There is a hairy little secret no on in the pharmaceutical industry wants to discuss. A surprising number of popular medications can cause hair loss, but all the drug companies want to talk about is hair growth.
Clearly hair loss is an emotional; issue. Until recently, dermatologists believed nothing could be done for male pattern baldness (alopecia). Now that is all changed. However, few drug industry spokespeople ever mentioned that many prescription drugs may cause hair to thin, and doctors rarely mention baldness as a potential side effect. Many physicians don’t realize it is possible. When patients discover through their own experience that their medicine makes their hair fall out, the emotional consequences can be devastating. Baldness is a well-known consequence of many cancer chemotherapy medications. When treating potentially life threatening diseases. Most people are willing to put up with temporary hair loss. But in less dire circumstances – for example hypertension or elevated cholesterol – most people would prefer to be forewarned that their drugs might thin their hair. Medications occasionally reported to be associated with hair loss include oral contraceptives, blood thinners, seizure medications, male hormones (anabolic steroids), and vitamin-A derived drugs. Drug industry spokespeople may not mention baldness as a side effect of common medications, but don’t overlook this upsetting possibility.