Drug-Associated Alopecia

March 1995 in “ International Journal of Dermatology ”

P. Pillans, David Woods

anagen effluvium telogen effluvium androgenic alopecia antineoplastic agents antithyroid drugs beta-blockers tricyclic antidepressants valproic acid naproxen ibuprofen chemotherapy drugs thyroid medication blood pressure medication antidepressants Depakote Aleve Advil

Studysummary Some drugs can cause hair loss, and stopping these drugs often leads to hair regrowth.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The 1995 review discussed drug-induced hair loss, distinguishing between anagen effluvium, rapid hair loss from antineoplastic agents, and telogen effluvium, delayed hair loss from premature follicle resting. It also mentioned androgenic alopecia, worsened by certain drugs. Diagnosis involves assessing the drug-hair loss relationship and improvement after drug discontinuation. The review noted the difficulty in establishing causality due to inadequate documentation and confounding factors. Various drugs were associated with alopecia, including antineoplastic agents, antithyroid drugs, beta-blockers, and others. Recovery after stopping the drug and recurrence upon rechallenge suggest a causal relationship. Specific patient numbers were not provided, but cases and patient series were mentioned. The review also reported alopecia with tricyclic antidepressants and valproic acid, and questioned the causal association with other drugs like naproxen and ibuprofen, where alopecia could be due to other factors.

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