PCOS and hair loss - the facts

A thick fuzz on the upper lip, excessive body hair on the arms and legs, but less and less hair on the head, acne on the face and extra pounds on the hips. And all of this at an age, sometimes even in puberty, when there is already enough stress and you would actually much rather spend your time with your first big crush. Does this all sound terribly familiar to you? Then you are most likely affected by PCOS.

The cause

But how does this syndrome come about?

In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, the ultrasound shows many small vesicles that are attached to the ovaries and give this troublesome syndrome its name. Many = poly, vesicles = cysts, ovary = ovary, i.e. polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

The cell layer surrounding your eggs is not sensitive enough to the hormone that should actually stimulate them to mature. In addition, this insensitivity means that your ovaries lose the ability to convert the male hormone testosterone, which is also produced in women and serves as a precursor to oestrogen, into oestrogen. This causes male hormones to build up in your body, which can lead to all the annoying symptoms, including excessive hair loss.

PCOS is also a particular problem if you also suffer from hypersensitivity to DHT (dehydrotestosterone), the cause of hereditary hair loss. Women are usually only affected by this in their 40s, but if you suffer from PCOS, hair loss often becomes noticeable in your early 20s or even during puberty. The typical progression is a visible thinning of the crown and progressive thinning in the receding hairline area.

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Frequency and psychological consequences

According to current figures, around 15% of women suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome. As the name suggests, it is not a disease, but rather a syndrome, a combination of different symptoms, of which hair loss is often one. PCO syndrome is therefore not dangerous per se, but the symptoms can throw a young woman's life out of kilter. This is because the symptoms often result in severe psychological stress, which can lead to acute depression. Very often, those affected also experience bullying, which is known to have fatal consequences for the human psyche.

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Treatment options

First and foremost, it is important to see a gynecologist as soon as possible, where you can be informed in detail about PCOS. If treatment is necessary, two main approaches have proven successful:

If you are overweight, the first step is to lose weight. The best way to do this is a combination of a healthy and balanced diet and plenty of exercise. However, this is more difficult with PCOS than with overweight women without this syndrome. So you need a lot of patience and perseverance. You should definitely include foods such as soy, red clover, golden millet, linseed and pumpkin seed oil in your diet, as these have the beneficial side effect of rebalancing your hormone levels. When it comes to exercise, it is advisable to work with your own body weight and avoid weights if possible. You should make sure that you train at as high an intensity as possible, i.e. keep your heart rate at a high level at all times. Methods such as Tabata or Crossfit are particularly suitable for this. However, the latter method requires a certain amount of basic musculature and experience. The good news is that losing just 5% of your body weight can significantly improve your endocrine system, reducing many of the symptoms associated with PCOS.  

In severe cases, hormone therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is also recommended. Treatment with hormonal contraceptives, i.e. the pill, is particularly suitable for this. Care should be taken to ensure that it contains sufficient oestrogens as well as progestins. It should also preferably contain progestogens, which have an anti-androgenic effect, i.e. weaken the effect of the male hormones.

If your gynecologist is not familiar enough with the subject, it is also advisable to consult a hair specialist.

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