The recreational use of drugs has been consistently growing since the ’60s. Even though their use involves a rather extensive variety of risks, people still go out of their way to “get a fix” sometimes at the expense of their own health.
Although people use recreational drugs for many different reasons, the effects on the body and health on many individuals are quite similar. This article seeks to address one of the common questions about amphetamines in relation to hair. Ultimately, the question is, “Can amphetamines cause baldness and hair thinning?”
What Are Amphetamines?
Amphetamines are a group of very addictive drug substances. They act as a powerful stimulant from the central nervous system of the body.
Their particular effects also found use when dealing with a variety of modern conditions, such as the following:
- Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Narcolepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
But just as with any other stimulants, abusing these substances exposes your health to a range of adverse conditions.
Effects of Amphetamines
Some people that intentionally try to use this substance end up wanting more due to the highly addictive nature of its effects. Some of the effects that the intake of amphetamines has on the body are the following:
- Wakefulness, increased focus
- A surge of energy and increased stamina
- Faster, clearer breathing
- Insomnia and general disregard for sleeping
- Excitability, trouble standing still
- Heightened levels of personal confidence
Symptoms of Amphetamine Abuse
Those effects, however, can lead to the following troubles if the substance is abused:
- Faster heart rate, palpitations, higher blood pressure
- Paranoia and confusion
- Restlessness and irritability
- Aggressive behaviour
- Notable weight loss due to suppressed appetite
Long-term abuse leads to serious and often-permanent physical and psychological damages. A much-disputed effect is whether amphetamines can cause baldness and hair thinning.
Amphetamines, Baldness, and Hair Thinning
To say that amphetamines cause baldness and hair thinning themselves is not exactly correct. Rather, the conditions of its abuse can cause it.
As a very effective appetite suppressant, many people who use amphetamines routinely forget to eat. Besides weight loss, this soon leads to malnutrition, starving their bodies from essential nutrients which are also essential in maintaining and producing new hair.
Also, the psychological conditions associated with its abuse cause untold amounts of stress. The worse they are, the faster it aids the hair thinning and balding process.
The ultimate answer about whether using amphetamines can cause baldness and hair thinning is a resounding yes. But so can any addiction to most drugs. Thus, increasing literacy about drug abuse and its effects becomes necessary.
Treating Hair Loss from Amphetamines
In most cases, simply ceasing consumption of amphetamines will be enough to restart your hair growth. In a matter of months, you will see it grow back again.
Patients afflicted by active androgenetic baldness might not see ample hair return on the affected zone. The hair shed from amphetamines effectively accelerated the hair loss from the condition.
If that is the case, a follicular unit excision (FUE) hair transplant would be the only option for restoring the hair.
In this procedure, our surgeons extract healthy hair follicles from the back of your scalp. Later, they graft those in the balding area through microincisions, effectively repopulating it.
Our surgeons perform high-quality hair transplants following your hair’s natural growth pattern. Our prices are also very affordable. Get in touch with us for more information.