Is Your Medication Causing Hair Loss?
Thousands of people have experienced excessive hair loss and shedding as a result of various medications. This often-overlooked side effect can be emotionally devastating and, in some cases, irreversible. Hair loss can occur whether starting, stopping, or consistently taking a medication, making the risk something everyone should be aware of. Many commonly prescribed medications—such as those for blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid disorders, depression and many other types,—can significantly disrupt the hair’s natural growth cycle, leading to progressive hair loss over time. These drugs can interfere with the anagen (growth) phase of the hair follicle, either shortening its duration or prematurely shifting hairs into the telogen (resting) or catagen (transition) phase. For example, beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors used for hypertension, statins for cholesterol, and certain antidepressants can all alter hormonal balance or nutrient absorption critical for healthy follicle activity. Thyroid medications, when dosed incorrectly, can also disturb metabolic and hormonal equilibrium, further impacting hair regeneration. Even if you’ve been on the correct dosage, once the anagen growth cycle has been interrupted or becomes unhealthy, it can lead to ongoing and progressive hair loss—unless the underlying hair loss issue is properly identified and treated.
The Pill and Hair Loss: Understanding the Connection
Since approval by the FDA in 1960, oral contraception (the Pill) has become one of the most popular forms of birth control used today. Millions of women are prescribed the Pill each year in this country, but very few are aware that oral contraceptives are a common trigger of hair loss.
The Pill suppresses ovulation by the combined actions of the hormones estrogen and progestin, or in some cases progestin alone. Women who are predisposed to hormonal-related hair loss, or who are hypersensitive to the hormonal changes taking place in their bodies, can have hair loss to varying degrees while on the Pill or, more commonly, several weeks or months after stopping the Pill
Oral Contraceptives and Hair Loss: What You Need to Know
The American Hair Loss Association (ALHA) recognizes that for the most part oral contraceptives are a safe and effective form of birth control. It also recognizes that the Pill has been clinically proven to have other health benefits for some women who use them. However, the AHLA believes that it is imperative for all women — especially for those who have a history of Hair Loss in their family — to be aware of the potentially devastating effects birth control pills can have on normal hair growth.
