Women, hair loss, and birth control are not a typical trio. Birth control pills can be used to not only prevents conception but they also help to facilitate regular menstrual periods. Hair fall out to a certain degree is normal as we age. It becomes an issue when more than just a few hairs come out in your brush or comb or on your pillow. This could include excessive shedding. There is a two edged sword when women use birth control. Birth control pills can be used to treat hair problems in women however they can also cause hair to fall out.
Birth Control Causing Hair problems
Many women who use birth control may start to notice increased hair drop out a few months after starting them. This is because when hormone levels are out of balance the body will react and one of those reactions is hair to drop out. Certain birth control pills will cause hair to drop off in women. If the hormones are stopped you could still experience hair loss in the ensuing months. Once hormone levels stabilize, hair problems levels off.
Birth Control Treating Hair problems
Both oral and topical estrogenic treatments are often used to treat hair ailments in women. Exactly why they work for hair problems is not known at this point and needs further research. There are no known studies at this time either to prove this out. Women who may decide to use birth control pills to treat hair baldness should be advised to use one with no androgenetic activity or as little as possible. It is the androgens (male hormones) that at certain levels will cause hair ailments.
Other Hair Treatments
Minoxidil is a treatment that can be used by women very effectively. It is an FDA – Food and Drug Administration approved treatment. It is a topical treatment that is used up to twice daily.
Finasteride is an oral medication that is primarily for men. Women should not handle the tablets especially if they are broken. Contact with it can, if a woman is pregnant, cause abnormalities in the sex organs of male babies.
Laser treatments use a low beam of light aimed at specific areas on the head. The cold-beam laser transmits light energy which is then converted in cellular energy. This allows the cells to not only repair themselves but to absorb nutrients much more efficiently.
Surgical treatments including hair transplants, hair cloning, and hair grafting are permanent solutions to hair loss. The hair grows in the balding site just as it would if it were still in the donor site. The surgical treatments though, can be very expensive. They can also be painful. The recovery may cause irritation of the scalp, infection, or more hair loss.
Conclusion
Using birth control pills to treat hair problems in women is effective. Those with no androgenetic to very little androgenetic are preferred. It is the male hormones such as DHT – dihydrotestosterone that can cause hair to drop out in women. There are other choices such as hair transplants, hair grafting and hair cloning. They are all surgical procedures that can be costly and painful. There are topical treatments and oral medications as well.
Tags: birth control pills, fda food, food and drug administration, hair drop, hair loss treatments, male hormones, menstrual periods, oral medication, sex organs, two edged sword