Alopecia After Meth Use: Can Meth Cause Hair Loss?

Methamphetamine (also known as crystal meth, ice, and speed) belongs to the same class of drugs as amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and Adderall.

You may encounter many side effects when taking meth, including hair loss. This can be a challenging aspect of recovery from meth addiction to overcome.

And unfortunately, many people recovering from meth drug use are unaware that their hair loss may be related to meth use.

Here are some tips on how you can deal with hair loss while recovering from meth addiction.

How Meth Use Causes Hair Loss

Alopecia is characterized by patchy or diffuse loss of scalp hair with sparing of eyebrows and eyelashes.

Hair follicles are sensitive to opioids, meth, and other stimulant drugs and will start to break down due to:

Skin Picking

Skin picking may be caused by a malfunction in the dopamine reward pathway.

That’s because dopamine agonist drugs, such as methamphetamine and cocaine, are linked to an uncontrollable impulse to pick the skin among people who use meth.

Picking at one’s skin is also prevalent among those with meth mites or meth sores.

Hair Follicle Damage

Many people who use meth neglect their health care due to frequent meth use. They’re unable to clean or brush their hair.

When stray hairs and dead skin cells are not removed regularly, they can cause dandruff, scalp irritation, itching, and hair follicle damage. As a result of this, alopecia may develop over time.

Malnutrition

Snorting meth may suppress hunger and cause people to eat less. That may cause malnutrition.

Deficiencies in minerals including biotin, iron, and zinc have been linked to hair loss or brittle, thin hair in people with eating disorders, hunger, or malnutrition.

Damage To Keratin Protein

Hair is made up of the protein keratin. And deficiencies in hair-related minerals like keratin have been linked to hair loss or brittle, thin hair.

Can You Reverse Meth Hair Loss Damage?

With time, much of the damage to hair caused by meth abuse can be reversed. Health professionals may suggest supplements such as biotin hair-skin-nails supplements.

Regular hygiene practices and addressing meth sores can also help safeguard against hair loss.

The most essential step in reversing meth hair loss damage is treating the addiction. It’s crucial to seek professional help and reach out to your support network during the addiction recovery.

In addition to hair loss, meth substance abuse may cause irregular body temperature, and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure that can damage your heart and even cause a heart attack.

To treat meth-induced hair loss and promote hair growth, stop meth use and reduce your stress levels.

Also, consume healthy foods that promote hair development, such as eggs, fatty fish, legumes, seeds, almonds, avocados, and berries.

Treatment Options For Meth Dependence

Meth treatment programs help people live without dependency on meth by providing them with training on dealing with cravings and withdrawal symptoms and avoiding relapse.

The doctor may also prescribe drugs (after an evaluation) to treat co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, and help restore your physical appearance.

These treatment programs may also help stop alcohol abuse and dependency on other drugs.

Find Addiction Treatment Services At Bedrock Recovery Center

The road to meth addiction recovery starts at Bedrock Recovery Center.

Our accredited, Massachusetts-based treatment center can help you or your loved one recover from substance abuse issues, such as those related to methamphetamine use.

Call us to learn more about our proven-effective addiction treatment programs.