For those with hair loss: did it get WORSE with HRT?

[largeprintagathachristie]

My hair hasn't been great since my 20's - I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries, then. I never had excess hair, but my scalp hair has gradually and noticeably thinned over the years despite trying all of the suggestions out there. Was kind of grateful I had as much hair left as I do. I'm now 51. (Also suffered with acne and am still often spotty.)

Started HRT last year. Started at a low dose, but oestrogen levels continued to fall. Increased gradually to a 150 microgram patch, and, say, four weeks ago, to a 175 microgram patch.

Over the last few weeks, the hair thinning has really, really ramped up, evidenced by the amount of hair in my hair brush and the shocking amount in the shower drain catcher thing (sorry, tmi). I don't think I'm just being paranoid. My hair has just completely lost any remaining weight and heft.

I'm due blood tests in November, ahead of a repeat appointment with a private HRT doc in December. I doubt I can bring that forward, as her availability has been impossible, but I could try. For info, my ferritin was 78ug/L in May this year, oestradiol was 103pmol/L, and testosterone was 0.5nmol/L.

Google largely flags oestrogen as being good at arresting hair loss, with some exceptions, and I'm wondering if I'm the exception. It could of course be completely unrelated and this is the androgenic alopecia that was always going to be in my timeline because of my PCOS. There's no 'good hair' in my family; my sister and mother don't have PCOS but have thin hair. My brother was bald by his late 20's. I've also had some significant stress and chronic pain due to an injury, for info, but that's about a year old.

Yes, HRT caused my hair to fall out - I was devastated! Had thought long and hard about going on it and finally made the decision and was so hoping it would help. My hair was at a good place, not shedding, and then - BOOM - just over 2 weeks into HRT and it was falling out in handfuls. Had to stop the HRT which really upset me, but having no hair would upset me more.

I was really bald during the menopause, you could see my scalp shining away under the hair loss. Was tempted to get a wig. My hair was always my crowning glory so I was devastated.
Tried all the shampoos no luck.
It all grew back pretty quickly at 59 after I started taking some really expensive vitamins and minerals daily.
Might be worth a try. It worked for me.

Oh yes and I still take HRT at 60.

Just buy Regaine off Amazon!

Add collagen my hair dresser was shocked at the amount of new hair I’m growing

I can't say for sure that HRT is the culprit, but my hair has got a lot thinner since I've been taking HRT. I've tried to take collagen but it doesn't suit me, it makes me go all dizzy. I might try that Regaine if it works - anyone else had success with Regaine?

No, my hair is actually better since starting HRT

Mine started to thin out so I started taking a number of vitamins- one in particular was recommended for hair. Marine Collagen. It's made a huge difference!

What collagen are people taking?

Sorry, just returning to this thread now, as thought it hadn’t sparked any responses.

Thanks for your your comments and experiences.

@PunishmentRoundupWithJoon yes, weighing up whether no hair is worse than peri/menopausal symptoms is tricky. It seems solely cosmetic but it really does affect you.

@Ladyofthepeonies. Yes, I did try collagen for the first half of this year but stopped due to the cost and the ambiguity around the evidence. But hmmm, the timing kind of fits, in that case …

@MarigoldPetals will look into Regaine. Feel as if I might have tried this before, years ago. Or maybe I’m thinking of Nioxin!

@Bestcatmum glad things came right for you in the end.

I’ve got my hair up today, and there’s only a thin layer left at the temples. I’d long given up the pursuit of nice hair, but this is depressing ☹️

@Incrediblebuttrue I use the Vital Proteins one I wasn’t sure it was working until my hairdresser asked if I’d been taking anything

Thanks.

Good luck op hope you find a solution.

@Bestcatmum What vitamins helped you

?
@Ladyofthepeonies was it Vital protein marine powder or capsules ?

Many thanks

@SlayB i take the powder

Thank you @Ladyofthepeonies I’m looking at the website now. Fingers crossed .

No I'm the exact opposite
Before I started HRT hair loss was one of by big symptoms, my hair is pretty fine anyway but every time I washed it I was noticing so much coming out.
Been on HRT about 15 months now and hair loss back to normal, it's noticeable thicker and I'm able to start growing it a little bit 😊

Mine has been growing back!

I started talking more b12 and noticed some extra at the hair line. Then a few months later started hrt and another crop started coming through.

I've a bit of a short fringe but it's more than I've ever had!

(I'm on thyroxine)

I do know there's evidence that hair won't grow back when you start thyroxine if zinc is low.

Biotin and silica also helpful. Don't take biotin for a week before any blood tests especially thyroid

@largeprintagathachristie Hey OP, just wondered how you were getting on? I also have PCOS but have never had hair loss until I started HRT about a year ago. My hair is now really thinning :-( I'm on oestrogel (3 pumps) and utogestran. Has your hair loss continued? How did you get on with the marine collagen?

I have noticed hair loss over the past few months. My hair was really thick so losing hair is not causing bald patches but it's not normal for me and it's worrying me. I have just ordered some biotin online, I also take daily folic acid, vit D high strength and an all in one "women's" multivitamin.

I do take thyroid meds and estrogen patches only, have an appointment to see gp in 10 days and am going to ask about a full bloods screen for estrogen, thyroid and the rest of it to see what's going on. I am hoping the hair loss will pass.

Exact opposite.

Hi @FeigningConcern
Not getting on well, hair-wise. alas At the time I started the thread I was casting around for reasons for hair loss but it turns out HRT wasn't involved. (My oestrogen levels are actually really good, now, but it's made no difference.

I saw an endocrinologist specialising in PCOS and he confirmed I have androgenetic alopecia. (Thinning hair was always my PCOS symptom, and acne, not excess hair or weight. I was quite medicated on anti-androgens throughout my twenties, thirties and forties - Dianette for example, and that had kept everything under well under control.)

I'm now prescribed an anti-androgen, spironolactone. The acne went within weeks, which was a good sign but the doctor said it would take a long long time for any effect to show in my hair. All of the hair on my head - or falling off it, rather - was grown in an environment of androgen dominance, and it's just really poor hair.
I'll need to go through a full hair growth cycle before I know if the anti-androgen is helping in that respect. It's been nine months so far and no dice. It's not easy.

Hope things are better for you.

I have had hair loss since starting hrt. I can't say it's causing it, but it certainly hasn't helped. I feel like I need to stay on hrt as I have osteoporosis. I have been on thyroid meds for years and apparently my levels are fine. Seeing my scalp more and more is depressing, will try Regaine if things get much worse.

Mine went thin and was falling out for about 6 months when I switched to the mirena coil for the progesterone part of HRT (I’d been on the tablets for about 2 months before that, hair wise they seemed fine). It calmed down however and it’s probably a bit thinner than it originally was but nothing noticeable. My iron levels were borderline low which could have been a contributing factor and low Vit D. I take supplements now.

My sil had crazy hairloss a few months after her first covid infection.
Shes a nurse prescriber and trained in iv vitamins etc. She dosed herself with biotin jabs and i think a vitamin drip or 2. And she used a shampoo aswell, cant mind which one though. Worked a treat.