PCOS and DHT
A woman's ovaries naturally produce tiny fluid vesicles from which an egg jumps. In some women, the ovaries produce more vesicles, vesicles that do not contain an egg or where those vesicles do not pop. This makes you ovulate less often or even rarely. And that in turn means a delayed period. What causes PCOS is not entirely clear. What we do know is that the ovaries produce too many hormones such as testosterone. A by-product of testosterone is DHT. Or dihydrotestosterone. This is a male hormone found in both men and women. DHT is the one responsible for hair loss. It causes the hair follicles to shrivel, causing the hair to grow thinner and thinner, until only (invisible to the eye) hairs remain.
The hair loss caused by elevated DHT levels usually manifests itself in women as a wider centre parting. Some women with PCOS may also suffer from hair loss according to the male pattern. In that case, hair loss manifests itself at the crown and/or inlets.
You can read more about DHT and hair loss here.
PCOS and your hormone balance
Because PCOS disturbs the hormone balance in many cases, menstruation in these women can be irregular and sometimes even absent altogether. The fact that the body produces too much of the male hormone testosterone can cause acne, excessive body hair and mood swings. What is considered the most serious side effect by many women is the reduced chance of pregnancy due to the absence or reduced menstruation.
It is not only the increased presence of DHT that can cause hair loss. Disturbed hormone levels can too. You can recognise hormonal hair loss by sudden hair loss all over the scalp, also called telogen effluvium. This often occurs due to illness, certain medications or stress where the body reacts by putting a lot of hair into rest at the same time. However, this is not permanent and in most cases temporary. When this hair loss lasts longer than 6 months, we speak of chronic telogen effluvium.
You can read more about hormonal hair loss here.
Treatment for hair loss due to PCOS
As indicated above, hair loss in PCOS can be caused by two aspects: elevated DHT levels and a hormonal imbalance. To reduce this hair loss, you should address both aspects. For this, the following products are suitable:
Neofollics tablets
These dietary supplements contain both DHT inhibitors and isoflavones. Isoflavones have a restorative effect on hormone balance. Thus, Neofollics tablets ensure that hair loss is inhibited at both the DHT level and hormonal level.
Neofollics lotion
Neofollics lotion tackles hair loss in multiple ways. It contains DHT inhibitors, but also several ingredients that stimulate new hair growth. So your hair loss is not only inhibited, you also have a chance of getting more and thicker hair!
Unwanted hair growth due to PCOS
While hair loss can often occur with PCOS, it can also cause unwanted hair growth on the face and body. This is called hirsutism. On the body, hair growth then manifests itself on the neck, chest, abdomen, lower back, buttocks or thighs. Hirsutism is caused by an increase in certain hormones (androgens) or an increase in sensitivity to them.
Treatment for unwanted hair growth due to PCOS
To make sure the unwanted hair stays away longer than after shaving, you can choose to (have) epilate or wax the hairs. Yet there are also less painful options. With Keramene, you can get rid of your unwanted hair growth.
Keramene body hair minimiser
This cream from DS Laboratories puts the hair follicles into the resting phase, preventing these hair follicles from producing new hairs. In addition, the Keramene body hair minimiser causes existing hairs to grow thinner and slower.
