6 Months of Accutane...acne now on scalp...hair loss

[Jason]

Hello doctor!  I was on accutane for 6 months(From Jan 99 to August 99) to treat cystic acne on my chest, back and face.  Everything went well as far as that acne went but I lost quite a bit of hair during those 6 months and still continue to lose more hair.  Recently(past month) acne has started coming back but on my scalp.  My scalp feels very oily all of a sudden and I'm getting acne bad in the places where my hair has thinned.  Mostly in the temples and it's progressing to the top off my head it appears on the front part of my head.  First of all will the hair I lost from the accutane grow back?  If so when?  6 month...a year???  My doctor told me to wait a year.  Why am I still losing hair and why do I have acne on my head now?  Does this make any sense?  Does oily scalp cause hair to fall out???  Please answer my questions the best you can.  Thanks!

Jason

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Jason:

Although people get pimples on their scalp, these aren't acne  (the hair shaft keeps the "pore" open enough so it can't get clogged in the acne sense of clogging.

Ask the doctor who prescribed Accutane to have a look.  Usually, a mild medicated shampoo and perhaps a topical cortisone lotion (plus no picking!) will take care of the problem.

Also, ask the doctor to evaluate your hair loss.  In 17 years of prescribing this drug, I have never seen anyone with much hair loss or long-term hair loss.  I don't think you need to worry about permanent hair thinniung or baldness from this drug.

Good luck.

Dr. R

[Carrie]

Hi.  At age 19, I took Accutane for just a three-month period.  I stopped taking it early because of severe pains in my muscles and joints.  Immediately after stopping the drug, I experienced really bad hair loss; it wasn't like patches or anything -- just massive shedding everywhere.  I am now 24 (going on 25), and this problem has yet to go away.  I would say that my hair is at least three times thinner than what it was prior to my taking Accutane.  It would appear that new hair continues to grow in; however, either the growth is too slow to catch up to my other hair, or I have permanent damage to my hair follicles.  I have been to many doctors to assess this problem; they all agree that I have a substantial amount of loss, but can't find the reason for this.  I've taken thyroid tests and they came out perfect.  I do not take any prescription medication and eat a wonderfully healthy diet.  I drink lots of water.  Yet my hair continues to shed at a very rapid rate.  The only connection I can see was with Accutane; I believe that it has caused long-term hair loss in my particular situation.

[Tim]

I am 34 years old and have never had acne problems, However, for the last 6 months I have had what seems to be an oily scalp and a few pimples on my (I have thick/course hair) head. this is not such a problem except on the back of my neck at my hair line 'which I keep short' is about 10 pimples that dont go away.

I have tried showering with a acne cleanser, cleaning with alcohol and aplying gold bond. The acne yet persists.

I am not aware of any changes in my diet or soaps, If anything I tend towards the dryer, non-moisturising soaps and shampoos. Is there an over-the-counter shampoo for extemely oily hair? this may work.

Thank you

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;
I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  My scalp is so itchy sometimes it drives me completely crazy.  I cannot wear dark shirts because people can see the flakes on my shirt.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Please help me dr. Rockoff with this little annoying problem.
Thanks Aline McCarthy
***@****
PS: How can I pick up your answer?

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;
I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  My scalp is so itchy sometimes it drives me completely crazy.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Please help me dr. Rockoff with this little annoying problem.
Thanks Aline McCarthy
***@****
PS: How can I pick up your answer?

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;
I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Please help me dr. Rockoff with this little annoying problem.
Thanks Aline McCarthy
***@****
PS: How can I pick up your answer?

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;
I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Thanks Aline McCarthy
***@****
PS: How can I pick up your answer?

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;
I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Thanks Aline McCarthy
***@****

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Thanks Aline McCarthy ***@****

[Aline McCarthy]

Dear dr. Rockoff;I am only 19 and suffer from itchy, flaky scalp.  I have also loosed a lot of hair lately.  I have a history of Psoriasis and I am using medicated shampoo but it has not helped me so far. Thanks Aline McCarthy

[Ben]

I stopped a six month accutane therapy  2 years ago and side effects are still very bad, even worse. Every morning, when I wake up my skin is  peeling. It is so fragile it is constantly breaking up (even if I use a gentle face wash) I have tried all sorts of moisturizers and there is no improvement. My dermatologist told me there is nothing I can do but I can't believe it. It is not a regular dry skin, it is sick in a kind of way. What can I do ?

[Ben]

I stopped a six month accutane therapy  2 years ago and side effects are still very bad, even worse. Every morning, when I wake up my skin is  peeling. It is so fragile it is constantly breaking up (even if I use a gentle face wash) I have tried all sorts of moisturizers and there is no improvement. My dermatologist told me there is nothing I can do but I can't believe it. It is not a regular dry skin, it is sick in a kind of way. What can I do ?

[Babs]

I am 21 years old and have been battling acne since I was twelve.
It seemed to have subsided towards the end of last year so I went through with laser surgery for skin resurfacing. Now five months later, I am breaking out again. I am ready for a last resort, accutuane, but am very apprehensive of any side effects which I fear could be irreversible. How bad is this "hair loss,"
that I am reading about? Does it pose threat to the internal organs? etc.

[Dennis]

Hi Doctor,
I just started my sixth month of accutane today.  Although my skin has improved dramatically, I am still breaking out here and there (nothing too major).  Is this normal after being on accutane this long?--if I'm on Accutane and still breaking out what are my chances of long term results?

Maybe I'm being too impatient, I just want clear skin!

Thanks,

Dennis

[Tamika Simmons]

I am dark-skinned African American woman who has been
taking 40 mg of Accutane, twice a day, for the past
six weeks. About the third week of treatment, I noticed
my facial skin had darkened noticeably, to the point
where friends thought I had been out in the sun. I
use a moisturizer with SPF 15 each day. My doctor
has little experience treating African American
skin and although he won't admit it, he cannot tell me
whether my skin will return to its normal coloring
once my treatment is complete. I did notice a warning
on facial hyperpigmentation on the Accutane insert
but I can't tell from all the medical mumbo jumbo whether
this will go away. I'm very concerned. Please help.
Email address is ***@****

Thank you.

[Anne]

I have the acne problem from last eight years. Now one or two pimples come o my face and the problem not severe as before.
My doctor has suggested accutane, but i do not w ant to go for it as it has many side effects.
Is there any other alternative, which does not have serious side effects as accutane.
Please answer me.

Thanks
anne

[jacky]

I just wanted to say that I think Accutane is a gift from God. At least for me it is. This is the first summer that I'll be able to go outside & not worry about my skin. I had what I considered bad acne & it prevented me from feeling confident about myself and enjoy life to it's fullest. If it hadn't been for Accutane I would still be in a deep depression. I'm glad I gave Accutane a try. Fortunatly I didn't get any serious reactions except for extreme dryness of my nose and lips in the beginning of my treatment. Other than that, everything has been great.

[kristin]

I am 24 years old and am plagued by adult acne- my whole life I have had porcelain skin but ever since Ive started working Ive had terrible acne flareups. Ive tried everything and probably have spent thousands of dollars on products and dermatology bills.Im at my wits end and have been considering trying Accutane but am nervous about the dreadful side effects (hairloss, liver damage, birth defects) Is there an aggressive method for clearing acne other than drink water and relaxation? Is there an antiobiotic that works well? Please help , Thank you.Kristin

[shannon]

Hi

I've done 2 courses of accutane.  At the end of the first course I experienced some
hair loss but when I stopped taking the drug it seemed to clear up relatively quickly.  
I finished my second course  in July 1999 and am still experiencing excessive hair
loss (or shedding as my dermatologist likes to call it).  According to the packaging,
accutane can cause temporary hair loss (it listed as one of the rarer side effects) and
most sources quote that it should clear up between 3-6 months after discontinuing
the medication.  Recently, I've done quite a bit of research on this topic on the web
and it seems like this side effect is far more common then the packaging or my
dermatologist lead me to believe.  I'd say I've lost approximately half my hair and
what remains has become very fine (I'm part African American and before accutane
I had moderately coarse and very thick hair).  Is my hair loss really temporary and is
the change in texture normal?  Will it go away with time?  Has additional time helped anyone with their hair loss? Any information you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Please email me at the address below.

Sincerely,
SB
***@****

[shannon]

Hi

I've done 2 courses of accutane.  At the end of the first course I experienced some
hair loss but when I stopped taking the drug it seemed to clear up relatively quickly.  
I finished my second course  in July 1999 and am still experiencing excessive hair
loss (or shedding as my dermatologist likes to call it).  According to the packaging,
accutane can cause temporary hair loss (it listed as one of the rarer side effects) and
most sources quote that it should clear up between 3-6 months after discontinuing
the medication.  Recently, I've done quite a bit of research on this topic on the web
and it seems like this side effect is far more common then the packaging or my
dermatologist lead me to believe.  I'd say I've lost approximately half my hair and
what remains has become very fine (I'm part African American and before accutane
I had moderately coarse and very thick hair).  Is my hair loss really temporary and is
the change in texture normal?  Will it go away with time?  Has additional time helped anyone with their hair loss? Any information you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Please email me at the address below.

Sincerely,
SB
***@****

[maverick wood]

Hello.  I am 37.  I took accutane 4 years ago because of late onset acne.  I noticed about 2 years ago my hair started to really thin.  It is really upsetting to think that I am losing my hair being a female to boot.  If accutane is the culprit so be it.  I can live with it.  But is there anything to help my hair regrow.  I don't want to wear a wig just yet.

Thank you Maverick.

[Leslie]

Hi !  I am seventeen and was on accuntane for six months ,
May 1999-Nov. 1999.  My complexion cleared completely w/no
break outs until August 2000.  My acne got really bad I went
back to my doctor .  Now they have prescibed accutane again.
I will be starting the drug on monday.  Will I have to keep
taking accutane each time I break out ?  Thank you
   Leslie