Does the contraceptive pill cause hair loss?

The contraceptive pill is a widely used drug among the female population. It interrupts the menstrual cycle preventing the woman from becoming pregnant. Although it is highly effective in its main function, we cannot deny that many side effects are associated with it. Is hair loss one of them? Does the contraceptive pill cause hair loss?

In the blog de Hospital Capilar, hair clinic in Pontevedra, Madrid and Murcia, we tell you what is true that the contraceptive pill causes hair loss. Is this drug capable of causing alopecia in women? All information below!

How does the birth control pill affect hair?

The contraceptive pill is a safe drug that is marketed. Of course, as with all medications, those who consume it may experience certain symptoms associated with its side effects.

To understand how the contraceptive pill influences our hair health, it is important to know two of the compounds of this drug: synthetic estrogen and progestin. Depending on its composition and dose, we can experience certain changes in our hair, either noticing some diffuse hair loss or, on the contrary, noticing an increase in hair quality.

The contraceptive pill causes hair loss: Truth or myth?

When in doubt as to whether the contraceptive pill causes hair loss, there are certain controversies in this regard. Not all women who take this drug say they notice unusual or considerable hair loss, so this hair loss does not occur regularly, but depends on both the composition of the drug and the patient.

In the event that the pill consumed is a progestogen, it can cause hair loss, and this is what our experts assure. specialist doctors. This telogen effluvium it would occur diffusely throughout the scalp. In addition, the opposite case can also occur where the woman experiences unusual hair loss when she stops taking the pill. This hair loss can last up to 6 months, but the usual thing is that the hair grows back once the telogen phase is over.

When the composition of the pill is based on a combination of estrogens and progestins, the patient often experiences an increase in the quality of her hair.

On the other hand, the hormonal factor that influences the androgenic alopecia in women it can be altered in those patients with a predisposition to this type of alopecia. Therefore, in these cases it could not be said that the contraceptive pill causes hair loss, but rather that it accelerates the development of androgenic alopecia. 

What is androgenic alopecia in women?  

Androgenic or androgenetic alopecia is not just a men's thing. It's about a type of female alopecia of hormonal and genetic origin where the dihydrotestosterone It works by attacking the hair follicles, weakening them until they are destroyed.

Unlike telogen effluvium, this hair loss is not reversible so the hair that falls out will not grow back. However, we can use certain methods to stop the effects of androgenic alopecia and even recover lost hair.

Oral drug use

In the event of a considerable loss of density or the appearance of bald spots, it is essential to go to an expert hair clinic for a medical diagnosis. If the medical team considers it so, we can resort to oral drugs to stop hair loss due to this type of alopecia.

Hair treatments

Medical hair treatments are also a good option in these cases. In Hospital Capilar we have the Hair Redensification Treatment, or HRT, and Capillary Regeneration Treatment, or CRT, with which to stop the advance of alopecia and improve hair quality and health.

Hair graft with FUE technique

Both medical hair treatments and drugs are the perfect method to reduce the effects of androgenetic alopecia, but in no case will they cause new hair to grow in the areas where it stopped growing naturally. Hair grafting is the only technique with which we can recover lost hair.

It is an outpatient, minimally invasive surgery that does not require general anesthesia. In it, the necessary follicular units are extracted from the donor area, the one where it is not affected by alopecia, and they are implanted in the area with baldness.

The definitive results occur once the first year after surgery has elapsed. However, at 6 months the first changes can already be observed.