Pregnancy and hormonal contraceptives can cause temporary hair loss on the scalp and increased hair growth on the face and body.
November 2025 in “Contraception” COC use doesn't increase hair stress hormone levels, but hair treatments may affect results.
March 2007 in “Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada” Birth control pills slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, especially if used before the first full-term pregnancy.
Contraceptives may affect hair growth due to estrogen, with effects varying by individual.
83 citations
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December 2012 in “International journal of endocrinology and metabolism/International journal of endocrinology and metabolism.” Oral contraceptives provide various health benefits beyond birth control, including managing menstrual issues, skin conditions, pain, and reducing the risk of certain cancers.
74 citations
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December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Leuprolide plus estrogen is more effective than oral contraceptives for reducing hirsutism.
62 citations
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December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Combining a GnRH agonist with a low-dose oral contraceptive is more effective and safer for treating hirsutism than using either alone.
57 citations
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January 1995 in “The American journal of medicine” Oral contraceptives help treat hyperandrogenic disorders, improving symptoms like excessive hair and acne.
42 citations
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July 1982 in “PubMed” Loestrin effectively normalizes testosterone levels and improves PCOS symptoms with minimal side effects.
41 citations
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February 1970 in “Archives of Dermatology” Oral contraceptives can cause skin issues like dark patches, acne, yeast infections, sensitivity to light, spider veins, skin rashes, and hair loss.
36 citations
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November 1995 in “Clinical endocrinology” Low-dose flutamide helps reduce excessive hair growth and is even more effective with birth control, without bad effects on blood fats.
30 citations
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January 1998 in “Dermatology” Birth control pills and cyproterone acetate can help treat acne in women, especially when linked to hormonal issues.
25 citations
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August 1989 in “Seminars in reproductive medicine” Birth control pills are effective for treating women with too much male hormone.
22 citations
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January 1995 in “The American Journal of Medicine” Newer low-dose oral contraceptives with less androgenic effects improve patient compliance.
20 citations
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November 2015 in “International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics” Both contraceptive pill doses effectively reduced androgen levels in women with PCOS.
20 citations
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December 1994 in “Fertility and sterility” Flutamide combined with a low-dose birth control pill effectively reduces excessive hair growth in women with polycystic ovarian disease.
18 citations
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March 2010 in “Gynecologic and obstetric investigation” The oral contraceptive alone is the preferred treatment for hirsutism, as adding the GnRH analog showed no significant benefit.
16 citations
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July 2002 in “JOGC/Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada” Birth control pills can help reduce mild to moderate acne in women.
16 citations
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August 1967 in “JAMA” Oral contraceptives may cause hair loss in women.
11 citations
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October 1986 in “International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics” The contraceptive reduced hair growth and altered hormone levels in hirsute women.
11 citations
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January 1980 in “PubMed” Oral contraceptives can cause nausea, headaches, mood changes, and other side effects, especially early on.
10 citations
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January 1967 in “PubMed” Oral contraceptives often cause melasma and other skin issues.
7 citations
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August 2020 in “Health and Quality of Life Outcomes” Birth control pills containing cyproterone acetate improve the quality of life more for women with polycystic ovary syndrome after 6 months of use.
7 citations
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August 2019 in “Journal of Ovarian Research” Blood removal and birth control pills both helped with hormone levels in women with PCOS, but birth control was better for regular periods and blood removal had fewer side effects.
3 citations
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May 2021 in “PloS one” Many men misuse oral contraceptive pills for things like hair growth and muscle gain.
3 citations
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January 1985 in “PubMed” Hormonal birth control can cause skin issues, but low-dose options and those with antiandrogens may reduce these effects.
3 citations
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June 1981 in “PubMed” Taking hormonal contraceptives can cause skin changes, including hair loss, due to the effects of synthetic sex hormones.
2 citations
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February 2023 in “BMC women's health” Birth control pills change the activity of certain inflammation and blood clotting genes in women with PCOS.
2 citations
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March 1976 in “PubMed” Neogynon effectively prevents pregnancy but may cause side effects like headaches and menstrual changes.
1 citations
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September 2025 in “International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology” Ecklonia cava improves the effectiveness of Diane-35 in managing PCOS symptoms.