Can Using birth control cause hair breakage?

Q. I usually have thick and long hair but noticed that all the while I was on contraceptives (depo-provera) my hair stopped growing. My hair felt limp and looked thin and dull. But after months of stopping depo-provera my hair has bounced back. Do contraceptives actually affect hair growth?

A. Yes contraceptives affect hair growth though in most cases it’s reversible.

Depo-provera, also known as “the shot” is synthetic progesterone injected into the woman every 12weeks to prevent pregnancy.

Pharmacia-Upjohn, the manufacturer of Depo-Provera,

has reported that 1 to 5 percent of women who receive the injection have experienced hair loss or no hair growth.

It has actually not been explained scientifically what the cause of this hair loss or stunted hair growth is though it is definitely hormonally related. Artificial progestin seems to behave like the male androgen hormone which can shrink the hair follicle.

So it is likely that the injected progesterone interrupting your normal hormone production may not be unconnected with this issue.

I’m not sure how long you were on the shot but it is advisable not to take depo more than 2years except you can’t find any other compatible contraceptive.

Most times your hair grows back and the changes in your hair are reversed.

The pill (which is oestrogen) on the other hand increases the oestrogen levels in the body and ends up accelerating  the hair growth and hair shedding stage of the hair growth cycle (growth, resting and shedding).

Pills with low androgen index are less likely to cause hair loss.

Stopping the birth control pill can result in temporary hair loss or shedding as a result of a sudden drop in oestrogen levels in the body.

But this is only temporary, once your body adjusts your hair will grow back.

However in any situation where you notice prolonged hair loss consult your doctor.

Photo: Fulani Braids – Protective Hairstyle. You can keep your hair in braids while recovering from hormonal induced hair loss.