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Yea, that's why anyone that want to go on accutane, please try everything else first and only go on it if your acne it really bad. because your going to lose your hair and acne will just return within a year and your hair will not.
Well that's not entirely true. For tons of people Accutane has worked wonders on their skin for life. That's not to say some people's acne won't return a bit after a few years, but it's not fair to say acne WILL come back.
I'm not advocating that people take Accutane, but in many cases people don't experience hair loss or any return of their acne. The ones visiting this thread and commenting often are the less fortunate ones. And, unfortunately, that would be us. But hey, my skin is good right now, and I'm still optimistic.
Well here is what happened to me after a very brief encounter with Roaccutane. Im a 20 yo/male.
I took 40 mg/day for 6 weeks. Around the 2-3rd week in i started to notice that the hair around my crown and the area a few inches behind it (so basically the top of the back of my head) felt much thinner than normal.
I put it down to the accutane and told my self not to worry about it but after my sixth week i would say i had lost about 20% of my hair in that area and immediatley stopped taking accutane. I also have a patch behind my fringe which has thinned out noticibly.
My derm (unsurprisingly) said he couldnt see any visible hairloss and advised that any thinning in that area would be mpb and defiantely not accutane (there are bald men in my family). This would of course have to be a massive co-incidence.
I have been off accutane for about 4 weeks now and the area is still thin but not noticibly thinner than when i was on accutane. There is new spikey growth accross the whole area which seems to be spread out in patches. The new hair seems to be the same thickness as the rest of my existing hair but as i say it is in patches rather than uniformly across the whole area i lost hair.
Other accutane sides: Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and all the minor common ones.
My Skin: Cleared my skin after 4 days and acne still hasnt returned, not even one spot.
Im pretty worried reading through past comments on here about accutane inducing mpb and just wondered if anyone had any advice? It is too early to start doing anything?
Well here is what happened to me after a very brief encounter with Roaccutane. Im a 20 yo/male.
I took 40 mg/day for 6 weeks. Around the 2-3rd week in i started to notice that the hair around my crown and the area a few inches behind it (so basically the top of the back of my head) felt much thinner than normal.
I put it down to the accutane and told my self not to worry about it but after my sixth week i would say i had lost about 20% of my hair in that area and immediatley stopped taking accutane. I also have a patch behind my fringe which has thinned out noticibly.
My derm (unsurprisingly) said he couldnt see any visible hairloss and advised that any thinning in that area would be mpb and defiantely not accutane (there are bald men in my family). This would of course have to be a massive co-incidence.
I have been off accutane for about 4 weeks now and the area is still thin but not noticibly thinner than when i was on accutane. There is new spikey growth accross the whole area which seems to be spread out in patches. The new hair seems to be the same thickness as the rest of my existing hair but as i say it is in patches rather than uniformly across the whole area i lost hair.
Other accutane sides: Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and all the minor common ones.
My Skin: Cleared my skin after 4 days and acne still hasnt returned, not even one spot.
Im pretty worried reading through past comments on here about accutane inducing mpb and just wondered if anyone had any advice? It is too early to start doing anything?
Way too early to start doing anything bro, and the fact that you're seeing some new hairs coming in is a great sign.
Well here is what happened to me after a very brief encounter with Roaccutane. Im a 20 yo/male.
I took 40 mg/day for 6 weeks. Around the 2-3rd week in i started to notice that the hair around my crown and the area a few inches behind it (so basically the top of the back of my head) felt much thinner than normal.
I put it down to the accutane and told my self not to worry about it but after my sixth week i would say i had lost about 20% of my hair in that area and immediatley stopped taking accutane. I also have a patch behind my fringe which has thinned out noticibly.
My derm (unsurprisingly) said he couldnt see any visible hairloss and advised that any thinning in that area would be mpb and defiantely not accutane (there are bald men in my family). This would of course have to be a massive co-incidence.
I have been off accutane for about 4 weeks now and the area is still thin but not noticibly thinner than when i was on accutane. There is new spikey growth accross the whole area which seems to be spread out in patches. The new hair seems to be the same thickness as the rest of my existing hair but as i say it is in patches rather than uniformly across the whole area i lost hair.
Other accutane sides: Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and all the minor common ones.
My Skin: Cleared my skin after 4 days and acne still hasnt returned, not even one spot.
Im pretty worried reading through past comments on here about accutane inducing mpb and just wondered if anyone had any advice? It is too early to start doing anything?
Way too early to start doing anything bro, and the fact that you're seeing some new hairs coming in is a great sign.
Guess ill just have to be patient. I dont seem to have much shedding, which is encouraging. I dread to think how much hair i would have lost if i completed a six month course!
Well here is what happened to me after a very brief encounter with Roaccutane. Im a 20 yo/male.
I took 40 mg/day for 6 weeks. Around the 2-3rd week in i started to notice that the hair around my crown and the area a few inches behind it (so basically the top of the back of my head) felt much thinner than normal.
I put it down to the accutane and told my self not to worry about it but after my sixth week i would say i had lost about 20% of my hair in that area and immediatley stopped taking accutane. I also have a patch behind my
fringe which has thinned out noticibly.
My derm (unsurprisingly) said he couldnt see any visible hairloss and advised that any thinning in that area would be mpb and defiantely not accutane (there are bald men in my family). This would of course have to be a massive co-incidence.
I have been off accutane for about 4 weeks now and the area is still thin but not noticibly thinner than when i was on accutane. There is new spikey growth accross the whole area which seems to be spread out in patches. The new hair seems to be the same thickness as the rest of my existing hair but as i say it is in patches rather than uniformly across the whole area i lost hair.
I don't know if anyone has the same problem as me but my hair in the areas I mentioned is screwed. I can't even
work out what direction it's supposed to fall. It looks like a birds nest with whispy hair sticking up all over the place.
Other accutane sides: Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and all the minor common ones.
My Skin: Cleared my skin after 4 days and acne still hasnt returned, not even one spot.
Im pretty worried reading through past comments on here about accutane inducing mpb and just wondered if anyone had any advice? It is too early to start doing anything?
Way too early to start doing anything bro, and the fact that you're seeing some new hairs coming in is a great sign.
Guess ill just have to be patient. I dont seem to have much shedding, which is encouraging. I dread to think how much hair i would have lost if i completed a six month course!
Well here is what happened to me after a very brief encounter with Roaccutane. Im a 20 yo/male.
I took 40 mg/day for 6 weeks. Around the 2-3rd week in i started to notice that the hair around my crown and the area a few inches behind it (so basically the top of the back of my head) felt much thinner than normal.
I put it down to the accutane and told my self not to worry about it but after my sixth week i would say i had lost about 20% of my hair in that area and immediatley stopped taking accutane. I also have a patch behind my
fringe which has thinned out noticibly.
My derm (unsurprisingly) said he couldnt see any visible hairloss and advised that any thinning in that area would be mpb and defiantely not accutane (there are bald men in my family). This would of course have to be a massive co-incidence.
I have been off accutane for about 4 weeks now and the area is still thin but not noticibly thinner than when i was on accutane. There is new spikey growth accross the whole area which seems to be spread out in patches. The new hair seems to be the same thickness as the rest of my existing hair but as i say it is in patches rather than uniformly across the whole area i lost hair.
I don't know if anyone has the same problem as me but my hair in the areas I mentioned is screwed. I can't even
work out what direction it's supposed to fall. It looks like a birds nest with whispy hair sticking up all over the place.
Other accutane sides: Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and all the minor common ones.
My Skin: Cleared my skin after 4 days and acne still hasnt returned, not even one spot.
Im pretty worried reading through past comments on here about accutane inducing mpb and just wondered if anyone had any advice? It is too early to start doing anything?
Way too early to start doing anything bro, and the fact that you're seeing some new hairs coming in is a great sign.
Guess ill just have to be patient. I dont seem to have much shedding, which is encouraging. I dread to think how much hair i would have lost if i completed a six month course!
Sorry screwed up that post. Stupid ipod wifi.
I don't know if anyone has the same problem as me but my hair in the areas I mentioned is screwed. I can't even
work out what direction it's supposed to fall. It looks like a birds nest with whispy hair sticking up all over the place.
Hi Folks
I hope everyone is doing well and coping with their hair loss problems.
I've read over some of the more recent posts and just wanted to comment on a few things.
I noticed a few people mention getting hair transplants. Honestly, this should not be an option for anyone if you are only suffering from Alopecia Areata. You have a very good chance of full or partial recovery eventually, and there is no need to jump to something so drastic.
Many autoimmune disorders are most often self correcting, and usually completely or mostly recover.
As a child I had severe asthma and eczema, and by the time I turned 20 they had both almost completely went away.
If you have Alopecia Areata you may notice a difference in the color of your scalp between the affected area and the rest of your scalp, as well you may have painful or itchy sensations in the affected area.
I have tried many things to assist in regrowing my hair (I'm going into my 16th month of this problem) and have not had success with anything (Nizoral, Minoxidil or Topical Steroids).
I have however found a solution to the chronic itching and painful scalp sensation. Taking Aerius (Desloratadine), an antihistamine, has gotten rid of the itching sensations and pain in my scalp. I'm not sure I will take this long term, even though side effects are mild, however it sure feels good to not feel like my scalp is on fire.
Something to note, my scalp pain did not start until about 4 months into my shedding, however I did have scalp redness since it began and still do.
I'm still shedding a lot, not as bad as when it was at its worst (when I had lots of hair to shed), however still seeing a cycle of growth and shedding.
I do have temple recession, which is normal with this condition (in both men and women).
I am going to try injecting Betamethasone into my temples to see if it yields any results. Since my temples are almost bald, it will be worth a try. If it works, I will try injecting over the entire affected area (top portion of my head) and see how that works. Since there are a lot of injections required to cover the entire top portion of my head, I expect it will be painful and not much fun.
I will be sure to update on my success or lack of it.
I think the key to dealing with this form of hair loss is not in resolving it so much as learning how to deal with the feelings you have with respect to it.
Good luck to everyone and don't feel like there is no hope, because there is.
Out of curiousity, how many of you who have this condition also have or have had a similar condition (asthma, allergies, arthritis, eczema, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis) before taking Accutane?
Cheers,
Matt
Hi Folks
I hope everyone is doing well and coping with their hair loss problems.
I've read over some of the more recent posts and just wanted to comment on a few things.
I noticed a few people mention getting hair transplants. Honestly, this should not be an option for anyone if you are only suffering from Alopecia Areata. You have a very good chance of full or partial recovery eventually, and there is no need to jump to something so drastic.
Many autoimmune disorders are most often self correcting, and usually completely or mostly recover.
As a child I had severe asthma and eczema, and by the time I turned 20 they had both almost completely went away.
If you have Alopecia Areata you may notice a difference in the color of your scalp between the affected area and the rest of your scalp, as well you may have painful or itchy sensations in the affected area.
I have tried many things to assist in regrowing my hair (I'm going into my 16th month of this problem) and have not had success with anything (Nizoral, Minoxidil or Topical Steroids).
I have however found a solution to the chronic itching and painful scalp sensation. Taking Aerius (Desloratadine), an antihistamine, has gotten rid of the itching sensations and pain in my scalp. I'm not sure I will take this long term, even though side effects are mild, however it sure feels good to not feel like my scalp is on fire.
Something to note, my scalp pain did not start until about 4 months into my shedding, however I did have scalp redness since it began and still do.
I'm still shedding a lot, not as bad as when it was at its worst (when I had lots of hair to shed), however still seeing a cycle of growth and shedding.
I do have temple recession, which is normal with this condition (in both men and women).
I am going to try injecting Betamethasone into my temples to see if it yields any results. Since my temples are almost bald, it will be worth a try. If it works, I will try injecting over the entire affected area (top portion of my head) and see how that works. Since there are a lot of injections required to cover the entire top portion of my head, I expect it will be painful and not much fun.
I will be sure to update on my success or lack of it.
I think the key to dealing with this form of hair loss is not in resolving it so much as learning how to deal with the feelings you have with respect to it.
Good luck to everyone and don't feel like there is no hope, because there is.
Out of curiousity, how many of you who have this condition also have or have had a similar condition (asthma, allergies, arthritis, eczema, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis) before taking Accutane?
Cheers,
Matt
Hey man thanks for the nice account and info. Your insight was helpful and made me realize more about my potential situation. I really am thinking I have AA because the itchiness I have occurs in the patches where my hair is pretty much the thinnest.
I'm happy to say that I am starting to notice the volume of shedding decreasing. Of course I still get those random hairs all over, but it's not nearly as much as it was just two months ago. I haven't seen any regrowth yet, but hey I have only been off Accutane for 3 months. They wouldn't tell me wait 6 months to do things (e.g tattoo, piercing) if my body were not still recovering. Patience is the key. I cannot get too uptight about things.
I hope things start to improve for you man. Don't lose hope! Keep us updated too. 
Hey volcom would you mind posting some before/after pics of yourself if possible? I'm sure it's not THAT bad.
Also just to update on my hair loss situation, it's almost 3 months into the extra strength minox treatment. During the first 2 months, my hair shedded like crazy because that's a side effect of using minox. Now the shedding has reduced dramatically and I have noticed small regrowth hairs on certain areas of my bald scalp, but at the same time, I did shed some of my longer hairs. Overall I'm quite happy with the progress so far, so I hope I can keep this up.
Hey Volcom, what are your theories on the causes of your itchyness? Is your scalp dry / sensitive?
I've been getting a tingling / mild burning sensation in the areas that ive lost hair for the past few days. Looking on the net this could be due to any number of reasons really. Some more positive than others...
Hey Volcom, what are your theories on the causes of your itchyness? Is your scalp dry / sensitive?
I've been getting a tingling / mild burning sensation in the areas that ive lost hair for the past few days. Looking on the net this could be due to any number of reasons really. Some more positive than others...
It's really hard to say. I have flakier skin on my scalp now, so I could pretty much dig up some scalp (dead skin) whenever. There definitely must be some dryness in my scalp still. I don't really have apparent dandruff though, so it's weird.
I don't have any visible dandruff either but I got my haircut today and noticed all these White specs on the gown they put round me. I never had any of that before at all so I guess my scalp is still a bit dry. Bad news on the shedding front. When I wash my hair I do a pull test on each area of my scalp. I get maybe 5 hairs from the back front and sides but I can pull 20-30 hairs from the area around my crown. I'm not even pulling hard. I know it's supposed to be normal to lose up to 100 a day for some but I have never lost hair like that before.
Hi Guys,
Mikey - Did you find anything out about the pimples you were getting on your scalp because I have been having the exact same thing since finishing the tane. They are kinda sore to touch aswell.
Also I have just been reading over the last few posts and noticed that there was mention to AA...which is the itchy burning sensation on the scalp in the areas where the hairloss is. Can someone just clarify to me if this is a major problem or not....because I have been getting this real bad, and I have been using nizoral on my head to try and calm it and conditioner. When I mentioned this itchy burning sensation to my derm he told me I was imagining it, and that I have nothing to worry about. But I am certain I am not imagining this, I am experiencing an uncomfortable sensation on my scalp, especially where my hair is the thinnest which is the on right temple area of my head and the front channels. Can this AA clear up itself if it is this I am experiencing? I have been off of tane for 5 months.
Thanks everybody
Danny
Hi danny
I've been looking on the net regarding the tingling / burning and basically there's no way of telling what's going on. It could be a sign that hair has been lost or about to be lost. Seems like a lot of docs think it's phycological. Also read that it could mean hair is regrowing. Do you get this feeling all the time or does it come and go?
To be honest RoGo, if my mind is occupied on something else I dont really feel anything. But as soon as I am laying down, watching tv or in one of my uni lectures....thats when the uncomfortable feelings start creeping in, and the urge to just itch it. I am really starting to get worried about this whole thing now. The hair is getting thinner round the edges and front and every doctor or derm I go to tells me I am imagining it, and that it is only psychological.
Surely this cant be all in the head? I feel like I am going mad or something.
I have just been sitting here for the last month contemplating whether just to completely shave my head....then it would stop me looking in the mirror constantly and being so paranoid.....the only thing stopping me is I am ginger, completely bald just wouldnt go!!!
But I wish you all luck. But please, if anybody has any thing to say on the matter of hair loss keep posting in this....it all helps. Alos, if you have any questions for me ask, I am always reading along
Thanks
Danny
can that lead to hair loss? Also how many times a week is everybody with hair loss problems washing their hair? I am washing my hair every 2 days at the moment.....using nizoral and then conditioning. I find that by the time I have to wash my hair it is very dry and feels like hay....even though I finished tane 5 months ago. Am I washing it too much/to little?
Washing hair: Washing your hair will not lead to hair loss.
I prefer to wash my hair every day because when I shower I don't see a lot of the hair falling out. When I don't wash my hair I end up seeing it all over my desk, clothes and hat. The fact of the matter is the hair is already loose in the follicle, and almost anything will cause it to fall out.
Burning Sensation: This is very common with Alopecia Areata. Scalp pain, burning sensation, itchiness, and redness as Max stated are due to scalp inflammation associated with Alopecia Areata. Your body is dispatching T-cells to attack your growing hair follicles, this is causing the inflammation and hair loss.
Dermatologists: I cannot stress enough that dermatologists are not always right and most are not experienced with Alopecia Areata, especially pertaining to the non-patchy forms which basically look exactly like Androgenic Alopecia. So don't take what your derm tells you at face value. Most common answers from derms are that you have MPB, and you can try Minoxidil or live with it. These options do not address the actual cause of the problem, and I have not heard of a derm to date that has any experience dealing with diffuse Alopecia Areata induced by Accutane, however I have met hair specialists that have seen a lot of such patients come into their office with TE or Alopecia Areata after or during a course of Accutane.
Bumps and Pimples: This is folliculitis and can be resolved by shampooing with Nizoral 2% twice a week. I've used Nizoral since day one when my hair began to fall out, it doesn't do anything for the inflammation but it has been found to encourage hair growth and it does a good job of keeping the scalp healthy.
If your scalp itching and irritation really bothers you, try taking Aerius (allergy pill) for a few days and see if that helps. It has almost completely gotten rid of my itchy scalp.
Also if your hair is very thin and you want to add volume to give a more fuller appearance, try using Emu Oil shampoo and conditioner. I use the products offered by Long View farms. Emu oil is said to reduce inflammation and encourage hair growth as well, however I'm not sold on that. I've been applying Emu oil to my temples for nearly 3 months and have not seen any results.
Good luck and try not to dwell on the hair loss, it will improve eventually.
Cheers
Matt
Thanks a lot for the infomation Matt, it is much appreciated. I just dont know where else to go in regards to derms and doctors. Everyone I have seen have told me I am imagining my hair loss. So in the mean time I will just keep washing my hair daily...using the nizoral and conditioner. I have changed my mind on the mohawk hairstyle I have been sprting and am now growing the hair long to see if it covers the thinning at the front and side of my head. If long hair fails to cover it......then it looks like I will just shave my head completely bald....I would rather get it over and done with then look in the mirror every ten minutes....watching myself gradually go bald over the next few months.
Danny
Thanks a lot for the infomation Matt, it is much appreciated. I just dont know where else to go in regards to derms and doctors. Everyone I have seen have told me I am imagining my hair loss. So in the mean time I will just keep washing my hair daily...using the nizoral and conditioner. I have changed my mind on the mohawk hairstyle I have been sprting and am now growing the hair long to see if it covers the thinning at the front and side of my head. If long hair fails to cover it......then it looks like I will just shave my head completely bald....I would rather get it over and done with then look in the mirror every ten minutes....watching myself gradually go bald over the next few months.
Danny
Have some faith bro. Our body is capable of some amazing things, so still have hope that it can eventually correct itself and help your hair to return closer to normal. If shaving your head will help you think less about your hair then by all means do it!
I've seen improvement in the amount of hair I have been shedding. It's still shedding, but it is not coming out as much as before. Keep updated, and best of luck!
after trying high-dose vitamin a, which is basically the same as roaccutane, i experience hair loss too, on the top of my head and over my ears. I also have an itchy and red scalp in the hair vortex region. Does that mean it's Alopecia Areata? Or could the dry skin cause that?
How would I know if it's Alopecia Areata and are there any cure out there?
I'm sorry, if this has been answered already, but this thread is just too big to be read that quickly
Hey Mikey,
Let me know how you get on when you visit your derm/doctor as I have had no luck being prescribed anything from anybody that I have been to see. Like I mentioned earlier, every doctor or derm I have seen about my issue of hairloss they have just laughed at me and told me I was imagining it. I have given up going to see anybody else regarding the issue and am just hoping my hair somehow starts to grow back itself. I tried taking a photograph of my temple area on the right side of my head the other day to put on here, but where I am a red head the baldness didnt really show through. Does anybody know if I am likely to see any hair growth in the balding areas now that I am 5 months post tane? Is it possible it can grow back still?
Danny