Medications are designed to treat a wide range of health conditions, but sometimes they can have unwarranted side effects including changes in our hair. Changes in hair color, texture and you guessed it…even hair loss! Medication-induced hair loss, just like any other form of hair loss, can have a profound influence on men and women’s self-esteem. The good news is – once the medication is stopped, your hair loss most likely can be reversed. Now for the unwelcome news – many of us must take these medications to treat a more fundamental problem (i.e. thyroid problem) creating a vicious cycle of problems and frustration.
So, what do you do? While we don’t recommend you tossing your meds in the trash to save your hair, At Modena Hair Restoration, we would first suggest seeing your doctor who prescribed the medication and ask if there is an alternative without the pesky and unruly side effect of hair loss. If not, you’ll have to find treatments to supplement this bothersome side effect.
Drugs can induce a wide spectrum of hair loss ranging from barely detectable hair loss to irreversible baldness. This is caused by interrupting the normal cycle of hair growth. It’s important to understand the 3 diverse cycles:
- Anagen phase – 90% of your hair is in this phase for 2-5 years, the hair grows. This is considered the “active growth” phase.
- Catagen phase – which lasts 2-3 weeks, the hair is preparing itself for the final phase of Telogen. This is also known as the “transitional” phase.
- Telogen phase – which last about 3 months, the hair rests, older hairs are shed and then replaced by new hairs. This is also known as the “resting” phase.
Medications can lead to two specific types of hair loss:
Telogen Effluvium – being the most common type of medication-induced hair loss, usually appears a few months after starting the medication. This causes the hair follicles to go into their state of rest (Telogen) and fall out prematurely.
Anagen Effluvium – this type of hair loss occurs in the Anagen phase of our hair growth cycle when the hairs are actively growing. It prevents the matrix cells (which assist in producing new hairs) from dividing in a normal fashion. This is a more severe form of hair loss that is mostly seen in patients taking chemotherapy drugs causing them to lose most-if not all the hairs on their head and can even affect the eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair.
Culpable Medications known to cause hair loss:
- Acne medication (retinol in acne medications)
- Antibiotics and antifungal medications
- Antidepressants
- Oral Contraceptives
- Anticoagulants or “blood thinners”
- Immunosuppressant medications
Possible Treatments (dependent on the type of hair loss):
- Minoxidil/Rogaine
- Finasteride/Propecia
- GroMD Hair Loss Prevention Shampoo
- GroMD Follicle Activator Spray
- Laser Hair Therapy
- PRP Therapy
At Modena Hair Restoration, Dr. Yazdan prevents and treats hair loss caused by medications with a custom medical management regimen to fit patients specific needs. By visiting with a reputable specialist alike Dr. Yazdan early, you can make a plan of attack for prevention and treatment. While hair loss may still occur, your preemptive approach can considerably lessen the overall impact.
For information on medical reasons for acquiring a hair transplant click here.
For questions or to schedule a consultation, call one of our offices conveniently located in Irvine, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas at 888-717-5273 or contact via our website at contact Modena Hair Link
When you first begin to notice
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It is perfectly normal for us to prefer certain facial features over others. If you find yourself self-conscious about having a large forehead then first of all, don’t worry – you’re not alone! Whether you were born that way or over the years you’ve begun to see one of the tell-tale signs of aging – a receding forehead where the hairline slowly retreats further back onto the scalp – many of us have been there.
Don’t let these male celebrities fool you – they haven’t always had their flowing locks! Celebs are constantly being put under a microscope to look their best, so it comes as no surprise that these male stars are opting for some surgical assistance when it comes to losing their locks. Today, we live in a day and age were the better we look, the better we FEEL, and the better we feel can lead to endless possibilities in life! Whether it’s getting that job promotion, getting (or keeping) the woman of your dreams, or just being able to look in the mirror with confidence and say, “I look good today.” Whatever the motivation may be, a hair restoration procedure can significantly improve your overall quality of life.
Matthew McConaughey – one man known for his gorgeous appearance and thick lustrous hair. It wasn’t always like that! He had his hair in his youth but by time 1999 rolled around, we started seeing the signs of his receding hairline. Look at him now! As far as career – what has this hunk accomplished since undergoing a hair restoration?

John Travolta – Miraculously, his once thinning head of hair is now just as thick and full as it was in Saturday Night Fever days.
It’s paramount to keep in mind that hair restoration is a medical ‘art.’ Medical art combines medical knowledge, mastery of advanced surgical skills and techniques as well as a keen eye enabling the accurate reproduction of what occurs naturally. Unfortunately, many prospective hair restoration patients assume that artistic ability is a given resulting from education and practice of established surgical techniques. Art and surgery are separate skills, and this must be taken into consideration when evaluating a doctor for your hair restoration surgery.
Hair loss is a big concern for most adults as it reminds us that our youth – and hair is slowly withering away. And when natural home remedies, chemically-induced products and hair loss treatments fail to work their ‘magic’, a hair transplant may be last resort for most of us. Unlike using ointments for hair growth which is quite simple, a hair transplantation is a tedious process that should be done under the guidance of an expert hair restoration specialist alike Dr. Yazdan to avoid any
Myth #7: An Unlimited Amount of Hair Can Be Extracted from the Scalp.
For many people whom lose their hair clump by clump, it may seem more like a nightmare than reality. This condition can have a very deep psychological effect on men and women’s lives. It starts with no warning and can be devastating to anyone who must go through this. Some people will get this periodically throughout their life, and some will lose all their hair completely or see patches that appear suddenly and permanently.
Almost every woman eventually develops some degree of female-pattern hair loss and as many as two-thirds suffer hair thinning or bald spots. It can start any time after the onset of puberty, but women tend to first notice it around menopause, when hair loss typically increases. The risk rises with age, and it’s higher for women with a history of hair loss on either side of the family.
Most scalp conditions will eventually lead to some type of skin rash and unfortunately…hair loss! Whether it’s hereditary, malnutrition or an infection, a pesky scalp condition can occur leaving you wearing hats every day or in severe cases, hermitizing in the comfort of your home waiting for your unsettling condition to subside. Here you’ll find a few common scalp disorders and some helpful recommendations to restore your damaged head of hair.
There’s nothing ‘unmanly’ about wanting to look good. Taking care of your skin and hair is just as critical to men as it is to women. “We’re finally at an era where it’s more acceptable for men to pay attention to skin and hair care” says Southern California and Las Vegas hair restoration physician, Dr. Amir Yazdan. Keep your medicine cabinet stocked and get the latest on grooming essentials, skin care treatments for thinning hair and more here in this article.
If you’ve been familiarizing yourself with the diverse types of hair loss conditions out there, you may have read the scientific term “effluvium” pondering on what that word even means; effluvium is the ‘scientifically correct’ term for the outflow, and anagen and telogen refer to the distinct phases in your hair growth cycle.
Alike good health and youth, most of us take our locks for granted…until they’re gone! For many men and women, a hair transplant can bring back the appearance of a fuller head of hair. If thinning, balding or a receding hairline has you bothered – a hair restoration procedure is one way to have you feeling confident about your looks again.
Opposed to widespread belief, the human hairs do not all grow at one time. Rather, each individual strand of hair is constantly undergoing one of the three phases to determine whether it should grow and shed. The anagen phase is part of the hair growth cycle or ‘active phase’ when the hair enters a state of active growth. This is the only time new hair is growing. Most of your top hair transplant surgeons would agree that this period lasts approximately 3 to 5 years on average. At Modena Hair Restoration, Dr. Yazdan recommends the use of certain medications such as Minoxidil and Propecia to prolong the anagen stage which aids hair in producing longer and fuller hair, and
If you’re an adult with male-pattern baldness in your close family members, you’re probably quietly asking yourself: Am I going to lose my hair also? If so, when will my hair loss begin? What pattern of hair loss can I expect?
With this in mind, your hair restoration surgeon will need to find out if your hair loss is at the beginning or end of your hair loss, whether or not it is progressive hair loss and if so, how rapidly the progression will take place and the extent. Your family’s history of male-pattern balding may assist in estimating the probabilities for your future hair loss. Dependent upon the stage of hair loss and other deciding factors, you may be an excellent candidate for an FUE or FUT/Strip hair transplant procedure as well as many non-surgical treatments that are also available to you. Finding a skilled and reputable hair transplant physician is paramount when considering any hair restoration procedures.
