I took the depo shot!!

My hai has ben falling out since I took the depo shot. Today as I was straitining my hair i relized i have a bald spot on my hair line. How long will it take before the side affects go away!! is there anything I can do to help stop it?? i am only 27 and at the rate my hair is falling out I will be bald in a few months. I will not be getting another shot!! I am scared Please Help me??!!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
Yes, hair loss can be a side effect of depot shot. The effects may take as long as three to four months to go. Meanwhile you can find out whether you have some other cause of hair fall since you have a bald patch. Localized hair loss can be due to scarring alopecia (causes dent, eg: discoid lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, lichen planopilaris, kerion, metastatic carcinoma, lymphoma, sarcoidosis, prolonged pressure, and cicatricial pemphigus), alopecia areata, tinea capitis (fungal infection), sarcoidosis, follicular mucinosis, bacterial infection, aplasia cutis,  burns (including chemical burns due to shampoos, oils or something that causes an allergic reaction), herpes zoster, squamous cell carcinoma, and other such conditions. The skin of the scalp should be biopsied. Please consult a skin specialist regarding this. Take care!