My Hair Loss Took the Most Unexpected Toll on My Body Image
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By Nicola Dall’Asen
December 21, 2021 - Allure
“While getting medical clearance for my surgery through August and September, a handful of doctors told me my bloodwork was totally normal. So did my gynecologist, despite my vocal concerns about the shedding. Hashimoto's disease and hyperthyroidism (both of which are associated with hair loss) run deep in my bloodline, and no matter how many people I told that to, no additional tests or exams were administered. It felt like I was screaming in a vacuum where no one could hear me until I saw an endocrinologist (aka a hormone specialist) in early October. She immediately pinpointed the problem: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and my IUD.
I'd never been officially diagnosed with PCOS at this point, but my gynecologist has always kept a close eye on my ovaries because I exhibit so many of its symptoms (high testosterone, abnormally thick body and facial hair, difficulty regulating emotions, weight instability… the list goes on). For years, I used a combination of an androgen-blocking birth control pill and spironolactone, another androgen blocker, to manage my testosterone level and all its accompanying side effects. Then I started seeing someone in 2020 and switched from the pill to an IUD for, erm, obvious reasons. According to my endocrinologist, my body had a delayed reaction to the lack of birth control pill and my testosterone went haywire to the point of balding. So she put me back on my old regimen plus oral minoxidil (Rogaine), which I supplement with topical foam minoxidil.”
September 15, 2022
Allure