HIV hair loss generally occurs indirectly — for instance, as a result of a side effect of medications. However, it can also occur due to the medical conditions associated with this infection. In this guide, you’ll learn more about the possible causes of HIV hair loss.
Does HIV Cause Hair Loss?
People with HIV can experience hair loss due to different reasons. According to a 2019 study, hair loss in people with HIV can be related to:
- Advanced AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome caused by the human immunodeficiency virus)
- Opportunistic infections (for e.g. tuberculosis, pneumonia, candidiasis, herpes, etc.)
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Metabolic and nutritional disturbances
- Side effects of medication
According to researchers, all of the above can cause hair loss in HIV patients — commonly through telogen effluvium; it’s a type of diffuse hair loss triggered by physical or psychological stressors.
In addition, there has been a very rare case report of both alopecia areata (an autoimmune disorder in which healthy hair follicles are attached) and vitiligo (an autoimmune disorder in which patches of skin lose colour) being associated with HIV infection. Though vitiligo does not cause direct hair loss, alopecia areata can.
Does HIV Medication Cause Hair Loss?
According to a 2014 review, protease inhibitors, especially indinavir, used in antiretroviral therapy, were reported to cause hair loss the most commonly. Following that, it was the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) lamivudine. Discontinuation of the drug, however, allowed hair growth to take place — ”partial reversal” occurred in half of the cases.
Though HIV medications can cause hair loss, it is imperative that you consult your doctor about this. It is possible for your hair loss to occur due to another reason. Only your doctor can best guide you on this.
In addition to those mentioned above, there are several other HIV medications that have been associated with hair loss. A few of them are as follows:
- Lamivudine
- Tenofovir alafenamide
- Zidovudine
- Efavirenz
- Raltegravir
- Atazanavir and cobicistat (Evotaz)
- Lamivudine and zidovudine (Combivir)
- Dolutegravir and lamivudine (Dovato)
- Abacavir, lamivudine and zidovudine (Trizivir)
- Doravirine, lamivudine and tenofovir disoproxil (Delstrigo)
- Lopinavir and ritonavir (Kaletra)
- Abacavir, dolutegravir and lamivudine (Triumeq)
Can You Get A Hair Transplant With HIV?
Some clinics might not advise HIV-positive patients to get hair transplantation surgery, but it is possible to undergo the procedure.
If you have any questions or concerns that you’d like us to address in this regard, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your doctor.
Dr Cagla
Dr Cagla earned her medical degree at Trakya University’s Faculty of Medicine in Bulgaria and has almost 6 years of hair transplantation experience. She is a specialist in FUE, DHI and Sapphire hair transplants of the scalp, eyebrows and beard and has performed over 6,000 surgeries. Dr Cagla is multilingual, with fluency in English, Bulgarian and Turkish.
