Medical Providers:
Dr. Michael Vines, MD
Alex Spritzer, FNP, CARN-AP, PMHNP
Clinical Providers:
Natalie Foster, LPC-S, MS
Last Updated: November 7, 2022
On average, drugs can remain in your system for about 2 to 4 days after use, bringing with them a wide range of side effects, including anxiety, liver disease, heart disease, kidney damage, and respiratory problems, among many others. One of the lesser-known side effects of drug use that often goes unnoticed is hair loss.
So, how does drug use cause hair loss? There are several ways hair loss can occur when using recreational drugs.
One of the primary ways drug use contributes to hair loss is by disrupting your natural hair growth cycle. This condition, known as telogen effluvium, occurs when hair follicles are prematurely pushed into the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. To better understand how this happens, it helps to look at the different stages of hair growth.
Your hair goes through three main phases of growth:
The first stage is the anagen phase, during which your hair is actively growing.
Next is the catagen phase, a short transitional period where hair growth stops and the hair follicle prepares to enter the final stage.
The last stage is the telogen phase, where hair shedding naturally occurs. Losing around 50 to 100 hairs per day during this phase is considered normal, but shedding beyond that amount may indicate hair loss.
Another way drug use can cause hair loss is through structural damage to the hair itself. More specifically, drug use can alter the keratin that makes up your hair, leading to weakened strands and increased breakage. Studies examining the hair structure of drug users have found that excessive drug use can weaken the hair shaft, making hair more fragile and prone to breakage. As a result, significant hair loss can occur within a relatively short period of time.
Lastly, drug use places considerable stress on both the body and mental health. Prolonged exposure to stress can trigger excessive hair shedding, which is another common cause of telogen effluvium. When the body is neglected, stress levels remain elevated, and exposure to trauma increases, hair loss can become a noticeable and lasting outcome.
While methamphetamine use can cause hair loss through many of the mechanisms mentioned above, it can also contribute to hair loss through tactile hallucinations. Tactile hallucinations are a common symptom associated with meth addiction and involve physical sensations that are not actually present, such as the feeling of bugs crawling on the skin or other uncomfortable sensations throughout the body.
These tactile hallucinations may lead to compulsive behaviors such as hair pulling, skin picking, and other forms of self-inflicted injury. Over time, these behaviors can damage the hair follicles, increase hair shedding, and contribute to noticeable hair loss.
You may be surprised to see marijuana on this list, but research suggests that marijuana use and hair loss may be connected. Regular marijuana use can affect the endocrine system, which plays an important role in regulating hormones throughout the body. Changes in hormonal balance may contribute to increased hair shedding and disruptions in the natural hair growth cycle.
Your body relies on hormonal balance to maintain healthy functioning, including healthy hair growth. When substances interfere with this balance and disrupt the body’s natural homeostasis, the result can be increased hair shedding and other long-term health concerns.
An addiction to cocaine can contribute to hair loss through nutritional deficiencies, disrupted sleep patterns, and poor self-care habits. Prolonged cocaine use, sometimes referred to as White Lady, can suppress appetite, making it difficult for the body to receive the essential nutrients it needs to function properly. This lack of nutrients can negatively impact many bodily processes, including healthy hair growth.
Cocaine use can also interfere with normal sleep patterns. When the body does not get adequate rest, it becomes less effective at managing physical and emotional stress. Increased stress levels can contribute to excessive hair shedding and may trigger conditions such as telogen effluvium, leading to noticeable hair loss over time.
Misuse of Adderall can also contribute to hair loss. When Adderall is prescribed by a healthcare professional, patients typically attend regular checkups to monitor their response to the medication and ensure it is appropriate for their individual needs.
However, when Adderall is misused without medical supervision, side effects and adverse reactions may go unnoticed or untreated. Changes in appetite, increased stress, sleep disturbances, and other physical effects can contribute to hair shedding and hair loss over time. Without proper monitoring, these symptoms may worsen and lead to noticeable thinning or excessive shedding.
If you are looking to reverse hair loss, there are several holistic approaches that can help reduce hair loss from drug use, support hair regrowth, and improve your overall health.
Before treating hair loss, it is important to address drug addiction. Continuing drug use while trying to regrow your hair can limit results. Focusing on recovery first allows your body to heal and creates a healthier environment for hair growth.
Once you begin recovery, treatments such as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), lifestyle changes, and stress reduction can support healthy hair growth.
LLLT, or low-level laser therapy is a non-invasive hair loss treatment. LLLT uses cold laser light to regenerate your hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. While it might sound straight out of a science fiction movie, studies have shown that LLLT is a safe and effective treatment for hair growth. To use LLLT, you simply wear a laser cap a few times per week, for about 30 minutes at a time (this time can differ among brands). Within about 6-9 months, you should start to see new growth and improved hair density.
If you are not sure if laser therapy is right for you, take this quiz to determine if you are a candidate.
Getting enough sleep, staying physically active, and eating nutritious foods can support healthy hair growth. Foods such as eggs, avocados, berries, fatty fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt provide nutrients that help nourish the hair and scalp.
Stress can contribute to excessive hair shedding, making stress management an important part of hair recovery. Activities such as meditation, spending time outdoors, exercise, yoga, and self-care can help reduce stress and support overall well-being.
Hair loss can be frustrating, but with recovery, healthy habits, and proper treatment, it is possible to improve both your hair health and your overall wellness.
If you are struggling with addiction and need support, the team at Arizona IOP is here to help.
Tiffany Fuller is a creator for illumiflow, a revolutionary brand helping its customers regrow their hair, and Premium Web LLC.
