Medications That Cause Hair Loss in Females

If you’ve ever seen a commercial for basically any medication, the laundry list of side effects is almost comical. But the truth is, medications are necessary for some serious conditions, in which case the side effects might be a worthwhile trade-off.

As far as medication side effects go, hair loss isn’t as bad as it could be (some medications literally cite death as a side effect). And thankfully, it’s not a common side effect of most medications.

Still, if you’re taking a medication that can cause hair loss, it can feel like a big problem for your scalp and confidence. The good news is that hair loss due to medication is almost always reversible with the right attention to the problem.

In this article, we’ll cover the different types of medications that can cause hair loss, along with treatments to promote new hair growth. If you want to learn more about hair loss in women, this guide is an excellent resource to dig into.

Numerous drugs may interfere with the hair growth cycle and lead to hair loss. It’s important to speak with your healthcare provider if you notice any changes after starting a medication.

Depending on the medication, drugs can affect anagen follicles in two ways. One is anagen effluvium, which is when anagen hairs experience a toxic or inflammatory event, resulting in hair loss. This type of hair loss is often seen after inducing chemotherapy drugs, where clumps of hair fallout are common after treatment.

The second type of hair loss seen from medication interactions is telogen effluvium, a form of non-scarring alopecia. This happens when the hair follicles enter into premature rest triggered by stress, hormonal changes or — you guessed it — medications.

Telogen effluvium is usually a case of temporary hair loss, and once the medication is stopped, hair regrowth should resume.

In anagen effluvium, hair loss usually occurs quickly, within days to weeks of drug administration. In telogen effluvium, hair loss is a little slower and becomes evident two to four months after starting treatment.

In our guide to the causes of sudden hair loss, you can learn more about the various issues that lead to hair loss in women.

Various medications can be a cause of hair loss in females, including:

• Female hormone medications

• Anticonvulsants (bipolar and antiepileptic/seizure medication)

• Thyroid medications

• Immunosuppressants

• Anticoagulants

• Oral retinoids (vitamin A)

• Antidepressants and mood stabilizers

Read on to learn more.

Female Hormone Medications

When it comes to female hormone medications, oral contraceptives (OC) may be one of the most popular medications. Many women complain about their birth control pills causing side effects like hair loss, weight gain, and changes in mood. 

There are two types of hair loss that can occur with OC use. A diffuse effluvium can begin three to five months after starting an oral contraceptive, but it usually stops spontaneously after a few weeks. 

The second type is androgenetic alopecia (or female pattern hair loss), a more serious hair loss condition. It usually occurs after six months of OC use. This is less likely with oral contraceptive pills that contain very low levels of androgens. And some oral contraceptive pills contain drosperinone, an analog of spironolactone, which can be used to treat female pattern hair loss — although it is possible that the dose of drosperinone in certain oral contraceptive pills is not high enough to improve female pattern hair loss in everyone.

Anticoagulants

Anticoagulants may lead to hair thinning. After all, having proper blood flow is a vital element of healthy hair growth.

Traditional anticoagulants (including warfarin, heparins and coumarins) are thought to cause hair loss via telogen effluvium. For this reason, it may take some time to notice excess hair shedding.

It’s thought that age and gender don’t play a role in susceptibility to anticoagulant-induced telogen effluvium. There are more published incidents occurring in females, but this could be due to a couple of external factors.

Men could be attributing their loss to typical male pattern baldness rather than thinking it’s connected to a medication. Additionally, women may assume their telogen effluvium is caused by grooming habits like brushing and styling.

Funny enough, minoxidil (a common hair loss treatment) was first used to treat high blood pressure. Its hair growth effects were noticed by patients over time, leading it to become an uber-popular hair loss treatment.

Anticonvulsants (Bipolar and Antiepileptic/Seizure Medication)

If you’re taking antiepileptic drugs such as valproate, cosmetic side effects like weight gain and alopecia are common. Still, research shows this doesn’t happen to the majority of those who take it.

One study demonstrated side effects in 5.8 percent of patients. Weight gain was the most commonly reported cosmetic side effect (3.6 percent). Alopecia was the second most common patient-reported adverse effect at 1.9 percent.

Oral Retinoids (Vitamin A)

Most commonly used as a medication to treat acne, tretinoin (or isotretinoin) is a vitamin A derivative belonging to the class of retinoids.

Yes, we know— you’ve probably already heard of tretinoin on TikTok. This complexion superhero is used to treat blemishes, but it also works to improve signs of aging, like wrinkles and dark spots.

There’s limited scientific research directly linking topical tretinoin to the loss of hair as a common side effect. In one study from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on the effects of oral Retin-A (brand-name tretinoin) on hair follicles, exposure to retinoic acid appeared to induce premature hair follicle regression.

Roughly 80 percent of the group treated with an oral retinoid had prematurely entered a catagen-like stage at day six, compared with only 30 percent of the control group.

But this is just one study, and — notably — it was done in vitro, so it does not itself show that topically applied retinoid actually causes these changes in humans. More research needs to be done to validate any links. So, in this case, the jury is still out on whether or not tretinoin is connected to hair loss.

If you’ve suffered from anxiety or depression, antidepressants (like Prozac^®) can truly be a lifesaver. Some antidepressants and mood stabilizers may affect your hairline, though. 

In one retrospective study from 2006 to 2014, users of fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, duloxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine and bupropion were followed to their first diagnosis of alopecia. 

Compared with bupropion (also known as Wellbutrin), all other antidepressants carried lower risk of hair loss as a side effect, with paroxetine and fluoxetine having the lowest (and fluvoxamine having the highest).

If you’re on any of these mood stabilizers or antidepressants and are experiencing hair loss, seek medical advice from your healthcare provider before abruptly stopping. They’ll help you figure out a treatment plan so things feel good in your head (and on top of it too).

Most cases of hair loss from medications can be reversible, so it’s usually not a case of permanent hair loss. Also, it’s crucial to speak with your healthcare provider to figure out a game plan, as we don’t recommend dropping any medication without checking in with a medical professional.

When it comes to thinning hair, minoxidil is one of the most common hair loss treatments. An over-the-counter medication, minoxidil is FDA-approved to treat female pattern hair loss.

It’s thought to stimulate hair growth by moving hairs into the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle so it can, well…grow. We don’t want those hairs chilling too long in the resting phase, after all. It also improves blood circulation in your scalp, which may promote more consistent hair growth.

Hers offers a few varieties, including:

• Minoxidil drops. This is a 2% strength formulation with a dropper, allowing you to easily target spots of hair loss.

• Minoxidil foam. This 5% strength foam can be easily worked through your hair if you have diffuse thinning.

• Oral minoxidil. This is an option for those who don’t want a topical formulation. But check with your healthcare provider to make sure oral minoxidil doesn’t interfere with any other medications you’re taking.

Spironolactone is another treatment option for hair loss. An antiandrogen prescription medication, this once-daily pill helps target hormones that cause excess hair shedding. It can help decrease testosterone levels in the blood and lessens its effects in certain areas of the body.

While side effects can happen, they’re usually not super common. And if you do find yourself experiencing hair loss, speak to your healthcare provider.

We know we covered a lot in this guide, but remember:

• Various drugs may cause hair loss, including female hormone medications, bipolar and antiepileptic/seizure medications, thyroid medications, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, oral retinoids, antidepressants and mood stabilizers.

• Never quit any medication cold turkey. Always talk to your healthcare provider if you’re thinking about stopping your medication.

• If you do experience hair loss as a side effect, hair loss treatments can help promote new hair growth, including options like minoxidil.

If you’re ready to take the next step toward a fuller head of hair, start your online hair consultation today.