For the past years, many different types of birth control pills became available. Many women use them at some point in their lives. Inıtially, you might assume that women use them only for protection. However, there are many reasons why someone might need them. Sometimes women use them to regulate their menstrual cycle or to ease their pain. In other cases, they use them for other health issues such as cysts. Regardless of what might be your reason to use them, you might relate to some problems that come with it. Finding the pill that suits you is not easy. There are many side-effects and you never know which may appear on you. One side effect is hair loss. Then, how to stop hair loss from birth control? This post will give you answers.

What is birth control?

Birth control pills are one of the many contraceptives that are available today. Those are small pills that you take orally. They can have many effects and you might need them for different reasons. Sometimes even people who are not sexually active might need them. There are also different types of pills that are available. There are combination pills. Those contain both estrogen and progestin. To take those you must strictly follow the instructions. Some are for 21 or 28-days cycles, while some are for 91-day cycles. There are also pills with only progestin in them. These come with only 28-day packs. Regardless of which ones you use, you need to take one at the same time each day. Skipping a day can cause the pill to not work as it is supposed to. So, be careful!  

  Birth control pills are very effective. The failure rates are extremely low compared to other contraceptives. Of course, it is very important to use them correctly. If used correctly, they will help with a lot of issues. There are many benefits that come with them. You will have a regular cycle. That can give you comfort with making plans and scheduling events. They ease the pain for many women as well. Combination pills also can help you with your acne. They decrease the risk of ovarian cancer and help bone-thinning. Progestin-only pills, on the other hand, are safer to use. Especially, if you are above 35 years or if you smoke. Another big plus of birth control pills is that they are reversible. If you stop taking the pill everything will be the way it was before you started them.

Why birth control causes hair loss?

Birth control pills have many side-effects that can cause you problems. Some of those side-effects can be more difficult to deal with. However, each one is uncomfortable in its own way.  Most common side-effects include weight change, mood swings, and breast tenderness. There are also ones like extreme hunger, spotting, or headaches. Some of these are only visible in the first months while your body adapts to the pill. However, for some people, certain side-effects may stay there for a longer time. You might even see certain ones staying for the entire time that you use the pill. If that is the case, the safest thing to do is to switch to a different pill. Side-effects should not lower your life quality too much. The pill should be more beneficial for you after all.

  One other side effect that you might also see is hair loss from birth control. This is not extremely common but it can still happen to anyone. If you are sensitive to certain hormones or if balding runs in your family you might be at risk. Normally, your hair has cycles while it is growing. The first cycle is the anagen, where your hair grows. Then it enters catagen, where the growth of your hair stops. Lastly, it enters its resting period that we call telogen. When you use birth control, your hair enters the stage of telogen. That can cause hair thinning or hair loss for some people. Especially, if balding is in your genes, this can speed that process. You can also see this happening if you switch to a new brand of pill. But, worry not. There are solutions for this.

Ways to stop hair loss from birth control 

  Losing hair can be devastating and uncomfortable for many people. When you start using a birth control pill, you should always look out for side-effects like that. With the pill, you might see a lot of symptoms only in the beginning. As your body gets used to new hormones it will need some time to adjust. The first few months are the hardest ones. You might suffer from many side-effects that will disappear after that. Hair loss is like that for many people. It can start as you just start the pill. But, in most cases, it should stop once your body gets used to it. That is also true for when you stop taking the pill. If you stop, in a few months your hair will stop falling out and it will look the same as it used to. 

  But, there can be times when your hair loss continues even after a long time. If that happens, you will need to seek treatment. FDA only acknowledges one medicine for women’s hair loss as safe. It is called Minoxidil %2. It helps with the growth of your hair follicles. After you start using it, you will see results in a few months. However, if that medicine is not suitable for you, that leaves only one choice. You need to stop taking that specific pill. Each pill shows differences in each person and your body might not adjust to every single one. Trying other brands of pills that work better for you might be the best option. If you use the pill only for protection, you might also look into other types of contraceptives. If you have more questions about hair loss, make sure to contact our clinic.