115: Is there anything I can do about my PCOS hair loss?

The PCOS Nutritionist Podcast

Hair loss is an extremely common symptom that comes along with PCOS and it is quite honestly one of the toughest ones to deal with.

Hair loss isn’t a symptom that I’ve had to endure, but I have complete and utter empathy for anyone that has. It’s devastating and in my experience has a similar impact on a woman’s life as those struggling to conceive.

Of course the symptoms that affect how you feel internally are awful but when a symptom is so out in the open for people to see and can be really hard to address, I can understand why this can really severely impact the quality of life of someone with PCOS.

It’s one of those symptoms that can take a while to address but there are absolutely changes you can make to help improve PCOS hair loss. “Does hair ever grow back?” and “Do you have any good-news stories for hair loss?” are two questions I SO often get and because I haven’t experienced PCOS hair loss myself, I thought who better to come on that one of my PCOS Protocol patients, Erica — who has experienced hair loss alongside other PCOS frustrating symptoms — to share her story.

Erica, like many of us, had been suffering from some of those classic, common PCOS symptoms — think irregular cycles, unexplained weight gain that did not fit with her lifestyle and many other things that she identified later that no one had ever really connected to her PCOS. Now she’s not only made progress with her symptoms and delved deeper into understanding the PCOS hair loss she’s experienced but she also knows why she’s getting these symptoms — and that we’re playing the long game with improving these symptoms, because it’s those sustainable changes that stick. When you know the rationale behind why you’re changing habits, you can stick with them, even when the results aren’t immediate!

I know that so many of you are struggling with PCOS hair loss and hair thinning, so I hope that this episode with Erica resonates with you and helps you feel a little less alone in getting on top of this devastating symptom, among the others you’re dealing with.

This episode is for you if:

• You struggle with PCOS hair loss
• No matter how much you exercise and diet, your weight just keeps going up and up
• You think or know that you’re insulin resistant
• You want to know if there are any topical treatments you can use to help improve your PCOS hair loss
• Doctors haven’t been helpful in getting on top of your PCOS symptoms
• Iron deficiency and/or low iron is something you struggle with

Some things we cover in this episode:

• Erica’s hair loss and the devastating effect this had on her confidence and life.
• Erica’s struggle with her weight and how this was also likely linked to the root cause of her hair loss, her insulin.
• Topical treatments and shampoos — are they worth it?
• Which supplements help PCOS hair loss?
• Why hair can take such a long time to grow back

Resources and References:

• 14: The big 3 of hair loss
• 15: Does hair ever grow back after hair loss?
• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• Eggducated