Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

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

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!
110 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Have your ferritin levels checked. I had low ferritin due to heavy periods. It was missed for a few years because my doctors only checked my iron levels which appeared normal but my ferritin was very low it was only 15 and I needed iron infusions. Research low ferritin levels as it can cause hair loss amongst other symptoms. And it’s possible you could also have endometriosis which you could only test for laparoscopically. See a urogynecologist not an obgyn and Urogynecologist are trained in diagnosing it rather than the average gynecologist. I was misdiagnosed for 17 years. I was told I didn’t have endometriosis and turns out I did have it. I was unfortunately not tested properly.
You could have vitamin a toxicity and or can also be hashimotos . See if you can get tested for Thyroid peroxidase (TPO)  TPO antibodies in a blood test .  Most doctors don’t check for the antibodies and many people don’t know they have hashimotos. They only do a basic thyroid panel.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi just wanted to share my experience. A few years ago my doctor changed my pill from microgynon30 to cerrazette due to risks as I was a smoker at The time. Within 2 months of switching pills my hair was falling out at a rapid rate and within 6 months I had lost around 1/3 of my hair. I discontinued use of cerrazette as me and my partner wanted to start a family. During my pregnancy my hair completely recovered even better than before. Alas after pregnancy my hair fell again. This cleared up once I started to take mocrogynon30 as my form of birth control and my hair was as good as ever.
A few months ago I began to suffer with migraines - which are a possible side effect of microgynon30, so my gp switched me back to cerrazette. Within 2 months my hair began to fall again! Along with an itchy scalp. I thought about everything and came to my own conclusion after lots of research, than once oestrogen was taken away from the equation, this was when my hair loss always began. Cerrazette is a progesterone only birth control.
I am now back on microgynon30, and praying my hair restores, but I would like to reassure anyone in a similar situation, than for me, once I was back on a pill which did provide my body with oestrogen my hair improved.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I'm going through this right now! I'm one my last three pill of only progesterone bc pill and I'm going off of it. I've lost so much hair I'm super afraid that it will not grow back. Mind you I've only been on it for 2 months. It's super scary. I know this thread is old but I'm hoping that someone will read this and may give me some hope. I've cried so much because all I can think about is going bald. I'm 28 years old I know I'm not young but it's crazy just in one month all my hair just fell out. I'm praying and hoping it's not permanent.
Avatar universal
I have been on Depo Provera for almost 5 years. My hair was thick before. Now it is extremely thin when I get it done at the Dominicans. I have not gained weight from theDepo and my breasts have not grown. I think they lost a cup size. Could the depo shot actually be hurting my body?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hello maggie85 I'm woondering if  things did improved as I'm having the same problem since coming off pill. I would like to think that  there is a cure for this as this makes me worry  so much. Have you done any treatment? And how long did it take for your hair to grow back?  Thanks- April
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am having this problem! I took Yasmin for 8 years, I stopped 3 months ago and I'm shedding like crazy, it started a few days ago and the change is notorious I'm so scared. Because of a health issue (not related to the shedding) I can't start the pill again.

I'm getting married in 4 months and I'm so worried about this, I've always had beautiful strong full hair that characterizes me since I was young and I'm afraid I won't look like myself on the big day. I know it may sound superficial but it's important to me, especially since it adds up on top of other health issues I've had to deal with this year and it's starting to take a toll on my efforts to be positive.

Can anyone tell me how long it took for the hair to be normal again? I'm seeing a doctor and I'm starting on a cocktail of supplements that are gonna help me, meanwhile, I'm afraid to even brush my hair. Thank you everyone on this forum by the way, even though I wish none of us had this problem it makes me feel like I'm not alone.

I'm gonna be telling this to any girl I come across who tells me she wants to go on the pill, this issue is the mildest on a long list of health complications the pill can bring that doctors don't tell you about when they prescribe it, my doctor told me when I was 18 I could go ahead and take the pill for years until I wanted to get pregnant, I was young and he never made it sound like it could be such a big deal. Above all I think I'm mostly angry.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
low estrogen or dht from high testosterone, or any sudden change in hormones causes hair cycle to change and fall out......also low or high thyroid hormone , and deficiencies in protein b vitamins biotin etc...
Avatar universal
I sincerely thank you! I am having the same constellation of symptoms correlated with stopping the birth control pill (after approx.12 yrs). I do have poor circulation and will certainly check other related issues as you mentioned. And, definitely, will spread the word!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have a slightly different story.  I am not sure if BC is what's causing my hair loss or not.  I have been on the pill for about 12 years stopping for a little over a year in between when trying to get pregnant and having my son.  I went back on the pill in beginning of 2009.

At the end of 2011 I noticed my hairline receding somewhat around the temple area.  It bothered me but I got over it and it seems to have stopped where it's at and not gotten worse.  Well then in May of this year I started shedding horribly.  At first I thought I just noticed more hair b/c I am growing it out for a wedding I am in in August.  Normally my hair is pretty short.  It is now almost to my shoulders.  But as time went on I know it's not from it being longer and more noticeable.  I actually started counting hairs and am losing around 150 to 200 just by washing it and styling it in the mornings.

I had my thyroid tested in May and it came back normal.  I had a pap in June and mentioned the shedding to my ob/gyn.  She said it was the BC and told me to take a vitamin E supplement every day and give it a month to see if there was any change.  I thought it did seem to slow down a bit but just the other week picked back up.  I called my ob/gyn and she had me get blood work done to check my hormones (estrogen and FSH).  I am supposed to call this afternoon to see what the results of that are.  I have a feeling they will come back normal though.

I know most of this post is about women who started the hair loss after going off the pill so I'm wondering if there's anyone out there like me who is experiencing the hair loss while still on the pill.  I haven't had any major stressful events lately either other than normal stress.  I am in school, I work part time and I also do part time work from home on the days I don't work out of the home plus I have a 4 year old who definitely likes to push buttons and aggravates me to no end!

I am really scared about my hair.  I know I could have much worse health issues than this, and am thankful I am healthy but just thinking of my hair falling out like this makes me want to cry.  It's like I've become obsessed with running fingers through my hair to see if any hairs come out (which usually they do) and researching online.  Most of the online stuff scares me with the AGA female pattern baldness stuff.  I don't have hair loss in my family on either side.  Well my dad's dad was bald but that's it.  My dad and uncles and grandparents on my mom's side all still have their hair.

Ugh....this is so annoying!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My dermatologist has told me that it's not unusual to start losing hair around 3 months after going off the birth control pill. (It's similar to losing hair 3 months after giving birth). The hormone change is a shock to the body and the hair roots prepare for the hair to fall out, which happens arounds 3 months later. (This can also occur 3 months after a stressful event). For me the hair loss then went on for almost 3 months, now it seems to level out and grow back. It's been depressing but it's worth it because I had SO many side effects from the pill: migraine, hot weather sensitivity, depression, painful breasts, frost nip on my toes in winter, red veins in my eyes, cellulite. All of those are gone now.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I feel like there is no hope for me.  I stopped taking BC (Ortho-Tri-nessa) of May 2012 and it is now July 2012 and my hair is falling out in clumps, especially when I wash it.  I do not know what to do.  According to the doctor I'm as healthy as an Ox.  I used to have medium to thick hair, healthy (no splits ends) down to my bottom with high volume and in just two months I had to cut my hair shoulder length and limit the amount of times I wash my hair down to once a week.  I knooooooow its kinda nasty but I'm afraid of losing ALL of my hair.  I counted my hair loss in one day and it amount to approximately 368 strands.  The following day I lost 532 strands (that was after I washed it).  I'm okay with losing 100 strands a day but 500 is not okay...it is scary.  Its ashame that there are so many women on this site/blog and the pharmaceutical companies have not made any comment concerning this issue.  I'm sure of this, if we would have known that certain birth control would cause women hair fall out, not too many of us would have opted to take them.  Birth Control pills make these pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars.  They do not care about people like the women on this site/blog (some of which do not even have medical insurance) who are worried about their hair loss.  By the way, my mom and grandmama's have a head full of hair.  Ohh yeah, I forgot to mention that I tried Rogaine for women but the side effects (extreme facial swelling) cause me to stop using it.  I recently visited a Vitamin shop and purchase several supplements to attempt and stop or minimize the amount of hair from falling out.  I will hope and pray it stops.  My husband has told me not to fret but we have to admit that it can become a psychological and emotional problem that can range from stress to anxiety to depression to strain on the immune system.  Soo please, it is not fair for someone to say that it is a cosmetic issue.  By the way, we should all inform the physicians that prescribe the birth controls (BC) of the side effects post BC.  Let our voice be heard.  I will keep you posted on the outcome of the supplements I will take to help my hair grow back and prevent hundreds of hair strands to fall out.  Another thing, wish me the best.  My husband and I are going to try to have a baby.  Be well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HERE is my story... I was on yasmin for 8 years and I stopped taking it almost 7 months ago. Right after I stopped the pills, my hair started to fall. I was losing about 300-400 hairs a day and I was absolutely terrified, especially because I had all the blood tests I could have had and there was nothing wrong with me. I cried every time I brushed or washed my hair and I was clueless on what I had to do to stop it. My hair became very thin, oily and seemed worse on the front of the scalp and on the temples.
My doctor said that it had nothing to do with pill and it was caused by stress, but there was no stress for me other than the fact that I might be going bald. I know now that what she said was rubbish and most doctors really do not see this as a real problem since it is not life threatening.
I took tons of vitamins, I used all the products on the market that promised to help but my hair was still falling and it seemed there was no way to stop it.
The only hair product that helped, but not as much as I expected, was minoxidil and the problem with it was that little hairs were growing back on the temples, only to fall back again by the time they got to a 3 cm (about 1 inch I think) length.
Only now, after 7 months, it started to get a little better, I`m still losing more than 100 hairs on washing but only 20 to 30 on daily brushing.
I`m still taking vitamins and I`m still using minoxidil and the hair that grows back does not seem to fall as fast as it did. I`m on a vegetarian diet, I`m eating all the food that is known to be good for the hair, like fat free yogurt that contains live ferments, carrots, salmon, kidney beans, apricots, honey melon and other foods high in potassium (not quite indicated for those with kidney disease), I`m adding less salt in my food and drinking more than 2 litters of water a day.
This is what I do now when it got a little better for me, I`m not saying that this might be the reason why I`m now losing less hair or it just might be due to the fact that time has passed and maybe the organism got rid of some of the toxins that I`ve been popping in for 8 years.
Sorry for my bad english, but I hope this helps you or even gives you a little hope that this will go away with time.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi everyone. I read this thread over a month ago when my hair loss got the best of me. A lot of people asked someone to come back and post if the hair loss eventually stopped. Well, for me it did finally stop. Thank God.

I stopped Zovia and Sprintec BCP in Nov 2011 and about a month later the hair loss began. It was so upsetting. It didn't occur to me that it was due to hormones until last month when I was researching the terrible mood swings and depression I was having.

Last month I cut off about 10 inches of hair to help with the massive amounts of hair I was finding all over the place. Then I discovered this thread. I went out and bought Fo-Ti like the above poster and I noticed a difference a week later. I can now brush my hair and run my fingers through it without a ton falling out. It's definitely worth a shot. Either my hormones have finally balanced (my mood swings have MUCH improved) or the Fo-Ti is working. Either way, I feel a lot better.

Thanks for sharing and I hope things have improved for everyone who posted.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To all the ladies experiencing hair loss...hormones drive our bodies. The hormones are driven by the birth control pills. Please note however that hormone levels do not DIRECTLY make your hair fall out. That is attributed to stress (to make it shed) and regrowth is possible but directly related to blood circulation and feeding the capillaries at the scalp so that your hair grows. Plain and simple. So, at the root of the problem is a circulation and blood deficiency of some sort, perhaps directly related to the liver (maybe or maybe not). Now for treatment idea, that has worked for me. As a referral from my acupuncturist, I started taking Fo-Ti in capsule form (Solaray). The first two weeks my eyesight improved and everything seemed clearer. After 3 months my hair started to grow. After the first year my hair was growing (only on the scalp BTW) about a half an inch every six weeks. I have never had a head of hair like this in my life. After two years the Fo-Ti cured my Von Willebrand's disease. My good cholesterol is over 100. The maximum capsules I took each day for 2.5 years was 3. About 9 months ago I switched to a liquid tincture Fo-Ti made by a local health food store. I am still working out my dosage. But all in all liquid or capsule, this herb saved my life and my sanity, it is so stressful to lose your hair....I wish I could tell the world about my findings so if you would pass the word and definitely Google Fo-Ti (domestic name for it) and the Chinese name is Ho Shu Wu. Good luck to all of us!! :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have experienced hair loss twice in my life and both from the pill.  The first time, I was 25, and had been on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo for years.  I decided to come off, because I just didn't want to be on any medicine anymore.  I wanted a more natural lifestyle.  A month or so after coming off, my hair started falling out like crazy.  I was starting to be able to see my scalp.  My hair is not thick anyways, but very fine.  I had alot of hair, but the texture was very fine.  The shedding was so alarming that after a few months, I immediately got back on the pill out of fear.  Once back on, the shedding stopped, and the regrowth began.  Well, that's all great and wonderful, but I was still on the pill (which I didn't want to be).  Over the next year I switched my pill to regular Ortho Tri Cyclen (not the Lo version), and developed melasma (skin condition where you get dark patches on your face), and I researched and found it was from my pill.  Gotta love all these side effects!  Anyways, this was July 2011, and I decided, I was coming off the pill once and for all.  I bought a $400 skin lightening treatment, which has faded the melasma, and I was praying that hair loss would not come this time.  Well, it did, about September I noticed it starting, then in Oct/Nov/Dec it was like super shedding.  Coming out in handfuls, mainly in the shower.  I kept telling myself, this is only temporary, I am a healthy 28 year old woman that has no family history of hair loss, and this is just my body readjusting itself.  Although there were some days when I would just break down and cry.  As we all know, this can be very traumatizing...especially to women.  Anyways, in mid-January, I found the hair loss slowing down, and new little hairs along my hairline.  By February, the hair loss I think has regulated itself back to normal.  The little new hairs are growing in, but are still a very fine texture, and I'm not sure that all of the hairs lost are being replaced by new growth.  My part is still not as dense with hair as it once was, but I remain hopeful that by July or August (that will mark one year since I quit the pill) my hair will be close to what it was.  I'm not a doctor, but from what I have read, this is called telogen effluvium.  Basically a shock of some sort to your system, or starting or stopping, even switching forms of birth control.  Ah, the joys of being a woman :)  However, I think alot of the loss is only noticeable to me and not to everyone else.  I just keep on praying that my hair will restore itself back to its original state, and that my regrowth will continue.  FYI I take a multivitamin each day too, just to make sure that my iron, zinc, B12, and Biotin levels are where they should be :)  I hope this will help someone!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Let us know how you got on with your doctor.... thanks .
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello. I found your comment very reassuring. Thanks for that. As well as the comment bellow yours(9more) i stopped the pill last year in sept and around 2 months after noticed my hair falling alarmingly quiclky...so i panicked, thinking i was going bald.. didnt know it could be because i stopped the pill until i found this site. My GP never mentioned anything to me about this possibility... I do have subclinical Hypothiroidism too, but my hair really started falling after i went off the Pill.

Thanks everyone here for their comments,,, Its been very useful to me and to many others im sure..

Analoo
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am glad i found this.  I had friends tell me that hair loss could occur when going off bc but they didn't seem sure so I went searching on the internet and couldn't find much.  This site has reassured me that going off Nuva ring may be the reason my hair is suddenly shedding a lot.  I went off in September because my husband I and I are ttc and in November, I started noticing so much hair in the shower drain that I freaked and started taking less showers and just wearing my hair up so I would touch it less.  It's now February and I noticed the shedding has definitely slowed and hoping it will grow back.  I am waiting to see my doctor at the end of this month because I also have spotting before I get my period and I never did before . . . have read on forums this can also be a sign of hormone imbalance.  I wish everyone the best.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I recently experienced this problem, and searched the internet for help. I just wanted to come back on and reassure people that the hair loss does stop!! I came off microgynon after being on it for 5 years. After a month I noticed my hair was falling out a lot. I have always had thick hair and it did shed more than the average person, but nothing like what happened after coming off the pill. It came out in handfuls, especially in the shower and after brushing. I became terrified of having a shower, bought products that were supposed to stop hairless, and poured over every piece of info I could find. Whilst I realised while it was happening, it did not make it any more scary, and for a time my hair did feel much thinner. For someone who is used to having thick hair this was terrifying, but then I guess I was lucky I had a lot of hair anyway! After about 4 months I realised the hairloss slowing down and now it is completely back to normal. What a relief!! Now the only issue I have is the return of spots, which disappeared for five lovely years. Now this is getting me down, but I will just have to go back to the products I used before I was on the pill, as my skin wasn't great before.  However I have lost weight, although I wasn't big anyway, but often felt bloated, and this has definitely reduced. So I just wanted to reassure people that your hair will stop falling out eventually. Just be patient, try not to over brush or over wash your hair when its at its worst. Good luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It is interesting how even a change from name brand to the generic version will initiate hair fall as well as other symptoms.  Some people seem to be more sensitive to hormone changes than others, I am one of them, which makes it frustrating because unless my hormones stay in a delicate balance, which birth control seemed to do for me, I lose hair.  It does grow back obviously, otherwise I would be completely bald because of the amounts that I lose daily for 3 years now, but, it is much thinner overall than it was all the years I was on the pill, and I did shed alot, during those years too at times, but not like now.  I am hopeful still that it won't get worse and that it keeps growing back.  I have tried various supplements, vitamins, shampoos etc.  which only seem to exasperate the shed, oilyness, dandruff, etc. If anyone else has found anything to help, please share.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello everyone.

I have had very similar experiences to all of you. In high school I had very long curly hair. I started taking birth control in college and switched several times between different brands, some made me feel crazy and others made my skin break out (alesse, orthotricyclene, loestrin).

So I decided after I graduated to get the depo shot. I was a poor college grad and it was a cheaper, longer lasting option than getting pills every month. First injection went without a hitch, but shortly before the second one I noticed that my hair was falling out more. It came out by the handful and gathered in a pile at the bottom of the bathtub. I had  long hair at the time and it was looking scraggly and thin. It was only after the second injection that I noticed that my hair loss increased. It was so bad that my only option was to get it cut into a pixie cut. BUT! and a big but here, my hair did grow back. Having a shorter cut also eliminated the handfulls of hair in the shower and drain. It took a few months, but once it started growing in, it was much thicker. I was not expecting it to be like when I was in high school, because hair thinning happens to us all as we age (granted not in the huge handfulls that we are currently experiencing).

So, being ingnorant to all the time, effort and bad hair days that I had experienced, I went back on birth control when I went to grad school. I took Yasmin for 2 years, Yaz for a month before switching to Ocella for about 2 years (stopped taking it because of being irritable and my skin breaking out). Then I had to wait until I got my period (which took 3 months) before I started taking Beyaz (for 7 months). My hair really started falling out when I switched to Beyaz (and it could have started from stopping and then starting up pills too), which gradually got worse. I also had such tender breasts and sore underarm lymph nodes that I could not lay on my chest and moving my arm at certian angles was painful. (I do breast cancer research, so I know it was not anything more than hormones and thank goodness it has resolved).

I stopped taking everything. I am 29, healthy, thin, exercise and eat organic foods and a vegan diet (with supplementation, so vitamins are not a factor). Since stopping birth control my hair has been falling out like crazy. Handfulls in the shower, when drying my hair, when styling it, on my pillow and it has been very oily. It is an embarrassing thing. To see my white scalp and have hair all over the back of my lab coat at work is disheartening. But it does get better and it does grow back. These things just take time. I work with cancer patients daily who have lost all of their hair and it does grow back. Maybe not how it once was, but it grows back.

Keep your head up and as so many other people have said, try not to dwell on it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes! My hair has been falling ever since I stopped taking the pill. I took it for 5 years. My blood work results are perfect. After I was pregnant,  the hair loss went away. But after I gave birth it came back. Yes, stopping taking those contraceptive pills can  cause women to lose their hair. I am one of them.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes! My hair has been falling ever since I stopped taking the pill. I took it for 5 years. My blood work results are perfect. After I was pregnant,  the hair loss went away. But after I gave birth it came back. Yes, stopping taking those contraceptive pills can  cause women to lose their hair. I am one of them.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for sharing your experience of what happened when you went back on.  Most people have not reported their experience after going back on, which leaves us to wonder if it helped, made it worse, or just did not change things at all.  So when you went back on, what was your shedding like compared to when you are off?  I cannot remember how much hair I shed all the years I was on the pill.  My husband says I have always shed my hair because he had to unclog our drain several times over the years, but honestly, I don't ever remember seeing hair everywhere like I do now.  I have been shedding steadily at 150 - 200 per day every day the entire 3 years I have been off after losing 300 or more for a few weeks after first getting off *dread shed*  It still seems like alot of hair to me to be losing daily now!  I've heard the norm is around 50 - 100 daily.  Which I am guessing what I was losing when I was on the pill for years.  Also, is your thinning all over or mostly on top.  Mine is mostly on top.  Thanks for your reply.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
HI, I had been opn the pill for almost 20 yrs - a grandma by comparrison to most of you. I have been off for about 5 months and just now have noticed that my hair is thinning in the front - I never used to be able to see my scalp. No baldness in my family and I am hypothyroid on meds (have been for some time). Hoping to repart my hair and wait out the shedding. I have a small head and don't really relish the thought of baldness - it won't be pretty. Much rather have a great head of beautiful silver/gray hair like my mom did.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there, Here is my experience of stopping and restarting taking the pill. I am 36 and had  been on it for 7 years when I first stopped the pill and my hair started falling out. I went through this cycle twice in the last 4 years. Each time, I restarted the pill it may have grown back a little, but the main thing it did was keep it from falling out. It never got back to what it had been before.

Last December (11 months ago) I stopped again (once and for all!!) with the intention of just riding out the hair loss. I figured my body would have to get back to normal at some point!  It was pretty bad at about the 3 month period when it started coming out. I was worrying constantly and obsessing over it, and then it sort of stopped. I also started taking a 2mg Biotin supplement each day and began seeing those short new growth hairs around my hairline - THRILLING!!  THis bliss lasted for about 4 months. I still have those shorties, but in the last 3 weeks I am back to a shower drain filled with hair, my hands filled with hair, my brush filled with hair, and my sink drain filled with hair. Something happened and I don't know what it is. I was actually feeling pretty good about my hair 3 weeks ago, thinking i was going to keep growing it, b/c it actually seemed thick enough to do so. And just like that, I am at my thinnest ever, ready to lop it off again because it is so scraggly.
So, I am almost at a year since stopping the pill and am still battling this. Its frustrating, but i am glad I stopped the pill once and for all and will never go back. It wont grow your hair back, it will only delay the inevitable.
Best of luck all. I am glad to know there are many of us in this together.
Try the Biotin supplement. I got mine at whole foods. new hairs seemed to appear in about 3 weeks...
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Women's Health Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
Normal vaginal discharge varies in color, smell, texture and amount.
Bumps in the genital area might be STDs, but are usually not serious.
Chlamydia, an STI, often has no symptoms, but must be treated.
From skin changes to weight loss to unusual bleeding, here are 15 cancer warning signs that women tend to ignore.