PCOS hair loss: Understanding the reasons and possible coping techniques
Does PCOS cause hair loss? Yes, hair loss might be one of the PCOS symptoms. Read to learn the common causes and explore ways to cope with hair loss.
In a nutshell
PCOS hair loss is a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome that affects an estimated 22% of females with this diagnosis. It implies gradual hair thinning with subsequent male pattern hair loss, caused by one of the four primary reasons:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Insulin resistance
- Inflammation and stress
- Genetics
Although this symptom is fairly common, luckily, it’s possible to notice it early and address it with the help of professional treatment and at-home coping techniques, such as proper hair care, stress coping, and regular exercise.
Among different symptoms of PCOS, hair loss might be incredibly distressing. Luckily, understanding the causes of PCOS hair loss and common management techniques can help minimize the stress and negative consequences of alopecia.
Understanding the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and its symptoms
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance condition that affects around 8-13% of females in their reproductive years. This condition causes the development of cysts on your ovary, affecting your ability to ovulate and causing a range of symptoms, such as:
- Enlarged or cysts-affected ovaries
- Irregularity of menstrual cycle (commonly manifested with prolonged or missed periods)
- Weight gain
- Acne
- Fertility issues
- Excessive body hair
Along with these symptoms, females with PCOS frequently face male-pattern hair thinning and baldness. These issues are determined with the general term alopecia and they can be incredibly distressing to women of all ages.
What is PCOS alopecia?
The term PCOS (or androgenic) alopecia stands for PCOS hair loss. In a nutshell, it is a patterned loss of hair caused by polycystic ovary syndrome.
By enhancing the levels of testosterone in your ovaries, PCOS can trigger several hair problems. On the one hand, testosterone can cause faster and excessive growth of hair across the entire body. And on the other hand, it can cause rapid hair thinning and loss that occurs in a male-like pattern.
How common is PCOS hair loss?
Of course, hair thinning PCOS symptoms can affect women not only physically but also mentally, causing self-insecurities and issues with one’s own body image. Unfortunately, this symptom isn’t very uncommon.
Studies show a 22% prevalence of androgenic alopecia in patients with PCOS. Yet, given the fact that up to 70% of PCOS cases are considered to occur undiagnosed, we can suggest that the prevalence of hair loss might also be larger.
PCOS hair loss patterns
In order to recognize PCOS alopecia and see the difference between it and hair loss caused by other things, it’s important to understand the common hair loss pattern facing women with PCOS.
Most frequently hair thinning PCOS takes place at the crown and temples. The hair begins getting considerably thinner in the middle (the crown), gradually starting to fall out and opening up the top scalp area. This is the male pattern of hair loss.
For comparison, in a female pattern hair loss, people typically notice small areas of hair loss, with thin and fragile hairs blending in with the healthy ones. There might be bald patches at different places on the head with fuzzy and almost invisible hair.
4 Key causes of hair thinning PCOS
So if you have ever wondered “Does PCOS cause hair loss?” - The answer is “yes.” Hair thinning is indeed one of the commonly known symptoms of PCOS that can appear in approximately 22% of females with this condition. But why does it cause it?
There are four primary causes to explain the high prevalence of hair loss in PCOS:
1. Hormonal imbalance
Despite the prevalence of female reproductive hormones in women (estrogens), androgens (male reproductive hormones, such as testosterone) are also present in females and play a significant role in regulating many different functions, including reproduction.
In women diagnosed with PCOS, ovaries tend to overproduce androgens, which leads to a hormonal imbalance. Additionally, an excess of testosterone might cause the development of male characteristics in females, including male pattern hair loss.
2. Insulin resistance
By hindering the balance of hormones in your body, PCOS can make your body use insulin (a hormone responsible for balancing blood sugar) inefficiently. This often triggers insulin resistance.
Insulin, in turn, can get in the way of mechanisms responsible for hair growth and stimulate baldness.
3. Inflammation and stress
PCOS is known for boosting the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in women, which can also have an effect on hair.
Namely, excessive body inflammation can cause your immune system to attack the hair follicles, trying to get rid of inflammation. On top of that, high levels of stress can also hinder your immune system and inhibit hair regrowth.
4. Genetics
Lastly, there is one more cause of hair thinning in PCOS women that’s often overlooked - it’s your family history of hair loss. Currently, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the incidence and prevalence of hair thinning in PCOS is affected by genes you carry.
That is, if your family has a lasting history of androgenic alopecia, this can mean that you may have a greater predisposition to baldness. This genetic predisposition might be triggered by hormonal imbalances caused by PCOS, which can lead to hair thinning and loss.
How to recognize PCOS hair falling out early and diagnose It
Though it’s rather common, the good news is that PCOS hair loss doesn’t happen out of the blue. If you carefully watch your body changes and are aware of the key symptoms to watch out for, you should be able to recognize hair thinning early to address the issue timely and minimize the consequences.
The most common early symptoms for self-diagnosis include:
- A noticeable widening of your part line
- Slowed down hair growth
- A gradual decrease in the overall hair density
- Gradual thinning, especially in the crown and temple area
- Intensifying hair falling out that’s more persistent than typically shedding and doesn’t involve new hair growing back
In the case of noticing any of these symptoms and observing them over a significant period of time, it’s recommended to turn to a healthcare professional for further hair loss diagnosis. A specialist should conduct a thorough evaluation of your hair loss patterns and run a number of blood tests to detect hormonal imbalances and androgen levels. Additionally, a specialist might suggest a full scalp examination by a dermatologist and use ultrasound or hormone panels to diagnose PCOS (if you don’t have an official diagnosis yet).
Possible coping techniques for hair thinning PCOS
If you notice hair loss symptoms and proceed to professional diagnostics, a healthcare provider should recommend an individual treatment plan that should help address hair thinning issues and minimize the consequences. There are multiple treatment options, including medical treatment with anti-androgen medications, topical treatment, management with insulin-sensitizing agents, and others. The choice of treatment basically comes down to your unique situation and medical treatment so it’s impossible to plan it without a specialist.
Yet, there are a few at-home coping techniques that you can try:
- Regular physical activity. Exercising (even if it’s low-impact) greatly helps to control insulin levels. It can also help improve hormonal balance and reduce stress.
- Stress management activities. Common stress-coping techniques, such as mindfulness, breathing techniques, yoga, and similar, can help support your mental well-being, which can also positively affect your hormones and PCOS symptoms.
- Gentle hair care. Lastly, integrating gentle and effective hair care routines into your daily life can prevent further damage to your hair follicles and help support overall hair health.
Final verdict
The hormonal imbalance and excessive production of testosterone, in particular, can cause a variety of symptoms in females with PCOS. Yet, while all symptoms can cause discomfort and affect your daily life, PCOS alopecia seems to cause especially a lot of distress.
As you now know, hair thinning and loss aren’t uncommon in PCOS women. Caused by a streak of reasons, including hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, and others, hair loss can start progressing gradually. Luckily, now you have an idea of how it manifests, what symptoms to look out for, and how to address this issue the right way.
References:
- "Polycystic ovary syndrome." The World Health Organization, 28, Jun. 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome#:~:text=The%20condition%20affects%20an%20estimated,particular%20related%20to%20metabolic%20problems.
- "Alopecia Areata." The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/alopecia-areata
- "Polycystic ovary syndrome." The National Health Service (NHS), 11, Oct. 2022. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/causes/
- Quinn M, Shinkai K, Pasch L, Kuzmich L, Cedars M, Huddleston H. "Prevalence of androgenic alopecia in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and characterization of associated clinical and biochemical features." Fertil Steril, Apr. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24534277/
- "Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Guide to Clinical Presentations and Diagnosis." Cleveland Clinic, 9, Jun. 2021. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/male-and-female-pattern-hair-loss-a-guide-to-clinical-presentations-and-diagnosis
- "Androgens." Cleveland Clinic, 24, Oct. 2021. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22002-androgens
- González F. "Inflammation in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: underpinning of insulin resistance and ovarian dysfunction." Steroids, 10, Mar. 2012. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3309040/#:~:text=In%20PCOS%2C%20markers%20of%20oxidative,weight%20women%20with%20the%20disorder.
- Carey AH, Chan KL, Short F, White D, Williamson R, Franks S. "Evidence for a single gene effect causing polycystic ovaries and male pattern baldness." Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), Jun. 1993. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8334753/
- "Hair loss." Mayo Clinic, 19, Jan. 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hair-loss/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372932
- "Why should you monitor your insulin?" Aspect, 20, Aug. 2024. https://www.aspect-health.com/post/why-should-you-monitor-your-insulin
