need professional advice ! please
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| Sun, 07-11-2004 - 7:13pm |
I am 22. I was on depo for 2 years and started to notice significant hair loss. I got off of that quickly and am now on the Nuva Ring. I go without a period for 3 months and then I have one by leaving my ring out. I have been noticing cycles of thinning hair with the ring. I have done research on the subject and have found 2 explanations of hair loss regarding birth control:
1. With high estrogen levels, initially hair thickens, then around 3 months after, there is a shedding period where thinning hair is more noticeable.
2. With estrogen deficiency, hair loss occus, due to the male andgrogenic like progesterones in birth control.
I am confused to what i should do? i know the ring has low doses of prog. and estrog. My hair loss occurs cyclically around 1 month into the 3 month period of not having a menstruation. Is my hair loss most likely caused by too little estrogen - progesterone build up with leaving the ring in at that time OR by estrogen highs at the end of the 3 month leave and then hair loss manifests a couple months later.
I'm not sure which it is. I know it is cyclic but since i have my own cycle with leaving the ring in, it confuses the matter as to whether its estrogen deficiency or excess. Some other major and problematic symptoms im having cyclically also are : depression and UTI's
thanks - nicole

I know other members will share their experiences. However, iVillage has a board specifically for hair loss. If you haven’t already done so you might want to take a look at that board and the other links below.
Hair Loss board: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-bhhloss
Female Hair Loss: Why It Happens and What to Do About It.
http://www.ivillagehealth.com/features/hairloss/pages/0,,596260_596863,00.html
Hair Disorders:
http://www.ivillagehealth.com/library/onemed/content/0,,241012_245622,00.html
If I were you I'd talk to my doctor about the problem as well. Let us know how you’re doing, ok?
Good luck,
Jill