18 Year Old Losing Hair Due to Birth Control Pill

by Lily
(New York)

I took the Yasmin birth control pill for TWO MONTHS. Two months, people. During this time I lost a lot of hair, but at the end of the 2nd cycle it became horrendous. I have about half as much hair as I did.

It used to be thick and curly, now it's flat and I just try to spread the thinness out to cover up my new bald spots. It's so scary to watch hairs (follicle attached) just tumble off of your head throughout the day. After showers are the worst... when I run my fingers through my wet hair I gather like 20 hairs at a time.

It's devastating. I want to take action somehow. I feel completely manipulated and like I didn't do anything to deserve this. I hate how long it takes for this process to heal. I have been off the pill for about two weeks and the hair loss has yet to slow down at all.

Editor Comments

Dear Lily, most birth control pills can trigger a certain level of hair loss. It’s one of the most common side effects of birth control pills and Yasmin is no different from the rest of the pack. Your sudden hair loss due to contraceptive pills can be overcome once you stop using it.

It will usually take a few months before the shedding stabilizes. In the meantime, I do advice that you consider other contraceptive methods to prevent further hair loss and also potential damage birth control pills can do to your body in the long run.

For women, I do recommend some vitamin B complex to help improve your hair condition. Besides that, there isn’t much that you will need to do. You can read more on this from Telogen Effluvium and also find products through Solve It. Good luck!