Methamphetamine is an addictive substance with the potential for devastating side effects. Meth is usually used for its euphoric effects, but it has an equally notorious reputation for harmful health effects. One of the possible outcomes of prolonged meth use is hair loss. Meth disturbs the hair’s natural growth cycle. Stimulants like methamphetamine constrict blood vessels. This reduces the blood flow to the hair follicles, contributing to hair loss.
What is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant (lab-made) with a high potential for addiction. When it’s sold as crystals or shiny bluish-white rocks, it’s called crystal meth, Tina, or ice.
The U.S. FDA has approved methamphetamine for the short-term treatment of obesity and the treatment of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) called Desoxyn®. It’s classified as a Schedule II stimulant, making it available legally only through a nonrefillable prescription. However, most meth used in the U.S. is illicitly manufactured. This substance can be highly addictive and requires professional meth addiction treatment, like the residential program for men that Spero Recovery provides.
How Can Meth Cause Hair Loss?
Hair loss caused by methamphetamine use is usually diffuse, meaning it affects the whole scalp instead of a certain area. Many people describe it as a “shower drain effect.” They notice hair thinning that looks patchy at first but becomes generalized as their meth use continues. Typically, hair loss occurs within two to four months after regular meth use begins, but sometimes, it happens within a matter of a few weeks.
As a stimulant, meth is known to activate anxiety. Users get nervous and develop jittery habits such as pulling out their hair. In turn, this damages the follicle since it’s the anchor to the scalp. Pulling out your hair over time may lead to permanent hair loss.
Increased mental stress contributes to hair loss. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) found that meth abuse increases anxiety in chronic users. This can lead them to pick at their skin and pull out their hair.
Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are frequently diagnosed with addiction. These conditions can contribute to hair loss independently. Similar to the stress created by addiction, mental health disorders disturb the hair growth cycle and trigger telogen effluvium (excessive shedding of hair from the scalp).
By lowering your immunity, meth use makes you more susceptible to developing skin conditions such as psoriasis, which may lead to hair loss. It can also cause other underlying issues to surface, making you more susceptible to other disorders.
Meth use itself can lead to vitamin deficiencies due to malnutrition, which can cause hair loss. However, if severe enough, vitamin deficiencies can lead to other disorders that can be just as destructive.
When the organs are under stress due to chemical changes in the body, they can’t carry on normal processes. That’s why people who are withstanding severe stress or whose organs are damaged may lose hair. Additionally, continued meth use may damage the keratin–the protein that makes hair healthy and strong, making it thin or break easily.
People using meth often neglect their hygiene. They might not wash or brush their hair, allowing dead skin cells and loose strands to build up. This results in dandruff, scalp irritation, itching, and damage to the hair follicle.
What Are The Effects of Methamphetamine on the Body?
Meth is usually smoked, but it can also be injected, snorted, or taken orally or rectally. It causes increased talkativeness, alertness, decreased appetite, and feelings of happiness. However, long-term use can have serious health effects. Meth is also frequently present in people who die from overdoses involving fentanyl.
Depending on how it’s used, the effects of meth may appear immediately or within 20 minutes. Immediate effects include:
- Confidence
- Wakefulness
- Energy
- Increased sex drive
- Decreased appetite
The euphoria quickly wears off, leading to a “crash.” The immediate negative effects include:
- Paranoia
- Rapid heart rate
- Irregular heartbeat
- Stroke
- Anxiety
- Kidney damage
- High blood pressure
- Nonfatal overdose (called “overamping”)
- Fatal overdose
Meth affects the body’s systems and organs and can lead to severe health problems, especially when used frequently. These include:
- Substance use disorder (SUD)
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Psychosis
- Lowered cognitive function
- Physical health effects
- Higher risk of bacterial infections
- Increased chance of picking up viral hepatitis or HIV
- Cardiovascular issues like heart failure or stroke
- Tooth decay and loss (meth mouth)
- Loss of sexual function in men
How Does Meth Affect the Central Nervous System?
Methamphetamine affects the central nervous system (CNS) dramatically. It causes the release of neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that causes the enhanced mood and feelings of pleasure. Since meth is processed slowly, the high is longer, and the potential for brain damage is higher than other drugs of abuse.
Chronic meth use reduces the levels of dopamine in the brain, and it becomes necessary to increase the use of the drug to get the same sensations. The reduction in dopamine levels allows symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease to become noticeable.
Short-term effects on the CNS include:
- Insomnia
- Hyperactivity
- Tremors
- Decreased appetite
Why Addressing Meth Addiction Is Crucial?
Many people become addicted to meth after their first exposure. It’s vital to get help for meth addiction because tolerance to the effects of meth builds quickly in regular users. This means they need more and more of it to achieve the original effects.
Since what is sold as meth can vary in content and purity, users don’t know how much they are actually taking. Recently, meth has been adulterated with fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid. As reported by the NIH in 2023, overdose deaths involving stimulants and opioids combined have raised the bogeyman of extensive contamination of the stimulant supply with fentanyl.
An overdose can result in seizures, high body temperature, heart attack, stroke, and death.
How Recovery Improves Physical and Mental Health?
During recovery, your body re-learns how to function properly without the effects of substances. Meth use may have damaged or put the body under severe stress. The affected organs include the heart, blood vessels, skin, lungs, and brain. Working on your physical wellness during recovery can improve and even reverse some of the damage done, including hair loss.
The Importance of Self-Care in Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery is a long process. Addiction can take a toll on a person’s physical and mental health. Some facilities believe that merely abstaining from substance use is enough for long-term recovery. But, the reality is that recovery is a process that requires a comprehensive approach to address the emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of the individual. Self-care can improve their quality of life when people are encouraged to put themselves first.
Self-care practices vary from person to person but usually include activities like:
- Meditation–Meditation and mindfulness can help people recover, reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration, and contribute to overall well-being.
- Exercise–Regular physical activity can reduce anxiety and depression, promote better sleep, and improve health in general. It also helps combat boredom, reduce cravings, and increase energy.
- Journaling–Journaling can be a therapeutic way to process thoughts and emotions. The act of writing helps release tension and stress.
- Creative activities–Taking part in creative activities such as writing, painting, or playing music is a pleasant way for people in recovery to express themselves. It also reduces anxiety and stress–common triggers for relapse.
- Spend time outdoors–Spending time in nature through wilderness therapy or just going outside is a relaxing and rejuvenating experience that can help relieve stress. It offers a space to reflect, meditate, and connect with their higher power.
- Healthy diet–Addiction takes a toll on your physical health and damages vital organs. People in recovery often struggle with poor eating habits. Eating well can support the natural healing process.
- Develop relationships–Recovery often requires a network of people to provide encouragement, accountability, and guidance. This can include friends, family, recovery peers, or healthcare professionals. Other ways to build positive relationships are through support groups or community service.
Start Your Recovery Journey at Spero Recovery
If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction and worried about health effects, including hair loss, getting professional help is vital. Our treatment programs for men offer comprehensive care that addresses both the psychological and physical aspects of addiction.
By treating men separately, fewer social dynamics come into play. This allows for more attention on recovery and well-being. Our all-male residential program removes potential areas of jealousy, confusion, and distraction. Men are better able to relate to peers for support.
A dual diagnosis program is a specialized treatment approach for individuals dealing with both mental health disorders and substance use disorders. These programs provide integrated care, addressing both conditions simultaneously to improve overall well-being and reduce relapse risks.
Our 12-step program is a crucial part of our residential treatment. It’s based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and provides a structured framework to guide individuals to develop a relationship with a higher power and live with honesty. It encourages a daily practice for a sober, healthy life.
A 12-step group offers a safe space where individuals are free from judgment and social stigmas about addiction. Our 12-step groups provide social support with other men who share the same sobriety goals and are willing to help when you feel stressed or tempted to relapse.
Join Us In Colorado and Start Your Recovery!
At Spero Recovery, our goal is to support you in building a more fulfilling life because recovery is possible, and you are not alone. Addiction is a treatable disease, and our compassionate team—including professional specialists and those who have walked this path—are here to guide you every step of the way. You don’t have to wait for things to get worse; healing can start today. No matter where you are in your journey, we’re ready to help. Reach out to us—we’re here for you.