28-Year-Old Female with Diffuse Thinning of the Scalp After Isotretinoin and Oral Contraceptives

The document discusses the challenges in diagnosing drug-induced alopecia due to the need for a detailed patient history and understanding of hair growth cycling. It highlights that while drug-induced alopecia is often reversible upon stopping the offending drug, this isn't always a viable option for life-saving and long-term use drugs. The emotional and psychological impact of hair loss also poses serious risks to patient well-being and drug regimen compliance. For chemotherapy-induced alopecia, several targeted therapies exist with promising results such as scalp cooling. Topical and oral minoxidil may be used in those experiencing a drug-induced cause of telogen effluvium. More recent therapies focus on the use of growth factors such as VEGF and keratinocyte growth factor. Despite limited evidence-based therapies for the treatment of drug-induced alopecia, there is a high degree of interest in the field for continued investigations into new treatments.