Stopped birth control pill after 5 years...losing hair...link?

[david'sgirl]

I recently stopped taking birth control and for the past few weeks have noticed an increase in my hair falling out. I have naturally thin hair and thinning spots due to genes, but I am getting worried that too much hair is falling out. Does this have to do with my stopping the pill and if so, is this going to be a permanent problem?
Anything will help, Thanks!

[tnt406]

HI HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THIS PROBLEM?DOES ANY ONE IN YOUR FAMILY HAVE THYROID PROBLEMS?YOU MIGHT NEED TO HAVE YOUR THYROID HORMONES CHECKED.HAVE YOU BEEN LOSING OR GAINING WEIGHT.HAVING SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR THYROID WILL CAUSE YOUR HAIR TO FALL OUT.HAVE YOU BEEN TIRED MORE LATELY?YOU NEED TO CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR DOCTOR.TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF TNT406.

[david'sgirl]

Thanks for the comment..I started a job recently that has me pretty tired (up at 5 a.m.) and it might be that my being tiresome is combining with the pill stopping. Thanks!

[tnt406]

HI AGAIN BIRTH CONTROL PILLS "DO NOT" CAUSE HAIR LOSS.I STILL RECOMMEND GETTING YOUR THYROID LEVELS CHECKED.HOW OLD ARE YOU?DON'T BE EMBARASSED TO SAY ON HERE IT IS ONLY WOMEN AND WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST AGE.YOU DIDN'T SAY IF YOU HAD BEEN LOSING OR GAINING EIGHT WHEN YOU POSTED BACK IN.ANY MORE INFO YOU NEED I'LL TRY TO HELP TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF TNT406.

[david'sgirl]

I'm 22 and haven't been experiencing any weight loss/gain. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. If any pertinent information comes up, I'll be sure to share it. Thanks again.

[tnt406]

I'M GLAD YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR TOMORROW.ALL I CAN SAY IS TELL YOUR DOCTOR WHAT IS GOING ON.THIS IS JUST A PATIENT TO PATIENT FORUM WE ARE NOT DOCTORS,WE ONLY GIVE ADVICE.YOU CAN EITHER TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF.TNT406

[Libragirl]

I have to differ with DavidsGirl.  I was on Ortho for 4 years, I'm now 35 and I experienced hairloss. Not only was it loss, it was a change in the complete texture of my hair as well.  I used to have a lot thicker hair, now it's very fine and relatively thin. After about 5 months being off the pill, the hair loss lessened, but regrowth has never come for me.  

Hair growth is hormonal so it only makes sense that some people may experience hair loss as a result of altering their hormonal state.  Pregnant women often experience hair loss either during or after pregnancy.  It does happen, though how to address your situation is always a personal decision.  Personally, I have discontinued use of any birth control, but I'm married and ready to start a family, so that works for me.  There are countless chats on line about people in your shoes.  My advice?  Take everything with a grain of salt and talk with your doctor.  If he/she is unhelpful or unwilling to consider your health options, seek either medical or professional assistance elsewhere.  

Suggestions: Be responsible for knowing what goes into your body and what the risks are.  Meat and milk these days are full of growth hormones... any links?  Could be, but find out what is best for you.  Believe it or not, mineral oil and biproducts can affect your hormones.  Read all you can, ask questions and stay grounded.  You certainly have my sympathy as you are going through this.  I know it can really be distressful. I wish you the best.

[david'sgirl]

Thanks for the comments. I got my lab results back from the doctor's visit and I have elevated liver enzymes. I haven't gotten a chance to speak with my doctor as of yet, but am going in for more blood work. I am still wondering whether or not the hair loss is linked to anything other than the stopping of the pills. It's so frustrating because now I am hearing from some friends in the medical field that liver problems can stem from taking allergy pills for an extended period of time. I take ZyrtecD and have been for a few years. Does anyone know if the liver can be associated with hair loss? I know that we are all just sharing stories, but anyone else with similar experiences?

[kimbeross]

I am so interested that other people have had this problem too!  I have been to many dematologists and undergone extensive blood work about my rapid hair loss, and no one could figure out what had broght it on.  "Stress" and "Genetics" seeemed to be the easy answer when all of my tests came up normal.  Just recently I decided to go back on birth control after 3 yrs of not taking Orth-Tri. (I stopped after college because I no longer had health insurance)  Suddenly it clicked that when my hair started coming out rapidly coincided with when I stopped taking the pill.  I had been on it for 7 years before that, and figured that was my bodys way of coping with a quick change of it's hormonal make-up.  I asked my gynocologist if she thought the two things could be related and she said absolutely.  In fact, other patients had the same experience.  I will be starting Ortho-Tri again, and am extremely hopeful that this will bring back my hair loss.

[david'sgirl]

Thanks for your story! It's always comforting to know that I am not the only one going through this. I wish I could easily switch my doctor, but I did just graduate college and am stuck on my parent's insurance. He didn't see a link at all so it's nice to hear that your doctor does. Please keep in touch and let me know if you find any marked improvement in your hair growth after being back on the pill for a while.
Thanks again.

[joolee75]

I was experiencing sudden hair loss after being on birth control pills for 7 years.  Blood work was all good, and no unusual stress had occurred.  My dermatologist, a female, said that she has found that discontinuing the pill will often slow or stop the hair loss.  The condition is called "telogen effluvium". If there is some "shock to the system", as many as 70% of the scalp hairs are then shed in large numbers about 2 months after the "shock". This sudden increase in hair loss, usually described as the hair coming out in handfuls, is acute telogen effluvium. This is a different problem than gradual genetic hair thinning. She said that even though there was no "shock" to the system, long-term use of the pill has been found to be a culprit.  I stopped the pill immediately, and within 2 months, the shedding ceased and I grew a thick head of hair.  After 5 months, I had to go back on the pill due to irregular and heavy periods, thanks to fibroids.  After 2 months on the pill, my hair is again falling out at a rapid rate.  I am hoping for a hysterectomy to finally be free of awful periods, and freedom from birth control pills.  However, surgery can also be a stressor that leads to telogen effluvium.  Oh well!  I encourage anyone with shedding to read about the condition and see if it could be what is causing it with you.  Good luck to us all!!

[mrspharm]

Hi,
I saw your post and I too have had similar symptoms. I recently got off the pill after taking it for about 10yrs. Mostly because my pituitary wasn't functioning properly. I was told to take the pill for the estrogen. A few months ago I decided to get off the pill to see if maybe my pituitary had started to function on it's own, because there was no found reason that the Dr. could find for it not working. No tumor was found on it or anything.
I got off the pill and after a month of being off I had a period on my own. I then went and got a full physical and they tested for estrogen and it came out that I was producing estrogen on my own and it was in the normal range!! I also got results back from my physical that I had elevated liver enzymes and am supposed to come back in August to re-test. Dr. said it wasn't something to worry about, but it still worries me a little.
Also I've lost about 3-5lbs after getting off the pill and my hair has been coming out a lot more..Just thought I'd respond to this post as I've had similar symptoms after coming off the pill.
Not sure of any of this is related to each other.

[Katty1]

i was on birth control pill for almost 4 months. I stopped  taking it because I felt it was not suiting me. Soon after i stopped the pill I have started to Loose alot of hair. They have also become very thin. I am so worried i dont know what to do. Please advice.

[Miss Nation]

I'm supposed to start the pill on Friday and it's because my period stopped supposedly from losing a bunch of weight at one time. My doctor says that I'm not extremely underweight so he really doesn't think that's the reason my period stopped but has anyone ever gone on the pill to start their period again? If so, does it work?
I'm also worried about gaining weight on it... a couple pounds is ok but I've read outrageous stuff saying that some people have gained 15-20 lbs... is that just from eating more? Because I have willpower and won't eat more even if it does make me hungry but I just want to know if it's something in the pill or not... if anyone can help, please comment!

[carolinagirl965]

i was on the pill for 6 or so years, stopped taking them and my hair has been falling out for about a year now. it has slowed down but there's not alot more than i can lose w/o completely going bald. This has happened to me everytime i have STOPPED taking the pill and after the birth of my 2 sons. I hope it grows back in. It has in the past but I've always went back on the pill. I have high blood pressure now and don't need to be on the pill but i have started taking Yasmin in hopes it will stop the shedding. my hair was once very thick and now is so thin i can see my scalp and can no longer even style it the same way.

[otamarao]

I'm curious if the Yasmin is helping?

[foxybutterfly08]

i've been on birth control for 6 1/2 yrs. now and have just recently noticed increased thinning of my hair at the temples and sides of my scalp within the past 3 months. I have always shed a lot of hair and just thought it was normal, but recently have been shedding a lot more. I'm concerned that because I've been on it for so long the hormones are causing my thinning hair, like when women become pregnant. My mom said her hair started to thin when she was pregnant. I've seen my doctor about it and she said we may need to try something else, but I'm afraid if i go off it will my hair start to rapidly fall out...or will it grow back?? I've read peoples comments and there seems to be both responses. I'm really scared and any advice would really be helpful =) Thanks!

[newlybalding]

My husband and I are going to start trying to get pregnant in the next few months so I stopped taking the pill a few weeks ago.  I have been on it a number of years.  My hair is thinning at an alarmingly fast rate now and my husband has had to Liquid Plumber the shower drain twice and now it needs it again.  This stinks!  My hair wasn't that thick to begin with!  I've already had blood tests and thryoid tests years ago when I felt I had unnaturally low energy and hair thinning (despite being ON the pill.)  At the rate it's going I'm going to be bald like Britney soon, though!

A silver lining though, is that I have been dieting and have found weight loss comes easier off the pill.  (But no, I haven't lost enough to cause hair loss, and no, I'm not underweight!)

When will it stop falling out?  Anyone?  < = )

[Karabear]

Iv'e been on birth control for years without having many problems, but for the past year and a half, I've too been losing hair. I was on Aleese, started losing hair and I seemed to start getting a little extra facial "fuzz" which was just freakin wonderful considering I now have to Nair my face! Then, I switched to Ortho tri Cyclen in hopes that my problems would end. Well they haven't, and I have no idea what to do. Im 23, feel fine, I exercise, and Im in great health. Oh yeah, I also get ovarian cysts that rupture about once a year too. Help Please!

[Karabear]

Iv'e been on birth control for years without having many problems, but for the past year and a half, I've too been losing hair. I was on Aleese, started losing hair and I seemed to start getting a little extra facial "fuzz" which was just freakin wonderful considering I now have to Nair my face! Then, I switched to Ortho tri Cyclen in hopes that my problems would end. Well they haven't, and I have no idea what to do. Im 23, feel fine, I exercise, and Im in great health.

[UMCgirl]

I was on birth control for four years, and I recently stopped taking it because it made me sick every month when I took the first pill. My hair has always fallen out more than anyone I know, but now it is actually scaring me. I hate taking showers because of the alarming amount of hair in the bottom of the tub. I was wondering if the two were linked, and it seems to me that they are, based on the number of people who seem to have the same problem here. I just hope it stops soon! I read about Telegen Effluvium, and that's what I think this is, and it is supposed to stop soon, but I'm only in college! I don't want to go bald!!

[chfshell]

[Stewy06]

I am 33yrs old and have been on and off the pill since I was diagnosed with Endometriosis when I was 13yrs old. I had been on it steadily for the past 5 yrs but I recently stopped in July because I wanted to know if I would still develop ovarian cycts. I workout and am careful about what I eat so I know that weight loss is not the reason why I am losing massive amounts of hair starting about 2 weeks after I stopped the pill. I had bloodwork done yesterday and will get the results tomorrow, my MD is looking for Thyroid, Liver and Kidney issues, but I truly believe it was the pill. Problem is I don't like how the pill affects me in certain ways so I don;t want to take it, plus I really want to have another baby next year and given my Endometriosis it is not easy, so I don;t want to go back on the pill, but I don;t want to be bald either and the back is so thin now, and it was never thick. I have always had baby-fine hair, but there was alot of it and it is naturally got wave and body, now it is so stressful. I don't know what to do, and my MD doesn't believe that the pill affects hairloss.

[Hypo2004]

I have been on the Pill for almost 10 years and recently got married.  I have hypothyroidism and have been losing hair for over 4 years.  I know that all HORMONES ARE INTERELATED, and after 3 years of trying to optimize thyroid medication (which is not the majority), I continue to lose scalp hair abnormally.  I do not have much left, my temple hair is very short as well.  I am very scared to stop the Pill in fear of shedding worse.  I have to correct this problem, I am only 25 and you can see through my thin thin hair to my scalp in several places.  It looks terrible.  

I know that the Doctors (I've seen 8 Endocrinologist, 4 GPs, and 5 Dermatologists) agree that I will be unable to test for a hormone imbalance while taking the oral contraceptive.  I am also concerned about complications related to long-term use of this product.  I do want to get off of BC Pills.  Do you think that I should stop taking the Pill?  Thanks!!!

B

[Dmags]

I have just finished reading everyone's comments, and i must say wow!!
I didn't know there were so many women dealing with the same problem. I also have to say that I am one of these women as well. I have gone to physicians, done the bloodwork, checked for hormone imbalances changed my diet, gone on the pill, gone off the pill, increased my supplements, decreased stress levels, and nothing! My hair has always  been fine and thin to begin with, but now i am faced with Chronic Telogen Effluvium--a general thinning of the overall hair of the scalp because too many hairs are in the resting phase and the ones that fall out will not grow. This has been happening to me over a gradual, steady period, of over 5 years now. The most frustrating part of all this? No one can help me. And no one knows whats is wrong, and what's worse? Some physicians think it is in my head. I have cried and been frustrated so many times, it's almost no use. I am 26 years old, and I don't mind going bald---just not at this age!!!! I mean hello!!! I want my youthful looks if only for  a while, and no one has any answers. I am not giving up though. If i find out anything new, I will let everyone know. In the meantime, i will pray for yous, please pray for me, I have a wedding next year and i want to look half-decent.

[countinghairsandwaiting]

I experience hairloss EVERY time my doctor changes my birth control. Whether going off it, or starting anew. Right now, I'm collecting every hair that falls, (and it truly falls almost constantly now) in envelopes, to monitor the rate. The last three weeks, it's been 500 or a day, this week, its much more more,  I can't deal with counting past 500. It's extremely depressing and frustrating, and I empathize with you all. This is the third bout of extreme hairloss in three years. It's definitely hormone related. Here's what my doctor and I have found out.

Some women are naturally far more sensitive to hormone changes than others. Lucky me! That sad fact: I'm 39, before this birth control mess, a single strand of my hair, though baby fine and thin, as past hairdressers have always commented, was three to four times as strong and thick in diameter than it is now. The first TE (telogen effluvium) episode lasted 4 months, after going off Nuvaring which was causing high blood pressure. 7 months later, hair grew back but not like before. At that time, my doctor STARTED me on OrthoTri (new relationship). GOING ON birth control shocked the hormones, and my TE episode lasted a devasting 6 months. At that time, with painful irregular periods, my doctor discovered fibroid cysts. I also had high levels of estrogen, which she said was causing or linked to the tumors. I needed a different birth control, one with lower estrogen, so she switched me to Yasmin, which I've been taking since this June. I also suspect elevated estrogen from my diet, which is low budget, cannot afford organic hormone free foods. Oh, on top of THAT, the only other medication I take, Prilosec can have a side effect of hairloss.

Sure enough, we both predicted, it caused a new TE episode, and my hair had not even begun to recover from the previous bout. This time has been worse than ever, with loss beginning in late July and increasing drastically now. Perhaps adding to the risk, I'm starting Rogaine, in the hopes it will grow back sooner/thicker. It's an experiment. If like in the past, I can expect this extreme hairloss to continue at this rate to the end of October, and still continue but taper back to normal by December, and have to wait till the end of 2008 for more hair if I'm lucky enough. That is my story.

[Jewels10]

Wow!  This stopping the pill and hairloss just cant be coiencedence.  I have always had naturally thin hair.  I started the pill about 6 months ago and all of a sudden my hair started growing in thicker.  But so did my BUTT!  In six months I gained 11lbs despite the fact that I am very active and walk 3 miles every evening.  In an effort to lose the weight, I quit taking the pill.  In two weeks I lost 5lbs AND my hair started falling out.  I also take zyrtec d for allergies.  If I want hair, I need to take the pill, but if I want to lose the weight, I have to stay off it.  It's a LOSE/LOSE situation for me.  This just CANT be a coiecedence

[pepermint24]

i recently came off the pill after 10 years, i'm 30 years old now and have very thick long hair. i've never had an unusual amount ever fall out, but in the past 2 months since coming off the pill i have strands coming out in the shower, brushing my hair, grabbing my hair...i mean alot comes out. i thought something was really really wrong...i didnt know what because i feel great! but after readin this blog it appears that perhaps its coming off the pill and my body is just re-adjusting itself.

[npitc002]

I have also been experiencing all of the same symptoms as all of you have.  And like many of you, my doctor hasn't offered me any satisfactory information to help with my hair loss.  However, after researching this hormonal condition I found a few herbal remidies that might help.

1. Evening Primrose Oil; which is good for hormonal inbalances, skin, and overall health.

2. Hair, Sking & Nails Milti; which is good for all of the listed areas.

3. Hair oil which contains essential vitamins and natural oils-- jojoba oil, sage, rosemary and mullen.  

4. Massaging the scalp: to circulate the blood in the scalp.

I hope this helps!! I'm going through it and I understand how stressful this can be.

God Bless!!

[grdm8892]

Thanks for all the info. I'm 38 and had long, very thick hair until I started losing it last year. Weight gain has always been a problem for me since being on Micronor and Estrostep FE for three years. I've been off the pill for eight years now, but I wonder if it didn't alter my hormone levels permanently. I think my estrogen levels are high. Irregular or non-existent periods, stress, more facial hair, skin tags, possible ovarian cysts are a real concern, too. But nothing has been more frightening than what looks like permanent hair loss. In my case, baldness, hypothyroidism, and auto-immune disease are all a part of my family history.

To make matters worse, we don't have health insurance (my husband's boss dropped it eight years ago). For a short time we did have coverage, and I went to a GYN to get some answers about no periods and infertility. He told me to go home and lose weight. (Thanks alot, doc. I know weight is a real issue, but I wish he would've addressed other things that he wouldn't consider.) After that, we didn't have coverage and very low income at the time. Another round of doctor's visits and lab tests was impossible.

Is there any investigation or research into the pill and it's affects on the thyroid and hormones? (I wonder how much research a pharm. company would do on it's own products.) In my case, there would be too many other factors to prove that my problems are related to the pill, but I feel strongly that they may. Unfortunately, it's hard for a doctor to do anything about it or trace a problem back to a single cause. My fear is that I'll spend a small fortune of our hard-earned money to be diagnosed with something that is only treated with more bc pills.

A few months after the doctor visit, we had no insurance. With unpredictable income and no coverage, it becomes more than an issue of my health. If I have something serious that requires alot of testing and treatment, I will cause my family to be devastated financially, also. And what if I finally go to the doctor after all these years? If he diagnoses me with cancer or something else, it's a pre-existing condition for which insurance will never cover. It's hard to believe there's anyone who can help me. And if there is, I won't be able to pay for it.

It's difficult enough not being able to have another child. Now it's too late and I'm going bald. Is there any hope for me?

[mrshoohah]

I've also been off the pill(allesse) for 3 months.  My hair is rapidly falling out as well. Again, thin to begin with.  It's frustrating that no one on this site has reported their hair growing back.  But also, no one has reported going bald either. My skin was the first frustration.  I went on acnezine, a natural supplement. Skin feels amazing, hair is VERY thin.
If anyone finds a solution, I see many would benefit. There is no way i would go back on the pill. it's poison.

[Lindsey11]

In case it hasn't been mentioned, Saw Palmetto (a supplement) is also supposed to help block DHT which attacks the hair follicle and can increase hair loss.

[Jdjdraw]

Another hair loser!  I stop my pills about 6 months ago after DH had a vasectomy and have been loosing massive amounts of hair for the past 4.  I've had all the blood tests and everything is normal.  My doctor took me off 2 other meds trying to find the cause and now I had an appointment with a dermatologist in December.  As I was standing in the shower looking down at the large amount of hair I lost this morning, it clicked.  Could this be because I stopped my pills?  After doing a search, I found this site, called my doctor, and he has called my BCP script in for me to pick up later today.  I am hoping and praying that my hair will grow back.  I have always had thick, long hair and it is so thin now.  I'll keep you posted!

[ChrissyT88]

I started the pill just before i turned 19, and recently got off it about 5 weeks ago.  In total, i was on Yasmin, Brenda35 and Monofeme for about 20 months.
In the past two weeks, i have started to notice unusual loss of hair.
Like many others here, i had thick hair and a lot of it.  I am trying not to stress out over this or be down-hearted, but i am barely 21, and am losing too much hair.  In a day i would estimate a loss of roughly 100+hairs.  I notice it is thinner at the temple and back crown section of my head.  And like many others here, I do not pull, or comb excessively etc, and it just is there ready to fall out.
I am currently taking Silicea in liquid form of Silicon, however this is my 5th week in taking this, and have only noticed an improvement in my nails.
My thyroid levels are perfect and i am of a good weight and health.
I find it hard to believe doctor's and scientists will not accept the fact that the Pill Does Cause Hair Loss when you stop taking it.
I will hopefully never go back on it again unless it is the only way for me to stop my hair loss.  If what they say is right and it won't grow back, i do not have $$$$s to spend on Ashley Martin etc.
There has to be some resolution to this!!!!!  
Also, does any one experience a sore scalp or itchiness as a symptom?

I am glad to hear that i am not the only one going thru this!  Lets hope and pray!!

[LL687]

Hi everyone,
I found this forum when I was experiencing the same problem coming off the Pill 4 months ago (I was on Yasmin for 10 years). My hair felt thinner and started falling out in what felt like in clumps. I was panicked. Every time I ran my fingers through it, I could pull out more strands. In the past two months, after giving it some time, the problem has completely subsided and my hair is no longer falling out. I think it might have been related to the fluctuating hormones from stopping using the pill as the body realigns itself. I was reassured by my doctor that it would stop falling out and she was right. I also should mention that I lead a very healthy lifestyle and diet (no processed foods, no sugar, and little if any meat or dairy), and perhaps that supported everything returning to normal. Anyway, it has been on my mind to find this forum again to share my experience. This problem seems to happen to a lot of women in our situation, but for most, I believe that it is just temporary and everything will return to normal if you give it time, and be positive. I wish you luck!
~LD

[BrookiePie]

I'm a  hair styilst and i'm constantly finding more info on hair loss. I would say , Yes that the birth control can change you're hair. Because BC has hormones that were constantly going through you're body ur hair was getting immune to it. You're hair is now in a state of shock it's lacking what it's used to so in response, it's shedding. You're hair should start filling better in a few weeks once it get used to not having that hormore. Anything can change hair...even a poor diet. And remember you're hair,skin, and nails are all built from the same protien, so if you skin is acting up you're hair most likely will too. Keep that in mind:)

[embowlina]

I'm 30 years old and have been on the pill since i was 18. I used mycroynon and yasmin. About 5 months ago i decided to come off the pill as i've been on in for 12 years. i just stopped taking it altogether.....i didn't think to try and come off it gradually. i noticed a lot of hair coming out in the shower and when blow drying my hair. It wasn't coming out in clumps but it feels much thinner and there is noticable loss around my hairline. I also think my eyelashes and eyebrows seem a bit sparse(but maybe i'm getting paranoid!) I then started to realise there may be a link to coming off the pill.....now i'm convinced that's the reason! The rate of hairs coming out seems to have slowed down and i'm hoping that my hair will grow back to normal. i'm taking vitamins specifically for hair, nails and skin called 'perfectil'.....i guess only time will tell.This is such a worrying thing to deal with ....i wish everyone the best of luck!

[surra]

Im 30years of age and yes, I can relate to all of your worries and comments. I've been on the pill for about 11 years and stopped taking them about 4mnts ago. Not only did my hair fall out like crazy but I felt **** in general. Panic attacks, sad, irritable and so on.

It took me a while to figure out why all of this was happening to me and as most of you I went to my GP and he took blood tests that later came out normal.

I realised at the end of my first mnt after stopping the pill that this was the reason 'Hormones'!! I started to take them again and it stopped almost straight away.

Now after starting taken them again I have other issues (like ovary pain, breat tenderness and so on) Went to my doc again and he said to come off the pill straight away since this is all caused by hormones. I got two more weeks to go before finishing my last pills and Im really nervous about the whole hair loss and hormon mess that I know is waiting, but I have sort of worked out a plan how to 'as quick as possible' get my self back to normal and my body in balance again.

I have done some research and even tried a few things that seems to help the hair growth and mood swings.

1. Hoursetail (can buy in any health food shop) boosts the growth and this I swear on.

2. fruit and veg and other healthy foods (incl. soy)

3. Exersise

4. Sleep

5. Dont worry to much - it will stop once your body has balanced itself.

6. Iron and vitamin suppliments (vit B I heard will boost hair loss)

7. Just wait until its over...cut your hair or keep it in a scarf

8. Never go on the pill again...just cant be good for you!


Lets all be there for each other and we will be fine!

xx

[Izzy0401]

I have been experiencing hair loss for two months now. I got off the pill in November and noticed hair loss in December but January and February have been really scary for me. I do have thyroid problems but I recently had blood work and everything was fine. My doctor told me that sometimes women do lose lots of hair when they suddenly get off the pill. I decided  to get back on the pill on my own a wk ago because I am really feeling depressed about the hair loss. I have not noticed a change yet but I am hoping it's because it is to soon. I have also started taking hair, nails and skin vitamins as well as prenatal pills. I am hoping something helps! I had very thick hair and not it is just thin and ugly....I normally get my hair highlighted and of course I can't do that either because I am scared to add to the problem.  I to experience the tingling and itching and was wondering if anyone else experience the same. I have my 2nd appt with a dermatologist on Tuesday for a 2nd opinion because the 1st one pretty much blew me off. I am going to request a biopsy of the scalp to make sure I dont have some other scalp disease that is causing this hair loss.... I hope to have  some positive news to post later....Good luck everyone!

[nik31]

me too! ive been on pill 4 over 10 yrs now, come off it 2 - 3 months ago hair thin already but thin all round temple and crown and also itchy scalp...feel very upset :( my skin is bad too with oilyness and spots. anybody finding scalp problems too? do u think if i went back on pill my hair will come back?

[krissy515]

I stoped taking the pill about 2 months ago. My hair has been clogging the drains ever since. My hair is just so brittle and falls constantly. I want to cry! Im hoping my hair will come back soon!  I heard rosemary oil, primrose oil, coconut oil, and also castor oil, may help regrowth. At this point Im willing to try anything. good luck to all of you!!

[icegal]

I stopped Diane 35/Estelle after 10 years of being on it. And I started to get severe hairloss 2 weeks after. I lost 500 strands of hair every day and it has dwindled down to about 200 strands a day after 6 months. It hasn't stopped.

There may be regrowth, but it cannot catch up with the loss.

Diane35 is a scary pill. I cannot believe my Dr let me take it for 10 years.

I am posting as much as I can now so that other women can be warned of the side effects. It is not a pill that we can take forever, yet when we stop, the effects are horrifying.

[icegal]

I stopped Diane 35 after 10 years of being on it. And I started to get severe hairloss 2 weeks after. I lost 500 strands of hair every day and it has dwindled down to about 200 strands a day after 6 months. It hasn't stopped.

There may be regrowth, but it cannot catch up with the loss.

My scalp is totally inflamed with scalp pimples and it is so oily, it smells after 12 hours of washing and I wash every day.

Diane35 is a scary pill. I cannot believe my Dr let me take it for 10 years.

I am posting as much as I can now so that other women can be warned of the side effects. It is not a pill that we can take forever, yet when we stop, the effects are horrifying.

[littleopihi]

hi all!  i just wanted to post because apparently many women out there share this same problem.  i too was on birth control for a long time (10 years) and my hair started to fall out while on the pill about 2.5 years ago.  i went to the doctor who sent me to 2 different dermatologists and an endocrinologist.  after 35 tubes worth of blood tests (with EVERY test in the book including double stranded DNA tests, cancer markers, iron, thyroid, EVERYTHING!) and 2 scalp biopsies later i ONLY had slightly low ferritin (60) and elevated liver enzymes... ladies please keep in mind the pill can alter the liver panel.  the absolute only medicine i was on was Yasmine, which by the way, they give FOR hairloss... i am thin, i exercise, not too much stress, and i have absolutely NO person in my family with baldness... and i too, like you, had the drs tell me it was stress, it was hereditary, it was all in my head... BULL!!   so i switched doctors and went to another endo and another derm, who did 2 more scalp biopsies... again NOTHING except slightly low ferritin and low vitamin D...  and they tested for EVERYTHING!  so... they decide to take me off the birth control... of course my hair fell out WAY WAY WAY worse... in huge clumps... i thought i was gonna be bald!  but... here i am another year later and i am not.  yes my hair is very thin now... i try to style it to hide the parts of the scalp you can see... most people can't tell, but i can...  i wouldn't say i've exactly made peace with this, but i try not to think about it as much as i did at first... i used to be depressed... cry... pray... beg... and yet the hair still fell...  after a while i realized i was letting too much time slip away... so i just try not to think about it anymore and for the most part i don't...  

but anyway ... i want to say since stopping the pill my periods have normalized somewhat... they come every 25-30 days... at first my skin broke out for about 11 months... my scalp had pimples and was very oily also... then cleared to pristine again with no medication.  they tried to tell me i had too much testosterone and did another blood test only to find out it was on the low end of normal... and then my skin cleared... so whatever to that theory.  i do take a multivitamin and occasional lysine.  also i want to note that my eyelashes and eyebrows were falling out as well... and before any doctor tries to ask, yes, they ruled out all inflammatory alopecia conditions.  i am absolutely convinced everything was linked to the pill...  so here i am today and, in my opinion, my shedding has not yet gone back to how it used to be, however it did lessen from the handfulls of HUNDREDS of hairs a day to about 50 strands a day (including when i wash)... which most doctors will tell you is in the "normal" range.  i can see many little hairs coming in, but even if you don't yet see them coming in don't give up hope because i didn't start seeing this till over a year after it first started to fall out.  AND... about 6 months after going off the pill the blood work was repeated and every single test was normal INCLUDING the liver enzymes... so... that's my story and hopefully it gives you all some insight.  i would never, NEVER go back on the pill... to me it's the devil LOL.  

oh and just for the record, i'm a healthy 34 year old and i have one child.... no underlying health conditions.  take care all!  

[ALISE345]

I noticed you post is from MARCH 08. Just wondering if your hairloss stopped now that you are back on BCP?

[Lauraesue78]

I just googled the hair loss problem because it is something that I am also dealing with.  I am 31 years old and my Husband and I decided to go off the pill in May and in the last few weeks I have noticed that I am losing hair rapidly.  I have a lot of hair but it is baby fine.  So far I have not noticed a change in the thickness but I am worried that I may if this continues.

I have also been on a weightloss program for 18 months and have lost a total of 110 lbs.  I eat very healthy and get the right amount of each food group so I do not think this issue has anything to do with that.

I will be visiting my doctor on the 31st so hopefully she can shead some light on my problem before I completely shead.

[yahari]

I'm 31. I had been on the pill for 4 years. I stopped taking it about 3 months ago because I started taking diet pills. I figured being off the pill would help me lose weight more easily. Sure enough I've lost about 35 lbs, but I noticed about a month after I stopped the pill my hair was thinning. I thought it was from dyeing it too much, so I stopped. Since I stopped dyeing it I've noticed no difference. Another downfall of stopping the pill is facial hair. I've always had an issue with it and when I started the pill it made a huge difference. Since I stopped I noticed my facial hair was thicker and now more noticable. So now I started the pill again about 3 weeks ago. For the last week I've noticed a big improvement with my facial hair but the hair on my head is still thinning. After reading all your posts I'm more confused than ever. I thought restarting the pill would help by my facial hair and hair loss, but now idk.

[kasi807]

I've had the same problems! I initially started taking microgynon about 9 years ago; i noticed my hair was getting thinner but nothing to alarming however having taken it for 3 years i really started to notice a difference. My friend at the time was taking the same bcp and noticed her hair was thinning too, so i stopped taking the pill; the hair didn't shred as much but still look quite fine. I then decided to change to the POP - micronor having taken for a year i noticed my hair was back to normal, grew quite fast and thick again. I stopped taking micronor in 2007 and since my hair has got really thin on the top. I went to the docs and got a thyroid test, ferritin and blood count and all came back fine so he put it down to stress. I had been getting stressed out recently but the hair loss seemed to be a gradual thing over the past 2 years. I'm going back on micronor to see if my hair gets thicker again; if this is the case then i can only presume that i have a progesterone deficiency / oestrogen dominence which i've read is becoming more popular. If this is the case i'm hoping to try and balance my hormones naturally with herbs like agnus castus and come off the pop. Wish me luck :-)

[jamaya2816]

Hi. Im 28 and I've been on the patch for some years now. Don't get me wrong, this type of birth control is good, but I also experienced some hair loss. I stopped taking the patch for about 4 months and I noticed that my hair was constantly falling out. I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. I went to my doctors and even went to a dermatologist and my blood was good and all that. My dermatologist said that I had this thing called Traction Alopecia. But from the description of that diagnoses, I said that this cannot be whats wrong. So I thought back and I said that it has to be the Ortho Evra. So I thought maybe if I stop using it, it would leave out of my system. But would my hair stop falling out and go back to normal. So I hope we all who are having this problem find the solution to it.

[princess26forever]

Do you take vitamins?  Vitamins help with hair growth. Try taking a multi vitamin  and at your next checkup get your thyriod checked.  Hair loss for the unpregnant could due to thyriod problems. Also,have you have any children recently?  Are you breastfeeding?  Cause these things could also cause some hair loss as well.

[myhairwillgrowagain]

hi there, Oh my god!!!! I can't believe we are all dealing with the same BS....Im 31 and I stopped the pill 2 years ago, aftr a couple of months I started to experience hair loss and I'm still experiencing!! Less hair is shedding for sure, but the texture and the quality of my hair is awful, I hate it! I hate washing my hair because if too much hair falls out, it would totally wreck my day...2 years!!! and I'm a nutritionist! I'm very health conscious....I've tried seaweeds, organic wholefood supplements, iron (my ferritin was low), etc...and I haven't seen a difference...After two years, it clicked that it could be related to the BCP and I don't know what to do, I don't want to take it again because I know by a fact that they are the devil and they are linked to cancer and other diseases....but I don't want to go bald! I still have hope that there might be something out there....the body is the smartest thing ever! we just need to reverse the damage! This blog is very old...someone has experienced any good news??? (I really hope so!)
I'm convinced that my hair (as well as yours) will grow back!

[hashope]

Please say someones hair has started growing back ??? I too am dealing with this problem. I had to go out and buy extensions the other day as my hair has been falling out at a rapid rate. I was on the pill for 6 years and I thought my hair loss was due to being on the pill, so I stopped about a month ago..since then my hair has REALLY been falling out. Are we just supposed to wait this all out?
If i had of known this 6 years ago, i never would have started. I have seen my doctor about it 6 months ago and he referred me to a dietician..I didnt go as I know what the problem was.
help.

[Nisha82]

hi! i stopped Yasmin 3 months ago after taking it for 4 years and my hair has been falling out heaps, i have naturally thin hair and now it looks like i am going bald! I have decided to get back on Yasmin as my husband and i have decided to put off having kids for another year. Has anyone here started the pill this soon after stopping it? and if so, how has did it affect your hair loss?

[Krissy718]

I recently stopped the pill after being on it for that last 4 years.  I had never heard of this hair loss BC link before. Now that I hear that so many people are going throught it I think that this is what might be happening to me.  I stopped taking it this past september and it is already mid-november and I am still haveing clumps of hair falling out. At first I thought it was breakage but then realized not.  It ws almost as if the hairs are falling out right from the scalp.  When I look at may hair I can see I have absolutely no split ends and my hair always shines.  I'm still not sure if there is a link to the BC pills of if it is just coincidence and is being cause by an underlying problem.  I went to the doc when I noticed that his was happening to me.  He did blood work which checked for my throid levels and also iron to make sure I wasn't anemic.  Both test came out normal and he said he coudln't see anything physically wrong with me that would cause my hair to fall. I don't know what else to do. I used Nexxus ermergencee treatment to repair any damage that might be there but I didn't see any results from that either.  I normally use redken shampoo and conditioner and that has always been fine for my hair but now I'm not sure what to use/do anymore. I would say I', loosing about 200+ hairs per washing.  And that's not counting what is coming of when I comb/brush my hair and what normally comes off during the dais on the clothes and pillow. Can anyone help me??? What should my next step be???