Infertility hormone drugs - Is it permanent hair loss or temporary?

Question

I'm trying to get pregnant (4th round of IUI) w/ Gonal-F @ (300); Ovidril; and took est/prog on 2 cycles for 9 days/ea. Doc said from start I will prob have female pattern hair loss as I age. Wasn't shocked, but I am shocked that over the past 5 months I lost a lot of hair and can see my scalp a lot at top of head. When I stop treatments will my hair will grow back, or did this just accelerate my possible "permanent" hair loss that would have otherwise taken 10-20 yrs to slowly thin?

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I would direct this question to your doctor and ask for specifics. While many things in medicine are predictable, there are always exceptions to common outcomes. Keep this in mind, and reevaluate your goals, symptoms, progress, and loss of hair, and have a plan of treatment when the time is right. All therapy has some risk, some of which is not predictable. I hope this helps!

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

In general, it is impossible for anyone to predict accurately whether a given hair shedding event will accelerate the development of female pattern hair loss in an individual who does not currently have female pattern hair loss. If there is a strong family history of Female pattern hair loss the odds might be increased a bit. The inheritability patterns of female hair loss are far more complex than for men. Many times, a best guess is proven incorrect. The most likely cause of hair loss in the description is that of a telogen effluvium. But your dermatologist can confirm. Will hair grow back after telogen effluvium ends? Most likely but you are absolutely correct that if you are predisposed to develop female pattern hair loss then such a shedding episode could accelerate its development - and ultimatley lead to thinner hair.

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear worried_one,

Female pattern hair loss is a genetic condition of slow
thinning of the hair.  It can be mild,
moderate, severe, represented by Ludwig I, II or III thinning.  Ludwig III have the most thin hair and
usually in the central oval at the top of the head, including the frontal hair
line.  Many conditions, hormonal and
physiologic, can accelerate female pattern hair loss and hormone replacement is
certainly one of them.  It may be, in
fact, true that the hormone replacement stress of your fertilization process
has accelerated female pattern hair loss. As you are trying to get pregnant, it would be ill-advised to use
topical physiologic drugs such as Minoxidil or Rogaine; however, low-level
light therapy would be perfectly safe for any foetus and may minimize the
progression of your female pattern hair loss. 
Ultimately, you may be an excellent candidate for a non-scarring
technique such as ARTAS® or NeoGraft® follicular unit extraction and
transplantation, but this should be delayed until you have finished having
children.

I have been performing advanced non-scarring
follicular unit extraction transplantation for men and women for many years.  For more information, please review the link below.I hope this information has been of some assistance and best
of luck.

Sincerely,

R. Stephen Mulholland, MD

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto

Infertility hormone drugs - Is it permanent hair loss or temporary?

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Infertility hormone drugs - Is it permanent hair loss or temporary?

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