A university student took his own life after hair loss supplements caused him to have suicidal thoughts.
Oliver Fawkes, 21, of West Bilney, was found dead by a neighbour in a woodland near his family home on the morning of November 25, 2025.
An inquest held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich today saw area coroner Maeve Skyes rule his death as suicide by hanging after he suffered side effects from prescribed medication.
An inquest into the death of Oliver Fawkes was held today
In the years leading up to his death, Mr Fawkes had been suffering from seborrhoeic dermatitis, a condition which caused dry skin, and later hair loss.
While he was offered topical medications by his GP to help tackle the issue, it was said that he was “dissatisfied” with the results and looked for an alternative.
His search brought him to a website called Manual, a digital healthcare provider operated by parent company Menwell.
In July 2024, after completing screenings, he ordered his first set of oral minoxidil pills, and by October of that year, he started taking finasteride.
While considered rare, side effects of taking finasteride include suicidal ideations and depression, and through the website and leaflets, Manual patients are urged to stop taking the medication if they experience symptoms of that nature.
Despite this, Mr Fawkes continued with the prescription, with his last order being a six-month supply on October 6, 2025, just more than a month before his death.
During today’s inquest, his mother described him as a “unique person”, saying he achieved high grades in science throughout school and college, which eventually saw him start an integrated master’s degree in computer science at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
She added that he had even been offered the chance to do a PHD this year.
“It was obvious to all that Ollie enjoyed and excelled at his studies, and we looked forward to supporting him on his journey in any way we could,” his mother said.
“It is with great sadness that we will collect on his behalf a first-class degree in summer 2026.”
On the day before his death, Mr Fawkes’ mother was away visiting her daughter, who was at the University of York, and her husband was away for work, meaning it was just him and his brother at home.
She described their communication as normal, as they texted back and forth.
At around 3pm, Mr Fawkes told his brother that he was heading out for a walk to watch the sunset. However, he never returned.
Both his brother and mother became increasingly worried as it was unlike him to be out in the dark.
The evening was spent searching the area and enquiring with neighbours to see if they had seen him, but he was nowhere to be found.
His mother, who was still in Yorkshire, was unable to drive home due to thick fog, which made it unsafe to make the journey back to Norfolk.
“I was feeling sick and unwell by now,” she said.
With the next day rolling over, and still no sign of the 21-year-old, a neighbour went for a dog walk to see if she could find him, and she called Mr Fawkes’ brother at 7.30am in tears to say she had discovered his body in a nearby woodland.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene at 8.15am, and he was pronounced dead.
A search of his bedroom uncovered a note, saying he had cancelled his subscription with Manual.
During the inquest, the chief medical officer of Menwell said that Mr Fawkes did not report any side effects or list any mental health issues while taking the medication.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has since reviewed evidence for finasteride and has made recommendations for further measures to minimise the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
It stated that from 1994 to May 31 2025, there were 19 suicides related to the medication and 170 reports of suicidal thoughts as a side effect.
The agency has stated that there will be updates to product information and warnings.
Mr Fawkes’ mother said: “He was trying to help himself as we all do with supplements.
“I believe Oliver was one of those rare cases, and it had contributed to a psychotic episode which led him to take his own life.”
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