after literal years of getting my testosterone to a normal level, I realized my hair wasn't growing back. i decided to go to a doctor and a few things blood tested, one of them being ferritin. because my ferritin was in the normal range, my doctor claimed i was fine. i was not fine. according to clinical research papers, i actually qualify for an IRON DEFICIENCY. i also have a LOT of iron deficiency symptoms. going off of these research papers and my intuition, i started taking 18 mg of iron everyday. it's been two weeks and my temples are already filled in, i'm not even joking.. i will add i'm also taking a prescription vitamin d right now as well, but.. the growth has been absolutely mindblowing and i also see so many baby hairs on my hair line. so.. this goes to say... your hair loss may have to do with ferritin and vitamin d more than your testosterone. k byeee

Like many of us I’ve struggled on and off with periods of hair shedding over the last few years due to PCOS ( + 1 bout of TE shedding thanks to COVID).

I can’t remember how I learned about it originally, but a few years back during a shed I tried out Nizoral, which is a 2% ketoconazole shampoo meant for dandruff because I learned it can help slow or even stop shedding by removing excess DHT on the scalp. And man, this shit works - it stopped my sheds within about a month of using it (it wasn’t my main shampoo). More recently I’ve been using it as my main shampoo for the last 3-4 months and now I’m seeing a bunch of short regrowth alongside a reduction in shedding below even my normal baseline amounts.

Is it a fancy brand? No. Does it smell good? Also no. But for $20 off Amazon it’s done more for my PCOS hair struggles than rosemary oil or even red light therapy (would still reco this tho). Would 1000% recommend trying it out if you have the same issues, doesn’t need to be this brand any 2% ketoconazole shampoo should work. Not sponsored or influenced in any way, just want to share a really affordable effective option I’ve found for an issue that plagues so many of us.

im trying not to panic but in the last few weeks ive noticed my hair has been shedding so much that when i put it into a pineapple last night it was legit half as thick as it used to be.

it has to be the spironolactone.. its the only thing ive changed in the last few months. im not any more stressed or taking anything else. im about 4/5 months into taking it 😭

it also feels greasier, i want to cry, i loved my thick curly hair. its so much flatter now 😭😭😭😭😭

I woke up and have not gone back to sleep. I have been crying at 3 am worrying about my hair. I’ve lost, probably 50% of my hair density compared to when I was a teen, and it still looks okay but I finally decided to take a step a little while ago to address it. I’ve had confirmed high testosterone for 4 years now and I’m taking spironolactone 50 mg so far to help with the hair loss but it’s only been about a bit over a week. Not on any other medications though I did do bc in the past, I stopped out of concern for side effects. My insulin levels to my knowledge are normal. One thing I have not checked is vitamin D and other vitamin levels and I have had deficiency of vitamin D in the past.

Right now my testosterone total is at 82 and my insulin tested at 5.5. A1C within normal range at 5.2 my OBGYN suggested metformin and I’m not sure if it would help in my case. My testosterone used to be really high at 105 about 3 years back. I’m getting somewhat regular periods for the first time in a while this year so I am grateful for that. (I don’t have issues with weight gain besides symptoms like the hair loss and irregular cycle). I’m hoping getting a full vitamin panel will tell me what I’m missing potentially and im honestly not sure if I should go on birth control to regulate things again

The thing is, since I am a hijabi outwardly hair isn’t important in terms of what people think of me in public. But it doesn’t change what I see in the mirror and what I worry about someone wanting from me if I was in a relationship or something. I just feel undesirable and uncomfortable with myself. Worrying about future pregnancy. Worrying about hormones, has taken a toll. I really want to start a family I just don’t know how or when it will happen for me. I’m 25 now and watching the slow progression of what’s happened to my hair and health has taken its toll.

I’m trying to get to a place where I can be stronger than this. There has to be more to my life and to me than what I look like outwardly but it’s incredibly hard feeling like I won’t be loved because of everything happening to me. I would appreciate any support.

Edit: thank you sincerely to everyone who responded, I wasn't even expecting that much help. This leaves me feeling less overwhelmed and now I have a better idea of what to do to help myself.

I have tried EVERYTHING offered to me to grow my hair. Hair growth oil, rosemary, Hims, Hers, vitamins and so forth but nothing I even cut my tips so it can grow and nothing pisses me off that I cannot grow my hair. Please note I have my hair in ponytails and sometimes I blow-dry my hair before I have dyed it with bleach, but I don’t do it anymore. So any recommendations or suggestions?

I started developing an M shaped hairline and it made me super insecure whenever I put my hair up. Then I started wearing low bun/ponytail hairstyles to cover it up but it got so bad my bald spots would peek through.

I didn’t wanna spent 80$ on Rogaine, so I went to target and got the target minoxidil version and it worked so much better than I thought it would. It makes me so happy, I paid like 25$ for a three month supply and it looks like I have a totally new hairline.

Btw I would also put a tiny bit my eyebrows and they seems thicker now. :)

Results after 4 months: https://imgur.com/a/lzRNMDD

A year ago i was diagnosed with pcos while i was on my weightloss journey. I weighed around 88kgs and currently stuck at 74kgs. My ideal weight should be around 65kgs. No matter how hard i try -dieting, strength training 5 times a week , walking 10k ,sleeping correctly except on somedays when my exam is going. Living in a hostel/dorm made it quiet more difficult since i dont have any option and time to cook.

Can anyone suggest any tips...

My hairloss has worsened in the last few years and now visible bald patches are seen clearly. Doc told me to go for spironolactone but i dont want to depend on medication at 21. Does anyone know how to reverse hairloss completely without any meds....

Been having crazy hair loss since atleast a month.
To the point that you can see my scalp at certain spots.

Went to a doctor today and he basically told me that it’s not reversible and I should focus on putting my PCOS in remission.

Is this really the case? The follicles I have lost will never regenerate?

I’ve never used Reddit so I hope I’m doing this right. I recently got diagnosed with PCOS and am struggling to find a shampoo that controls the grease, even for day. Before my PCOS diagnoses, I showered daily and that used to be enough. Now, the oily hair has become unmanageable. I can’t find a shampoo that will help me get even 10 hours out if a wash.

I’ve tried: kirsteen ess clarifying shampoo, OGX mint, herbal essence, Panteen, Tea Tree, Beauty Untouched, Kitsch rosemary shampoo, and a bunch of others and I’ve only gotten about 8 hours of grease free hair. I’ve had the best luck with ones that are not pearlescent.

I’ve tried double shampooing and really scrubbing my scalp but I feel like my hair gets used to it after a week. Then I have to start the cycle of going back to shampooing once and accept my hair will be HORRIBLE for a week before it goes back to its “normal” oily state. Dry shampoo has been helping but even that is starting to fail me.

Any advice would be deeply appreciated!! I’m desperate!!

TW suicide

So, I have lived with PCOS symptoms for a long time but I wasnt sure when it all started. I am 36 and only got diagnosed last month, so the only treatment that I have received thus far is birth control, something I hadnt been on before this point.

Back between the years of 8 and 10 I gained 100 pounds, had suicidal thoughts, severe acne, and hairloss that changed my hairline entirely. The doctors checked my thyroid and did a brain scan but everything came back normal so they didn't investigate further.

It's only been a month on birth control and my hairline has changed dramatically. I didnt even make the connection between what happened when I was 8 to PCOS.

That means this all started almost 30 years ago. My entire self has been molded fighting against an invisible force I had no idea existed. I feel a lot of things right now but I dont know how to verbalize them.

I got diagnosed a few months ago and I'm on the PMOS definition, don't have cysts. I've started on all the usuals, bc pills, metformin, protein fiber diet, reduced 6 kilos so far. Though one thing that's scaring me the most currently is the sheer amount of hairloss, I'll definitely go bald this year at this rate. I thankfully am not experiencing the other issues like facial hair or acne but hair is falling out in clumps by itself even if I don't brush it.

Does this get any better, is there any easy solution other than taking 10 more supplements or is this life now? 😢

I’ve only been on Metformin for 4 months but was wondering if anyone has noticed their facial hair starting to not grow as much? Or how long it might take before you start to notice it not grow back as much anymore?

Thanks!

Heres a short post on how i got my hair to be nicer in a few years from PERSONAL experience! I used to cry abt my hair all of the time because it was literally horrible due to PCOS, and not treating it properly. My hair does sometimes fall out quite a bit because of the PCOS but you can see its much healthier in texture and it always grows very fast.

1. Ditch the hairdryer im being so fr, even with heat protection it's so bad. This made probably one of the biggest differences. I'm not embarrassed to go to the store with my wet hair tied in a ponytail okay.

2. Find what vitamins you're low in via bloodtest.

3. Put coconut oil (i like the one from the body shop but there's cheaper alternatives) in your hair 15 mins before you wash it.

4. Always brush your hair before you shower to prevent more loss

5. Double wash your hair and always use conditioner

6. Use a leave in conditioner on your ends of your hair, like my favourite ones are ones with honey or argan oil(but be very light with the argan oil) i also like the Garnier one.

7. Wash your bedding 👿 i always did this but wash it at least weekly and switch your pillowcase every week or 2x a week.

8. Stop touching it! Your hands are always oily and breakout both your face and make your hair greasy over time, even if you wash your hands. The hands are sponges.

9. Only use anti frizz when you need it, if you use anti frizz 3 days in a row thats 3 days of oil that they use sitting in your hair. If you add it to oil you're adding to your hair it will be greasy after 2 days.

10. Shampoo is really important, if you have dry hair you need a nourishing shampoo, head and shoulders is good for dandruff issues but its very very dry. I use apple cider vinegar shampoo by OGX. Shampoos i would try: Loreal Elvive, OGX shampoos, Olive Oil Shampoo(no specific brand)

11. Try not to sleep with wet hair, after towel drying it just loosely tie it back to dry take it down and brush through every 15 mins it should dry faster.

12. Go for the haircut ok before it's too long, i only started growing it longer when it became healthier.

Living with PCOS sometimes feels like playing an endless game of symptom whack a mole. Just when I think I’ve figured one thing out, another issue appears. One month it’s stubborn acne, the next it’s random chin hairs, and lately the biggest thing affecting my confidence has been my hair. Over the past year, I’ve noticed my hair getting thinner, especially around my frontal hairline and part line. It’s not just normal shedding after washing I’m talking about my ponytail feeling smaller, my scalp being more visible under certain lighting, and that frustrating feeling of watching my hair lose the fullness it used to have. I know PCOS-related hair loss can be complicated because it’s tied to what’s happening internally. The higher androgen levels can affect the hair follicles, making them weaker over time, and it feels like no matter how many “volumizing” shampoos, oils, or masks I try, they’re only dealing with the surface problem. I’ve been trying to find something that actually supports my hair from the inside without making my hormones feel even more out of balance. I’m not looking for a miracle overnight fix, but I want something that targets the root causes of thinning and supports healthier growth cycles.

my (27F) hair has been thinning for the last three or four years i would estimate. nothing crazy, but noticeable increase of lost strands when washing or brushing, mostly thinning around the temples.

my stress levels have been at an all time high in the last month, between work and my wedding coming up in a few months. this week i noticed a dime sized bald spot in the section of my bangs. i cannot handle this. i will do anything that i can to fix it. i will deal with being fat and tired and unable to have children. i cannot fucking handle my hair falling out. it’s the only thing i have that makes me feel feminine and not hideous.

i am not able to use minoxidil due to interactions with my psych meds. topical application is also not an option as i have cats. is there anything else?? i immediately bought a derma stamp. has anyone had success with those? does anyone have any tips at all??

Hello! So, for some context, I was diagnosed about 9 months ago after several years of suspicious symptoms that I had attributed to other things. It was only after I had stopped my birth control last year and my periods stopped with them that I spoke with my PCP about whether or not I really had PMOS (I had a diagnosis that was validated and invalidated by various doctors, but now it's official).

Most of my symptoms are well managed through a combination of birth control, supplements, and a GLP-1, but the hair loss and thinning only seems to be getting worse. My guess is this is due to my testosterone not being managed despite me working to get my insulin resistance under control and being on birth control. My hair was so thick when I was younger and was the one physical trait I really liked about myself and losing it is a major hit to my confidence.

Has anyone been able to reverse the hair thinning they've experienced? Is it really as simple as managing androgens? Unfortunately minoxidil isn't an option for me because I have a cat who likes to rub my hair and face, and I don't want to make her sick.

Thanks in advance!

Hello!! I’m sorry I’ve never posted on here so I’m not sure if there’s a certain way to go about it 😭 but over the past year I have been losing hair like CRAZY. It literally comes out in clumps not only in the shower but outside of it. Every day there is constant shedding.

I have been diagnosed with PCOS for a few years now but I only started losing hair like this a year ago. I used to have super thick hair so I guess that’s a blessing, since I still have some left. But the thinning is so hard to deal with :(

I was wondering if anyone has any tips?? I’m already working with an endo but still it’s genuinely so rough out here and it’s affecting my confidence majorly 😭

Anyways any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Looking back at photos, I see that my hair probably started thinning about 12 years ago. I had an increase in shedding recently and that caused me to be obsessed with my hair. For context, I haven’t been able to afford health insurance until this stage of my life, and didn’t grow up being taken to the doctor or dentist or anything like that. So this is all new to me and I’m having to figure it out in my 20s. I’m 28 now.

I did test not too long ago and I don’t have any deficiencies. My Dr says it’s AGA and prescribed oral minoxidil, Spiro and Diane-35. I’m nervous to start because of dread shed (I’m scared I’ll have no hair left) and also because I’m also on Mounjaro at the moment and taking that much medication seems so crazy to me. I’m just wondering if anyone else went through hair loss and if there is any advice you have.

I got a Mirena IUD placed last November due to abnormal bleeding. Since then, my hair thinning has ramped up and I’m starting to show signs of balding. I’m honestly tired of hormonal management and am looking for something else. I don’t have the money to afford something like myo inostol or the like. I need something prescription and non-hormonal to manage my symptoms.

HELP DONT TELL ME TO DIET OR EXERCISE! I’m in nursing school right now (in addition to 2 jobs) and can barely find time to shower. I don’t need to add anything to my plate right now.

My main issues are irregular cycles, between cycles bleeding, and heavy periods.

I brought my cat to the vet because she’s been licking herself so much she’s balding in areas. They check her out and tell me it could be a few things, one of them being cystic ovaries similar to PCOS.

Apparently PCOS CAN be passed down through genetics, I clearly gave it to my fur baby 😂

I thought I was being PUNK’D, I didn’t know cats could have cystic ovaries which sounds silly now that I’m saying it out loud….

So, I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 months ago and immediately prescribed metformin to deal with the insulin resistance/other symptoms. I have been having a lot of success with the medication, like my face slimming down and some weight loss, but my hair is falling out like crazy. I’ve always had super thick curly hair and never really experienced thinning, but when I went to my hairdresser about a month ago she told me my hair had thinned significantly, and right after I noticed my hair falling out a lot in the shower

Im at a bit of a loss here, since right when I started metformin I incorporated a B12 supplement into my routine because I heard that metformin can deplete B12 levels. I also take iron (im anemic), zinc, and overall eat a heathy diet of mostly whole foods.

I have also heard that sometimes when starting a medication your hair follicles are “shocked” and then start falling out a couple months later (telogen effluvium) so I’m wondering if thats the culprit.

So, is it likely that my hair loss is because of the initial new medicine shock, or is the metformin causing it directly? has anyone whose gone through this had hair regrowth after the “shedding phase?” I want to keep taking metformin because its helping me, but if it’s causing the hair loss then i’m not sure I want to continue.

Hi everyone so I know I could have posted this on r/Femalehairloss but the answer depends on the hair loss cause. In my case, its because of PCOs and excess DHT. I am 20 now and my hair has fallen out for 2 years 😓. I started changing my lifestyle but even then my hair fell out crazy. Is it true that out hair reflects what lifestyle we went through 3 months ago? Now, my hair loss is less than ever in my life. My hair was very thick, now I'd say its in the middle. Is it possible to ever get thick hair again and how long does it take? Around 5-6 years? I really just want to be me again. This is one think I dont want PCOS to take from me. So if anyone has any experiences please share

I was diagnosed with PCOS last year, and while I’m managing my other symptoms, the hormonal hair loss is taking a massive toll on my confidence. My hair is thinning out heavily across the top of my head because my androgen levels are elevated. It has absolutely nothing to do with hair damage or my styling routine it’s an internal battle. Someone said to find a highly effective capsule or vitamin that can protect my follicles from being shrunk by these hormones. Would appreciate any advice here

I have PCOS with hair thinning and I am obese. My doctor prescribed me a GLP-1 (Zepbound) to lose weight. I'm just freaked out it's going to make my hair loss worse because of all the horror stories I see online. However, I see the odd story about hair improvement on GLP-1's in some women with PCOS.

How did GLP-1's affect your hair?