Syphilis Hair Loss: Does It Grow Back?

As you might have learned in health class, syphilis is a dangerous condition. Something your health teacher might not have mentioned, though, is that syphilis can cause hair loss. The good news? Syphilis — and syphilis hair loss — is curable.

Given that syphilis can cause serious flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and even cardiovascular issues, it’s understandable that your hair might be the least of your worries. 

But, nevertheless, hair loss can be one of the symptoms of syphilis. Also known as alopecia syphilitica or syphilitic alopecia, this hair loss is usually temporary.  

Below, we’ll take a look at the symptoms of this sexually transmitted infection. We’ll also explain why syphilis causes hair loss — and how to treat both issues.

In short, yes. While syphilitic hair loss is an uncommon symptom, it can happen — especially if your syphilis is left untreated. 

Let’s back up and do a quick sex-ed refresher. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a bacteria called Treponema pallidum. 

It’s characterized by four different stages:

• Primary syphilis, which begins in the first three to four weeks after exposure. It’s characterized by chancres, which are painless, round, infectious lesions. 

• Secondary syphilis, during which you might develop a rash and experience a range of flu-like symptoms — think headaches, swollen lymph nodes, a fever, and aching muscles. 

• Latent syphilis, where the symptoms disappear but the bacteria remains in the body.

• Tertiary syphilis, which can occur years or decades after primary syphilis. This can be life-threatening. It can cause blindness, hearing loss, heart disease, mental health conditions, and more. 

Hair loss is usually a manifestation of secondary syphilis. If you’re treated properly during the primary stage of syphilis, you likely won’t experience this type of hair loss.  

Interestingly, syphilis isn’t the only type of infection to cause hair loss. Any major infection or illness — especially those that involve a fever — can cause a type of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium. This happens when your body experiences a form of shock, diverting nutrients and energy away from hair growth. 

What does syphilis hair loss look like? Often, it looks like other forms of scalp hair loss. 

A 2022 review noted that syphilitic alopecia is hard to diagnose, even with a trichoscopic examination. This is an exam that takes a microscopic view of the skin and hair follicles in order to diagnose the type of hair loss you’re experiencing.

According to the review, syphilitic hair loss can look like:

• Moth-eaten alopecia (spotted hair loss) 

• Diffuse hair loss or essential syphilitic alopecia (hair loss all over the scalp) 

• Mixed alopecia (a combination of the above) 

According to a 2013 case report, syphilitic hair loss is more likely to look like moth-eaten alopecia than a diffuse pattern of hair loss.

This hair loss doesn’t just affect your scalp. It may also cause patchy hair loss on the beard, eyebrows, and eyelashes. 

It’s a form of nonscarring alopecia, meaning it doesn’t permanently damage the hair follicles and it can be reversed.

Syphilitic hair loss can be mistaken for:

• Alopecia areata

• Tinea capitis 

• Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disease)

• Other types of telogen effluvium

Because other causes of hair loss can look the same as syphilitic hair loss, it’s not always easy to diagnose. Your best bet? Get tested for syphilis if you think you have it, and get treated ASAP. It’s curable.

Syphilitic hair loss is not very common, but it does happen. Research suggests it happens in 3 to 7 percent of people with syphilis. 

Truth be told, hair loss is not a much-discussed symptom of syphilis. Many National Institutes of Health and National Library of Medicine resources don’t list hair loss in the symptoms at all, although the American Academy of Dermatology Association does.

So, if you suspect you have syphilis but still have a mane of thick, healthy hair, please get tested anyway — you still might have it.

No. Syphilitic hair loss — much like syphilis itself — isn’t a chronic condition. 

Syphilis can be treated relatively easily nowadays. Once your syphilis is treated, your hair should grow back on its own. 

According to the 2022 study mentioned above, you’ll likely notice hair regrowth within a few weeks or months of treatment.  

However, if you’re impatient, there are many hair loss treatments on the market, from medications to hair growth shampoos.

For example, minoxidil is a topical treatment that can stimulate hair regrowth. It works by stimulating blood flow to the scalp. It’s considered a safe hair loss treatment: The main side effects are mild and uncommon.

We sell minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution online (and they’re both over-the-counter treatments, so you don’t need a prescription). 

If you also find yourself dealing with androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness), you might want to consider finasteride, too. This prescription oral medication is proven to slow down male pattern hair loss, which is characterized by a receding hairline or thinning hair on the crown of your head.  

You should absolutely consult a healthcare professional before using any medication while dealing with a syphilis infection — if there’s one thing we can’t stress enough, it’s that.

We don’t want to make you panic, but we do want to emphasize that it’s important to get syphilis treatment ASAP. 

Syphilis is an incredibly dangerous infection. In certain cases, untreated syphilis infections can lead to symptoms far more serious than hair loss. In the advanced stages of syphilis, you can experience neurological conditions, heart disease, muscle wasting, and more. 

What’s more is that syphilis is also highly infectious. It’s easy to spread to others.

And yet, here’s the thing: Getting treatment is so easy. Because it’s a bacterial infection, syphilis is treated with antibiotics. 

Usually, syphilis is treated with a benzathine penicillin G injection. If you’re allergic to penicillin, you might be prescribed a different antibiotic like doxycycline or ceftriaxone. 

So, if you suspect that you might have syphilis, please make an appointment with a healthcare professional as soon as you can — and be sure to let your sexual partners know if you test positive.

Hair loss can be a sign of secondary syphilis. It’s not a common symptom, but syphilitic hair loss is a thing. 

The good news? Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing. 

• Hair loss can be one of the many signs of secondary syphilis. This hair loss might be patchy, spotted, or diffuse. It can affect your scalp hair, facial hair, and body hair. 

• Syphilis is curable. Antibiotics like penicillin are effective at curing syphilis — but the sooner you treat it, the better. 

• Likewise, syphilitic hair loss isn’t permanent. Once you treat your syphilis, your hair will grow back over time. Treatments like minoxidil can speed up the hair regrowth process. 

But all of this requires support from a healthcare professional. If you haven’t received a syphilis diagnosis or treatment yet, make that your number one priority. 

If you’re concerned about hair loss, whether you suspect it’s related to syphilis or not, we can help you connect with a healthcare provider. From there, they can give you medical advice on how to treat your hair loss.