10 Types of Drugs That Could Cause Hair Loss

Medications that affect hormone or stress levels in the body can be the culprit for a condition known as drug-induced telogen effluvium, which leads to increased shedding, usually on top of the scalp, a few months after exposure.

Chemotherapy drugs that target rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicles, are commonly associated with hair loss, Saunders says.

If you suspect a prescription drug may be linked to hair loss, consult your doctor immediately: It may be a sign of other health problems. Ask for a referral to a dermatologist. “Dermatologists are extremely important in helping to diagnose hair loss and its causes, suggest potential treatments and know expected outcomes,” says Ashira Blazer, M.D., an assistant professor in the University of Maryland Division of Rheumatology.

How to diagnose hair loss from medications

Determining whether a medication is behind hair loss requires “medical detective work,” says Paradi Mirmirani, M.D., a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center in California. When a patient reports excess shedding (more than 200 hairs per day), changes in medical history and medications over the previous three to four months should be carefully reviewed.

Although no tests can confirm that a medication caused hair loss, a scalp biopsy can help rule out other potential causes. 

Even when a new prescription is a primary suspect, “medication associations with hair shedding and thinning are difficult to identify and confirm,” says Carilyn Wieland, M.D., a dermatologist specializing in hair loss at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Sometimes hair loss can be triggered by a combination of drugs. Or patients may be prescribed a number of medications simultaneously, further confusing the diagnosis. Since it may take weeks or even months after the trigger event for hair loss to begin, it’s often hard to know the exact cause.

Bottom line: Sudden hair loss can be traumatic, but it may be reversible.

Treatment options for hair loss

In some instances, hair loss can be reversed by changing the medication dosage, prescribing the brand-name drug (or an alternative drug), or adding B vitamins or folic acid. Still, even after the source is identified, it could take six months for the hair to begin growing back.

Board-certified dermatologist Danilo C. Del Campo, M.D., from Chicago Skin Clinic, suggests a variety of treatment options:

• Discontinuing or substituting offending medication: If possible, switching to an alternative drug that doesn’t cause hair loss can help. This should only be done under the guidance of the prescribing physician to ensure the underlying condition remains treated.
• Topical treatments: A widely used over-the-counter topical medication, minoxidil, can stimulate hair growth and increase its density when applied directly to the scalp.
• Oral treatments: Typically used for male-pattern baldness, finasteride can be prescribed to reduce follicle miniaturization in specific types of hair loss.
• Injections: Hair growth can be promoted through injectable forms of minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which uses concentrated platelets from a patient’s blood to enhance hair follicle function and stimulate growth.
• Nutritional support: A diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals is crucial for healthy hair. Supplements such as biotin, zinc and iron can help if there is a deficiency. Consult with a nutritionist or dietitian to create a personalized diet plan.
• Healthy lifestyle habits: Eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, exercising regularly and decreasing stress are important for preventing, minimizing or reversing medication-induced hair loss, Mirmirani says.

How to treat hair loss from chemotherapy

“Cold capping is the most effective way to prevent chemotherapy-associated hair loss,” says Jane Lowe Meisel, M.D., an oncologist at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute. It involves wearing a cold cap for a set period before and after an infusion, which constricts blood vessels in the scalp. This reduces blood flow and limits the exposure of hair follicles to chemotherapy drugs, minimizing hair loss.

Know that cold capping is often expensive and usually not covered by insurance. It isn’t foolproof either — patients may still lose some hair but often retain enough to avoid needing a wig.

“Many patients choose not to do cold capping because of the time, [expense], [the] discomfort of wearing them and the uncertainty of results,” Meisel says. Alternatively, insurance will often cover at least part of the cost of a wig.

When chemo is complete, hair usually starts to grow back, and supplements such as biotin or collagen can help speed this process.

“We encourage patients to acknowledge, rather than to suppress, the complicated emotions that come with chemotherapy-associated hair loss, and to help them try to reframe it, instead of as a profound loss, as a part of their journey towards healing,” Meisel says.

Editor's note: This story, originally published July 8, 2024, has been updated.