hair loss

[Mariah]

Hi Dr. Sari, I was more than a little horrified yesterday to realize my hair has thinned out a lot while I wasn't looking! It's been falling out more in the past 6 months than I've ever noticed before.

I'm 31 yrs old, have had PCOS most if not all of my adult life, and have been on the Insulite system for about 3 weeks. I'm still struggling with crazy insane periods, but am getting really sick of finding hair all over the place. Also, is stress really a factor in hair loss, or is that a myth?

I was hoping you can give me some sort of idea how long until I start noticing results from this program and my hair starts filling in again, or if there's anything else I can do besides the Insulite system? Thank you very much!

[Mariah]

Oh, and along with the hair loss, I am noticing more and more body hair. Sigh. Is this also reversible, or something I'll be dealing with the rest of my life?

Thanks again.

[drsari]

Hi Dr. Sari, I was more than a little horrified yesterday to realize my hair has thinned out a lot while I wasn't looking! It's been falling out more in the past 6 months than I've ever noticed before.

I'm 31 yrs old, have had PCOS most if not all of my adult life, and have been on the Insulite system for about 3 weeks. I'm still struggling with crazy insane periods, but am getting really sick of finding hair all over the place. Also, is stress really a factor in hair loss, or is that a myth?

I was hoping you can give me some sort of idea how long until I start noticing results from this program and my hair starts filling in again, or if there's anything else I can do besides the Insulite system? Thank you very much!

Dear Mariah,
I understand how distressing it is to be losing hair! Not to mention the increased body hair...

Yes, stress can be a factor in hair loss. It may be a direct effect of stress but physiologically I could see it also being an indirect relationship where stress (high cortisol) interferes with thyroid function- and low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) frequently causes hair loss.

Generally I think it's a good idea for those with hair loss, even if you also have PCOS which could explain the hair loss, to get their thyroid function evaluated. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include head hair loss, loss of the lateral part of the eyebrows (towards the temples), weight gain, fatigue, constipation, dry skin, cold intolerance, and reduced reflexes. Some people also notice muscle cramping.

Some primary care doctors or endocrinologists will do the following blood tests: TSH, free T3, and free T4 to evaluate thyroid function. Others prefer running a TSH, free T3, FTI, and T3U. Personally I prefer to see the first set of tests. TSH should ideally be at 1.0 (or very close by). The range for this test is very broad (0.45- 4.5 or in some labs 5.4). Most women say, “My TSH was normal” because they fall in the lab range, however if you are above 2.5 this confirms that your thyroid is sluggish.

By the way, starting and stopping the birth control pill can cause hair loss as well, and so can anemia.

If it is just the hormone imbalance due to PCOS causing the head hair loss and increased body hair, then hopefully you would NOT have to live with this forever! We have heard back from many customers using the Insulite PCOS System who have noticed improvements in this area. The Saw Palmetto and Stinging Nettle in the PCOS+ supplement of the Insulite PCOS System will be very helpful because they help rebalance hormones by helping to remove excess testosterone. Also, the Meta-OmegaX will help in correcting any essential fatty acid deficiency.

It can take 6 months to see new hair growth in the form of baby hairs on top of your head or around the margin of your hairline. This is perhaps the slowest symptom to improve on the Insulite PCOS System, so be patient, and keep doing what you are doing. Hopefully many of your other symptoms will start to improve sooner so that your wait for the hair-regrowth doesn't feel too long! Since the individual experience of PCOS is so varied, I'm sorry that it's hard for me to say when YOU might notice this symptom improving.

The high testosterone and/or DHEA-s characteristic of PCOS is the culprit behind the excess hair growth and hair loss. You could consider adding some things to your regimen to help reduce testosterone, like pumpkin seeds- eating 1/4 cup per day can help prevent testosterone's conversion to its active counterpart, DHT.

As for the increased body hair, the follicles that have already started producing thicker, coarser hairs may continue to do so unless the follicle is destroyed. While the Insulite System will not stop growth in the extra body hair you already have, correcting the underlying hormonal imbalances can stop more follicles from being stimulated to produce coarse, thick hairs.

As for the hairs already present, the only permanent solution is to destroy the follicle. This can be done with electrolysis, laser hair removal, or medications The follicles that have already started producing thicker, coarser hairs may continue to do so unless the follicle is destroyed. While our product will not stop growth in the hair you already have, correcting hormonal imbalances common in PCOS can stop more follicles from being stimulated to produce coarse, thick hairs.

As for the hairs already present, the only permanent solution is to destroy the follicle. This can be done with electrolysis, laser hair removal, or medications such as Vaniqua.

I hope this helps. Keep in touch and please don't hesitate to write any time you have questions!

[Mariah]

Thank you so much for your fast reply! You mentioned eating 1/4c pumpkin seeds per day. Are you talking about raw? Or roasted seeds? I bought some of both the other day, mixed them together and the result was an oily, salty mess that made me feel slightly sick to my stomach when I ate a handful. :) It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but if it helps and I can physically tolerate it, I'm willing to try just about anything! My main goal is to get the periods regulated and some of the weight off. I would love nothing more than to be "average" again.