I had been on birth control for ten years. I stopped taking it 3 months ago. My hair appears to be falling out quickly. I am concerned. I will be getting married at the end of the month. My fear is that I will have nothing left by the time the wedding comes. I did not know this could be a symptom of stopping the pill. My period has been on time these last few months since stopping but not this month, which matches the hair loss. I am not pregnant.
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October 13, 2017
Answer: Many medications may cause hair loss but it is generally not the number one cause of hair loss in women.
Minoxidil will increase blood flow to the scalp in order to revitalize hair follicles minimized by DHT, the molecule responsible in androgenetic alopecia (male pattern balding). It can help in the earliest stages of traction alopecia, but there is no guarantee that it can reverse the damage done...
Finasteride should not cause telogen effluvium. Reports of finasteride causing temporary shedding have been made but this should abate within a month or two at most
There are dozens of medications that are either associated with hair loss when you start, or when you stop. There is no absolute pattern. In many cases the loss starts 2-3 months after stopping but this varies considerably as well as how long the loss will continue. Propecia (Finasteride) is not...