PCOS causes irregular menstrual cycle
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects women during their reproductive age. It is a condition that leads to irregular periods. Women with PCOS also experience symptoms like weight gain, excessive hair growth on the face, oily skin and difficulty in getting pregnant. Hair thinning or hair loss is another common symptom of PCOS. But not many know the exact reason behind hair fall in PCOS. To help clear all your doubts, nutritionist Lovneet Batra shared a post on Instagram. In the post, she shared a list of possible causes that lead to hair fall in women with PCOS. Let's take a look at these.
PCOS: 5 reasons behind hair fall in PCOS
"While excess body and facial hair is another difficult symptom that those with PCOS deal with, there is also a sign on the flip side of that coin: unexpected hair loss," she writes in her post.
PCOS-related hair loss has many causes:
1. Male hormone
Excess production of androgens or male hormones in PCOS patients is the main reason behind hair fall. Excess of androgens "binds to the receptors in the scalp follicles and shrinks those follicles making it impossible for healthy hair to survive," the nutritionist writes.
2. Low thyroid hormone
Hormone production is disrupted in both PCOS and thyroid-related conditions. Batra explained, "When there is a disturbance in hormone production, specifically of hormones T3 and T4, it affects several body processes."
This inappropriate production of hormones affects the development of hair at the root. As a result, hair falls out and is not replaced by new growth.
3. Stress
PCOS can cause fluctuations in mood. Stress is also a lesser-known symptom of PCOS. The expert explained that stress can increase the levels of androgens in the body which can trigger hair fall.
4. Anemia
Women with PCOS typically have low ferritin (a protein that stores iron) levels which results in iron deficiency. Inappropriate levels of iron in the body lead to hair fall.
5. Nutritional deficiency
According to studies, women with PCOS are at a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies. Insufficient levels of riboflavin, biotin, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12 have been associated with hair loss.
How to deal with it
Your health expert can prescribe certain medications that can help control hair fall due to PCOS. Also, as you know, symptoms of PCOS can be effectively managed with a few lifestyle and diet modifications. Therefore, losing weight, eating a healthy diet and increasing your levels of physical activity might help.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.