Managing PCOS Hair Loss: Effective Treatments and Solutions for Thinning Hair

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) often causes hair loss due to hormonal imbalances, including excess androgens. Treatments like spironolactone, finasteride, and minoxidil can help regrow hair. Natural remedies, including biotin, zinc, spearmint tea, and essential oils, may also be beneficial. Consult a healthcare provider for a personalized treatment plan.

Does PCOS Cause Hair Loss and Thinning?

If you have PCOS, you might notice that your hair is thinner, breaking more easily, or falling out at an alarming rate. The underlying biological factors of PCOS can contribute to accelerated thinning and hair loss, and scientists believe the elevated levels of androgens, or male hormones, in women with PCOS are partially responsible. 

Fortunately, there are treatments, clinically proven supplements, and lifestyle changes you can make to slow or reverse hair loss with PCOS. We’ll explore these methods and take a deep dive into how PCOS causes hair loss, thinning, and excess breakage.

Overview of PCOS

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS, is a group of symptoms related to hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances that can affect women of reproductive age (typically between ages 15-44). If you have PCOS, you might experience symptoms like:

• Irregular menstrual cycles

• Hirsutism (unwanted body and facial hair growth)

• Weight gain, especially around the abdomen

• Hair loss and thinning

• Acne

• Fertility issues

• Mental health conditions, like mood swings and depression
  
  

Untreated, these symptoms can lead to a negative self-image, lower self-esteem, and long-term issues that range from infertility to metabolic disorders. Learning how to manage PCOS symptoms with a combination of natural and medical interventions, therapeutic support, and lifestyle shifts can help you take charge of your health and get your confidence back.

PCOS and Hair Issues

Because PCOS is a hormonal disorder, it can have a wide range of effects on your body—including your hair and scalp. Hair loss from PCOS can be particularly distressing, PCOS influences hair growth patterns in several distinct ways:

• Hair thinning: A widened part, diffuse hair loss, or notable thinning areas on the scalp

• Brittle, dry texture: Dry or brittle hair that leads to breakage and trouble brushing or combing without damage

• Hair loss: Excessive hair fall, bald spots, and notable loss of hair in areas like the hairline, temples, and crown

• Dandruff: Flakes that stem from more sebum (oil) production on the scalp due to elevated androgen levels

You might notice PCOS hair symptoms like dandruff, frizz, and a dry, brittle texture before hair loss begins. Many women with PCOS see more hair fall when the hair is manipulated—typically when showering, drying, or brushing the hair. 

Importance of Addressing Hair Loss

Addressing hair loss early with PCOS is essential to slow or even reverse the process. Taking proactive steps at the first signs of PCOS-related hair thinning can help prevent permanent hair loss.

Understanding PCOS and Hair Loss

The wide-ranging effects PCOS can have on your body might make it seem overwhelming to address all the symptoms you experience, but by getting a deeper understanding of how and why PCOS hair thinning and loss occurs, you can take steps to correct imbalances by adjusting your diet, treatments, and hair care methods.

First, let’s look at what PCOS is and how it causes hair loss. 

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal syndrome, or collection of symptoms related to hormonal imbalance, that affects roughly 13% of women.[1] Women with PCOS may have ovarian cysts visible on ultrasound, but many do not. If you meet at least two of these criteria, you could have PCOS: 

• Hyperandrogenism, or elevated levels of male hormones like testosterone

• Ovarian dysfunction, including irregular periods or fertility issues

• Polycystic ovaries with many fluid-filled sacs surrounding ovarian egg follicles

If you meet two or more of these criteria, you might experience other symptoms of PCOS, like unwanted hair growth on your face and body, weight gain around the abdomen, hair thinning and loss on the scalp, fertility issues, or mental health issues ranging from mood swings to anxiety and depression. Many of these issues are related to the imbalance of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate bodily processes.

How Does PCOS Cause Hair Loss?

The type of hair loss most associated with PCOS is female pattern hair loss (FPHL), which is regarded as a clinical indicator of underlying hyperandrogenism (the overproduction of male hormones). Other, less common types of hair loss that may occur with PCOS include alopecia areata, characterized by hair loss in rounded patches on the scalp, lichen planopilaris, or patchy hair loss resulting from chronic scalp inflammation. 

We know that PCOS can cause hair loss, but how does it work? Hormonal imbalances, including androgens, cortisol, thyroid hormones, and female hormones, are the most common culprits. 

• Elevated Androgens: PCOS can cause hair loss due to elevated levels of androgens, including testosterone and DHT, that signal hair follicles in the scalp to shrink over time (follicular miniaturization). When DHT travels through the bloodstream and “docks” in scalp receptors, it sends a chemical message to halt growth. The affected follicles eventually become inactive and stop growing hair.
  
  

• Elevated Cortisol (Stress Hormone): Chronically high levels of cortisol send distress signals to your body. This can bring normal biological processes, like hair growth, to a stop or slow them down as the body re-routes energy to more essential processes, like metabolism and blood pressure regulation. As a result, hair loss ranging from telogen effluvium, which occurs when hair follicles temporarily enter the telogen resting phase, to forms of alopecia can occur.
  
  

• Decreased Thyroid Hormones: PCOS is linked to hypothyroidism when your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. Low levels of hormones like triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) can contribute to hair loss by making the hair brittle and prone to breakage.
  
  

• Imbalanced Female Hormones: Your estrogen and progesterone levels may be higher or lower than normal when you have PCOS. These female hormones help regulate hair growth and scalp health, and when their levels are out of balance, you can experience FPHL, dryness, thinning, or brittle hair that easily breaks. 

Symptoms of Hair Loss Due to PCOS

While seeing many hairs falling out during showering, brushing, or styling your hair can alert you that hair loss is occurring, there are more hair loss symptoms to be aware of if you have PCOS, such as female pattern hair loss and how to tell the difference between hair thinning and hair loss.

Female Pattern Hair Loss and PCOS

Female pattern hair loss, or FPHL, is the female equivalent of male pattern hair loss with some key differences. It also presents differently from other types of hair loss that may be associated with PCOS, like alopecia areata and lichen planopilaris. 

Female pattern hair loss may show up with symptoms like these in PCOS:

• Diffuse hair loss with overall loss of hair density

• Notable hair loss around the front hairline, crown, parietal (mid-frontal), and occipital (back) of the scalp

• Gradual widening of the part

• Hair that becomes finer, more fragile, or drier over time

FPHL tends to become more severe and pronounced as you get older, making it important to take proactive steps to address hair loss with PCOS as soon as you notice it. 

Thinning Hair vs. Hair Fall

You can differentiate between thinning hair and hair fall by looking at your overall hair density, evidence of hair fall, and the texture of your hair. 

• Hair fall: Shedding individual hairs when they fall out or break off.
  
  

• Hair thinning: The result of consistently higher-than-average hair fall, leading to overall lower hair density with fewer hairs on the scalp; it can also refer to the diameter of hair strands shrinking and becoming finer.

It’s normal for women to shed anywhere from 50-100 hairs each day, but if you see evidence of significantly more hair shedding daily, you might be experiencing accelerated hair fall that leads to hair thinning. You might notice your shower drain clogs quickly, excess hair left behind in your hairbrush, or an increase in fallen or broken hair on your pillow.

How to Treat PCOS Hair Loss

Learning about your PCOS hair loss treatment and management options can help you feel more in control of your body and take steps toward recovering your hair’s density, health, and texture.

Medical Treatments for PCOS-Related Hair Loss

If you are dealing with PCOS female pattern hair loss, there are medical treatments that can help. Right now, topical minoxidil (Rogaine) is the only FDA-approved treatment for hair loss, but other treatments are effective and are often prescribed “off-label” for women with PCOS-related hair thinning. 

• Spironolactone: Slows androgen production to treat FPHL. Proven to increase hair density and growth.
  

• Finasteride: Decreases androgen production to treat FPHL and MPHL; Proven to increase hair thickness, scalp coverage and density. Shown to slow hair loss when combined with an oral contraceptive.
  

• Minoxidil: Increases scalp blood flow and prolongs the anagen phase of hair growth; reported improvements in hair loss across various studies with topical or oral minoxidil.
  

• Birth Control Pills: Oral contraceptives reduce androgen levels to slow FPHL; while some types can lead to diffuse hair loss, options like drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol (Yasmin) are effective in reducing hair loss in combination with finasteride.

Medical treatments like these can take anywhere from six to 12 months to start working, and some medications, like minoxidil, can cause increased hair shedding before regrowth starts. It’s important to know these side effects so you don’t stop treatment prematurely. Some of these drugs, like finasteride, are considered teratogenic—they can cause harm to a developing embryo or fetus. You must take oral contraceptives with finasteride to avoid becoming pregnant. 

Natural Remedies for Hair Loss

If you’d prefer taking a natural approach to combatting hair loss with PCOS, there are plenty of well-studied natural compounds, oils, and nutritional supplements that can slow or reverse hormonal hair loss. 

• Essential Oils: Peppermint, hemp, pumpkin seed, rosemary, and sesame seed oils can be powerful natural remedies for hair loss when applied to the hair and scalp regularly.
  

• Herbal Supplements: Supplements containing herbal and plant extracts that are clinically proven to address hormonal causes of PCOS hair loss, like white mulberry leaf, horsetail extract, saw palmetto, and resveratrol, can help combat hair loss.
  

Peppermint oil is rich in menthol and antioxidants and gives the scalp a cool, tingling sensation when you apply it. One study found that peppermint essential oil applied to mice resulted in more rapid hair growth than minoxidil, leading to a 92% increase in hair growth, compared to 55% with minoxidil. Researchers believe applying peppermint oil ushers the hair into the anagen growth phase.[2] 

Hemp oil has been shown to increase hair coverage on the scalp by over 93.5%, which may be due to the presence of plant estrogens.[3] 

Another study found that 44% of participants increased hair growth using a combination of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and cedarwood oils.[3] Another oil, sesame seed oil, is a potent natural remedy for hair loss due to its rich concentration of antioxidants. Its nourishing properties help strengthen hair follicles, promote healthy hair growth, and may help reduce hair thinning when used regularly as part of your hair care routine.

Taking daily supplements to stop hair loss with PCOS might be easier (and less messy) than applying oils to your hair and scalp. With so many products available claiming to support hair growth, it’s important to be choosy when looking at ingredient lists. Look for a supplement that contains at least one of the top-studied herbs or plant extracts for the best results. 

• White mulberry leaf: Shown to push hair follicles into the anagen (growth) phase, increasing hair density and count with regular use. 

• Saw palmetto: Shown to help increase scalp coverage and overall hair count in studies, but these studies only followed male participants. For the male participants, it worked by lowering DHT levels that shrink hair follicles. 

• Horsetail extract: Studied as a potentially beneficial ingredient to strengthen hair and protect against breakage which is common with PCOS. It contains high levels of silica that fortifies hair and nails. 

• Resveratrol: An ancient herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, taken from the Chinese climbing knotweed plant. It can help to improve blood flow to the scalp and aid in combatting hair loss. 

Supplements for PCOS Hair Loss

Other supplements that can help with hair loss when you have PCOS are inositol, biotin, zinc, and vitamin D. These natural substances, vitamins, and minerals can help support healthy hormone levels by decreasing androgen production, preventing hair loss from vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and supporting the natural hair growth process. 

• Inositol: A natural sugar clinically proven to promote hair density and growth.
  

• Biotin: Vitamin B7 (biotin) is an essential component for hair growth, and deficiencies can exacerbate PCOS hair loss; clinically proven to increase hair thickness, volume, and fullness.
  

• Zinc: Nutrient that has been shown to inhibit DHT, a male hormone that can cause hair loss with PCOS.
  

• Vitamin D: May help prevent follicular miniaturization and hair loss..

While you can take these supplements individually, it’s helpful to find a holistic health supplement designed for women with PCOS. Look for one that combines inositol, biotin, and vitamin D along with clinically proven plant extracts and phytocompounds to make treating PCOS hair thinning and loss easier. 

How to Manage and Prevent Hair Loss from PCOS

If you’ve noticed hair loss, it’s not too late to take action. The sooner you start treatment, the better the results. Whether you choose medical treatments, natural remedies, or supplements, don’t wait for it to worsen. Early diagnosis and treatment offer the best chance to reverse thinning hair.

How to Stop Hair Loss Caused by PCOS

You can help slow or stop hair loss from PCOS by consulting your healthcare provider, fortifying and supporting your natural hair growth process with supplements, and making tweaks to your current haircare routine. 

• Start taking clinically proven supplements: With your doctor’s permission, bolster your daily routine with supplements that contain essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients along with natural compounds and extracts that are clinically proven to promote hair health and growth.
  

• Overhaul your hair care routine: If you tend to be rough on your hair, rely on daily heat styling, or use harsh products, use this time to be extra-gentle on your strands to help stop hair loss and excess shedding.
  

• Visit your healthcare provider: A doctor may be able to prescribe you treatments, like spironolactone, minoxidil, finasteride, or birth control pills to help. 

Lifestyle and Dietary Changes to Reduce Hair Loss

Take a closer look at your daily lifestyle—diet, sleep, and habits—to better support your hair’s natural ability to grow and reduce hair loss from PCOS. We’ll cover effective steps you can take to create a healthier lifestyle and support hair health below.

• Avoid being sedentary: Sedentary lifestyles are associated with more severe FPHL, so commit to being active and exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week to reduce your hair loss potential.
  

• Eat a nutritious diet: Balanced, diverse foods that give your body the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients it needs to support hormonal balance can be an excellent way to stop or slow down hair loss with PCOS. Whole grains, lots of veggies and fruits, and prioritizing good fats over saturated fats are great ways to start.
  

• Don’t smoke: Smoking cigarettes is linked to forms of hair loss that may affect women with PCOS, like alopecia areata. Quitting smoking can help you reduce hair loss.
  

• Get more sleep: Poor quality sleep is linked to FPHL, with women who get less rest seeing higher rates of hair loss than those who get sufficient sleep.
  

• Learn how to manage stress: Effective stress management techniques, like meditation, can be beneficial in lowering your cortisol levels and helping protect yourself from hair loss. 

Hair Care Tips for Women with PCOS

When managing PCOS-related hair thinning and loss, it's important to adapt your hair care routine to support your changing needs. By implementing gentler hair care practices, you can minimize stress on vulnerable strands while working to address the underlying causes of hair loss.

• Switch to gentle products: Harsh shampoos and products can damage hair that may already be finer or thinner than usual with PCOS; switch to sulfate-free shampoo and limit the products you apply to your hair to prevent damage.
  

• Don’t shampoo every day: Daily shampooing can strip thinning hair of the natural oils it needs to nourish the follicle and promote growth. Shampoo every other day or less often. Using dry shampoo can help to extend the time between washes.
  

• Use a satin pillowcase: Cotton pillowcases can snag or rough up the hair cuticle while you sleep, so choose a soft satin pillowcase that allows your hair to slide without friction.
  

• Style and brush gently: Forego round-brush blowouts and rough brushing while you allow thinning hair to recover.
  

• Minimize heat: Heat can damage hair without heat protectant applied. If you can avoid heat styling, you can avoid the damage altogether and give your hair a much-needed break.
  

• Avoid chemical processing: Bleaching, colors, and perms are harsh on hair, especially if you’re dealing with PCOS-related thinning. Wait a while before chemically processing your hair to allow it a chance to regrow as you try new treatments, supplements, and lifestyle changes. 

Is PCOS Hair Loss Reversible?

If you notice and take action soon, PCOS hair loss can be reversible. If you catch hair loss early on, there’s a good chance the affected follicles are still active—they may just be in a dormant or resting phase due to hormonal imbalances with PCOS. 

The sooner you address hair that’s thinning due to PCOS with treatments, supplements, and recommended changes to your lifestyle, the better your chances of reversing the hair loss and regaining fuller, healthier hair.

Can Hair Grow Back After Thinning from PCOS?

Hair can grow back after thinning from PCOS, but it may not grow back until the underlying issues with hormonal balance are addressed. You should consider starting treatments (medical or natural remedies), taking supplements recommended for women with PCOS and hair loss, and making impactful changes in pursuit of a healthier lifestyle to grow hair back after noticing PCOS thinning. 

Treatment Options for Regrowth

There are an array of treatment options available to regrow your hair after noticing thinning related to PCOS. For the best results, consider combining treatments with approval from your healthcare provider. These treatments might include:

• Antiandrogen or anti-diabetic drugs, like spironolactone or metformin

• Oral contraceptives

• Natural oils or supplements for PCOS and hair loss

When to See a Specialist

If you’re not sure your hair loss is pronounced enough to see a specialist, review some of the signs you might need to consult a healthcare provider for prescription medications, advice on steps you can take to stop hair loss and determine the underlying cause of your thinning hair. 

When Should You Consult a Doctor for PCOS-Related Hair Loss?

PCOS hair loss can sometimes be managed naturally at home. However, you should see a doctor if you experience:

• Sudden or excessive hair thinning

• Worsening PCOS symptoms, such as irregular periods or fertility issues

• Hair loss affecting your mental health or quality of life

• Signs of hormonal imbalance, like increased acne or weight gain

Diagnosis and Tests for PCOS and Hair Loss

Certain tests can help your doctor find out the reason for your hair loss or determine whether you have PCOS. Doctors may use different tests, depending on the reason you visit. If you go to the doctor for hair loss stemming from PCOS, you might need a dermatoscopy so your doctor or healthcare provider can see if you’re experiencing regular hair shedding or true female pattern hair loss due to PCOS. Your healthcare provider will look for signs of follicular miniaturization, which can indicate FPHL, as well as other clues, like short, regrowing hairs. 

Your doctor will physically examine you for other signs of PCOS, like excess facial hair or acne. They may order a blood test to see if you have high or low levels of certain hormones, like testosterone or luteinizing hormone (LH). These tests can help establish a link between hair loss and potential PCOS causes.

Take Stock of Your Treatment Options with PCOS Hair Loss

Experiencing hair loss with other symptoms of PCOS is hard, but you have a variety of options to treat and manage this distressing symptom. 

Summarizing Treatment Options

You can take control of your hair loss by choosing some of the most well-documented treatment options: 

• Taking antiandrogens, anti-diabetics, or birth control pills

• Choosing natural supplements with clinically proven ingredients for hair loss

• Adjusting your sleep, diet, and exercise routines to promote wellness

• Opting for gentle hair care products and damage-reducing techniques

The Importance of Personalized Care

PCOS affects every woman differently. You deserve comprehensive, personalized care that takes your lifestyle, goals, preferences, and symptoms into account. If you decide to seek specialized care, make sure to give your healthcare provider a full list of your symptoms, ways you’ve noticed your body or mental health changing, any treatments or medications you’d prefer to avoid, and health goals you’d like to achieve with the right care and treatment plan. 

Empowering Women with PCOS

We’re invested in empowering women with PCOS by making the journey to holistic health and whole-body wellness easier. PCOS doesn’t define who you are, but your resilience, drive, and desire for a more fulfilling life are part of your DNA. We believe in the power of PCOS education, and our goal is to see more women taking charge of their health and confidently stepping back into their bodies to reach their full potential every day.