Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
08:54
Validated LC-MS/MS Panel for Quantifying 11 Drug-Resistant TB Medications in Small Hair Samples
Published on: May 19, 2020
8.0K
Drug reactions affecting hair and nails
Uwe Wollina1, Mohamed Badawy Abdel-Naser2
1Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Städtisches Klinikum Dresden, Academic Teaching Hospital, Dresden, Germany.
Clinics in Dermatology
|December 20, 2020
Summary
Certain medications can cause adverse effects on hair and nails, impacting treatment adherence. Awareness of these drug-induced changes and preventive strategies is crucial for patient quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Drug-induced changes affecting hair and nails are a recognized clinical issue.
- Various pharmaceutical agents, administered topically or systemically, can trigger these adverse events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the potential for drug-induced hair and nail abnormalities.
- To inform healthcare providers and patients about these side effects and preventive measures.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on drug-induced hair and nail changes.
- Analysis of mechanisms by which compounds affect hair cycling, texture, and nail structures.
Main Results:
- Pharmaceutical agents or their metabolites can disrupt hair cycling and texture.
- Nail matrix, nail bed, nail folds, and microvasculature are potential targets for drug toxicity.
- Phototoxic reactions involving hair and nails can occur.
Conclusions:
- Physicians and patients must be informed about potential hair and nail adverse events prior to treatment.
- Proactive awareness and available preventive measures are essential to mitigate impacts on quality of life and treatment compliance.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Drug Interactions
132
Drug interactions occur when the pharmacological effect of one drug is altered by another substance, either enhancing or diminishing its activity. The drug whose activity is altered is known as the object drug, and the substance causing the alteration is called the agent drug or the precipitant. The net effects of these interactions are mostly undesirable, leading to decreased effectiveness or increased adverse effects. In rare cases, interactions can be beneficial, such as the enhanced...
132
01:26Toxic Reactions: Overview
1.6K
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
1.6K
01:27Effects of Chemicals: Overview
1.8K
Drugs, encompassing various chemical compounds from natural sources, lab synthesis, or genetic engineering, elicit different biological responses in living organisms. Some of these responses are desirable or therapeutic, while others are undesirable. The primary goal of administering a drug is to achieve a therapeutic effect, that is, to address a specific disease or health condition. Any concurrent effects outside of this therapeutic outcome are considered undesirable. These undesirable...
1.8K
01:26Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions
83
A drug interaction occurs when the concurrent use of another drug, food, or an external substance alters the pharmacological activity of a drug. This interaction can modify the action of the original drug, affecting its effectiveness and safety.Drug–food interactions are significant as they impact drug absorption, metabolism, and excretion. For example, grapefruit juice is a well-known disruptor of drug metabolism. It inhibits the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme, crucial for the metabolism of...
83
01:30Vitamins
1.8K
Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced...
1.8K
01:27Allergic Drug Reactions
1.2K
Allergic reactions related to drugs are hypersensitivity responses driven by the immune system and bear no connection to the drug's therapeutic action. While drugs in isolation do not trigger an immune response, they can interact with endogenous proteins to form antigens. These antigens stimulate lymphocytes to produce antibodies. IgE-type antibodies attach themselves to mast cells. Upon subsequent exposure to the same stimulus, the antigen-antibody interaction is initiated, unleashing...
1.2K