Progesterone and Female Pattern Hair Losss

by Kelley
(California)

I am 42 yrs old and my hair has been thinning for several years now, but in the last year, I have been experiencing female pattern hair loss.

I did a 3 month stint on prescription bio-identical progesterone cream last year and did notice some regrowth at the back of the crown on my head. I stopped the cream and recently started Natpro. I have been using the Natpro cream for a couple of weeks now. It has helped my night sweats.

I am wondering if the Natpro can affect hair growth, especially female pattern hair loss. Does anyone have experience on this topic? I'm desperate for help! I haven't tried Rogaine, yet, because I'm afraid more hair will fall out and no new hair will grow in. I know when you start using Rogaine, there is a chance of more shedding. Any help or advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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Progesterone and Female Pattern Hair Losss

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Jun 12, 2011
 It's Coming Back In
by: CamperKat

I also started to lose hair in my 40's, after fertility treatments. I went to the Dermo, had a scalp biopsy, which came back as "androgenic alopecia", which is what all MDs say when they really don't know why your hair is falling out--they chalk it up to hereditity. I tried Rogaine. It was disgusting--you have to apply it directly on your scalp 2x per day and leave it on. So my hair always looked dirty and greasy--that lasted about a week, if that. Don't know if it works, because I quit.

But I felt my hair loss was because my endocrine (hormone) system was messed up because of the fertility treatments. So I went to an endocrinologist, who agreed with me--and then put me on a testosterone blocker Spironolactone and a (fake estrogen/progestin) birth control pill called Yasmin--non-stop, without a break. It did keep the hair in my head, and I took them for 5 years, from age 45 to age 50. It didn't seem to re-grow the hair, but it did keep it from falling out further.

Realizing this fake hormone medication was causing all kinds of problems for me (liver, among other things) I quit them cold turkey this December, right before I turned 51 in March. Until I discovered and started using Natpro and other progesterone creams in February, I was suffering greatly from quitting these hormones so suddenly--including some minor hair loss. It was only after I started progesterone cream that I noticed a dramatic hair loss--but from research I learned that this was because my body was withdrawing from the fake hormone meds--and wasn't caused by the progesterone cream. I'd lose about 200 hairs per each shampooing and per each hair brushing--so I'd not want to brush my hair more than 1x per day! The shedding continued at this rate and even seemd to get worse until mid-May, and then it tapered off suddenly. And then I noticed all sorts of 1/4" baby hairs were growing at my temples, and after pawing around my scalp--I saw baby hairs all throughout my head.

So...it took from Feb 10th to mid-May for the begginings of change in my hair to be visible. And since hair grows at about 1/4" per month, I know it will take a year+ for me to see any dramatic difference in scalp coverage. But so far, it's definitiely working.

I suggest NOT using Rogaine, and just continue to give progesterone cream the time it needs to work. It can take 3 months, 6 months and sometimes up to a year for people to get their hormones back on track, so be patient. It will get better.
Jun 15, 2011
 Progesterone and Female Pattern Hair Losss
by: Wray

Hi Kelley Hair loss has baffled researchers for years, there are now dozens of theories. Plus many, many studies have been done, but as yet no one knows why it occurs. Although a few causes have been found, they don't cover the majority of cases. The ones which stand out for me are excess testosterone, insulin resistance, stress and a lack of blood flow to the hair follicle which prevents nutrients reaching the growing shaft. Each month women make more testosterone than oestrogen, but luckily most of it is converted to oestrogen. The enzyme aromatase effects the conversion, but as we get older this conversion seems to slow. So we end up with more testosterone than needed, hence the scalp hair loss and facial hair women in peri-menopause and menopause experience. In fact the menopausal ovary is an androgen producing organ, see here. Another conversion takes place, this is governed by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is implicated in alopecia. Progesterone inhibits 5 alpha-reductase activity by 97 +/- 5.3%, see here. I recommend 100-200mg/day, this is generally sufficient to suppress any excess testosterone or oestrogen. Both these hormones can cause Insulin Resistance, implicated in hair loss. Stress causes hair loss, progesterone is very calming, thus reducing the stress response, see our page on Anxiety. Progesterone is a vasodilator, plus it prevents platelets aggregating, so enhancing blood flow. This would allow nutrients to get where they are needed. In fact this is the reason minoxidil is given, as it's also a vasodilator. Oestrogen on the other hand causes clotting, and constricts the smooth muscle found in blood vessels. Please see these further papers here, here and here. I'm running out of space, so will open a new comment below. Take care Wray
Jun 15, 2011
 Progesterone and Female Pattern Hair Losss
by: Wray

Hi Kelley There are a number of nutrients which help hair growth, please consider taking 5000iu's/day vitamin D, 2000mg/day N-actyl cysteine, 2000mg/day inositol, 2-3mg biotin and 100mg thiamine (B1). Please check your iron levels, and there is some evidence the amino acid lysine is beneficial too, see here. Vitamin D is vital for the anagen phase of hair growth, see here, here and here. Please consider having a test done, for more info see the Vitamin D council and GrassrootsHealth websites. Before increasing the amount of progesterone you are using, please read our page on Oestrogen Dominance first.
Jun 15, 2011
 It's Coming Back In
by: Wray

Hi again CamperKat And thanks once again for the excellent feedback! I will definitely save this page to give to others with the same problem. I see I have another query just come in on the same topic. I have done a web page on hair loss, but it's not quite finished yet. Obviously I need to! Thanks for pointing out how slowly hair grows, so many don't realise this, and think it will grow out overnight. Very relieved you stopped the minoxidil, it's an anti-hypertensive medication, it works by dilating the blood vessels. But as progesterone does this, and more, it's far safer to use. Besides it has no adverse side effects, as does the minoxidil. Take care Wray
Aug 20, 2011
 Same experience with Hair Loss
by: Jillian

Hi there,
At the age of 34, I have experienced the same issues with hair loss (my most problematic symptom),anxiety, insomnia, head-aches. I am confused as to how much progesterone is needed and how often. Do you use 200mg daily or do you use as the directions on the site give which correlates with when you start ovulating on day 14 of your cycle?

I was given a prescription for 200mg daily (capsule form)to take daily until the first day of my period. After looking at your site I am wondering if I should be using the cream form and how often? I did purchase the Natpro but am unsure how to use it. Can you advise?

Thanks!
Aug 21, 2011
 hair loss
by: Anonymous

Hello. When you recommend 100-200 daily does that mean every day with no break? I have been reading that you are supposed to have a break each month.
Feb 08, 2012
 Email sent
by: Wray

Hi Camperkat I do hope you get this, but I have sent you an email in reply to your concerns about repeated questions! I'm going to put this message on some of the other pages you made comments on in the hopes you get it. Please look in your junk box, it might be there. Would love your suggestions! Take care Wray

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