Acitretin and Hair Loss: What Users Say

• She...
• January 8, 2010

Acitretin for Psoriasis "Soriatane certainly helps with the psoriasis, but I'm not sure the side effects are worth it. I've got 2 infected ingrown toenails because the skin on my toes is so soft, it laps over and causes the toenails to be ingrown and then infected. I've lost a lot of hair. My fingernails peel and break. I have this plastic-like coating in my mouth that nothing gets rid of. There's got to be a better way!"

• Des...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2013

Acitretin for Psoriasis "I took Soriatane for about four months until my hair started falling out. Although Soriatane cleared 80% of my moderate psoriasis, I did not want to lose more hair. While taking Soriatane, my lips became very dry and cracked, peeling skin on my feet, and loss of hair. It was effective in clearing the psoriasis."

• Haz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2019

For Psoriasis "Acitretin is the worst drug I ever tried. Within 12 days, I turned from 10% covered to 70% covered, new lesions everywhere, my scalp totally covered with new patches, very dry lips, hair loss, and peeling hands. I stopped it quickly, and the side effects still take effect after 5 weeks. Really nasty drug, I regret I tried it."

• KSH...
• August 16, 2017

For Psoriasis "I commenced this drug very slowly (10 mg/day), worked up to 30 mg over the course of a month. The psoriasis on my hands responded very quickly but was pretty painful while it was shedding. The psoriasis on my feet took much longer but did respond eventually. I had problems with side effects, however, I had to reduce my dose to 20 mg one month after increasing to 30 mg. My face (no psoriasis on my face) was red, scaly, and so painful that I couldn't wear my glasses. The inside of my nose was bleeding and sore, the inside of my mouth was peeling, my gums were bleeding, and my vision was affected. Even on 20 mg, my vision has continued to decline, my hair is falling out, and I have no eyebrows or eyelashes. I gave up yesterday. It's worked, but at a cost."

• zip...
• January 19, 2020

For Psoriasis "I am on this along with Siliq. A couple of months in, I am only getting worse. Frustrated. The last time on acitretin, my hair fell out. I was not verbally warned. Now I know it could happen. Use the lip chap on this."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2021

For Psoriasis "It was awful. I took Soriatane in December 2019. I was on 10 mg a day for one month. Read it could cause hair loss, and the pharmacist said 40% of women get hair loss. I asked the derm not once but three times if it would do this. He has been a supposed psoriasis specialist for 30 years, and he said it shouldn't, he had never even seen it at 25 mg. He said it was such a minimal amount, it should not happen. It was Christmas time, he also said it was okay to have a few drinks. Wrong. So I started noticing hair drying and getting funky, then shedding. I stopped taking it, shedding continued for months after, plus the skin on my face broke out bad with dry skin. Now I have sebopsoriasis, and on my scalp, my hair has thinned. I'm on Rogaine, but my hair is so frizzy and dry, causing some facial hair. He told me I couldn't go on Otezla back then because of depression issues, but I read after that acitretin can worsen depression, and it has. I've spent most of last year and this in bed crying over hair thinning and skin issues, it's awful. Please never take this ever."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2021

For Psoriasis "It was awful. I took Soriatane in December 2019. I was on 10 mg a day for one month. Read it could cause hair loss, and the pharmacist said 40% of women get hair loss. I asked the derm not once but three times if it would do this. He has been a supposed psoriasis specialist for 30 years, and he said it shouldn't, he had never even seen it at 25 mg. He said it was such a minimal amount, it should not happen. It was Christmas time, he also said it was okay to have a few drinks. Wrong. So I started noticing hair drying and getting funky, then shedding. I stopped taking it, shedding continued for months after, plus the skin on my face broke out bad with dry skin. Now I have sebopsoriasis, and on my scalp, my hair has thinned. I'm on Rogaine, but my hair is so frizzy and dry, causing some facial hair. He told me I couldn't go on Otezla back then because of depression issues, but I read after that acitretin can worsen depression, and it has. I've spent most of last year and this in bed crying over hair thinning and skin issues, it's awful. Please never take this ever."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 5, 2021

For Psoriasis "Used on my son in March 2021, age 11. He suffered from all the side effects and stopped it straight away. My child had body aches, joint pain, redness, stiff bones, couldn't walk or sit or sleep. The worst: his hair fell out so bad. Now they want to put him on 10 mg, but that is not going to happen."

• SEN...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2019

For Psoriasis "In Feb 2019, started acitretin 25 mg for palms of hands and soles of feet. Never eliminated all the psoriasis symptoms, but greatly reduced peeling, redness, and itching. Worst side effect was very chapped lips until Jun 2019 when my hair started falling out and breaking away. After 34 yrs of keeping gray at bay, I stopped coloring my hair in Jul 2019 thinking that might be triggering the hair exodus. I stopped taking acitretin in Aug 2019 and the hair continues to fall out (now Sep 2019). My dermatologist has ordered blood work to identify triggers. Fingers crossed!"

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2022

For Psoriasis "I have psoriasis, the severe areas are in my palms, hands, and feet. I’ve been taking Neotigason 25 mg/day for less than a month. It is quite responsive to the treatment, but my lips are extremely dry and I have hair loss."

• pam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2021

For Psoriasis "Was prescribed acitretin, and after 8 weeks, the patches became larger, bright red, and skin was shedding around the areas. The psoriasis spread everywhere, areas where I have never had any problem. Hair started to fall out in large quantities, and I lost half my head of hair. Gave it up as it was expensive and not working, on the contrary, it seemed to make it much worse."

• Syd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 10, 2025

For Psoriasis "I really wanted Acitretin to work for my plaque psoriasis, definitely improved the efficacy of the UVB light therapy and seemed to keep the remission period for psoriasis longer. However, it made my hair start falling out, I could really notice it in the shower coming out in my hands. Don’t take this unless you are happy to be bald. I read the review from someone saying it happened to them and thought I might be spared. But no, it was really falling out for me too! Depressing, lol. It’s about 3 months later since I stopped, and fortunately, the hair has stopped falling out."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2022

For Psoriasis "Been on acitretin for 3 months, was on 50 mg, then 25 mg, now 10 mg, but I am getting rashes on legs. Since starting this drug, it has helped with the severe psoriasis, also, I am losing my hair."