It has been established that hair loss can in fact be caused by stress. Before going any further it is important to emphasise that the category of stress which will be referred to in this article is not the type that the majority of people go through in their everyday lives. The category or type of stress responsible for hair loss is some form of emotional shock or a disaster resulting from a serious physical accident.

When the hair loss occurs due to these circumstances it is referred to as ‘ telogen effluvium ‘ (is characterized by sudden, diffuse hair loss caused by an interruption in the normal hair growth cycle). What actually occurs is the actively growing hair follicles are quickly shifted to what is known as the ‘regression phase’. Shortly after this occurs the follicles go into the ‘resting phase’. Once the hair follicle arrives at this resting place it will fall out fairly easily. It

One of the questions often asked is how much time normally elapses between a stressful event occurring and the hair actually beginning to fall out. This can be a period of a few weeks to even a few months after the event. Unfortunately once this begins the hair loss can continue at quite a fast rate.

Because it can be a reasonably long time before the hair loss starts the person may be totally unaware that it is in any way related to a past traumatic experience. The first thoughts are that the hair loss is being caused by some new ailment or something of the sort never for a moment thinking it is associated with a side effect of the previous traumatic experience.

Some examples of the type of severe stress which may cause hair loss follow:

The sudden death of a loved one

Going through a divorce procedure

Taking care of a friend or relative who is suffering from a terminal illness

Major surgery

Heart attack or stroke

Physical injury caused by a vehicle accident

As stated earlier normal everyday stress situations which are experienced at work, financial dealings, personal relationships and the like are not causes for hair loss.

Hair loss is not always the result of disease, radiation treatments, or even genetics. In fact, most cases of men and women who lose their hair can be the direct result of prescription drug medications. In this article we will cover three drugs in particular; anti-inflammatory medications, anabolic steroids, and hormone replacement drugs.

Anti-inflammatory Medications: These drugs are used to relieve inflammation as well as reduce pain. Included in this category are ibuprofen and naproxen, both of which can be obtained over the counter. Anti-inflammatory medications (also referred to as NSAIDS) such as these have been reported as a contributor to hair loss in both men and women. Although rare, children’s hair loss may also be affected by anti-inflammatory drugs.

If your doctor is going to prescribe you anti-inflammatory drugs, and you are concerned about hair loss, then you may want to discuss if the prescription he is giving you is one of the following: Relafen, Clinoril, Voltaren, Nalfon, Rofecoxib, Celebrex, Lodine, Orudis, & Indocin. All of these drugs have been reported to cause hair loss as a side effect.

Anabolic Steroids: When we hear the term “anabolic steroids” the first thing that usually pops up in a person’s mind are bodybuilders who are known to abuse this drug in order to increase muscle mass. Indeed, anabolic steroids do increase a person’s muscle mass if taken correctly because they are considered to be a male hormone, otherwise referred to as a synthetic androgen. However, one of the major side effects of taking anabolic steroids is premature hair loss in both men and women who were under these hormones.

Even if these medications are not abused in a way that bodybuilders treat them, just a slight dose of male hormones prescribed by a doctor can cause hair loss in people that are genetically sensitive to DHT.

Such medications that include testosterone and is considered an anabolic steroid prescription drug include the following: Depo-Testosterone, Android, Testred, Winstrol, Danocrine, Halotestin, Virilon, and Metandren.

Thyroid Medications: Last but not least, men and women who have a thyroid disorder have been shown to experience hair loss as a result of the medications given to help their condition. Two examples of these thyroid medications that are linked to hair thinning and baldness are thiouracil & carbimazole.

If you’re worried about possible future hair loss, or are presently in the process of losing your hair, then look at prescription medications as a potential cause of the trouble. There are frightening numbers of reports on the amount of prescription drugs that are acknowledged to cause hair thinning, and also baldness. This is a side effect these drugs have that everyone ought to ask their doctor about prior to taking them.

Before we continue, please make a significant note here that not every prescription drug will cause hair loss, so don’t be afraid to consider any recommendations your doctor may give you. And besides, alot of cases of prescription drugs resulting in hair loss are temporary and endure for just a couple of weeks to perhaps a few months. This is naturally in respect to people that come off their medications during this period of time.

Additional factors ought to be taken into consideration also, such as the strength of the drug, the amount of the dose, and a person’s unique reaction to the medication. Though hair loss can be a side effect for one particular individual, it might not impact a different person’s hair follicles the least bit.

The following list gives some examples of prescription drugs that have been divulged as causing hair loss in both men and women:

1. Drugs that lower cholesterol: There are several cholesterol-lowering drugs that pose a danger to cause hair loss as a side effect. One such example medication is called Lopid .

2. Blood Pressure medications: There are some beta blocker blood pressure medications that have been reported to create hair loss in certain cases. Some examples of these drugs are : Corgard, lopressor, and Blocadren.

3. Parkinson’s medications: Not every Parkinson’s medication has been linked to hair loss, but one example of a drug that has been recognized to impact an individuals hair is called Dopar.

4. Arthritis medications: Certain medications which are designed to alleviate arthritis might create hair loss. For instance, naproxen, penicillamine, and methotrexate.

5. Blood thinners: Certain blood thinners (anticoagulants) might create hair loss, such as heparin and inderal.