HIV Hair Loss
Understand the link between HIV and hair loss, causes like ART side effects, and effective ways to restore and maintain healthy hair.
You notice more hair in the shower drain. You tell yourself it’s just stress. But deep down, you wonder, could it be something more?
Hair loss can be alarming to anyone. For individuals living with HIV, it often raises even more questions and concerns. Does the virus cause it? The medication? Or something else entirely?
Here is the catch: if you are living with HIV, hair loss mostly happens as a result of other factors related to the infection, but not the virus directly. Medication side effects, nutritional deficiencies, chronic illness, stress, and secondary infections can cause hair loss.
HIV and Its Impact on the Body
HIV (short for human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight against infection. [1] The virus weakens your immune system by destroying your T-cells. This makes you vulnerable to infections.
If left untreated on time, the virus can increase the risk of secondary infections. This can make it possible for the virus to affect every part of the body, including skin and hair. A weakened immune system can indirectly affect hair follicles through several factors, including malnutrition and the side effects of medication. [2]
Can HIV Cause Hair Loss?
HIV is not typically a direct cause of hair loss. Instead, hair loss is often caused by indirect factors, such as the medications used to treat the infection, nutritional deficiencies, and other opportunistic infections.
In advanced stages, the virus can cause hair thinning or loss of hair due to conditions like telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss caused by a major physiological or emotional stressor, such as childbirth or severe illness. [3]
Also, secondary infections like fungal scalp infections can affect hair follicles. This can lead to temporary or permanent hair loss. The infections tend to cause inflammation and can damage the hair shaft, resulting in breakage and hair falling out. [4]
The Role of HIV Medications
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vital for managing HIV. But some medications can cause side effects like hair loss, especially in older people.
Older medications like AZT were associated with hair loss, a side effect that newer medications have mitigated, mainly.
Most modern medications are generally considered safer and have fewer side effects. However, reactions vary from person to person. The side effects, such as hair loss, can be a result of temporary adjustment or from a rare reaction.
It is important not to stop your ART medication without your medical expert’s advice, as it is lifesaving and prevents the virus from progressing and transmitting.
Other Common Causes of Hair Loss in People with HIV
Common causes of hair loss if you are living with HIV include:
- Secondary infections. With a weakened immune system, other infections like syphilis can cause patchy hair loss. [5]
- Medication side effects. Some ART drugs have been associated with hair loss, which can be patchy.
- Nutritional deficiencies. HIV can affect the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, resulting in deficiencies that lead to hair loss.
- Immune dysregulation. The virus can cause the immune system to malfunction. This can result in conditions like alopecia areata, where your body attacks its own hair follicles. [6]
Managing and Treating Hair Loss
To correctly manage hair loss, always consult your healthcare professional first. Do not take medications that could have adverse side effects or are probably life-threatening.
Managing and treating hair loss involves various approaches, including medications such as minoxidil, surgical options like hair transplants, and other treatments like low-level laser therapy.
Medical and surgical treatments include:
- Minoxidil
- Hair transplant
- Laser therapy
Lifestyle and home management:
- Improve diet
- Reduce stress
- Limit chemical treatments
Bottom Line
Hair loss can be distressing, especially when paired with the challenges of HIV. But the causes are often treatable, and you are not alone. With proper care, diagnosis, and support, it is possible to manage both your health and your hair.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. HIV & AIDS: Causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention. Cleveland Clinic. Published June 6, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4251-hiv-aids
- Mirmirani P, Maurer T, Cohen M, et al. Investigating the effects of metabolic dysregulation on hair follicles: a comparison of HIV‐infected women with and without central lipohypertrophy. International Journal of Dermatology. 2013;53(10). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.12044
- Cleveland Clinic. Telogen Effluvium: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Regrowth. Cleveland Clinic. Published December 1, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24486-telogen-effluvium
- Mayo Clinic. Ringworm (scalp) – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Published 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ringworm-scalp/symptoms-causes/syc-20354918
- Katayama S, Ota M. Rapidly Progressive Hair Loss May Be the Only Sign of Syphilis. The American Journal of Medicine. 2022;135(6):e121-e122. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.01.041
- Cleveland Clinic. Alopecia Areata: Causes, Symptoms & Management. Cleveland Clinic. Published August 30, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12423-alopecia-areata
