Does Wellbutrin Cause Hair Loss?

Specialty: Dermatologist ,Hair, Skin, and Nail Disorders

Dr. Shruti Chavan is a consulting dermatologist at Dr.Sheth's Skin and Hair Clinic since 6 years. She is a co-committee member of CDSI (Cosmetic dermatologist Society of India). She is highly skilled in non-surgical facial skin rejuvenation... more

Anjali specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. Her philosophy about hair and skin care is simple: if you love and care for it, it will be h... more

• Can Wellbutrin Cause Hair Loss
• What Can You Do To Help Your Hair Grow Back
• Drug- Induced Hair Loss Diagnosis: When To See A Doctor
• Discontinuation Of Medication To Stop Hair Loss
• Bupropion For Treating Trichotillomania

Can Wellbutrin Cause Hair Loss

Research indicates that bupropion used in Wellbutrin may cause alopecia (1). Wellbutrin contains dopamine agonists (compounds that imitate dopamine action). These dopamine agonists tend to affect the receptors in hair follicles and eventually lead to hair loss (1).

Wellbutrin and other antidepressants may cause drug-induced hair loss. To better understand drug-induced hair loss, we need to look into the hair growth cycle.

The hair growth cycle has three main phases – anagen, catagen, and telogen (119/3/391' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' >2). The anagen phase is where hair follicles begin to grow. Catagen is the regression phase, and telogen is the resting phase. At any given point in time, 90% of hair is in the anagen phase (1). Hair disorders usually involve changes to the anagen and telogen phases in the hair growth cycle (3).

Drug-induced hair loss can lead to effluvium (or hair shedding) in the anagen or telogen phases. While anagen effluvium occurs a few days or weeks from taking the drug, telogen effluvium typically occurs two to four months after you start taking the drug. This can eventually lead to patterned or diffused hair loss that can be acute or chronic.

Research shows that bupropion poses the highest risk for hair loss compared to other antidepressants (4). Studies show that there are 13 notable cases of drug- induced alopecia caused by bupropion (1). Women are more frequently affected by drug-induced hair loss than men (5).

There are ways you can reverse this hair loss. While some have been proven by research, some are believed to work from anecdotal evidence. Take a look at the following section.

What Can You Do To Help Your Hair Grow Back

There are no shampoos or conditioners that can help treat drug-induced hair loss. If the hair loss you experience is worrying you, visit a doctor.

Drug-Induced Hair Loss Diagnosis: When To See A Doctor

It is normal for a person to lose 100 hair strands a day. But if you notice excessive hair loss, consult a doctor. The hair loss may not always be caused by the bupropion you could be taking. There could also be a nutrient deficiency.

Your doctor may perform a gentle pull test to confirm active hair loss (8). You may be asked to stop washing hair for five days before the test. After five days, a lock of hair is gently pulled at the end to note the amount of hair loss occurring. If more than 10% of hair loss occurs, it could be treated as alopecia. The doctor may perform other tests to confirm drug-induced hair loss (this also can include stopping drug usage temporarily to observe its impact on hair loss).

Discontinuation Of Medication To Stop Hair Loss

Your hair loss should reduce once you discontinue your medications. But if you need to continue taking the medication for your health condition, you can check for other options to treat drug-induced hair loss. Your doctor might prescribe a lower dosage of bupropion or even offer other treatment options.

Although bupropion has been shown to cause hair loss in some cases, it also can help treat a rather severe condition of hair loss.

Bupropion For Treating Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is a disorder where the patient has a compulsive desire to pull out their own hair. Fluoxetine is one medication normally used to treat this condition. However, a study showed that bupropion could treat non-responsive trichotillomania if the condition shows no improvement with fluoxetine (9).

Conclusion

While Wellbutrin does cause hair loss, it is usually temporary, reversible, and treatable. A regular hair care regimen and a proper lifestyle can help reduce your hair loss. But should your hair loss persist, make sure you visit your doctor and consider the treatment options suggested.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the other side effects of Wellbutrin?

Wellbutrin (bupropion) may cause other side effects too. These include dry mouth, insomnia, headache, nausea, weight loss, restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, constipation, and fatigue (10).

What medications can cause hair loss?

Chemotherapy radiation and medication, antineoplastic medication, psychotropic medication, antidepressant medication, oral contraceptives, anticoagulant medication, retinoids, antimicrobial medication, cardiovascular medication, and androgens may cause hair loss (5).

Is hair loss from antidepressants permanent?

Usually, hair loss caused by antidepressants is temporary. The hair loss reduces a couple of months after the discontinuation of the medication.

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