Abstract

Suresh Ghritlahare*, Pushpendra Kurre, Govind Panagar and Trilochan Satapathy

ABSTRACT

Hair is one of the important parts of our body. Hair failure is a familiar complaint, both men and women & use of prescription medications is well-known. Hair loss can be divided into three types: 1. Noncicatricial (potentially reversible), 2. Cicatricial 3. Due to hair shaft abnormalities. The scalp hair grows in cycles of anagen (growth), catagen (involution), telogen (resting), and exogen (release of dead hair) phases. Causes of hair loss: Hair loss is a dermatological disorder that has been recognised for more than 2000 years. Drugs that cause hair loss Drugs can cause telogen hair loss that starts about 12 weeks after starting the drug and continues while on the drug. 10 Dosing changes can also precipitate hair shedding. Any medication or over the counter product the patient is taking should be suspected in hair loss. Drugs known to cause telogen effluvium are oral contraceptive pills, androgens, retinoids, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and the anticoagulants heparin and warfarin. Medicines used to treat arthritis (Penicillamine, Indomethacin, Naprosyn and Methotrexate), parkinson’s disease (levodopa); any other medication which has an androgenic (male) hormone action, such as - anabolic steroids, often used by athletes and bodybuilders or danocrine used for treating endometriosis in women causes hair loss. Diagnosis of hair loss: Biopsy of central scalp, daily hair count, wash test, Hair pull test etc. Treatments of hair loss: a herbal drug used in treatment of alopecia i.e. Common names are Avocado Shikakai, Arnica, Onion, Birch, Mustard, Tea, Marigold, Pepper, Mandukparni ete. Synthetic drugs used for treatment of hair loss are Minoxidil, Finasteride, Zinc, Skinoren/Azelaic Acid, Ketoconazoie, Cyproterone Acetate with Ethinyl oestradiol, Cimetidine, Cyproterone Acetate, Spironoloactone, Prezatide copper etc. minoxidil was transformed from an antihypertensive to hair-loss drug, Minoxidil affects hair follicles by inducing proliferation and differentiation of the dermal papilla cell at the bulb base. FDA approved 2% solutions for female patients. This stops the hair loss in patients with AGA and stimulates new hair growth.