Babies develop bizarre ‘werewolf syndrome’ sparking concern over parents using popular hair loss remedy minoxidil
Health officials have cautioned that a hair-loss medication may lead babies to develop “werewolf syndrome,” which would result in dense hair covering their faces and bodies.
Nearly a dozen occurrences of the weird condition have been documented throughout Europe since 2023.
According to boffins, minoxidil, a common over-the-counter hair loss medication, is probably to blame for the odd hair growth in babies.
Hypertrichosis, sometimes known as “werewolf syndrome,” is characterized by the growth of long, fine hair on the arms, face, and other body parts.
Although it is uncommon, shaving or waxing are the only ways to control the hair when it does occur.
Over the course of two months, a baby boy in April 2023 started to sprout hair on his thighs, legs, and back, alarming medical professionals.
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The Pharmacovigilance Centre of Navarra in northern Spain reported this rare incidence.
It turns out that the baby’s hair growth was caused by his father using the hair loss medication minoxidil while he was off work to care for him.
After the baby ceased being exposed to the lotion that the father had been using on his head, the baby’s back, legs, and thighs began to lose their hair.
By boosting blood flow to the hair follicles, minoxidil, which is available over-the-counter as Regaine in the UK, promotes hair growth.
Following this instance in Spain, the Center discovered ten other werewolf syndrome cases in infants around Europe that were all connected to minoxidil use.
Fortunately, after parents quit using the medication, the symptoms got better.
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But the health organization also cautioned that exposure to it could endanger the heart and kidneys of very young infants.
According to the center, the infants most likely came into contact with minoxidil through their mouths or skin touching the treated portions of their parents’ heads.
This comes after a bizarre event in 2019 in which minoxidil was inadvertently mixed with omeprazole, a drug used to treat acid reflux, resulting in the development of “werewolf syndrome” in at least 17 children in Spain, including young infants.
The hair-loss medication was mistakenly put in a container labeled “omeprazole” in a laboratory before being sent to pharmacies.
The center has since implemented new rules as a result.
Warnings will soon appear on the label of minoxidil sold in Europe.
In order to avoid unintentional exposure and the possibility of hypertrichosis, users are advised to keep small children away from places where the drug is applied.
Safe hair loss treatments
The majority of hair loss is either transitory and will return or a natural aspect of aging and does not require treatment.
When you recover from a medical condition, hair loss normally stops or regrows.
If you’re upset about your hair loss, there are several things you can do. However, not all treatments are covered by the NHS, so you could have to pay for them.
No therapy works 100% of the time.
Male pattern baldness is primarily treated with finasteride and minoxidil.
Female pattern baldness can also be treated with minoxidil. Finasteride should not be used by women.
Keep both things out of children’s reach.
The NHS offers some wigs, but unless you are eligible for financial assistance, you could have to pay for them.
Additional hair loss treatments include:
- Steroid injections
- Steroid creams
- Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy tablets
- Micropigmentation (permanent make-up)
- Light treatment
- Hair transplant
- Scalp reduction surgery
- Artificial hair transplant
The NHS might not offer all of these therapies.
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