How to determine whether Retin-A is beneficial for your hair loss

The idea of Retin-A helping people with hair loss stems mainly as a result of its side effects of growing hair in some people treated for skin conditions such as acne.

The use of Retin-A to aid hair growth and offset hair loss is being strongly debated within the hair loss industry. Thus far, studies proving its efficacy in aiding hair growth in people with androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness (MPB) seems, at best, to perhaps slightly improve the performance of minoxidil, the most well known hair growth stimulant.

However, due to some side effects experienced by substantial number of Retin-A users, doubts about its long-term benefits in hair loss treatment still linger.

The best way to determine whether one should use Retin A to boost hair growth is probably to look at the pros and cons of using Retin-A.

How is Retin-A supposed to help hair growth?

• Since Retin-A helps to stop reduce the size of sebaceous glands and lower the production of sebum, an excess amount of which, can affect hair follicles because the sebaceous glands are attached to the follicles, so at least in theory Retin-A could help to slow down hair loss because the hair follicles will remain active.

Retin-A helps minoxidil absorption

• One of the problems faced by some users of minoxidil is that the rate of minoxidil absorption can very negligible and therefore its impact on hair growth limited. It is thought Retin-A helps to improve minoxidil absorption by increasing cell proliferation. This increases the rate of minoxidil absorption into the scalp and into the hair follicles.

The cons of using Retin-A for hair loss

The negative aspects of using Retin A to aid hair growth and to stop hair loss stems from its quite common side effects, it can cause irritation and skin peeling. If applying to the scalp causes a great deal of irritation, this could lead to inflammation.

Inflammation of the scalp has been known to damage hair follicles and thus shorten the lifecycle of hair, which of course would lead to thinning hair.

The problem of finding the truth

One of the great problems of finding the truth about the role of Retin-A in hair loss is that you have to distinguish claims and counter claims made by those going on about its benefits and those suggesting otherwise.

It seems that its ability to help people with hair loss is being greatly exaggerated by certain well-known doctors within hair loss circles, who sell various concoctions of hair loss treatments combining Retin-A and other formulations.

They are there to shift their products and therefore will exaggerate results of hair growth using enhanced photo imagery and software to manipulating results.

For those using it should bear a few things in mind:

• You should probably not include Retin-A as one of your early hair loss treatments. You could perhaps come to it later if minoxidil (if you happen to use minoxidil that is) is not achieving results on its own.

• If after application of Retin A, you experience a great deal of irritation of the scalp, it may be that you are one of the unlucky ones in that you may be allergic to it and therefore react badly to it. In that case, you should refer the situation to your doctor or stop using it.

Other Retin-A options

If you do decide to use Retin A as part of daily hair loss regimen but are not comfortable putting Retin-A directly on your scalp, you could use a combination treatment such as Xandrox - prepared by Dr. Lee, a well-known hair loss expert.

Xandrox is a combination treatment containing minoxidil and Retin-A (we are in no way promoting his product, but are merely informing our readers about the availability of such an option). Non-Americans without a prescription can purchase it.