Studies have shown a link between birth control pills and hair loss. Oral contraceptives have estrogen, which is an element that encourages hair growth and extends the growth phase of the hair follicles. This causes hair to reach its resting phase and to fall out more rapidly for a period of time, approximately three or four months after the start of the pills.

Birth control pills can be a great way of preventing conception however; all medication comes with potential side effects. In addition to the many serious possible side effects associated with birth control pills, some come with a risk of female hair loss. By suppressing ovulation due to the combined actions of hormones progestin or estrogen, women who are predisposed to hormonal related hair loss may experience varying degrees of balding while on the pill, or even more likely, a few weeks to months after coming off of it.

Yasmin is a birth control pill that combines ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone. Because Yasmin may induce hair follicles into the telogen phase (hair shedding) of the hair growth cycle, hair loss is a reported side effect.

Both oral contraceptives and hormone replacement contain estrogen which stimulates hair growth and prolongs the anagen growth phase. Most women will tell you that hair growth accelerated when first starting the replacement therapy. Their hair actually got thicker. Then some women may describe an increased rate of hair sloughing or loss several months after starting the hormonal medications. This is not a reason to stop the hormones; the loss will go away shortly with no net change in the amount of hair. In fact if you stop the hormones then, several months later there may be some more sloughing.

The same is true of younger women starting oral contraceptives. They may not notice the increased hair growth and thickness as much as an older, menopausal woman who has thinner hair to start with, but the gobs of hair in the hair brush several months after starting oral contraceptives does not go unnoticed. This loss of hair following estrogen stimulation by pills, HRT or even pregnancy is called telogen effluvium. Again, this is not a reason to stop the birth control pills. Both the use of Depoprovera® and Norplant® contraceptive implants have about a 10% incidence of increased hair loss

Hair loss due to changes in birth control pills does not last long and will grow back. It is usually better to continue with your birth control method, and without much delay your hair will return to its natural hair growth and loss patterns.

The same hair loss problem can occur when you discontinue your oral contraceptives. Hormones become unbalanced when terminating a birth control, and the amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body changes, sometimes causing hair loss in women.

Losing your hair due to birth control is a common thing. Almost always, the hair grows back in no time, so be patient, and await your healthy, new hair. We recommend women to use only low-androgen index birth control pills. For women with a strong predisposition for genetic hair loss in their family, we recommend use of other non-hormonal birth control pills or other forms of contraceptives for the prevention of conception.