Can anesthesia cause hair loss?

Anesthesia itself is not directly linked to causing hair loss, although there might be a correlation between hair loss and extended anesthesia periods during surgery. Both patients and doctors have observed a connection, suggesting that anesthesia could potentially slow down cell division, which may temporarily impact hair follicles, particularly in longer operations. Hair loss related to surgery is often attributed to a form of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium, which can occur as a response to physical or emotional stress caused by the surgery itself, rather than the anesthesia alone.

Telogen effluvium typically follows a major bodily stress, such as surgery, and can lead to accelerated hair loss. However, this hair loss is generally temporary and reversible, with hair growth returning to normal within months. Pressure-induced alopecia, which can occur due to prolonged immobilization during general anesthesia and intubation, is another form of hair loss associated with surgery, but it is distinct from anesthesia-induced hair loss.

In summary, while anesthesia is not definitively proven to cause hair loss, it may contribute indirectly by exacerbating the stress experienced during surgery, leading to forms of temporary hair loss like telogen effluvium.