Hair Loss With PCOS

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) affects millions of women in the UK and worldwide, with 5-10 per cent of women living with the syndrome, which can be managed but not cured. The symptoms of PCOS can include irregular ovulation, acne, weight problems and hair loss amongst others, emerging in adolescence.

Because PCOS has no 'cure' as such, the only way to deal with it is managing the symptoms; though frustratingly the medications that do this can have side effects of their own, including hairloss.

PCOS occurs when women produce too much testosterone in their ovaries, causing hormonal abnormalities. Due to these abnormalities probably having several causes, women often have different symptoms, though there is thought to be a hereditary link.

Dealing With PCOS Related Hair Loss

First, lets look at hair loss as a symptom of the PCOS itself. There are various types of alopecia, a common one being androgenic alopecia, aka female pattern hair loss. Usually occurring in post-menopausal women, certain triggers such as PCOS can cause its early onset. Androgenic alopecia is characterised by a thinning of the hair on the top of the head in women, and is caused by a genetic predisposition to androgen DHT.

There is no definitive cure for this kind of hair loss, but it can be halted and hair even regrown using a hair loss treatment plan that includes minoxidil, the only medically licensed hair loss treatment available for women. At The Belgravia Centre, our specialists have seen this approach produce impressive hair regrowth results for the vast majority of female clients with this type of hair loss, whilst many more may see a stabilisation so that they stop experiencing excessive hair shedding.

Dealing With Hair Loss From PCOS Medication

Many women with PCOS use hormonal contraception to regulate their menstrual cycle.  Any kind of hormonal change can cause alopecia areata, which is characterised by sudden, patchy loss all over the scalp.  Unlike pattern hair loss, the affects of alopecia areata are usually short term, and hair should naturally regrow after a several months. However, when hair doesn't regrow, Belgravia experts have seen many cases of significant regrowth results from using topical applications of high strength minoxidil from the range available at our in-clinic pharmacies, which have proven to be effective at stimulating new hair growth.

There are a wide variety of other medications on offer for dealing with the various symptoms of PCOS. For those expressly worried about hair loss, talk to your doctor to ensure shedding excess hair is not a known side effect of your prescribed medications.