with PCOS symptoms like PCOS hair loss.
Hair Growth Treatments
If you have noticeable hair loss from PCOS, treatment options include:
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Minoxidil. Minoxidil (AKA Rogaine) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for hair loss. It works by stimulating blood flow to your hair follicles, which encourages them to enter the growth phase. It can also protect androgen-sensitive hair follicles from the damaging effects of androgens.
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Finasteride. Finasteride can inhibit the production of DHT. Research shows finasteride is effective at treating some aspects of PCOS, but it’s not FDA-approved for women and isn’t typically used for PCOS. Postmenopausal women may safely use products like topical finasteride and minoxidil spray, though.
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Hair transplants. For severe hair loss, a hair transplant takes hairs from other areas of your scalp and moves them to areas with noticeable thinning. This type of procedure can cost thousands of dollars and people typically seek it out to address severe hair loss.
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Medications for PCOS
Your healthcare provider may prescribe one or more of the following medications for PCOS symptoms:
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Hormonal birth control. Believe it or not, birth control may help with PCOS. The pill, patch, injection, or hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) may improve acne, reduce body hair, and lower your risk of PCOS complications like endometrial cancer.
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Anti-androgen medications. Anti-androgens lower the amount of male hormones your body produces or block their effects. This may prevent hair loss, acne, excessive hair growth, and other PCOS symptoms. Doctors often prescribe spironolactone off-label for this reason.
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Diabetes medications. A healthcare professional may prescribe medications for diabetes off-label, like metformin, to lower insulin resistance.
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Medications that induce ovulation. Meds that induce ovulation may also treat some symptoms — but they can increase your risk of getting pregnant.
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Lifestyle Habits for PCOS
Adjusting certain lifestyle behaviors may help decrease the severity of PCOS symptoms. You can try:
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Managing your weight. If you have excess weight or obesity, losing weight may help reduce your symptoms, as it can lower androgen levels and insulin and help regulate your menstrual cycle. We cover more about PCOS and weight loss here.
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Maintaining a healthy diet. Making certain changes to your diet can facilitate weight loss, generally improve your health, and promote healthy hair growth.
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Exercising on a regular basis. Regular exercise may reduce your risk of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, and other issues commonly linked to PCOS.
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Styling Tips for Women with PCOS Hair Loss
The following tips won’t treat PCOS or hair loss, but they can help make signs of thinning less obvious:
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Try parting your hair differently. Moving your part can make thinning hair look fuller. Now might be the time to finally try a side part.
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Use volumizing hair products. Volumizing conditioners, shampoos, sprays, mousses, and other products can create the appearance of thicker, fuller hair.
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Choose a haircut that makes hair loss less visible. A new hairstyle may help you conceal bald or thinning spots. For example, bangs draw attention away from your forehead and layered cuts can hide thinning hair.
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Understanding PCOS and Hair Loss
PCOS is a tricky condition, and PCOS hair loss is even trickier. A lot more research is needed on PCOS-related hair loss and why it happens.
Here are the key takeaways to keep in mind:
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PCOS hair loss is a thing. You’re not imagining it. The hormone imbalances that come with PCOS may also cause hair loss. You might notice this hair loss as thinning along your part line or overall hair thinning.
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Speak to a healthcare provider about PCOS treatments. Treating the root causes of hair loss is key. An endocrinologist or OB/GYN may help you in your hair health journey by treating your hormone levels.
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Get expert help with your hair. The sooner you take action against hair loss the better. There are no guarantees, of course, but a minoxidil PCOS treatment, for example, could help slow hair loss and regrow some of the hair you’ve lost.
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This article originally appeared on Forhers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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