Can tretinoin grow hair ? Tretinoin As An Adjunct To Minoxidil

One of the challenges in using any type of topical treatment is the issue of skin permeability. In other words, the drug compound (which can be thought of as the change agent) needs to be able to reach and affect its target.

In the case of hair restoration, the targets for Minoxidil would include hair follicles as well as the nearby blood vessels.  Therefore additional compounds may be needed to enhance the ability of the drug to penetrate the skin and reach these destinations. Tretinoin has the ability to improve this dynamic.

According to studies, Minoxidil’s skin permeability is improved three times when it is applied in conjunction with 0.05% Tretinoin.  If Tretinoin can be prescribed for a patient, the concentration of 0.01% is sufficient for use with 5% Minoxidil. With both drugs, a once a day application then becomes as effective as a twice a day application.

Can tretinoin grow hair ? Research on Direct Retinoids Effect on Hair Growth

Researcher, Gail Bazzano observed the effects of different retinoids on the follicular cells of mice. The anagen (growth) phase becomes much longer. And the telogen (resting) phase becomes shorter.

Some of the retinoids produced much greater changes in the levels of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein. And these compounds also demonstrated a much stronger influence on the hair life cycle.

Similar events occur when using Minoxidil. This seems to support the ability of retinoids to have some ability to support new hair growth

Bazzano was also involved in another study where  the effects of tretinoin were observed on hair growth. This research was conducted on 56 subjects who had androgenic alopecia. The use of tretinoin was found to stimulate some growth of hair  in about 58% of the subjects.

When combined with Minoxidil, terminal hair growth occurred in 66% of the participants.

Experts believe that certain retinoids able to regulate and promote the proliferation of cells as well as processes which cause them to differentiate.  It may also cause blood vessels to proliferate as well. These dynamics are important for the promotion of hair growth.

Researchers also believe that retinoids are able to speed up the rate of new growth and thicken hairs from the vellus stage to terminal hairs. However they also concede larger studies under controlled conditions are needed, along with improved methods for measuring and assessing growth.

To learn more about using minoxidil for restoring hair, click here