Depression & Hair Loss

I recently came across some feedback relating to depression and the effect this can have on a patients hair. Obviously if you visit your GP with depression its quite likely they will prescribe some Anti Depressants, but what impact can these medications have with your Hair? 

 

Well, it has been noted that a small number of people taking particular anti-depressants could develop a type of Alopecia that causes hair to shed at the start of the telogen (resting) phase (in contrast to Alopecia Areata, which usually causes hair to be shed around 3 months after the start of the resting phase). 

 

Now, such hair loss is likely to be temporary, but still for any patient suffering with depression this could have a knock on effect to their mental health, especially if they aren’t aware of this potential risk. 

 

The hair growth should resume once the medication course in completed although it may be possible to speed this process up with the use of minoxidil, available from Boots in the form of Regain. 

 

Also, with hectic and busy lifestyles there can be a sudden disruption to a person’s lifestyle and hormones can cause that patient to sufferer and develop a stress-related hair loss condition, such as Telogen Effluvium. 

 

Not only this but depression can also have a negative effect on a sufferer’s diet and social habits such as smoking and excessive drinking, which again can have an impact on hair thinning and either cause temporary hair loss. 

 

They can also exacerbate genetic hair loss in those who are already predisposed to male pattern baldness or female hair loss. 

 

In these modern times of such busy lives, fast food, stressful lifestyle and a higher awareness of mental health disorders, its imperative all patients are made fully aware of all the potential risks of medications and given a detailed insight into what can be done to limit them. 

 

For a free consultation with Elite Hair Restoration please call 0800 1712430