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I've been putting off posting on this thread, largely out of denial I think. I was on a four-month course of accutane from January to April. For the first two months I was on 25mg/day, and for the second two months I took 50mg/day. I didn't experience any hair loss while I was on accutane, but four weeks ago, my hair suddenly started shedding a lot. I have good days and bad days. Today is a bad day, and I have lost more than 200 hairs. I have a few questions that I'd be really grateful for help with.
1. I don't have any kind of scalp inflammation or itchiness. Does this mean that it is more likely to be telogen effluvium than diffuse alopecia areata? I do have a really grainy/sandy scalp though, which I think is the feeling of the bulbs at the end of the hairs that have fallen out. What does this mean?
2. Why do lots of people recommend Nizoral shampoo for hairloss? Isn't it for scalp problems? Does it help more generally with hairloss?
3. I know that this is one of those million dollar questions that nobody really knows the answer to, but I might as well ask anyway... based on anything you might have read or experience, is it more or less likely that the hair loss will be permanent if its onset is AFTER the course of accutane?
This is a really horrible thing to have to deal with. It's not cosmetically obvious yet, but I only have so many hairs on my head and I'm not sure how much more I can take of hair loss at this rate. Thanks for reading.
1. I don't have any kind of scalp inflammation or itchiness. Does this mean that it is more likely to be telogen effluvium than diffuse alopecia areata? I do have a really grainy/sandy scalp though, which I think is the feeling of the bulbs at the end of the hairs that have fallen out. What does this mean?
What you are experiencing is Telogen Effluvium and you will recover before August 2010 or earlier. As for the sandy scalp, it was because your scalp is way too dry now to the point that your skin crack and in turn you see grainy flakey dead skin cells. You can try using Sebulex Shampoo once a week to remove to dead skin cells.
2. Why do lots of people recommend Nizoral shampoo for hairloss? Isn't it for scalp problems? Does it help more generally with hairloss?
You don't need Nizoral since you experience no scalp inflammation. It will only cause you more problem if you use it for Telogen Effluvium. And don't forget that there is a chance you might experience initial shedding (the hair will return) or inflammation shedding (if your scalp is sensitive to the active ingredient of Nizoral) from the use of Nizoral.
3. I know that this is one of those million dollar questions that nobody really knows the answer to, but I might as well ask anyway... based on anything you might have read or experience, is it more or less likely that the hair loss will be permanent if its onset is AFTER the course of accutane?
Yes, hair loss can be permanent. By saying that, it doesn't mean that you will go bald. But some of the hair you lost might never regrow again. But only time for tell.
Thanks for your help, Max. I hope you're right. What's your situation now?
Two more things just occurred to me, which I don't think are good news. Firstly, I am also experiencing some hair loss on my arms -- is this more of a symptom of AA thank of TE? Bizarrely, I had hair loss on my arms during the course, but not on my head. Weird! Secondly, I am still experiencing other problems from roaccutane: particularly keratosis pilaris on my face and arms, and joint aches and pains (not inhibiting, but sports aren't exactly pleasant). It's been four, nearly five months since stopping... this can't be a good sign!
girlafraid2503- Sooo sorry this has happened to you. I really hope that it isn't AA....I too had hair loss on my arms,legs and eyelashes and head.
However, I am a year post tane and it is no where near as thick or healthy as it was, but it has grown some back on the head. (so there's some hope)
I suggest u listen to some of the advice Max has given....My other question is have you had any labs or tests done?
Stay away from Vit A in fat soluble form also....
What???
I wasn't asking why my scalp got dry. I am asking about who is at a higher risk of losing hair on Accutane. People with thin hair? Older people? etc.
Just look at your dad and maternal granddad. If one of them is bald, then you probably will go bald with or without accutane.
I've read a lot of theories about accutane speeding up the MPB process when it is inevitable too. I've also noticed no corellation between age/thickness of hair and hair loss with acne from what I've been reading. Completely unpredictable.
How do I know if my scalp is inflamed? I guess the fact that I'm asking means that it's probably not, as I imagine it must be impossible to ignore. I just feel that it's getting a little itchier in the past few days, though this might be utterly psychological. I sure it's possible to imagine itchiness.
I will try out Sebulex soon though and see if it makes a difference. My skin and my scalp don't feel excessively dry, though. I DO have dandruff, but my hair is still producing oil (I have to use dry shampoo to avoid washing, which may not be the best ideas but it definitely beats washing at the moment) and I can go a couple of days without moisturising my face. I feel like accutane has sucked the moisture from some parts of my body, but not all.
Oli girl: thanks for the support. I haven't had anything done yet. Firstly it's only been a month, and secondly I am spending the summer in Canada so I haven't got cheap/easy access to medical stuff. Bad timing! If it is still bad when I get back to the UK in three weeks I will get tests done then, as I won't have to pay. (Incidentally my stepdad is going to see my derm on Thursday for an unrelated problem, and I have asked him to ask her about it... I will post back, though I think I can predict what her answer might be...) I'm glad your hair loss stopped. From what I remember reading it was thyroid related, right? Other weird things are happening with my body but I can't work out if it's general accutane stuff or a specific deficiency that's causing it all. It's hard to work through all the info on the internet and all the info my body is giving me.
Thanks for all the help, guys. It is nice to know there are other people struggling too, especially when no one really understands what you're talking about.
Andrewharv- Like Lamarr1986 said there pretty much is no trend. I was 30 and very long very thick healty hair, no family hx of mpb or hairloss....but, if MPB runs in your family accutane will probably speed up the process....
girlafraid2503- You are right I did end up w/ a thyroid disorder caused by accutane and anemia...however, most recover once thoose are back on track. I didn't...I acutally had a lot of hairloss in the front and had burning and itchy scalp and was scared of AA....My hair has grown back, but no where near as thick and I still have times where the hair sheds just not as much as before.. I also have dry scalp. I try not to wash my hair everyday and use some other things. Like Max said try some sebulex.
depending what other symptoms you have you may want to try and have total iron panel including ferritin levels,thyroid and a total Vit D labs done. I suggest to all to get a copy of your results to make sure they are at a good normal level.
make sure you stay away from Vit a in fat soluble, fish oil or omega's that have A & D in them...Also I take some biotin and it has helped a little for me...
Just want u to know there is some hope....
Thanks for the info on the tests to get done. And for the hopefulness! I need and appreciate it.
Is flaxseed oil OK? I get so confused by what has vitamin A in and what doesn't.
Until about a month ago, when the hair loss began, I was taking cod liver oil with 5000 IU of vitamin A in it. I wonder if this triggered it. I stopped as soon as I realised what I was doing, and can't believe I was so stupid.
I'm still shedding a lot (there has been no let up since I started five weeks ago) and I definitely have less hair (fringe and pony tail feel smaller etc) but I can see some short hairs popping up wherever I part my hair. They are less than a centimetre long so I think they are fairly recent. There isn't enough to counter the amount that I'm losing, but this must be a good sign, right? Did anyone else experience this? I don't know what to make of it, and I don't want to get my hopes up too much.
So from as much as I read in this thread, you guys say there is a correlation between the hair loss and the dosage. I'm on 30mg/day and it's is my 53rd day today. I've been experiencing hair loss for maybe a little over a month now, and I feel like my hair is thinner as well. I don't know how many hairs I'm losing every day exactly, but I'd say around 50. I have long hair so I'm thinking this might be adding up to the effect of Accutane. I don't know though 'cause I never had this long hair before. This has probably been answered but the thread is so long and after 20 pages, I gave up. Is there a certain way to know whether my hair loss is gonna be permanent or not? When I told my derm about it, she just said there was nothing I could do about it...
d0nn13- No there is no correlation with ur dosage and hair loss. True that people on higher doses will probably be more at risk. Well, there really is no way to tell if you will permanently loose your hair or not.
As for your derm saying there is nothing you can do about...Lol--there is quit taking accutane...Might just be TE or could turn into Alopecia (AA)....If you start loosing more I would stop.
Girlafraid2503-Don't take any flaxseed and also stay away from Zinc it helps aid Vit A. Hope your hair is doing better.
I'm still shedding a lot (there has been no let up since I started five weeks ago) and I definitely have less hair (fringe and pony tail feel smaller etc) but I can see some short hairs popping up wherever I part my hair. They are less than a centimetre long so I think they are fairly recent. There isn't enough to counter the amount that I'm losing, but this must be a good sign, right? Did anyone else experience this? I don't know what to make of it, and I don't want to get my hopes up too much.
Girlafraid....The regrowth is common, after about 6 weeks of intense shedding i experienced complete regrowth of all hairs i shed....but the trouble is, if the underlying hairloss doesn't resolve the shedding will continue and your hair will thin in general.
Seriously though try not to worry, even if your hairloss doesn;t stop there are things you can do. Most of which all work better on women than men so try and relax if you can....easy to say i know.
My advice....take some red wine extract (dr's best brand from iherb (i still take 4 capsules of these per day)) and get yourself some curcumin ( i take jarrows 500mg twice per day). These will help more than any other supplement out there and are perfectly safe for post taners.
Oli girl: thank you again.
Lamarr: thank you for being direct, even though it wasn't the news I wanted to hear! But in any case thanks for the encouragement. I will take your advice as soon as I get back to the UK from Canada in a couple of weeks. Are those supplements particularly good for stopping hair loss, or more for helping its growth? I've been reading a lot of your posts and not only is the info you provide really helpful, but it's so refreshing to read posts with such an optimistic and proactive tone! Some people can be very negative on here, which is understandable but really depressing! Do you mind if I ask a few things about your case...? First, how long after accutane did you start losing hair? Or was it while you were on it? I began three and a half months after stopping, and even by accutane's standards that seems like a pretty long break. But as I think I've mentioned I was taking cod liver oil, and then flaxseed, so maybe those things triggered it. And accutane is hardly predictable, as we know... Second, has your hair loss constantly coexisted with scalp irritation etc, or did this come on later? My scalp seems to be fine, apart from the grainy feel, which Max said was dried sebum. Though I've been using baby shampoo and it seems to have calmed that aspect down a little. And what stage are you at now? Have you pretty much managed to stop the shedding? Has your hair returned to its original thickness?
Gah I can't wait for this to stop. Also, predictably, my derm told my stepdad that she's never heard of post-accutane hair loss and said I should check my shampoo! The cheek!
Those supplements have the potential to do both (stop or reduce shedding and helping regrowth).
I started losing my hair from my entire body (but mostly my scalp) about 3 weeks after i finished accutane. Scalp irritation wasn't to bad to begin with but then picked up as the shedding got worse... I don't have it anymore because i use topical steroids!!
My shedding still continues but at a much lower rate (i use five different things to help control the shedding). My hair cosmetically looks almost exactly as it did pre tane (i have had the hairloss for about 2+ years now). My hairline has receeded slightly but only noticeible to me when i lift my hair up!! The hair across the rest of my scalp is about 70-80% of what it was originally and i started with very very thick hair. I still shed hair from some places on my body, but thankfully my eyebrows and eyelashes have stopped shedding!! The shedding from my scalp is down to about 60-70 hairs per day. And although you may read up to 100 hairs a day is normal, it is most certainly not.
Either way, being female and if worst comes to worst your hair shedding persists. There are plenty of things i can recommend which will essentially keep your hair looking decent.
So try and relax and wait it out for the next 6 months to see what happens.
Take care
Let me get this straight you didn't have acne problems but took Accutane just to get rid of oily skin? You know having oily skin isn't a bad thing. Actually protect the skin and keeps it elastic, hence you don't have wrinkles.
Yes phan, I was not informed of the side effects of Accutane, which apparently is against the law.
The doctor did not warn me, and she went straight to the accuane without passing go.
I currently have a complaint filed against the dermatologist, but that will do little to help my hair grow back.
Derms are giving out Accutane to patients who do not need and for applications it was not meant for. She told me that it would resolve my rosecea as well, where apparently it can make rosecea worse.
Matt
Electroc shock.... Accutane modifys the immune system pretty significantly and accutane induced hairloss is quite often diffuse alopecia areata....an auto immune condition.
I still use topical steroids to help supress the inflammation and shedding, also use essential oils and lasers to aid regrowth. These things all help but nothing as of yet can stop my shedding, i still lose way more than pre tane and the only time the shedding stops is when i become ill (my immune system becomes 'distracted' and turns on the invading pathogen instead of my hair!!.
Hi Lamarr
I've been sick for 3 weeks with a bacterial infection and been bed ridden. My shedding is still the same, so perhaps that is a sign that its TE... at least that's what I'm hoping.
Sadly my shedding has not let up since June 12th, I basically shed about 200+ hairs a day and my hair looks like crap (I don't leave the house without a hat.)
I felt great when I saw hairs growing back right away back in January, but my hairs basically grow for a few weeks up to a few months, then fall back out again, plus my older hairs are shedding at a high rate as well.
Since March, when I started on Minoxidil, I've been shedding constantly (from June 1st to 12th it slowed down to almost nothing, but then picked back up again.) The diameter of my regrown hairs are pretty consistent, same with the color, but they all have a bit of a curl to them which I never noticed before, but I really don't care much, a curly hair is better than no hair.
Most of the hair I shed are new hairs, but the rate of shedding far outweighs the rate of growth, so my scalp is very much visible from space, even though I have my hair grown to about 8 inches and am sporting the scruffy comb over look. I would say I have lost about 70% of the hair on top of my head at this point, especially when I compare it to the sides of my head.
I'm going into the 9th month of this, which suprises me because I was on Accutane for such a short time (3 weeks) before I pulled myself off.
Anyways, hopefully someone reads this somewhere and thinks twice about taking it. I wish I knew the risks beforehand and was educated by my dermatologist. Anyways, the past is the past.
Most days I'm hopeful, and others just get to me and I feel like crap.
I am just hoping that I get to the point where it grows back thick enough that I can cut it short and not feel like a balding old man.
Sorry to be so depressing, hopefully this is just a nasty bout of TE and that my hair growth normalizes and stops shedding, so that I can stop worrying about it.
I know hair is just hair, and I never thought I would feel so lousy about having it fall out, but I do. Its pretty sad.
Hopefully the next time I post its with good news.
Thanks everyone.
Matt
Well, I can officially join this club. So disappointed in how much accutane caused my hair to shed. I'm three months post tane and still shedding and I even quit early because of it. Still didn't help! My scalp is pretty itchy as well. Is this common?!?!
I'm a girl. And my hair is noticeably thinner. Horrible. Has anyone tried rogaine? Or however you spell it. I've thought about it. Any other advice is welcome. I'm desperate!
ashley