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PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder in women. This disorder commonly causes excessive growth of facial and body hair. However, some women also experience extreme hair loss due to PCOS.
PCOS and hair loss
The female body produces some male hormones called androgen. These androgen hormones play a crucial role in triggering puberty. It is also responsible for hair growth in the pubic area. In the case of PCOS, the body produces extra androgen that results in virilization – the development of masculine features like excessive facial and body hairs.
The extra production of androgen may also lead to thinning of hair, especially at the front of your scalp. The thinning of hair due to PCOS is known as androgenic alopecia or female pattern hair loss.
Will your hair grow back?
PCOS is majorly a hormonal imbalance problem. Therefore, regulating the hormone will help in the regrowth of your hair. Different types of medication are used to treat hair-loss problems related to PCOS.
However, remember that you will need to do a trial and error before zeroing in on the medication that works the best for you. Below are some of the medications you can try to regrow the lost hair.
Hair transplant
Hair transplant is a method of removing hair follicles from a healthy scalp and placing it in the thinning scalp to promote hair regrowth. In India, many hair transplant clinics treat PCOS related hair transplantation.
The hair transplant cost in Pune, Mumbai, and other major cities might be a little higher when compared to treating hair growth with medication. Also remember, the Hair transplant cost in Pune might be different from Mumbai mainly due to two parameters – the clinic and the experience of the doctor.
Note that hair transplant is a cosmetic surgery and there are few or no chances of it being covered under any insurance plan. You will have to spend money out of your pocket.
Oral contraceptive pills
Contraceptive pills or birth control pills can lower the levels of androgen in your body thereby promoting hair growth. These pills also help in regulating irregular periods and curing acne. The combination of an anti-androgen drug and oral contraceptives works the best for PCOS related hair-loss problems.
Spironolactone
Spironolactone is also known as an aldosterone receptor antagonist. It is an oral medication that is used to treat fluid retention. Spironolactone is also known to block any effects of the androgen hormone on the skin.
Thereby, doctors claim that they can also be used to treat androgenetic alopecia. Spironolactone is combined with oral contraceptive pills to give maximal results.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a topical drug. You can apply it on your scalp to promote hair growth. Minoxidil is also the only FDA approved drug that is used to treat female pattern baldness.
Home remedies to regrow your hair
Lifestyle is also one of the major causes of PCOS. Therefore, tweaking your lifestyle to lose weight will lower the androgen level and reduce the effects of PCOS. Below are some home remedies you can try out to regrow your hair.
- Use a natural comb, a wooden comb would be preferred. A good comb can increase blood circulation in your scalp and prevent hair loss.
- Develop the habit of regular exercise. This helps in reducing the levels of androgen in your body thereby reducing any PCOS-related hair loss problems.
- Avoid junk and unhealthy food. Only take in home-cooked and healthy food. Making a diet shift is likely to help in weight loss and reduce the production of male hormones.
- Keep a check on the hairstyling techniques you use. Excessive use of straighteners or curlers will result in hair loss.
- Indulge in oil massage regularly. This increases the blood circulation in your scalp and therefore reduces hair loss.
- Try out homemade hair masks. The most effective homemade hair mask is the one where the egg white and a teaspoon of olive oil are mixed and applied to the scalp.
- Zinc supplements are another way of reducing hair loss. It is found to help with hirsutism.
- Biotin is another supplement you can take to increase hair growth and prevent hair loss. Note that there is not much evidence that biotin can help with PCOS-related issues but it is obviously worth a try.
PCOS is dangerous and it can affect both your physical and mental wellbeing. It is very important to consult a doctor and take the medications consistently to recover from PCOS. Apart from this, you should also concentrate on improving your lifestyle and making healthy choices.
