accutane hair loss

Hi Kevin,

I know you have a ton of messages to read, but if you can find the time to answer this one, I would really appreciate it!

Like many other people who have visited this site, I have been experiencing hair loss (I believe it is from taking Accutane). My dermatologist started me on Accutane this past April and for two months I was taking 40mg/day. In June, my dose was increased so that I was taking 40mg one day and 80mg the next day, in an alternating fashion. I weigh 155 pounds, and I am 18 years old. I stopped taking Accutane in late July because I had begun to lose my hair. I just noticed my hair loss one morning when I woke up and found hair all over my pillow. It has now been about 4 months since that dreadful day and I am still losing hair! I would say I have lost 50-60%. The hairs that come out have a while bulb at the end and the hair I have left is very fine and curly. My hair was always very straight, and now I'm noticing that I am losing the fine and curly hairs as well. I really don't think this is MPB because the only person in my family who ever exhibited signs of MPB is my uncle. My loss has been very diffuse and my hair is paper thin everywhere but is thinnest on the crown.

I am currently taking 1mg Biotin per day, 60mg Zinc per day, and 1000mg Vitamin C per day. I have been scared to take anything else (i.e. Rogaine) because I don't want to create more problems.

I am only 18 and I am very concerned. Is there any hope that my hair will regrow? I haven't noticed any regrowth and am really frightened that I will go bald. Can you give me any reassurance? Do you have any advice? How long does it usually take for hair to grow back? Thank you so much for reading this.

Very apprehensive,
Jon

Accutane hair loss?

hi Jon, I was very surprised to read your post...I have the EXACT SAME PROBELM...im 19, 150 pounds..took accutane for 4-5 months then stopped cause i noticed hair thinning, its been 5 months since I stopped and my hair is still thinning, its curlier and finer now. Even more, all my familly has good hair except my uncle (mom's side).

I am worried myself, I am sorry I dont have an answer for you, but if you have found, pls post it...thanks

Best
kimo

hmm

exact same problem here as well..4 months into 5 month treatment, tremendous hair loss for about 1 month now...curly too. i hope someone who's been through this before will tell us how it turns out..

well here is some bad news

http://cp.yahoo.net/search/cache?p=accutane+hairloss&ei=UTF-8&n=20&fl=0&vst=0&vs=med-aapos.bu.edu&url=4HD3UGmlqE4J:med-aapos.bu.edu/publicinfo/store5/3yearshairloss4.01AM.html

What is the bad news? The link doesnt work

it does for me...

anyway it says

quote:

---

I am a 23 year old male and took accutane for four months over three years ago. I've experienced steady hairloss ever since, mainly in the usual places where men lose their hair: I have a receeding hair line and almost a bald spot. My hair was straight and very thick prior to taking accutane, but now it curls and it is fragile. I've tried vitamins and a couple months of Nioxin but nothing made my hair grow back or even stop falling out. I don't know what to say, just don't take accutane!

---

accutane @ hair loss

Hi, I'm a female, age 28, who also took accutane and lost hair. It started falling out in October and is still continuing to drop. I've been off accutane for 2 months now. I'm scared and don't know what to do. Real and honest answers would help me to cope. Is there anyone who has been throught this mess and got their hair back? Please offer advice.

same deal

Hey,

I'm 19, 190 lbs, and took accutane from october 4 2003 to around the same time in december 2003 when I noticed my hair coming out. It's now march and it's still going, I too have lost 50 60 % in ALL areas and I'm starting to look like some kind of radiation patient. My advice would be to avoid vitamin A, and I just started taking lin seed oil 3 times daily. You should probably drink lots of water too. I'm thinking that the excess vitamin A that's being stored in the liver needs quite a bit of time to wash out. Hopefully this helps somewhat.

Unfortunately accutane use is known as a trigger for a prolonged form of telogen effluvium type hair loss in some people. Why the hair loss is so persistent even after stopping the accutane use is not known.

However, the hair growth does generally get back to normal although it can take a long time to do so. You might want to try minoxidil to see if it can kick start the hair follicles.
_________________
Kevin - The management - keratin.com

Accutane hair loss

its been three years since my does of accutane and my hair has not come back yet..

i would say i have lost 60% overall.... i think it is self limiting over the longer term (your hair continues to shed at a ridiculously high rate, but doesnt get worse cosmetically).

My hair loss is worse on the top of my head, especially at the right temple...

I have done over a years worth of hard research on the topic in online forums and both males and females experience this hair loss and it persists for many years (possibly forever) and usually does effect the temple or "bang" areas and the top of head worse in both males and females...

so guys, you can take conformt in the fact that accutane probably hasn't triggered premature male pattern baldness, and its most likely chronic telegon efflivum..

but the question is how long will it take for us to recover if ever?

i was 75KG (150-160 pounds?) and only took 20 mgs for 2 months and 40 mgs for 3 months....