Yasmin & Hair Loss
Yasmin, drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, is an oral contraceptive, also marketed under the brand name Yaz. Yasmin is prescribed to prevent pregnancy, treat acne and better manage conditions of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Yasmin and Hair Loss
In the brief summary package insert accompanying Yasmin, side effects include changes in appetite, headache, nervousness, depression, dizziness, rash, vaginal infection and loss of scalp hair. According to physicians specializing in hair loss treatment and surgical hair restoration, hair loss from the use of Yasmin birth control pills is negligible.
How Yasmin Contributes to Hair Loss
Research suggests that Yasmin can encourage hair follicles to enter the telogen phase. The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle, which produces a "club hair," or dead fully keratinized hair, as its final product. Fifty to 100 club hairs are shed daily from a normal scalp, so with or without Yasmin, hair loss occurs naturally.
If Yasmin Causes Too Much Hair Loss
The New Hair Institute recommends discontinuing Yasmin if noticeable hair loss occurs. Speak to your doctor regarding alternative birth control medications.
Lawsuits
Yasmin is not recommended for women with kidney, liver or adrenal disease because its chemical content may exacerbate these and other vascular illnesses. Class action lawsuits citing Yasmin as responsible for specified health emergencies, are currently under review in the United States.
How Yasmin Differs from Other Birth Control Pills
Yasmin and Yaz are both different from traditional birth control pills because their progesterone (drospirenone) is closely related to spironolactone, a medication used as a diuretic. Like any birth control pill, Yasmin works to prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and altering the cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus; however, unlike other oral contraceptives Yasmin elevates potassium levels.
Advice from the American Hair Loss Association
The American Hair Loss Association recommends that all women interested in using oral contraceptives seek low-androgen index birth control pills. If hair loss runs in your family, they recommend the use of another non-hormonal form of birth control.
Tags: birth control, birth control pills, control pills, Hair Loss, American Hair, American Hair Loss, Hair Loss
