Hair Balding and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Frederick R. Jelovsek MD "Could you please give more information on polycystic ovarian syndrome? I want to become pregnant but of course I am starting to bald. Everything I read states I better get treatment before it really goes bad. Neither my parents nor any of my 3 older brothers are balding in the crown area, so may I ask where on what side of genetics does this come from? My primary MD answers that it is probably my (testosterone) level which is 102. Background: I am 34, irregular menses after off of the BCP after 9 years and never traumatic alopecia women balding pattern hair loss had a problem with periods prior. I started back on BCPs due to balding. I have been off BCPs for 14 months only. My basic question is... how have I inherited the PCOS and the baldness". anonymous Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is often considered a symptom rather than a disease. In other words, many conditions that inhibit ovulation can cause the ovaries to appear polycystic and to secrete more androgens (testosterone) than normal. On the other hand, this condition often seems to run in families so it must represent a specific genetic disease in some instances. Suffice it to say that PCOS may have multiple causes, and at women s hair loss women balding pattern hair loss least sometimes there is a genetic inherited cause, but not always. PCOS, originally described under the name of Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is often associated with excess body hair growth (hirsutism), obesity, non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. Current concepts are that the obesity is either a cause or a result of insulin resistance and that the high insulin levels in turn cause excess androgen production in the ovary. This is based on the fact that: administration of insulin to women with PCOS increases androgens administration of glucose to women with PCOS increases both insulin and androgens weight loss decreases the levels of both insulin and androgens in male pattern baldness scalp women balding pattern hair loss test
