I see many patients that have, or think they have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Hair loss can be an early indicator

Do you think you have  PCOS? Here are the signs to look out for.

Period problems: PCOS often comes to light during puberty, as 75 per cent of those with the disease will experience period problems where either their cycle is infrequent, irregular or absent and when it does arrive it may be particularly heavy.

Many teenagers use the contraceptive pill to control their periods and so this can often lead to a delay in the diagnoses of PCOS as it is not until they stop using the pill and find their periods cease or become irregular that they present the symptoms of PCOS.

Excess hairiness and acne: PCOS sufferers often have higher than normal levels of androgens, which are a group of male hormones, such as testosterone usually found in lower levels in women. These can lead to symptoms such as acne and excess body hair, which most often cause excess hairiness and acne.

Weight gain: Around 40 per cent of sufferers are overweight. The latest research has also shown that many women with PCOS are insulin resistant – a condition, which makes weight gain easy and weight loss hard. Not all women with PCOS have weight problems, but those who do are likely to put on weight centrally causing an apple shape opposed to a pear shape.

Infertility: A woman with PCOS doesn’t menstruate regularly because her ovaries don’t release an egg every month. This is caused by a problem with the hormones that trigger ovulation every month, which means some women will have more difficulty getting pregnant. And if you don’t ovulate, you don’t get a surge of progesterone in the second half of your cycle and instead your oestrogen levels stay the same. This may cause hot flushes and dizziness.

Treatment: This can sometimes be difficult and is centred around controlling the symptoms, as opposed to curing the condition. If the symptoms are not severe, treatment is not always necessary. Otherwise, drugs to reduce the amount of androgens (male hormone) are usually prescribed.

New evidence suggests that using medications that lower insulin levels in the blood may be effective in restoring menstruation and reducing some of the health risks associated with PCOS.

Many non-medical approaches can relieve or reduce specific symptoms including: a low-carbohydrate diet designed to lose or maintain weight, electrolysis to reduce unwanted hair or exploring natural, herbal methods of relief from the condition.

Some people wonder if the food they eat could be causing their hair loss. It is actually true, somewhat, that eating too much fast food can contribute to hair loss. Processed foods and fast food alike usually provide little to no nutrition required for healthy hair growth or the physique in general. Too much fast food can even inhibit your body’s ability to process nutrients from healthy food that is consumed. Foods that are high in sugar, salt, or fat can affect the health of your hair. When these foods are consumed in excess, especially when combined, they can lead to noticeable physical changes including hair loss. A diet that is full of these foods can lack the vitamins and minerals that are needed to stay healthy. If your hair is not getting the right nutrients, your hair health can noticeably degrade.

A healthy diet of diverse proteins, whole grains, and leafy vegetables is recommended to increase your natural sources of vitamins in your diet. Some foods that actually contribute to healthy hair are lean meats, fruits and vegetables, legumes, and fish oil.

Contrary to popular belief, dandruff (pityriasis capitis) is not dry scalp. Most dandruff is oily so there is no point in putting on oil and rubbing it in, to cure your dry scalp – it will only make the oily flakes oilier – and stickier. Pityriasis capitis affects most people at some time in their life, often temporarily and fluctuating. Research indicates that it is stimulated by a micro-organism normally present on everyone’s scalp as part of the skin’s normal flora – so you can’t catch it as you already have it.

The skin’s secretions control the organism, keeping it at a certain level. Adverse changes in the secretions, however, enable the micro-organism to flourish, causing the scalp to produce skin flakes faster – dandruff flakes. The extra rapidity of skin production and an increase in sebum, cause the flakes to become oily and stick to the scalp. Reasons for adverse changes in skin secretions can be stress, hormone changes in sexes, diet, cosmetic products and poor hygiene. Dandruff is simple to clear by using an effective shampoo and leave in Juniper Scalp Toner for flaky and itchy scalps. However, it may re-occur if left untreated.

DHD recommends using Juniper Tar Shampoo and Clear with activated charcoal to clear dandruff then alternate between Clear Shampoo and shampoo for your specific hair type to manage healthy scalp and hair.

Vegetarians and hair loss.

Every day in the clinic I see vegetarians, and while that is their choice it is not a good one for hair.Vegetarians don’t necessarily have less hair, but many people who make the transition to vegetarianism or veganism experience some hair loss because of the shortage of some nutrition or other factors. Diet does play a large part in hair health, and two most common deficiencies that you might be seeing in your diet that is causing this hair loss would be Zinc and B-12.

The good news is the Zinc is naturally found in beans, nuts, milk and lots of other vegetarian-friendly foods. A B-12 deficiency tends to show up more as a dandruff condition and less as hair loss than a Zinc deficiency. Those scaly dry scalps can easily be remedied  with ‘Clear’ shampoo. Most B-12 is found in animal products, but some fermented soy products will have it too. A multivitamin might be your best way to rule out if this hair loss is diet related. If hair loss persists even after taking multivitamins,  you need to look elsewhere to pinpoint the causes of your hair loss. DHD says, see your Trichologist if you are unsure