Poker straight, ironically thin, long and in a permanent relationship with Garnier Nutrisse and Batiste dry shampoo is how I’d describe my hair lol. Seriously though over the years I’ve spent an absolute fortune on various “hero” hair products, so although I’m no expert, I’d like to share some of the best products I’ve found that help give my hair a bit of oomph.
Hair loss in PCOS can cause great distress and there can be different types of hair loss so first and foremost get checked by your medical practitioner/GP/Endo. Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) usually refers to the loss of hair in the mid scalp. Do discuss your symptoms with your Endocrinologist as there may be some things that can be prescribed to help such as Minoxidil, Propecia or anti-androgens (and the usual side-effects) depending on how serious your condition is. They may also run some tests on Vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, Thyroid and Prolactin [1]. Ok, so now the tips…
My hair heros…
1. Kerastase Paris Volumifique Thickening Effect Shampoo & Conditioner for fine hair.
2. Redken Thickening Lotion 06 Body Builder & Guts 10 Root Volumizing Spray Foam.
3. Hairspray – Schwarzkopf Got 2 B Sexy Volumizing Hairspray
4. Batiste XXL Volume – for that extra oomph! And in between wash days
5. Kerastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Legere – with precious hair oils.
6. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer – developed for Audrey Hepburn ....it doesn’t weigh the hair down so is ideal for fine hair textures
General hair care tips & solutions:
1. Conditioner weighs the hair down – use less & only on the ends of your hair.
2. Increase the protein intake in your diet, hair is protein so this makes sense to me.
3. Some people find Biotin or hair and nail supplements help. You need to be careful regards the iron content in some of these - check with your medical practitioner before starting them.
4. Root cover up sprays/concealers can sometimes help to cover thinning patches of hair although some people experience some transfer of colour with these products – try some and see if it works for you.
5. Kera Fibers are hair building fibers that can help disguise hairloss, expensive but they work!
6. Some women find consulting a Trichologist helps – you are best to do this in co-operation with your doctor though. Trichology is the science of the function, structure and disease of human hair and clinical trichology can be used to diagnose and treat disorders of the hair and scalp. Check out www.trichologists.org.uk for further details.
Whatever your course of action…it’s important to remember - we all get bad hair days – we’ve got this illness that causes it, but we can still be beautiful, strong and confident women, now go and make waves (ha! See what I did there).
© PCOS Vitality, 2019
[1] E. Carmina, R. Azziz, W. Bergfeld, H.F. Escobar-Morreale, W. Futterweit, H. Huddleston, R. Lobo, E. Olsen, Female Pattern Hair Loss and Androgen Excess: A Report From the Multidisciplinary Androgen Excess and PCOS Committee, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 104 (2019) 2875–2891. doi:10.1210/jc.2018-02548.
Always consult your GP if you have concerns about hair loss as it may be a sign of an underlying medical problem. This article is not medical advice and PCOS Vitality has not received any commission/sponsorship in relation to these products.
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