TLDR Tacrolimus can cause hair loss in kidney transplant patients.
The document reported two cases of renal transplant recipients who experienced hair loss after being treated with tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug. In both cases, the patients were switched from tacrolimus to cyclosporine, another immunosuppressant, due to their concerns about hair loss. The first case involved a 26-year-old man who regained a full head of hair three years after the switch, while the second case involved a 37-year-old woman who began recovering hair growth six months after the change. The authors suggested that the hair loss was likely due to the steroid prednisolone, which was part of the immunosuppressive regimen, and that the switch to cyclosporine, despite its known side effect of hirsutism, was beneficial for these patients. This study highlighted the potential for tacrolimus to cause hair loss, a side effect not widely documented at the time.
20 citations
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July 2009 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” 
12 citations
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November 1996 in “Australasian journal of dermatology” A kidney transplant patient on cyclosporin experienced unexpected severe hair loss, which improved with treatment adjustments.
20 citations
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June 1985 in “Toxicologic Pathology” Some steroid-induced health issues in rodents improved after stopping treatment, but hair loss and eye problems did not.
July 2018 in “Elsevier eBooks” Some drugs can cause reversible hair loss, but certain chemotherapy drugs may lead to permanent hair loss; drugs can also change hair color and texture.
October 2024 in “Journal of Education Health and Sport” Alopecia areata treatment should be personalized, using topical or systemic therapies based on severity, with promising options like JAK inhibitors needing more research.
A patient's gum problems worsened after using cyclosporine for a scalp condition, but improved with a lower dose.
August 2024 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” Cyclosporine may cause hair loss, so patients need monitoring.
134 citations
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July 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” Hair follicles are normally protected from the immune system, but when this protection fails, it can cause hair loss in alopecia areata.
