PCOS and hair loss!

There has been alot of questions lately about PCOS and hair loss. so i thought id try and explain what causes the hair loss and how you could treat it.

Ok girls, hands up if you have the dreaded 'i'm going bald' chat with family/friends/partners... yup my hand went up!
The good thing is you're not alone! theres lots of us out there with the same problem.

What causes it?

Your hair follicles and adjoining skin are active every second of every day. They receive and respond to hormonal messages from other areas of the body or from nearby cells. They also create their own hormones.
What you have is an unbelievably complex web of interacting hormones and other signaling molecules that either cause hair loss or prevent hair loss. Here are a few hormones that affect your hair:

• Androgens (male hormones)
• Cortisol (stress hormone)
• Estrogen
• Growth hormone
• Melatonin
• Prolactin
• Thyroid hormones.

Most commonly, the biggest concern of women with polycystic ovary syndrome is the high levels of their androgens.
Women with PCOS frequently have a condition called "androgenetic alopecia". which appears to be caused  by excessively high levels of androgens.
Androgens are male hormones such as testosterone.
The primary culprit appears to be a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is converted from testosterone and binds to hair follicles.
DHT (dihydrotestosterone) causes hair follicles on the scalp to contract and miniaturize, which in turn causes the hair growing from that particular follicle to become thinner and more fragile.
These hairs become progressively shorter and thinner with each successive hair cycle. Over time, only fine, miniaturized hairs remain. Eventually the hairs die out, leading to a scalp with decreased hair coverage.
Meanwhile, the DHT is making your facial hair coarser.
So you end up losing hair where you want it, and growing hair where you don't want it.
Another common hormone issue with women who have PCOS is an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism.
Besides causing you to gain weight and become infertile, hypothyroidism contributes to hair thinning.
It's fairly common for PCOS women to simultaneously have hypothyroidism and too much testosterone. This imbalance presents a real challenge for maintaining hair health.

Although bald-ing is a pain in the rear there are ways you can help slow down the process...

Biotin.
Biotin contributes to the process that releases energy from food and in the maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes. It also contributes to the normal function of the immune system and the maintenance of normal hair.

Vitamins for the hair...

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=101&prodid=271&cid=241&sid=0

Salts...

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=1381&prodid=1082&cid=241&sid=0

Theres many options but they're just a few, hope you found this helpful

Nadine xx

Vitex

Vitex, what does it do and how does it work?

Vitex (vitex agnus castus) is a medicinal herb that may be beneficial for hormone irregularities in women, including infertility, lack of periods and relief of PMS symptoms. Low doses of vitex increases estrogen and progesterone levels. Why is this important to women who have PCOS?

PCOS is an imbalance of sex hormones, including progesterone and estrogen. Women with PCOS commonly have few, if any, periods and may be infertile due to lack of ovulation. “During the reproductive years, the pituitary gland in the brain generates hormones that cause a new egg to be released from its follicle each month. As the follicle develops, it produces estrogen, which causes the lining of the uterus to thicken. Progesterone production increases after ovulation in the middle of a woman's cycle to prepare the lining to receive and nourish a fertilized egg so it can develop into a fetus. If fertilization does not occur, estrogen and progesterone levels drop sharply, the lining of the uterus breaks down and menstruation occurs (http://www.healthywomen.org/condition/estrogen )”. Without a balance in these two hormones, fertility drops. In women with PCOS, a decreased amount of progesterone may also contribute to the formation of cysts. Increasing progesterone may help with suppressing that formation resulting in fewer cysts.

While vitex is not a hormone, it works with the pituitary gland to secrete hormones. Vitex increases the level of LH (luteinizing hormone: regulates the menstrual cycle and egg production) while suppressing FSH (follicle stimulating hormone. To much FSH can cause overstimulation of the ovaries). This normalizes and restores balance to the hormones, leading to restoration of ovulation (vitex does not work for everybody! Please keep that in mind.).

By balancing hormones, vitex may help irregular periods, moodiness, sore breasts and bloating associated with PMS. While vitex is considered a “safe herb”, like all medications there may be some side effects. Itching, rash, headaches, nausea dry mouth and increased menstrual flow are some of the possible side effects. Severe allergic reactions include trouble swallowing, difficulty breathing, hives,tightness of the chest and should be cause for seeking immediate medical attention! Vitex is safe to take up to 18 consecutive months.

It is not recommended to take vitex with any of the following as the POTENTIAL for interactions is always there even though vitex is safe: Antipsychotic drugs (Such as: Abilify, Thorazine), Dopamines (such as: Mirapex, Symmetral), Birth control (pills, rings or patches). As always talk to your doctor before starting a new drug, even herbs!

New feature for A Diary Of A PCOS Girl...

hi girls, i often get asked if there was a way you could contact us and ask us for information about your PCOS Questions...

Well now there is...

The new 'Ask us' feature is where you can e-mail us your PCOS questions and worries and we give you the answers on the blog, it will all be confidential and your name will not be used, the answers will be on the blog to help you and other readers.

if you wish to take part then e-mail us on nadinespcosdiary@hotmail.co.uk and your questions will be answered as soon as possible :)

Nadine xx