Drug-Associated Alopecia

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.