DO YOU KNOW THAT THESE DRUGS CAUSES HAIR GROWTH?

Drugs are majorly substances that when taken causes a temporary physiological change in the body. These changes can include unpleasant effects that happens in addition to the main effect, which are often termed as "Side effects".

Well, there are actually some Side effects that i believe are not entirely unpleasant, at least not the side effect of "Minoxidil" a drug used to treat patients with severe hypertension. One of the side effect of this drug is Hypertrichosis. 

Hypertrichosis also known as Werewolf syndrome, is a condition characterized  by excessive hair growth on a person's body. Hypertrichosis was a common side-effect in those taking minoxidil tablets and included the regrowth of hair in male balding in several studies carried out. This led to the development of a topical formulation of minoxidil for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (baldness) in men and subsequently in women. As in, excessive hair growth on the face, head...beard gangs do you get what I am trying to say? My fellow receded hairline sisters are you following? Unfortunately, minoxidil topical formulation can only stimulate hair regrowth, it cannot stimulate hair growth where there's normally no hair.

Despite much research over 20 years we still have only a limited understanding of how minoxidil stimulates hair growth. 

More so, Hypertrichosis should not be mistaken for Hirsutism.

Other drugs that can have hypertrichosis as Side effect include:

• Streptomycin - increased hair growth in children (of both sexes) has been reported,
• Diphenylhydantoin - hypertrichosis seen more in females,
• Corticosteroids - facial hypertrichosis may result from prolonged or intensive therapy,
• Penicillamine - associated with hypertrichosis affecting the trunk and limbs,
• Psoralens - may induce temporary hypertrichosis on light-exposed areas,
• Diazoxide - hypertrichosis occurs in 50-100% of children treated. However less than 1% of adults develop hypertrichosis. 
• Cyclosporin A - results in an increase in hair growth in 44% of patients treated. Hypertrichosis is reversible on discontinuation of therapy.
• Phenytoin
• Spironolactone
• Zidovudine

Pharm G B. IDAMKUE

Reference:

1. link accessed on the 9th of October 2018

2. link accessed on the 9th of October 2018