Is it true that hair falls out when we stop taking the pill? – GOOD SHAPE

In recent weeks, some videos have gone viral on TikTok talking about hair loss caused by interrupting the consumption of birth control pills. The images are quite strong and show a fairly advanced stage of baldness.

Although we can’t be sure about the real diagnosis of these people – and why they had such extreme hair loss -, there is a fact: our hair tends to respond to the hormonal changes that happen in our body.

CONTRACEPTIONAL PILL X HAIR HEALTH

According to Dr. Maria Paula Del Nero, dermatologist by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, some pills can help in the treatment of hair loss due to hormonal blockage. By the way, these medications are not only related to the hair itself, since they can also be used to control acne, for example.

Based on this, we can already understand that, as some pills tend to help block Androgenetic alopecia (the famous “female pattern baldness”)discontinuing use could stop this hormonal blockade and accelerate hair loss.

“The hormones present in contraceptives have different effects on the hair: they can increase volume and reduce hair loss, they can cause a decrease in the oiliness of the scalp, they can help prevent the hair thinning that occurs in baldness, but it can also accelerate hair loss. of hair depending on which hormone is in the pill”, adds the endocrinologist Dr. Paula Pires.

By the way, it is worth an important reminder: the pills are not usually indicated just because of their performance on the hair, since they can have important side effects and some contraindications that must be evaluated by specialized physicians.

With this whole picture in mind, it becomes clearer why interrupting the use of the pill can cause a notable hair loss.

“Hair loss can occur 3 months after discontinuing the contraceptive, because, during its use, estrogen acted by prolonging the hair growth phase and inhibited the action of male hormones (which cause baldness) in the hair. As soon as estrogen is discontinued, the hair cycle returns to normal, then going to the fall phase”, says the endocrinologist.

IS THE HAIR LOSS GENERATED BY THE PILL REVERSIBLE?

“The fall is reversible with the use of medications that replace this hormonal blockade”, explains Dr. Maria Paula.

This type of drop is called telogen effluvium and normally does not lead to real hair loss. What usually happens is a capillary renewal, that is, the hair only falls out in areas where new strands are already being born. “From 3 to 6 months later, this hair that fell has already been replaced”, says the endocrinologist.

Seeking medical advice is essential in these cases, after all, as it is a question involving hormones, this drop can become chronic – even from the use of the pill.

“Some levonorgestrel-type progesterone pills, which have an androgenic effect, can worsen hair loss in women who have androgenetic alopecia,” explains Dr. Paula. “In these cases, the fall can become, yes, chronic.”

Another possibility is also the presence of some alteration in the body that favors hair loss, and this hormonal disruption, caused by the interruption of oral contraceptives, can aggravate the loss – which was previously “insured” by the pill.

“The initial contact with a specialist is extremely important, because with early care, it is possible to reverse the hair loss process with some important tips such as: washing your hair correctly and appropriately for your hair type, using sulfate-free cosmetics, free of dyes, without aggressive ingredients, always aiming for the most natural possible”, reflects Carla Accioli, hairstylist and technical consultant for Surya Brasil. “Cosmetics formulated with vegetable and essential oils, such as rosemary and mint, are a great option.”

If the patient does not have other hormonal or genetic issues that influence hair health, calm is needed when dealing with this fall. After all, we lose around 50 to 100 hairs every day – very little compared to the more than 100,000 we have on our scalp.

“If you are healthy and don’t have any health problems, it’s important to stay calm at the time of hair loss, as most conditions do not lead to baldness, since all the hair that falls out will be replaced by new hairs!”, clarifies the endocrinologist.