Commonly prescribed medications associated with alopecia

The diagnosis and treatment of medication-associated alopecia often challenges patients and physicians. While numerous studies on the topic exist, limited information on the strength and magnitude of these studies exists.

We investigated the most commonly prescribed medications with high levels of evidence to support associations with alopecia.

A list of most commonly prescribed medications was compiled using the "Top 100 Prescriptions, Sales" (Intercontinental Marketing Services) and "Top 200 Names Searched" (RxList.com). PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for "generic drug name" AND "alopecia" and "generic drug name" AND "hair loss." Two reviewers independently reviewed articles for drug, study type and level of evidence, and number of alopecia cases.

A total of 192 unique drugs were investigated, with 110 yielding positive search results. Of these, 13 were associated with alopecia in studies with strong levels of evidence (adalimumab, infliximab, budesonide, interferon β-1α, tacrolimus, enoxaparin, zoster vaccine, lamotrigine, docetaxel, capecitabine, erlotinib, imatinib, and bortezomib).

Only full-length articles available in the English language were included. The methodology used relied on lists of drugs based on their sales rather than number of prescriptions, which likely overrepresented expensive drugs.

Few studies with high levels of evidence have been conducted on the topic of medication-associated alopecia. The mechanisms of hair loss must be further identified to provide effective management.