What is drug-induced alopecia?
Specialists have distinguished between three major categories of drug-induced hair loss:
- Diffuse hair loss occurring two to four months after the beginning of treatment and which is fully reversible once treatment is stopped.
- Anagen effluvium leads to sudden hair loss, with diffuse alopecia affecting up to 80% of the hair. It is observed primarily following the administration of cancer treatments (chemotherapy or exposure of the head and neck to radiation therapy).
- Hair loss due to androgenizing treatments that can aggravate baldness, in which case hair loss is irreversible.
Drug-induced alopecia: what are the contributing medications and treatments?
Always ask your doctor about the known side effects before starting a medication.