Carbamazepine-Induced Hair Loss: A Case Report

In 1985, a case report detailed an 8½-year-old girl who experienced hair loss after being treated with carbamazepine for headaches and multifocal epilepsy. The hair loss began within a week of starting the medication and continued until the drug was discontinued, after which hair regrowth commenced. Notably, the serum concentration of carbamazepine during treatment was below the therapeutic range (4.7 µg/ml compared to the therapeutic range of 8-12 µg/ml). This case was significant as it was the first reported instance of hair loss associated with carbamazepine therapy, with no similar reports found in the literature at that time. The authors concluded that hair loss should be considered a dermatologic adverse reaction to carbamazepine, as evidenced by the reversal of hair loss upon cessation of the drug.