Topical Minoxidil and Tretinoin work better for hair loss

Minoxidil and Tretinoin has emerged as a new combination treatment for hair loss. Topical Minoxidil is one of the safe and effective treatments for hair loss. However, studies on Minoxidil have shown that only 40-60% of people respond positively to topical Minoxidil treatment, and many others find no response after using Minoxidil. Subsequently, use topical minoxidil with retinoic acid to treat hair loss, and found that topical minoxidil+ tretinoin treated people who responded to topical minoxidil better than topical minoxidil. People who do not respond to topical minoxidil respond to topical minoxidil and tretinoin treatment.

Tretinoin treatment promotes hair growth

In one study, 0.025% tretinoin was applied topically with 5% Minoxidil to treat androgenic alopecia and significant hair growth was found in 66% of patients. In Minoxidil topical trials alone, only 40-60% of people respond positively to treatment. The study showed that topical minoxidil+ tretinoin promoted hair growth and increased the success rate of Minoxidil treatment alone.

A study  will be 0.5% Minoxidil + 0.05% tretinoin solution and 2% Minoxidil solution in treatment of androgen alopecia. After 4 months, the percentage of patients with improved hair loss and hair regrowth was 81.6% and 56%, respectively, in the Minoxidil 2% group and 65.4% and 59.6%, respectively, in the Minoxidil+tretinoin group. Meanwhile, there were 156 hairs in the Minoxidil 2% group and 149 hairs in the Minoxidil+tretinoin group. The study showed that tretinoin increased the absorption of Minoxidil by the scalp and improved the efficacy of low-dose Minoxidil treatment.

Tretinoin causes topical minoxidil reactions in non-responders

Minoxidil works, but it’s not for everyone, and retinoic acid can change that.

In one study, participants who did not respond to Minoxidil topical treatment had a reaction in 43% of the non-responders after five days of using 0.1% tretinoin.

When convert Minoxidil to its active form, Minoxidil sulphate, by sulfation of the sulfotransferase sult1A1, and people who are not responsive to Minoxidil are typically deficient or insufficiently active. A Study of tretinoin , it is through the hair follicle sulfo transferase to enhance sexual androgen alopecia patient response to Minoxidil, so that under normal circumstances for Minoxidil no reaction, minoxidil+ tretinoin will also react.

Therefore, patients with androgenic alopecia who do not respond to Minoxidil can be treated with minoxidil+ tretinoin.

Tretinoin reduces topical Minoxidil use

In a 2007 study, one group used a combination solution of 5% Minoxidil+0.01% Tretinoin applied topically once a day. The other group used a separate 5% Minoxidil solution, applied topically twice a day. After the study, both groups experienced hair growth, but there was no statistically significant difference in the results between the two groups. The topical minoxidil+  tretinoin combination demonstrated that topical Minoxidil and Tretinoin can reduce the frequency of Minoxidil and thus enhance the topical minoxidil.