Female Hair Loss from Ortho Evra?

I’ve been getting an increased amount of emails from women that are experiencing hair loss and are under the belief that it could be their birth control. Although I have discussed various birth control pills and hair loss in the past, it is worth posting again for new readers. Here’s one recent email…

I am a 24 year old female. I took Ortho Evra for about 4 years, until I realized that i was experiencing many of the side effects (I had no idea they were all related to the medication). One of the most troubling is the rate and the amount of hair I have lost. I have been off the patch for about a year now..and my hair keeps falling out (patches on a daily basis). Apart from cold medicine, I dont take any medications, and I just don’t know what to do to get my hair back. Please, please tell me there is something i can do. Please help me, i am so scared!!!

First off, you should have your hair mapped out for miniaturization as part of the work-up for female hair loss to evaluate and quantify the degree and distribution of miniaturized hairs which may indicate genetic hair loss characteristics and patterns.

Hair loss in women can sometimes be caused by underlying medical conditions, so it is important for you to be evaluated by your own physician before we proceed. If clinically appropriate, the following disease processes should be considered: anemia, thyroid disease, connective tissue disease, gynecological conditions and emotional stress. It is also important to review the use of medications that can cause hair loss, such as oral contraceptives, beta-blockers, Vitamin A, thyroid drugs, coumadin and prednisone. The following laboratory tests are often useful if underlying problems are suspected: Estradiol, FSH, LH, SHBG, Prolactin, T4, TSH, ANA, Iron, TIBC, Ferritin, Free and Total Testosterone. Any family doctor can do this.

You started off asking about Ortho Evra, so I might answer that this drug can cause hair loss, as well as increased facial or body hair growth (hirsutism). It seems that you can not win with any drug.