Hair Changes Due to Drugs

July 2018 in “ Elsevier eBooks ”

Bianca Maria Piraccini, Michela Starace, Aurora Alessandrini

anagen effluvium telogen effluvium chemotherapy scalp cooling calcitriol minoxidil targeted cancer therapies anticoagulants antihypertensives interferons retinoids antiretrovirals oral contraceptives hypertrichosis Rogaine

Studysummary This study reviews drug-induced hair changes, noting that hair loss often reverses after stopping the drug, but permanent alopecia cases post-chemotherapy are rising.

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

The document from 2019 reviews how various drugs can cause hair loss, including anagen effluvium and telogen effluvium, which are typically reversible after stopping the medication. It emphasizes the role of clinical evaluation in diagnosing drug-induced hair changes. Chemotherapy is noted for causing hair loss, with regrowth usually occurring 3-6 months post-treatment, although the incidence and permanence of hair loss can vary based on the chemotherapy agent and patient factors. Scalp cooling and agents like calcitriol and minoxidil are mentioned as potential treatments for chemotherapy-induced alopecia, but require more research. Other drugs, such as targeted cancer therapies, anticoagulants, antihypertensives, interferons, retinoids, antiretrovirals, oral contraceptives, and drugs affecting the nervous system, can also lead to hair loss, which is generally reversible. However, permanent alopecia can occur, particularly with certain chemotherapy drugs. The document also discusses drug-induced changes in hair color, texture, and cases of hypertrichosis, highlighting the importance of awareness of these side effects for patient management.

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Research cited in this study

38 / 38 results

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31 citations , March 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study observed various patterns of permanent alopecia in breast cancer patients treated with taxanes and adjuvant hormonal chemotherapy, hypothesizing disruptions in hair follicle cycles due to chemoinflammatory and hormonal factors.

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This proposal reviews current knowledge and suggests actions for managing chemotherapy‐induced alopecia but reports no new clinical results, highlighting the need for evidence‐based guidelines.

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Timolol eye-drops can cause hair loss.

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8 citations , June 2016 in “Journal of Pharmacy Practice”

This case report suggests that lisinopril may cause alopecia, which resolved after the patient switched to losartan potassium.

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In this study, researchers found that targeted therapies for metastatic melanoma often cause hair and nail side effects, with hair changes more common in patients treated with BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib.

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This review discusses the potential link between direct oral anticoagulants and hair loss, suggesting DOACs may not be a suitable alternative for patients with alopecia from traditional anticoagulants; however, no clinical results are reported.

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This letter to the editor describes a case of anagen effluvium due to thallium poisoning from Chinese herbal medicine and rodenticide but reports no new research findings.

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This article discusses the history taking and clinical examination process for diagnosing alopecia and outlines a diagnostic approach, noting that it reports no new clinical results.

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This study found that scalp cooling significantly reduced the risk of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in breast cancer patients, while topical minoxidil and other interventions did not show significant efficacy.

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This case report describes repigmentation and curling of hair in a patient undergoing acitretin therapy.

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This review discusses the pathobiology of chemotherapy-induced alopecia and highlights challenges in managing it, reporting no new clinical results and emphasizing the need for well-designed preclinical models to develop effective treatments.

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9 citations , November 2012 in “Hepatology Research”

This case study reports the first instance of irreversible alopecia universalis occurring during pegylated interferon-ribavirin therapy in a man with hepatitis C infection, without evidence of immunological or thyroid disorders.

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54 citations , September 2012 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

This review discusses possible medication-induced hair loss and the need to exclude other confounding factors like stress and illness; it reports no new clinical findings and emphasizes careful assessment before attributing hair loss to medications.

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68 citations , May 2012 in “Annals of Oncology”

This study reports that permanent and severe alopecia is a newly identified complication of the FEC 100–docetaxel regimen used for adjuvant breast cancer treatment.

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3 citations , April 2012 in “Osteoporosis International”

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36 citations , January 2012 in “Dermatology”

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Erlotinib may cause scarring hair loss.

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This article discusses a unique case of permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia in a patient receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer, characterized by a distinctive histologic finding and excludes bone marrow transplantation, but reports no new clinical results.

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Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause permanent hair loss in stem cell transplant patients.

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This article reviews drug-induced hair changes, highlighting that while many drugs are occasionally linked to hair loss, this connection has been conclusively established for only a few, and such hair loss is typically reversible.

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