Accutane and Hairloss

[Dan]

Hello,
    I have been of Accutane now for two and a half months and my face looks great; however, after I completed my course, I noticed my hair was falling out a lot more than usual.  It is still falling out and now it is starting to become noticeable.  I have heard that in some Accutane users the hair goes through a "shock" period which causes hair loss.  Is this true?  Also, does the hair ever grow back and, if so, when does this usually happen?  Finally, does the hair ever re-attain its thickness of before?  Thank you so much,
                       Dan

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Dan:

In prescribing Accutane for 17 years, I don't think I have seen significant hair loss once.  In any case, they hair loss reported with this drug is temporary and completely reversible.  Although time will tell, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Best.

Dr. R

[Teri Munger]

Hello.  Dr.R,  I have a question.  My daughter is thinking of going on acutane because of her severe acne, mostly on her face.  Both, her and I have heard conflicting opinions about this drug.  To get to the point, the one question it comes down to is alcoholic beverages.  She is a 17 yr old senior in high school and, well, loves to party with her friends.  What is the extent to which she can drink, if any, so that she will not live with severe liver damge for the rest of her life?  Please respond to
[ munger_teri***@**** ] I would very much appreciate it.  
Thank you,
Teri Munger

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Teri:

In almost 18 years of recommending Accutane, I have yet to see any liver damage.  Alcohol in moderation is OK.  Her liver will be monitored anyway.  Is your daughter's drinking moderate?

Dr. R

[Michelle]

I have been using Accutane for almost 2 months.  I am still having frequent breakouts.  How long before I see results?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Another month or 2.

[Randy]

i have a skin disorder caused by to much sun exposer. i was on accutane for over four years. i started out with alot and then went down to 10mg a day, as a mantenence dose. this worked well in keeping the problem shrunk. but about a year ago i noticed my hair thinning, so i quit the accutane. it is still thinning, six months later. even at this dose, will the hair loss still be temporary?

[sarah]

Ive been on accutane for almost two months now and after being put on a higher does I noticed hair loss, especially my eyelashes. This is very distressing and I was wondering if this will persist for the whole five months. Is there anythiung I can do and will they grow back as normal?

[Christine]

I have beeen taking Accutane for almost two months now. After my dosage was upped to 80 mg one day and 40 the next I noticed alot of my eye lashes were falling out. Is this normal? If so , how long will  this persist? Should I be concerned, because theres a noticable difference and I dont want it to get worse.

[Jill Mallorie]

Over the past four years my doctor has prescirbed Acutane three times for me.  The first two times, it did not work.  A month ago I completed my last cycle and am very pleased with the results.  My problem is that I have been experiencing dramatic hair loss over the past two months.  This is very scary for me.  Is the hair loss permanent or will it grow back?  I know you've addressed this problem before, but could you tell me how long it will take for my hair to regrow and how long it will take the Acutane to leave my body completely?
Thanks.

[Mike]

I took Accutane about 6 years and noticed hairloss within 7-10 days of taking the drug.. first in the right frontal area.  I then stopped taking the drug and my hair continued to fall out in the left frontal section and then in the back area of my head.  6 Years later, I have not grown back any hair and continue to have minor fallout on the same areas.  Even the top of my head is thinner.  I'm now 28 years old and wish I never took Accutane.  There is no one in my family that has male-pattern baldness and prior to taking Accutane I have a nice full set of hair with no signs of thinning.  I saw a dermatologist when the thinning first started and he said that I had male pattern baldness.  I never heard of anyone who developed male-pattern baldness in a two week timeframe.  The thing that bothers me is my acne was minor and not severe and I should of never been put on Accutane.  I also didn't check with my primary physican. Once I noticed the thinning I contacted my primary physican who told me he would not have recommended Accutane have I discussed with him prior to starting because of the severity of the drug.  Well.. as you can see I'm not pro-accutane and I would think twice about taking it.  

[keith]

Sounds like my story. I really would think twice about taking (Ro)Accutane after having taken it twice myself. I was on it for 8 months when I was 23 and 4 months when I was 33. It worked both times on my medium level of acne and it got the acne under control esp the first time. Now that I am 34, I am finding some wierd going ons with my body that no doctor has really explained:

1) About 4 or so years after the first treatment and what was I thought of as an successful treatment for my medium level acne, acne made an rather troublesome entrance back into my life. Both the back and front of my neck started to break out like there was no tomorrow and deep cysts formed one by one over my back and neck. One day, the neck breakouts pretty much stopped and now I am stuck with what I have been told kel(t)oid scarring and is not really pretty nor is easily cleared up if at all.

2) My hair loss seems to have been accelerated after having a full head of hair. Granted there is a family history of hair loss in my family but personally I think the (Ro)Accutane helped accelerate this loss since none of my balder relatives have seen baldness before they were 40.

3) After my second treatment, I found my skin to be highly susceptable to rashes, dermatitis, and ezcema (eczema). My forehead and neck seem to bear the brunt of these tho I have found these to happen anywhere.

4) My legs seem to be highly sensitive to some kind of skin disruption that is likened to acne but isn't. Wearing shorts is sometimes not pleasant and these things take so long to clear.

5) The scarring seems to be deeper after taking it a second time. Could be my imagination but it just seems to be more noticeable.

6) I now have a whitehead hell on my face. Never used to get these so often but now they are almost a daily occurrence. One or two at a time. Possibly all due to (7) but not sure yet.

7) My food sensitivities seem to be more pronounced. I cannot even eat anything from the nightshade group of foods (potato,tomato,eggplant) without at least one whitehead appearing. This is odd since I never seemed to have had this problem prior to my second treatment.

In short, be sure you know ALL the risks before being told that you should go onto (Ro)Accutane esp for mild to medium acne. It does work but it is NOT an acne-ender, just postponing it to a later date with complications possible down the road. Like any other drug, there can always be long term side effects possible that aren't completely documented or even known.

Keith

[courtney]

I usually fall into the 1percentile category  for side effects.  Is there any way to test for these beforehand? And how do you know the appropriae dosage??
Thanks

[al]

Hello, doctor.  In the seventeen years that you have been prescribing Accutane, what significant side effects have you noticed. Thank you very much.

[Lois - 28 year-old female]

Dr:

I've just finished a five and a half month course of 80 mgs. of Accutane/day.  Though I've always had fairly thick hair, I noticed that my hair began to thin when I started treatment back in February.  Now that I've stopped taking it (for a little more than two weeks), my hair loss seems to be, if anything, increasing.  

Will it ever stop?  If I just run my hand through my hair, I'll pull out 10-20 strands.  Though I know people lose between 80-120 strands of hair per day, I've never experienced hair loss like this.  Thanks--

[Jess]

I stopped taking (Ro)Accutane about a year and a half ago. It was my second treatment. My hair was very thin by the end of the treatment and got worse for a few months afterwards. But it has just recently started to get thicker again, and the quality of my hair, which got very dull and brittle during treatment, is finally returning. I think these side effects are usually temporary. Although hair loss is distressing, I didn't find it as distressing as severe acne, and don't regret taking the treatment. I believe my acne would not have gone away without the treatment, but the hair loss side effect is almost always a short-term problem.

[matt]

I've been reading on the internet about Accutane and I have come across a lot of people who have suffered permenant side effects like poor vision, dry eyes, etc... Is Accutane really worth taking, if not is there an alternative?

[jeanine]

I'm a 39 year old female.  I've had a scalp condition called acne necrotica miliaris for about 6 years and my scalp is also very very oily and I have very thin hair.  I've been taking antibiotics to keep it under control but I would love to get off of them since I've taking them for acne since I was 19 and have had countless yeast infections.  Would accutane help my scalp problem?  I did take accutane in 1991 for acne and it worked beautifully for about 5 years.  Then the oiliness returned and breakouts but nothing like before accutane.

[Raga]

works?

[amanda]

My mom recently went on accutane and hasn't been feeling well since (general fatigue, etc.)  She was sick (general flu symptoms) when she began taking the drug a month ago, is it possible that the accutane is slowing her recovery from her illness?

[Elaine]

I am thinking of going on accutane, but have some questions about the long term effects of accutane for women. I know that Accutane is a human teratogen and is contraindicated during pregnancy, but have birth defects been detected in women after they have gone off of the pill and conceived? How long afer taking the medication is if safe to start conceiving? Has there been enough research in this area to definitely say that taking Accutane does not result in any long term effects on reproductive health?

[Eric]

Hello,

I've been interested in taking Accutane for a couple of months now but I wanted to find out more on the effects If I choose to take it. Will the medication cause me to breakout more? Right now, I'm on Differin and been using it for two years but I haven't really noticed a change. I have mild acne and very oily skin. Thanks.

[Dee]

I went to the derm today and the doc said that I needed to give Accutane a try. But my husband is afraid because the night before my appointment he saw a show on television that reported people were experiencing depression and committing suicide. I also had the doc tell me the same thing. He recently went to sit on the board and had to hear all of these stories...in Geneva...and he said that they are trying to take the drug off of the market. And...will I lose my hair...I am a woman and do not wish to be bald.

[KJ]

I have been taking accutane for a month and results have been slow.  I have been getting the chapped lips and a little depressed(because acne did worsen).  Has there been any recent studies that show accutane has long term damage?  Please state the truth.  Thanks

[nancy l.]

Is there any way to get similar results from taking vitamin
A orally? What makes accutane different from regular vitamin
A?

[abz]

Hello Dr. R ,,, I took accutane over 1 year ago for 4 months at 60mg per day.  Alot of hair shedding occured.  The remaining hair quaulity is very thin.  every time i comb my hair , wash it or do anything with it i loose like 5 or 6 strands.  how much longer before the process becomes reversible like u say it is?

[abz]

Hello Dr. R ,,, I took accutane over 1 year ago for 4 months at 60mg per day.  Alot of hair shedding occured.  The remaining hair quaulity is very thin.  every time i comb my hair , wash it or do anything with it i loose like 5 or 6 strands.  how much longer before the process becomes reversible like u say it is?

[Ginger]

My 17 year old, 170 lb son has been on accutane for two months and has been having a very severe "flare up" for most of that time. This flare up is much worse acne than he had before treatment. He has only been on one 40 mg pill a day, which the doctor started him on to try to prevent a flare up. The doctor says his reaction is rare. He's decided to up his dose to 2 pills a day and add a sulpha drug. He's hoping that the flare up is about over and that my son may need the full dose to do the job. Have you seen severe flare ups before and how long can they last? Do you agree that the sulpha drug may be helpful (and not harmful)? I'm also worried about scarring from this flare up. Please advise if I should get another opinion, advise my son just hang in there and wait for the good results that are promised, or what! Many thanks.

[PJK]

My son has suffered from acne for 5 years. over the past year our dermatologist is reluctant to perscribe this drug for him and it seems rarely to any one. Is it a safe drug?

Thank You

PJK

[marijana]

i have been taking acuttane for 4 month, and after 5 month of stoping taking acuttane, acne are back again.Should I repead a therapy becouse the problem is not big like before,ore some other therapy,les agresive.......

[Michael Chen]

My son has been using Accutane for 3 months now and he still has lots of break outs. He is getting very emotional and frustrated with the acne (he has it for 3 years now). I'm wondering should we stop and look for other solutions? If so, what?

Thanks

Michael

[patrick guerrisi]

ive been on these drugs for 2 courses, and they are now recently sarting to come back, why do they keep coming back, and how do i stop that?

[Mark]

I used aacutane for severe acne about 17 years ago. It worked
great. It did have an affect on my eyesight and my loss of hair. It may have happened anyway, but the doctor said to me ready and he was right. Now I have a 7 year old son. He had Infant acne when he was a newborn until about 10 months old. He does have some scarring on his cheeks. I am worried that when he reaches puberty he will get severe acne like I did. When can I get him started on treatment? Is there any research linking acne genetically from parent to child?
Thanks,
Mark

[lisa]

In highschool I developed severe cystic acne. I have been on accutane 6 times. Is this common? My complexion has improved each time and my dosage was 10 mg the last time. Are there any long term effects from Accutane that i should worry about?

[ISHA]

i ahve been using ortho tricycline for the past 2 months and i have noticed some hair loss is it bcoz of the drug , it has got me worrieda nd morover i read stuff about how the drug and the hair loss maybe interconnected

[Shelileah Ramsey]

I took the 60mg Accutane for about 5 months.  When I stopped in Sept. I noticed joint pain and moderate hair loss. It is now November, and I am still noticing SEVERE hair loss which is now becoming noticeable. It has not slowed up at all, even though I have been off the medication for 2 months.  I have been to 2 different dermatologists, who have both told me that there is nothing they can do, and that it SHOULD stop with time.  Please help me. I am terrified that it will all fall out. I have seen other people's reports that the hair loss continued for months or even permanently. Is there anything that I can do?

[Shelileah Ramsey]

I took the 60mg Accutane for about 5 months.  When I stopped in Sept. I noticed joint pain and moderate hair loss. It is now November, and I am still noticing SEVERE hair loss which is now becoming noticeable. It has not slowed up at all, even though I have been off the medication for 2 months.  I have been to 2 different dermatologists, who have both told me that there is nothing they can do, and that it SHOULD stop with time.  Please help me. I am terrified that it will all fall out. I have seen other people's reports that the hair loss continued for months or even permanently. Is there anything that I can do?

[adrian]

i hav been droping hair very frequently!!!!! i see lots of hair dropping everyday!!!! can radiation cos hair loss????? cause i hav my hp on my side table everynight i sleep! or could it be the recent change of shampoo that causes the falling? i really need help!!!

[[e-mail]]

Tenho 44 anos, desde jovem possuo problemas de acne, na minha idade seria aconselhavel usar accutane ou roaccutanne para promover tratamento contra esse problema...

Desde já agradeço..

Obrigado

[KELLY ISAACS]

im been using auucutance for 1 and half month is there a quicker way 2 get rigde of it and how can u stop the dry lips and is is necery 2 have blood test all the time

[Jenny ([e-mail])]

Hey, im about to start a treatment of accutane and i've been reading through these stories, and now im starting to get a little nervous!  How often do people lose their hair and eyelashes???  That's no good!  I dont want to pay 150$ a month for something that's gonna make my eyelashes fall out!

jenny

[Mark]

ive also got hairloss what i want to know is why , how come a proffeser gave me a drug that could cause my hair to fall out why was i not warned of this it says on the leaflet that in rare accasions this can happen well that is a right load of shite i think ther is a cover up over accutane and hairloss i would like to get hold of the guy who said it wont send u bald ,rip is head of and **** down is nek thanks for makein my life hell rosche

[Mark]

ive also got hairloss what i want to know is why , how come a proffeser gave me a drug that could cause my hair to fall out why was i not warned of this it says on the leaflet that in rare accasions this can happen well that is a right load of shite i think ther is a cover up over accutane and hairloss i would like to get hold of the guy who said it wont send u bald ,rip is head of and **** down is nek thanks for makein my life hell rosche

[Tyler]

NOW THEY TELL ME!  AS TREATMENT OF 'BOILS' I INCURRED DURING MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE, I WAS PRESCRIBED ACUTANE.  LIKE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMENTED, I SUFFERED THE SAME CHAPPED LIPS, DRY SKIN, AND OTHER MINOR SIDE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRUG.  WHAT WAS NEVER EXPLAINED TO ME(CIRCA 1988) WAS THE POSSIBLE HAIR LOSS THAT MAY FOLLOW THE USE OF THIS MEDICATION.  LIKE THE OTHERS, THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SIDE-EFFECTS WERE TRANSITORY AND CEASED ALMOST AS SOON AS I STOPPED ITS USE.  MY ACNE PROBLEMS WERE HANDLED VERY WELL, BUT NOW I FEAR THAT MY DRAMATIC HAIR LOSS WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF ACUTANE USE.  NOBODY ON EITHER SIDE OF MY FAMILY (ESPECIALY MY MOTHER'S SIDE) HAS HAD MALE-PATTERN BALDNESS EXCEPT FOR ME!  I WOULD LIKE TO ATTRIBUTE THIS PROBLEM TO SOMETHING ELSE--GENETICS--BUT LOOKING AT OLD PICTURES OF PAST RELATIVES DOESNT SUPPORT THIS...IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING TAKING ACUTANE, I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND AGAINST IT UNLESS THE POTENTIAL SCARRING ON YOUR FACE IS GREATER THAN LOSING YOUR HAIR...

[Jonathan]

After reading these comments on accutane, i am definetely not going to follow my doctors advice and take it.  What is this drug doing on the market, I'm sure it did work very well for some without permanent side effects, but is it worth risking...  What about Minocin, does it work and about side effects.