To Sabrina: Regarding hair loss

Hi Sabrina,

I see that Gary hasn't responded so hopefully I will be able to field this question for you. I was on a super-heavy dose of accutane for 8 months. For three of those 8 months, I was actually on 120 mg a day. During the course of my treatment, the side effects weren't too bad. Now, I have been off accutane for over 4 months and my hair has begun to fall out...its almost as if I'm shedding. When I shampoo it, when I comb it, when I towel-dry it, when I gel it, even if I just gently run my fingers through my hair...it comes out (anywhere from 10-20 hairs at a pop). Much like you, I began freaking out...I still kind of am. At first, I attributed it to the fact that I am a 27 year old man and maybe I was going bald. But it happened very suddenly and I'm losing hair from all over my head (by my ears, near my neck) not just in my crown area and that is not typical of MPB (male pattern baldness). Not only that, I was losing body hair as well. I am a member on www.acne.org (which is an incredible website...the message boards are unbelievable...any problem or side effect you can possibly imagine from accutane, there is someone on there who has had it and you can communicate with them...and its FREE best of all) and one of the other members on there told me to do a google search on TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM (I highly recommend that you do the same) and it truly put my mind at ease. You will find that this hair loss is very common and also very temporary. It is caused by certain medications (retinoids in particular - accutane is a retinoid) and can happen several months after you've finished the drug. Look at me, I'm almost five months off and it just started happening recently. If you do this google search and go on acne.org, I am almost willing to guarantee that you will fell better! Let me know how it turns out! I hope this helps!

"AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS"