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Chapter 8: Drugs That Can Cause Hair Loss Cow Hollow San Francisco, CA: Hair Doc

what medications cause hair loss

Men who take certain hormones are also susceptible to temporary and permanent hair loss. Anabolic steroids for muscle-building and testosterone replacement therapy, which is often used to treat low testosterone, have both been linked to hair loss in males. Anagen effluvium is sometimes referred to as chemotherapy-induced alopecia as it can be triggered by medications typically used to treat cancer. Some of these include antimetabolites, alkylating agents, and mitotic inhibitors.

Know What You’re Taking

Each hair strand goes through a cycle of growth, transition, and rest. The growth phase is called anagen and can last from a few months to a few years. Hair loss may occur as a side effect of certain medications that interfere with hair growth or cause hair to shed. However, it may take up to 18 months for a person’s hair to recover cosmetically.

FDA looking into reports of hair loss, suicidal thoughts in people using popular drugs for diabetes and weight loss - CNN

FDA looking into reports of hair loss, suicidal thoughts in people using popular drugs for diabetes and weight loss.

Posted: Thu, 04 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

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Can Drugs Like Ozempic, Wegovy Cause Hair Loss, Suicidal Ideation? - Health.com

Can Drugs Like Ozempic, Wegovy Cause Hair Loss, Suicidal Ideation?.

Posted: Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

For the purposes of this article, we use “male” and “female” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth. Basically, when this cycle is disrupted, hair falls out without being regenerated. In most cases, this is a gradual process, though it can set on more quickly in some people. If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911. People can buy minoxidil, or Rogaine, over the counter (OTC) and apply it topically to the scalp. Surgical procedures to treat baldness are not usually covered by insurance.

Risk factors

Finasteride is not safe individuals who are pregnant or nursing, females of childbearing age, or children. Although the cohort was much smaller — 126 males in total — over 85% saw an improvement after using finasteride for 5 years. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) states that spironolactone may take up to 6 months to produce results. A person should consider the advantages and disadvantages of minoxidil before trying it. If you decide to style your hair with heated tools, only do so when your hair is dry and use the lowest settings possible. These patches, sometimes called a kerion, can cause scarring as well.

what medications cause hair loss

Yolanda graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of South Australia and has experience working in both Australia and Italy. She is passionate about how medicine, diet and lifestyle affect our health and enjoys helping people understand this. In her spare time she loves to explore the world and learn about new cultures and languages. Some medications, such as finasteride and spironolactone, are only available with a doctor’s prescription.

Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance present in all tobacco products and some e-cigarette liquids. However, using nicotine and products containing nicotine can affect various systems and cause harm throughout the body. Finally, keep in mind that the same healthy habits recommended for maintaining your physical health will also help your hair.

She had kidney disease, endured regular dialysis and had undergone an aggressive medical regimen after doctors discovered blood clots. Other mood stabilizers, such as lithium, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and bupropion may also cause hair loss. Hair loss can be severe and sudden, affecting a lot of hair at once. Sometimes, hair can be easily plucked out, and it may look different. Remember, never stop taking a medication without discussing it with your doctor.

Before pursuing hair loss treatment, talk with your doctor about the cause of your hair loss and treatment options. This is not a comprehensive list of medications that may cause hair loss. For more information, please consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist. This cause of hair loss can be challenging to identify, given the delay between the trigger and the onset of hair loss. During this phase, the hair follicle shrinks, and hair growth slows down. This article will cover medications that can cause hair loss, why it happens, and tips on preventing, stopping, or reversing this effect.

Each patch of hair has one to several hairs (micrografts and minigrafts). Sometimes a larger strip of skin containing multiple hair groupings is taken. This procedure doesn't require hospitalization, but it is painful so you'll be given a sedation medicine to ease any discomfort.

For hair loss that occurs during the anagen phase, such as from cancer treatment, hair may grow back in 2–6 months after finishing treatment. However, a person may notice a change in texture, color, and thickness of their hair. Or patients may be prescribed a number of medications simultaneously, further confusing the diagnosis. Since it may take weeks or even months after the trigger event for hair loss to begin, it’s often hard to know the exact cause. The good news is that hair loss from drugs is usually reversible and non-scarring. The only way to know that a medication is the cause of hair loss is to stop it for at least three months and see if hair grows back.

what medications cause hair loss

In the type of patchy hair loss known as alopecia areata, hair loss occurs suddenly and usually starts with one or more circular bald patches that may overlap. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 1 Apr 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 21 Apr 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Apr 2024) and others. Most of the time, the hair loss is reversible, with hair resuming growth a few months after stopping or reducing the medication. Some blood pressure medications have been known to cause hair loss.

If you think your hair is thinning or you’re shedding excessively, one of the first places you can look for answers might be your medicine cabinet. There are several telehealth companies offering hair loss medications. The table below compares each of the hair loss medications in this article. Whatever the cause of your hair loss, seeking medical attention from your primary care doctor or a dermatologist can help you identify underlying causes.

With telogen effluvium, hair loss may not be severe and may not affect much hair. Usually, the hair loss goes away on its own without any treatment. There's good news though, as these changes in your hair are typically reversible once you stop taking the drug that’s causing them.

Anagen effluvium is hair loss that occurs during the anagen phase of the hair cycle, when the hairs are actively growing. It prevents the matrix cells, which produce new hairs, from dividing normally. This type of hair loss usually occurs within a few days to weeks after taking the medication. Chemotherapy drug treatment almost always causes hair loss because the drugs target rapidly dividing cells typical of cancer. The cells in a hair follicle that produce the hair shaft also divide rapidly, and actively producing hair follicles are shut down by chemotherapy drugs. This type of hair loss is called anagen effluvium, and it is characterized by relatively sudden and massive hair shedding.

Some medications can cause hair loss because they interfere with the normal cycle of scalp hair growth. Healthy hair growth will occur at a rate of roughly 0.35 millimeters per day, which is roughly half of an inch per month. In addition, most healthy men and women will have between 80,000 and 120,000 terminal hairs on their scalp. Drugs cause hair loss by interfering with the normal cycle of scalp hair growth.

In rare cases, the hair will stay thin even after treatment has been stopped. Some chemotherapy patients wear a wig or hat to hide their hair loss until their hair grows back. Drug-induced hair loss, like any other type of hair loss, can have a real effect on your self-esteem.

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Hair Loss Alopecia: Causes, Symptoms, and Regrowth Options

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