Does Stelara cause hair loss?
No, Stelara (ustekinumab) has not been shown to cause hair loss in clinical studies.
Stelara is prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis in adults and children over 6 years of age, and for the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis in adults.
A 2017 case study in the Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology showed that hair loss caused by the autoimmune disorder alopecia areata, which can be a concurrent condition to patients with psoriasis, responded well to Stelara and noted an increase in hair density, though larger studies are necessary to make any firm conclusions.
Common side effects of Stelara include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Abdominal pain, back pain
- Headache
- Upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Itching (pruritus)
- Depression, fatigue
- Weight loss
- Rectal bleeding
References
- U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Stelara. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/761044s010lbl.pdf [Accessed August 2, 2022]
- Janssen Biotech, Inc. Stelara:Important safety information. Available at: https://www.stelarainfo.com/safety [Accessed June 9, 2022]
- Elkady A, Bonomo L, Amir Y, Vekaria AS, Guttman-Yassky E. Effective use of ustekinumab in a patient with concomitant psoriasis, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. JAAD Case Rep. 2017;3(6):477-479. doi:10.1016/j.jdcr.2017.07.009. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5614637/
Read next
Do I qualify for the Stelara copay card and how much can I save?
To qualify for the Stelara copay card you must have commercial or private insurance for Stelara, enroll in the Stelara with Me Savings Program, be at least 6 years of age and not use government-funded insurance programs like Medicare or Medicaid. If you are eligible, you pay $5 per dose with a maximum of $9,450 savings per calendar year. Continue reading
Who is the actress in the Stelara commercial?
The 2022 advertising campaign for Stelara, called “Move towards Relief” features an unknown actress because the campaign aimed to include authentic and diverse adults living with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to represent a real community. Continue reading
Does Stelara treat ulcerative colitis?
Yes, Stelara was approved by the FDA on October 21, 2019 for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). This was the fifth approved use for this medicine. UC is a serious and long-term inflammatory disease that affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum. Continue reading
Related medical questions
- Is Stelara an immunosuppressant?
- Is Stelara a biologic?
- What are the new drugs for plaque psoriasis?
- What biosimilars have been approved in the United States?
- What causes Plaque Psoriasis?
- What food should I avoid while on Stelara?
- How quickly or how long before Stelara starts to work?
- How long can you keep Stelara in or out of the fridge?
- Can you get a flu shot or take antibiotics while on Stelara?
- Stelara and the Covid Vaccine: What should I know?
- How is Stelara injected or administered?
- What blood tests are needed for Stelara?
- What is the mechanism of action of Stelara and how does it work?
Drug information
- Stelara Information for Consumers
- Stelara prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Stelara (detailed)
Related support groups
- Stelara (22 questions, 68 members)