Topical tretinoin usually doesn't cause side effects like hair loss, diarrhea, or weight loss, but it does irritate some people's skin. Even though tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative, it isn't stored in the liver, and it doesn't cause chronic liver disease that's often associated with excessive vitamin A intake.
Tretinoin for Hair Loss — The Science
In this study from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on the effects of oral retin a — oral tretinoin — on human scalp hair follicles, research showed that exposure to retinoic acid induced premature hair follicle regression.
Tretinoin is known to alter cell proliferation and differentiation and may promote vascular proliferation, and these actions may be important to hair growth and so affect hair follicle during the various growth and regression phases.
After 1 year, the combination of topical tretinoin with 0.5% minoxidil resulted in terminal hair regrowth in 66% of the subjects studied. Tretinoin was shown to stimulate some hair regrowth in approximately 58% of the subjects studied.
Recent research has shown that retinoids can work to reduce hair loss, helping to decongest hair follicles, as well improving the absorption of other ingredients aimed at boosting hair growth.
Some bad news: the side effects of using retinol on your face go for your scalp, too. "You can experience sensitivity, redness, and irritation, which can make the situation worse resulting in hair loss or thinning," Dr. Green explains. "The same holds true with regards to sensitivity.
Abstract. Minoxidil enhances hair growth by prolonging the anagen phase and induces new hair growth in androgenetic alopecia (AGA), whereas retinol significantly improves scalp skin condition and promotes hair growth.
Consuming too much vitamin A over a long period of time can cause coarse hair, partial loss of hair (including the eyebrows), cracked lips, and dry, rough skin. Chronic consumption of large doses of vitamin A can cause liver damage. It can also cause birth defects in a fetus.
Tretinoin enhances minoxidil response in androgenetic alopecia patients by upregulating follicular sulfotransferase enzymes. Dermatol Ther.
It could potentially reduce DHT production.
As mentioned above, retinol reduces excess surface oil on the scalp and also on the follicles. In doing so, Dr. Shainhouse shares retinol “may help to reduce DHT production. DHT is associated with genetic-type male/female-patterned hair loss.”
Minoxidil (Rogaine).
Many people prefer the foam applied when the hair is wet. Products with minoxidil help many people regrow their hair or slow the rate of hair loss or both. It'll take at least six months of treatment to prevent further hair loss and to start hair regrowth.
Spironolactone is an effective treatment for hair loss due to androgenic alopecia in women. However, it can take up to a year to work. If you're interested in trying spironolactone for hair loss, talk to your doctor.
If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own. To grow back a healthy, full head of hair, you'll need to take action, and that involves reviewing different hair loss options.
It's true that using retinol on your hair and scalp can potentially result in some unwanted side effects. Ironically, the most serious side effect of retinol that was reported on several years ago was actually hair loss.
Several studies have found that ketoconazole shampoo might help slow the effects of male pattern baldness and stimulate hair growth. For example, one study published in the journal Dermatology compared ketoconazole and the hair loss medication minoxidil to see which had the best effects on hair growth.
For the purposes of skin care, tretinoin can be thought of as a more concentrated version of retinol. This means that tretinoin is stronger than retinol. This difference in strength can help guide your decision-making when it comes to choosing a skin care product. Your skin is affected by more than what you put on it.
Possible causes of hair loss include stress, poor diet, and underlying medical conditions. Everyone experiences hair shedding, and it happens to each of us every day. Most people lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of this natural cycle, more on days you wash your hair.
Over-supplementation of certain nutrients, including selenium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E, has actually been linked to hair loss [4,8–11].
Biotin. Biotin (vitamin B7) is important for cells inside your body. Low levels of it can cause hair loss, skin rashes, and brittle nails.
Retinyl palmitate also strengthens the scalp by improving cell turnover, boosting collagen production to create the best conditions for hair to grow. At the same time, it can be used on sensitive scalps without irritation (we use a concentration of 0.5%).
Takeaway. If you're taking isotretinoin to treat severe types of acne (such as nodular acne), you might experience thinning hair as a side effect. The hair loss is likely temporary, and your hair should start growing back when you stop taking the medication.
Retinoids such as Tretinoin, acids such as salicylic, and benzoyl peroxide are just a few of the products that cause purging. These products contain active ingredients that increase the skin cell turnover rate, therefore causing your skin to purge.
One study done in women found Spironolactone to reduce hair loss and even achieve partial hair regrowth. Another study of oral Spironolactone found that 80% of women taking the medication could see no further progression of hair loss or even hair regrowth.
Spironolactone is a pill that may slow or reduce hair growth in areas with unwanted hair. It will not get rid of the hair on the scalp and may actually stimulate growth there. Here is a quick guide for what to expect before, during, and after treatment with Spironolactone.