Common prescription and over-the-counter drugs could be secretly fueling your hair loss, a doctor has warned.
Anti-depressants, blood thinners and anti-acne creams taken by tens of millions can cause alopecia, the medical term for hair loss, or cause hair follicles to shut down.
While hair loss is natural as people age, particularly for men, Dr Zain Hasan, a Los Angeles-based anesthetist, said five common medications could be speeding this up.
Dr Hasan warned his 636,000 followers on social media: ‘If you want to keep your hair, you wanna know about these five medications.’
He added in a TikTok video: ‘These five medications, if you don’t know yourself I know you know someone that’s taking it.’
The first on his list was the antidepressant Wellbutrin, a prescription drug that boosts feel good hormones in the brain to raise someone’s mood.
Pictured above is Dr Zain Hasan, from Los Angeles, who made the list
A mother-of-four uploaded these images to TikTok, saying that her hair started to fall out after she used Wellbutrin
Research has shown, however, that the drug can also cause hair loss in both male and female patients.
A 2018 study that compared 1million new users on nine common antidepressants found those on bupropion (brand name, Wellbutrin) were the most likely to suffer from hair loss.
And people have also reported the side effect anecdotally online, saying it was ‘terrifying’ and left them ‘not even wanting to leave my apartment’.
Around one one in 1,000 patients suffer from the side effect (or 29,000 out of the 29million who take the drug annually).
Doctors suggest that the dopamine surge caused by the drug may also trigger hair follicles to shift into the resting phase of their growth cycle, halting further hair growth and causing hair loss over time.
Next on Dr Hasan’s list were certain types of retinoid drugs that people take for acne, such as Accutane, or isotretinoin.
Prescribed to more than one million people in the US a year, Dr Hasan said hair loss was rare with these drugs — but could happen to those taking a higher dose.
A 2022 study on 565 people taking isotretinoin for acne found that about six percent of those on a high dose reported hair loss, compared to 3.2 percent of those on a low dose. Patients were about 22 years old on average.
ACCUTANE: The above woman posted on Reddit about her hair loss while using the anti-acne drug. She is pictured three months into taking the drug (left) and 10 months after she stopped taking the drug
The woman also shared this image in August 2021, which is when she said she was at the peak of her hair loss while on the drug
A separate study also from 2022 warned that patients taking isotretinoin who were older, had stronger doses or had long treatment durations were more likely to have hair loss.
Retinol creams used to ease acne and slow aging, available both over-the-counter and on prescription, could also cause hair loss in some cases, doctors say.
Dr Michele Green, a dermatologist in New York City, previously told InStyle: ‘You can experience sensitivity, redness and irritation… resulting in hair loss or thinning.’
She added: ‘If you have a sensitive scalp, you should stay clear of using any form of retinol on your scalp.’
Scientists suggest that Accutane and similar drugs may cause hair loss because they can cause hair to shed prematurely. Hair loss due to the drugs is not usually permanent and can be reversed by stopping the drugs.
The most common side effects from them include skin redness, an itching, burning or stinging sensation on the scalp and peeling or chapped skin.
Next on Dr Hasan’s list were anticoagulants, or blood-thinners, such as Eliquis, Warfarin and Heparin which are taken by up to 18million people per year.
Hair loss usually starts two to four months after first taking the drug.
AFTER ACCUTANE: This individual said Accutane led to hair loss. Posting online, he said it ‘ruined my hair’ and ‘made me depressed’
The above image shows his hair before he started taking Accutane
A 2016 study reporting that there were 4.4 events per 100 patient years among those on Eliquis or other anticoagulants.
In another 2021 study on Warfarin, researchers wrote: ‘Warfarin therapy is a rare cause of alopecia but should be considered in patients on long-term anticoagulation when other diagnoses have been excluded.
‘Hair loss has a profoundly negative impact on patient quality of life and should prompt investigation to determine the underlying cause.’
The drugs work by blocking an enzyme used to make clotting factors in the blood, reducing the risk that a blood clot will form.
Doctors suggest these drugs cause hair loss because they can trigger hair follicles to enter the ‘resting phase’ of their growth cycle, arresting hair growth. Hair loss from these drugs does not tend to be permanent.
The fourth drug on Dr Hasan’s list was beta blockers like metoprolol, brand name Lopressor, a prescription medication that helps to treat high blood pressure.
Taken by more than 26million Americans per year, the prescription drugs work by blocking the effects of hormones like adrenaline — causing the heart to beat more slowly and lowering blood pressure.
But there are rare reports of patients suffering from hair loss while on the drug, which tends to start two to five months after taking it.
Dr Kristianne Hannemann, a pharmacist in California, said previously on Drugs.com: ‘Hair loss was not a commonly-reported side effect during clinical trials of metoprolol.
WARFARIN AND BUPROPION: This woman revealed her hair loss after taking the blood thinning and antidepressant drug. The left is June 2023, and right is January 2024. Bupropion is the active drug in Wellbutrin
‘However, rare reports of reversible hair loss have been reported by patients taking it. After stopping the medication, hair grows back again.’
Common side effects of the medication include tiredness, dizziness, depression and shortness of breath, doctors say. It is likely that this drug causes hair loss because it interferes with the hair growth cycle.
The final drug on Dr Hasan’s list was the cancer treatment tamoxifen, brand name Nolvadex, which is used to battle breast cancer in men and women.
About one in three people who take the drug suffer from hair loss, which doctors say occurs because the drug lowers estrogen levels in the body — interfering with the hair’s cycle.
The hair loss becomes noticeable about six months to two years after starting on the drug, says non-profit Breastcancer.org.
About 900,000 prescriptions for the drug are written every year, which works by slowing the growth of breast cancer.
Chemotherapy drugs have also been linked to hair loss, including those for breast cancer. Stats suggest about 65 percent of people on chemotherapy drugs experience hair loss.
Dr Hasan also mentioned other drugs that anecdotal reports have linked to hair loss, including drugs like Ozempic.
He said patients should consult with their doctor before considering discontinuing using a prescription drug.
