In general, the development or exacerbation of common skin and hair complications leads individuals to take dermatology medications to treat their symptoms. However, whether over-the-counter or prescribed, chemical drugs seem to have unexpected side effects that may affect skin and hair adversely.
In this article, we introduce three of these drugs and briefly enumerate their mechanism of action as well as their common side effects.
Roaccutane
Roaccutane is a prescribed medication to treat skin concerns such as pimples and acne. It is a brand name for isotretinoin and is known by other brand names such as Accutane, Hexal Isotretinoin, Soft Skin and A-Cnotren. The word retinoid means that Accutane is a derivative of vitamin A. This drug is one of the most potent remedies for treating acne that reduces sebaceous glands’ activity and size.
This acne drug usually helps many people around the world to get rid of their persistent pimples.
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Mechanism Of Action
Roaccutane reduces sebum production. As a result, the skin’s pores do not clog, and oil accumulation and subsequent inflammation, which leads to pimple forming, are prevented. Roaccutane also kills the bacteria that cause acne.
Side Effects
Although Roaccutane has undeniable positive effects in treating acne, its side effects are also numerous and probably severe:
- Temporary hair loss
- Impaired liver function
- Severe sensitivity to sunlight
- Digestive problems
- Hair Thinning
- Mild headache
- Bleeding due to dryness of the nasal mucosa
- Visual disturbances, vomiting, muscle and joint pain
- Severe headaches provoked by increased intracranial pressure
- Excessive skin dryness, especially around the mouth and lips
- Psychological effects and mood swings, aggression and even depression
- Abortion and mental retardation of the baby if used during pregnancy
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a synthetic drug used both systematically (oral tablets) in case of high blood pressure and topically (2% or 5% solution) for treating male pattern baldness and androgenic hair loss in men and women.
The medicine lowers blood pressure by dilating the peripheral arteries. Dilated arteries carry more blood and provide more food to the follicles. Consequently, well-nourished follicles change from the resting stage to active growth. As a result, less hair falls out, and new hair grows.
Minoxidil Side Effects
Topical application of minoxidil may cause skin allergies, redness, and inflammation. This sensitivity is usually accompanied by itching and burning.
Due to the vasodilatory effect of minoxidil, you should not apply it to other parts of your body. Absorption into the body may affect the blood vessels to dilute and grow unwanted hairs.
Furthermore, minoxidil may cause headaches as a result of it dilating the peripheral arteries under the scalp.
Minoxidil is one of the drugs that have no lasting effects. It does not matter if you have been using it for a long time or not; hair loss will start again sometime after you stop taking it. This makes this drug expensive in the long run.
Ivermectin
Ivermectin is a medication used to treat parasitic infections such as Demodex mites, head lice, whipworm infections, and ascariasis. It is marketed under the brand name Stromectol and Soolantra cream and is considered a dermatological medication.
People with weakened immune systems or those taking immunosuppressive drugs are more likely to develop parasitic diseases. If left untreated, these concerns may lead to life-threatening complications. Ivermectin belongs to a group of drugs known as anthelmintics, the mechanism of which is to paralyze and kill parasites.
It is administered orally and topically and should not come in contact with the eyes.
Ivermectin Mechanism Of Action
Ivermectin causes paralysis and death by causing changes in the parasite cell membrane. This drug disrupts the synaptic neurotransmission of the central nervous system of the parasite and causes its death. Another mechanism may be to inhibit the growth of worm larvae and prevent their release from the female worm’s abdomen.
Side Effects Of Ivermectin
Possible side effects of ivermectin include:
- Headache
- Vertigo
- Muscular pain
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
If you suffer from onchocerciasis, you may experience some parasites die-off symptoms during the first days of taking the drug. The symptoms include:
- Lymph nodes swelling
- Joint pain
- Eye-related issues such as red, inflamed, and itchy eyes
- Weakness
- Visual issues
- Itching
- Rash
- Fever
You should inform your doctor if these symptoms persist or become more severe.
Different Signs, The Same Reason
Although dermatology medications are usually the first options in treating skin and hair issues, as you can see, their side effects are not negligible.
Various skin disorders may have the same root cause.
To be more precise, what causes acne, hair loss, thinning hair, blepharitis, and rosacea may be identical. Although specialist evaluation is required for each case, studies show that numerous skin and hair concerns are related to the overpopulation of Demodex mites.
What Are Demodex Mites?
Demodex mites are typical inhabitants of our skin. However, if they increase in number, they can aggravate and even cause a variety of skin problems. Rosacea, acne, hair loss, androgenic alopecia, blepharitis, enlarged pores, baldness, itching and inflammation are among Demodex mites-related concerns.
Demodex mites, like other human skin microflora, multiply and colonize our skin under favourable conditions. For instance, a weak immune system, which is the most favourable.
Many people worldwide cope with a variety of long-lasting or recurrent dermatological issues. They take different dermatological medicines without getting permanent results. Worst of all are the side effects, which sometimes interfere with a person’s day-to-day activities.
Although Demodex mite is beginning to be considered as a predisposing factor for skin and hair issues in recent years, many experts still underestimate it. They rely on traditional medications to treat hair loss, acne and other issues and think less about newly found underlying factors.
When it comes to Demodex mite-related skin issues, standard treatments are usually not helpful. The most logical way is to diagnose and treat Demodex mites.
Is Demodex Mite Responsible For All This?
Although Demodex mite diagnosis is a bit confusing, it’s not too hard.
The mites are too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. And since you can’t see them, you cannot tell your physician that they are responsible for your troubles with emphasis.
However, there are ways to find out their presence in your body. If they are in limited numbers, all is good. However, if they are in large numbers, you’ll have to take treatment.
Demodex Mite Density Determinations By Standardized Skin Surface Biopsy
In this method, the specialist removes a thin layer of your skin and observes it under a microscope. If the Demodex number exceeds five per square centimetre of your skin, they are responsible for your skin and hair issues.
Although this method seems easy, unfortunately, it is not accurate enough. The results depend a lot on the operator’s skill, environmental/weather conditions, and skin oil.
For example, if you were exposed to the sun while travelling to the doctor’s office, the Demodex mites might have gone deeper into the skin, thus escaping detection. Also, if you have dry skin, they may have gone deep in search of oil. Microscopic examinations during the day probably show more of them compared to night examinations.
With that said, is there a safer and cheaper way to detect the Demodex density?
Yes, ONLINE DEMODEX TEST.
Online Demodex Mite Density Test
Our experience in dealing with Demodex over the years is that online testing provides much more accurate and reliable results. Online Demodex Mite Density Test includes multiple-choice questions that examine various aspects of your life related to the Demodex outbreak. Demodex mites may escape the microscope, but your symptoms do not lie.
You can safely take the five-minute online Demodex diagnostic test. If the results reveal a significant number of Demodex mites, it’s time to control them to get rid of your symptoms instead of trying different dermatological medicines.
Ungex Helps To Treat All Issues Related To Demodex Mites
At Ungex, we have developed novel products that are considered a great revolution in treating Demodex infestation. However, our products are not medicine. Rather, they are herbal and natural-based mixtures that target Demodex and gradually reduce their population to relieve you from their symptoms. Rosacea, stubborn acne, blepharitis, androgenic alopecia, hair loss, baldness, itching and seborrheic dermatitis are some of the problems that can be treated with our products.
Ungex products comprehensively soothe all Demodex mites symptoms, so you do not need to buy different products to target your various skin problems.
As mentioned, ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used to kill Demodex mites and may cause unwanted side effects. In contrast, Ungex products do not have any significant side effects and are completely safe. They are suitable for any age and gender.
Beyond targeting Demodex mites, Ungex products may remove other skin parasites, such as head lice. In addition, many creepy crawlies such as spiders, mites, mosquitoes, and flies can be get rid of with our products.
You can even use some of our products on surfaces to prevent parasites from returning to your skin and hair.
Ungex products are made in Australia and are purchased all over the world.
Our products also eliminate bacteria and viruses that leak out of the mites’ dead bodies. Ivermectin, in contrast, doesn’t have such an effect. Bacteria and viruses can aggravate or cause many skin and hair conditions. Ungex products eliminate them and help restore your skin and hair health.
Reference:
Side Effects of Stromectol (Ivermectin), Warnings, Uses