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As strong as a woman’s body is, the delicate nature of our existence can be thrown off from something as minute as eating too much candy. So when it comes to making bigger decisions about what goes into our bodies on a daily basis, we have to weigh the effects a little bit more especially when it comes to contraceptives. Daily contraceptives for women play a huge role in our lives. But if taking a pill every day or getting a shot every couple of months is not your cup of tea then an IUD, or an intrauterine device is your next best bet. The safest way to pick a contraceptive for you is to speak with your doctor and evaluate which choice would be work for you. Currently, there are two types of IUDs available in the US: Mirena and Paraguard. Once you have decided that an IUD will be the optimal contraceptive your doctor will ask you to giddy up into the stirrups for the insertion.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, IUDs work one of two ways.
- Prevent implantation by altering the cervical mucus lining of the uterine wall
- Cervical mucus from the IUD kills the sperm and prevents fertilization
The IUDs that are inserted into your body are made of copper. No need to fret, you won’t slowly turn into the Tin (Wo”>Man or in this case, the Copper Woman, but there are adverse side effects that should be taken into consideration. These include but are not limited to migraines, weight gain, and hair loss. Many women report changes in curl patterns and overall hair health which can be attributed to a buildup of copper in your body on top of the natural copper that may be found in foods like your favorite dark chocolate or handy snacks like cashews.
Copper buildup, or copper toxicity, is what happens when your body is having a hard time getting rid of the extra copper in your body as a result of your IUD or any other extra copper. The issue is often overlooked in women because it is very hard to detect; however, an excessive amount of copper can affect our nervous, skeletal, circulatory, and reproductive systems. Too much copper can even lead to changes in personality.
You hair is one of the first things to react to any changes in your body, so if you notice there are changes after a recent IUD insertion, talk to your doctor about what you are experiencing. In the meantime, reducing your intake of foods with high copper may help protect your hair.
IUDs and daily contraceptives are common and some women may not experience any side effects at all. It is important to do your research and speak with your doctor, because making the right choices for ourselves will be the key to our own reproductive and hair health.
Have you experienced changes in your hair after an IUD insertion?
You can learn more about how your hormones affect hair loss here.
This post has been updated for clarity since published in 2015.
