can differin cause hair loss?

i wrote about my prob before. i'm 19 and have extreme shedding and one derm said it's genetic by just looking at it and so i went to another derm. and she was very confused, wanted new tests and said the reason is not clear yet.
But now i realized i've forgot something when dealing with my prob..

i've been using *differin* for about 8 months-since july twice a day to my face and once a day to my arms chest and back. About 2 and a half months ago my shedding started-in the end of october..And i've been losing so much hair. I've also iron deficiency and i'm nevrotic so i do have stress!And i've a thinning in my eyebrows also-though slightly..

i was using an antibiotic called rulid with differin and my shedding started exactly 2 days after i stopped using antibiotic

I'm still using differin and my hair loss continues..

So if you know anything about differin,that if it can cause hair loss or , if you had the same experience,if you used differin and had hair loss please write to me..ps:my scalp hurts very much and i lose little hairs..what can be the reason??
thanks..
idil

I read in my drug book about Differin and says that very little of it is absorbed thru the skin. Hair loss wasn't listed as a side affect (althougth that dosen't mean anything), but since not much goes into your system, it is probably not that. Your iron could be a problem and if you are on any other medication, like Birth control pills that could do it.

Maybe your diet or thyroid.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

Viv.

scalp pain?

my shedding had started with scalp pain but it had stopped.unfortunately now, there's a place on the middle of my head where it hurts like hell. so does this mean my shedding will increase?i really am losing my mind..

Differin and Hair loss

Hi, I had the same experience with Differin. Used it for about 2 months in 2002 and lost a bunch of hair. True, it says nothing in the package insert specifically about causing hair loss, but it does say that overdosage could have same effects as Vitamin A toxicity, which is hair loss. I posted this question to Kevin, the site administrator. Run a forum search on Differin and it should pop up. I think the title of the thread may have asked if topical Vitamin A meds can cause hair loss. The answer is "yes"!

Please, please, please report this to both the FDA and Differin. I reported it to both. They need to know people are having these side effects. Here is the web site for the FDA on line reporting:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/

Here is the number and address for Galderma, which makes Differin.

1-800-582-8225.
14501 North Freeway
Fort Worth, Texas 76177

It doesn't take too long to report it, and it is so important that you do so.

to guest a ..

thanks!i was thinking of reporting also but everyone thought i'm crazy for blaming a product which didn't say it did have a hair loss side effect.But now i know that i'm not alone and i will certainly report it.

i'd be more than happy if could answer these questions for me:
are you sure that your hair loss was releated to differin and how did u come to that conclusion?has your shedding stopped?did you used a large amount?(i used all over my face every two days and all over my back chest and arms every day do you think this is too much?) did u have pain on the scalp and was your shedding excessive?Also i'm still using it on my face should i quit?

sorry for taking your time..i'm really desperate i mean if it was accutane i'd know for sure that it was the reason but differin?I can't be sure and this makes me mad.in fact my derm. isn't sure what is the reason behind my hair loss.i mean this is worse than the hair loss itself,i don't know what's causing it..stress?i have alot!!iron deficiency?yes i have!! vitamin a toxicity?maybe! s.dermatitis?yes! throid or hormone?not tested. genetic?my mother. i'm afraid i'll become insane or smt. i have exams but all i do is to sit and worry about my hair/my eyebrows..

thanks

to daylightz

Hi,

Regardless of whether you may have some doubts that Differin caused your hair loss, you should definitely report that you have had hair loss while using the drug. After all, when people first started losing hair on Accutane, their doctors said there was no way the drug could be responsible and completely dismissed their concerns. Now, after a number of people have had that side effect, permanent hair loss is listed on the package insert. Of course, there are still doctors who refuse to believe it. I know it is difficult, but please don't be intimidated by others who dismiss you on this--report it anyway.

Undoubtedly, your doctor will dismiss Differin as a potential cause for hair loss. My doctors totally brushed me off. Remember, though, this is how doctors treated Accutane-induced hair loss. Also, if you have a Retinol test done to test for the presence of vitamin A toxicity, it probably won't show up, because Differin is a vitamin-A derivative and is synthetic.

To answer your question, I do not "know" if Differin caused or accelerated my hair loss. All I know is that my hair seemed to be just fine, then after using it it was thin and see through in areas. I used Differin for two months, only on my face, and in combination with Benzaclyn. My face felt like it was being torn up the first month, but like an idiot, I kept using the regimen because the package insert said it might cause redness, etc. Well, I think I really had a bad reaction. I felt like I was getting chemically peeled. I even got spots that looked like hives at times. Also, I developed a dry spot (never had dry skin before) right by my eye on one side of my face. It gets really bad and I actually have to use stuff for eczema sometimes to control it, even a year later. I believe that was part of my reaction to the Differin/Benz regimen I used. Interestingly, one of my friends who used Accutane now has very dry skin and eyes (but has all her hair). So, I believe that these drugs can cause some permanent changes in our skin/body. Not everyone will have the same reaction, of course. I believe that my body reacted quickly and severely to the medications.

You will find that it is extremely difficult to "know" what causes hair loss, especially in women. It is based on looking at possible causative factors and rests on a lot of speculation. Several different doctors may have several different opinions, and none of them may be correct. It really is up to you to explore all possible causes. In my case, I looked to what was going on in my life when I noticed the loss. I didn't initially suspect the Differin, so I kept using it. I wish I had stopped when I noticed the loss. It was only after I carefully read the insert, saw the reference to Vit A toxicity, began researching that and its connection to hair loss, and then read about some others who also questioned the connection that I suspected Differin as the culprit. I also used Retin-A a little bit a year prior--but only for about 6 weeks. I have also read that Retin-A can cause hair loss.

I noticed my loss in December 2002, the shedding continued and my hair got really bad up through March 2003. It seems to have stabilized somewhat over the past year and looks much better now since 3/03, but no, it has not grown back. I believe that I may have some other contributing factors, including low iron. But I believe that Differin played a definite role in my loss. If there were no support for this theory, I might give it up, but other vit-A drugs have been associated with hair loss, and the timing of my loss with my use of Differin is to coincidental to be ignored.

Here is the address for my post to Kevin and his answers:
http://www.keratin.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4858&highlight=differin

I'm not sure if I have answered all your questions. If you have any more, please let me know. a

eyebrows

hi again and thanks for the answers!
i live in Turkey and so i bought differin here and i looked at the insert, and it doesn't say a thing about vit. a toxicity. I mean it doesn't even say how much you should use it,instead it says you can use it on anywhere on your body. But when i looked at the internet,it says that you shouldn't use it much!!i!m shocked i mean i'm a careful person and if it had said don't use it much, i wouldn't even use it!i'm so angry they're playing with our health..

you said a thing about eczama. well i have eczama both on my hair and on my eyebrows.and now my eyebrows started to shed:( so i'm thinking maybe differin didn't played a role directly but instead provided me to develop eczama and eczama is what is making me to lose my hair. i don't know. did you have a prob. with your eyebrows also?and did you experienced pain on the scalp?

i'm not using differin 4 days and now i'm starting to have acnes again on top of everything. so i think i'll continue using differin but lower the amount and ask my derm. as soon as possible.

Eyebrows

Hi,

No, I did not lose eyebrow hair. But my skin is much less oily now all over than it was before the Differin. That's great, but I'd rather have my hair...

By the way, I would be shocked if your derm thought Differin played a role--derms just won' t acknowledge that as a possibility, but it certainly is. You'd be surprised how many derms still think Accutane (are you familiar with this acne drug?) has nothing to do with hair loss, but there are thousands of people who lost hair on it. So, go with your gut, do some more research, and make an informed decision on whether you want to stick with it. I do believe it can get into the bloodstream, so using less may help. However, please keep in mind that Vitamin A is not water-soluble, so it is stored in the liver for a long time. Even though Differin is not a natural Vit A drug, perhaps it is stored in the liver also, so even if you use a smaller amount, it may build up in your system and may ultimately end up having some toxic effects. Just a thought.

Good luck with the dermatologist...and I hope you still decide to report this, regardless of what your derm says. It's so important to do so!!

Differin

Wow, I cannot believe I came across this sight. I starting using Differin and Benzaclin about 5 months ago and noticed the shedding about 2 weeks into it. I was also on an oral med. so I suspected that was the problem. I got off of that for awhile after my doctor said it could not be that, but I thought it was worth a try, it didn;'t change. I never even thought about it being the topical. I consider myself pretty healthy and have had no symptoms of anything else, so it must be the differin. I emailed the company and will wait for their response. I am going to call the * and see if they have heard anything and I will stop usinf this medicine and see what happens. I think I will wait and see what happens and then let my docot know, I am sure he will agree with the rest in saying ti has nothing to do with the Differin....we will see. I am so grateful I found this information...I was stumped on what could be the cause, but it makes so much sense now, especially the timing of it all. My hair starting comin gout 2 weeks after I started the Differin. Thanks so much for all your information and know that it has helped me stay sane!!

Differin causing hair loss

Wow, I am certainly glad I cruised by this website while looking for information on Differin. I've been on Differin for adult-onset acne since June. Over the past two months I've noticed a hair loss that I find alarming. Because I'm on a couple of other medications and was on a course of antibiotics for 3 weeks, it never occurred to me that Differin might be a possible culprit. But it is way past the time when the antibiotics would have caused this, and my daily medications were adjusted yet my hair is still falling out.

My dermatologist said that I was experiencing a change in my hair growth habits and that I was not losing hair permanently. I can see where it's growing in, but this is still not acceptable to me. I lose more hair every day than is growing back. And he doesn't believe that Differin is causing this, either.

So I'm going to go off the medication for a month and see if this improves my hair situation in the next two months. I will report back what I find. I can live with the comedone problem =if= Differin is taking my hair out. I'll just find another way to deal with it.

Thanks much for this great topic!