{"id":632720,"date":"2025-07-02T16:12:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T20:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=632720"},"modified":"2025-07-02T16:12:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T20:12:01","slug":"does-rosuvastatin-cause-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/does-rosuvastatin-cause-hair-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Does rosuvastatin cause hair loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rosuvastatin calcium<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>generic Crestor<\/span><\/a>) is a prescription medication that\u2019s FDA approved to lower LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides, slow the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in at-risk patients. <\/span>Hair loss<\/span><\/a> (alopecia) has been reported as a rare side effect of rosuvastatin and other medications in the statin drug class. Fortunately, the hair loss is easily reversed by discontinuing the medication, but you should only do so after seeking medical advice.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the connection between rosuvastatin and hair loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Hair loss can be caused by genetics, hormonal changes, certain diseases, or medication. Although there is little research indicating a connection between <\/span>statins<\/span><\/a> and hair loss, there is some.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent research<\/span><\/a> describes a 53-year-old man who began to notice hair loss one week after starting <\/span>rosuvastatin<\/span><\/a>. He eventually stopped taking the medication, and his hair started to grow back one week later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a 2002 report<\/span><\/a>, a 38-year-old woman reported hair loss about six weeks after starting <\/span>atorvastatin<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Lipitor<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>. Her doctors discontinued the cholesterol medication, and her hair began to grow back in a few weeks. After a relapse, she began to take atorvastatin again, and this time she noticed hair loss within two weeks.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s so rare and hasn\u2019t been studied in-depth, there\u2019s no definitive explanation as to why statins may cause hair loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship between drugs and hair loss is complex, and the exact connection is not always easy to establish,\u201d says <\/span>Viktoryia Kazlouskaya<\/span><\/a>, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Circle. \u201cMany other factors must be ruled out as potential causes of hair loss, such as dormant infections, stress, other medical conditions, and genetic hair loss.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross Kopelman<\/span><\/a>, MD, a hair transplant surgeon at Kopelman Hair Restoration, agrees that stress could be at the heart of rosuvastatin hair loss, but says the stressor could be the medication itself. He adds that \u201calterations in lipid metabolism, hormonal shifts, or mild nutrient absorption changes may influence the hair growth cycle in susceptible individuals\u201d who take statins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How rare is rosuvastatin hair loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n

So, how rare is rare? According to public data from the U.S. and UK, hair loss represents 0.6\u20131.6% of all rosuvastatin reactions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the raw data behind those numbers:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n