The Truth About Hair Loss with PCOS & Hormone Imbalances (And How to Fix It!)

From Thinning to Thick: Recovering from Hair Loss with PCOS & Hormone Issues

What’s up you guys - we are back this week with more PCOS + Hormone Balancing education. If you’re new here - my name is Sara Childers and I am a holistic registered dietitian and personal trainer turned holistic wellness junkie. I help women who have hormonal and thyroid issues navigate all things wellness during womanhood.

Todays topic is fun one — we are talking all things hair — or lack thereof. As women, we care a lot about our hair. Y'all know I am a Christian and so I am always talking about God’s design for women. And part of our design is loving all things beauty. It’s just natural. And it's natural for us to want to be beautiful and one thing that really makes someone beautiful — at least on the outside — is there hair.

This is why the hair industry is a billion dollar industry. No matter who you are or where you are at— you likely want to have beautiful luscious hair.

And the drawback — one of the many — to having PCOS, hormonal disruptions, and thyroid issues is hair loss. This is my most common complain next to weight gain when it comes to clients dealing with the symptoms of a dysregulated metabolism.

It’s truly NO FUN! And because I have dealt with my own hair loss in the past and have also dug deep into the research to help others with their hair loss — I thought I would share with you today the biggest culprits of hair loss and how to fix it.

Why do I know so much about hair loss not only as a dietitian but also as woman? Well. This happened to me personally, as I said. I have lived the hair-coming-out-in-globs story!! When I first started my business — I was highly stressed, I had just moved houses, and I had little to no free time on my hands to take better care of myself. I started to experience hormone imbalances — which is part of my story. And hair loss was a huge thing for me. It came out in globs. My hair is thick but it started getting super thin and I could not seem to stop it.

So over the past few months and years, I have been able to pinpoint why my hair has been falling out. But it took trial and error. I had to see what could be the ROOT CAUSE of my hair falling out (no pun intended). I will give you a run down in this blog about what the major culprits were when it comes to me losing hair.

How does PCOS affect hair loss/growth?

PCOS affects hormones, particularly androgens (male hormones). Androgens are released by your adrenal glands (the same glands that make cortisol) and they eventually make testosterone. When our androgens are high (usually because cortisol is high), it causes issues with our hair follicles and then starts to cause hair loss on the crown of our head.

Those with insulin resistance usually also deal with insulin resistance  in addition to high cortisol. Insulin resistance has to do with high blood sugar (or just irregular blood sugar levels - both high and low). This affects hair health in PCOS. This is because high blood sugar levels cause inflammation and inflammation of the scalp also causes hair loss.

Those with PCOS and hormone issues also tend to have thyroid problems -- usually caused by cortisol imbalances. When our thyroid is not working properly, we often have an entire body that slows down. This means that each of our organs tends to slow in function - leading us to feel sluggish and tired. One of the drawbacks here is that our liver/gallbladder slow down and cause us to not digest fat as well. When we are not digesting fats, this can cause our skin and hair to get very dry - which results in us having hair loss in that way as well. It also causes us to not absorb many vitamins and minerals that are essential for hair growth and vitality. 

Common Causes of Hair Loss with PCOS

• Androgen Dominance: male hormones affect hair growth patterns.
• Insulin Resistance: high insulin = scalp inflammation.
• Thyroid Issues
• Stress Impact
• Nutrient Gaps: Essential vitamins and minerals (vitamin D, B vitamins, zinc, iron) needed for healthy hair.
• Inflammation: PCOS-related inflammation affects hair follicles.

Natural Solutions for Hair Recovery

Diet Strategies:

• Anti-inflammatory Foods: Building a balanced diet with omega-3s, leafy greens, and berries to balance hormones.
• Blood Sugar Balance: Benefits of whole foods and low-glycemic eating for hormone health.
• Hair-Healthy Foods: Sources of biotin, zinc, iron, and vitamin D for hair growth.
• Helpful Supplements: Options like inositol, vitamin D, iodine, zinc, magnesium, omega-3s, and stress-fighting adaptogens like ashwagandha.

Herbal Support:

Using herbs like saw palmetto, spearmint tea, and vitex to balance hormones and reduce androgens. This can help also with progesterone balance -- which support feminine vitality since it is our "reproductive" hormone = hair growth!

Lifestyle Adjustments:

Stress Relief: Simple techniques like meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises to balance cortisol.

Movement: How moderate exercise helps insulin sensitivity and hormone balance.

Sleep Quality: Tips for better sleep to support hormone health.

Hair Care Basics:

Gentle Care: Choosing mild hair products that protect your scalp.

Protection: Minimizing damage from heat styling and harsh treatments.

Scalp Health: Benefits of massage with essential oils like rosemary for circulation.

Cleaning your Shower head -  much of hair loss can be due to dandruff. Dandruff is most commonly caused by Malassezia globosa, which exists on everyone's scalp. It can be worsened if we do not clean our shower heads - which tend to be environments where bacteria thrives and then is sprayed onto our heads. 

If you found this blog helpful, I would love to hear from you in the comments!

If you are looking for more thyroid, PCOS, and hormone support -- join my Fully Feminine 12-phase program where I take you step by step to heal from hormonal imbalances!!

Take Care,

Sara Childers, RD, LDN, CPT, HTMA-P