TLDR The patient's hair loss was likely not caused by beta blockers but possibly by stress or other factors.
The document includes a letter to the editor discussing a case where a patient experienced a sudden marked telogen effluvium, which is a form of temporary hair loss, five months after stopping oral minoxidil and propranolol and starting captopril and labetalol for hypertension. The patient's hair regrew within three months while still on captopril and labetalol. The letter notes that beta blockers like propranolol have been associated with hair loss, but the regrowth of hair while on labetalol suggests that beta blockers were unlikely the cause in this case. Captopril has also been reported to cause reversible hair loss. The patient had body hair growth likely due to oral minoxidil, which is known to cause hypertrichosis in about 70% of patients. The exact mechanism of minoxidil-induced hair growth is not determined, but it is suggested that oral minoxidil might prolong anagen phase in scalp hairs. The author, Elise A. Olsen, M.D., expresses uncertainty about the exact cause of the patient's hair loss but suggests that undisclosed stress might be a potential cause.
95 citations,
December 1980 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Minoxidil helped bald patient regrow hair.
37 citations,
April 1979 in “The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology” Minoxidil effectively controls blood pressure but side effects may limit its use.
102 citations,
September 1977 in “The Lancet” Minoxidil with propranolol and diuretics lowers blood pressure but causes fluid retention and hair growth.
33 citations,
August 1973 in “American Heart Journal” Propranolol can cause reversible hair loss.
July 1987 in “Reactions (Auckland)” Oral minoxidil may slow male pattern baldness and cause body hair growth, but hair loss can happen after stopping it.
9 citations,
January 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” A man lost a lot of scalp hair quickly after stopping minoxidil, but it grew back with mild male pattern baldness.
4 citations,
January 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” A man with both skin lesions and lung cancer improved quickly with chemotherapy, suggesting the skin condition might be a reaction to immune system injury.
January 2019 in “Springer eBooks” Some chemicals and drugs can cause hair loss, which usually grows back after stopping the treatment.
2 citations,
May 2001 in “Current problems in dermatology” The conclusion is that effectively treating hair disorders is difficult due to the complex factors affecting hair growth and more research is needed to improve treatments.
