There’s not a hair care brand in the world that isn’t invested in the likes of scalp care right now. New brands are popping up everywhere with scalp serums and clarifying shampoos sure to help you get the cleanest scalp possible and promote tremendously healthy hair growth. After all, without a healthy scalp and happy hair follicles, your hair can’t grow to its potential.
Most scalp products out there are topical and feature hair growth–promoting and cleansing ingredients like rosemary oil, rice water, and apple cider vinegar. We also love using a scalp massaging brush for a little extra exfoliation and stimulation of the hair follicles.
But while scalp-care products can help remove product buildup and ultimately result in hair growth, sometimes individuals struggling with postpartum hair loss, alopecia, or baldness need something a little stronger.
For this, they typically reach for supplements or topical retinoids containing minoxidil for hair growth promotion. But how can a well-known acne solution like topical tretinoin help hair growth? We talked to an expert trichologist to break it all down for us.
Meet the Expert
Isfahan Chambers-Harris, Ph.D., is a trichologist at Alodia Haircare.
What Is Tretinoin?
“Tretinoin is a derivative of vitamin A or retinoic acid. Tretinoin is most commonly used as a topical treatment for acne, although it can be used both topically and orally for cystic acne,” says trichologist Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris.
Typically your dermatologist will prescribe you to use tretinoin cream if you’re having trouble preventing cystic acne and painful breakouts. It helps reduce inflammation in the skin and prevent new cystic acne from forming by speeding up cell turnover. The topical medication also supports fresh skin cells by stimulating more collagen production.
That’s why we typically correlate retinoid products with anti-aging. And since tretinoin helps stimulate collagen production and promote cell turnover, experts are raising questions about tretinoin helping with hair loss.
Can Tretinoin Stimulate Hair Growth?
Dr. Chambers-Harris says there’s limited information on results, but for some experiencing severe hair loss, using tretinoin can work if you’re dedicating to working with your trichologist or dermatologist.
“One study showed that when patients were diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia and given tretinoin in combination with 0.5% minoxidil for a year, 66% of the patients had hair regrowth,” says Dr. Chambers-Harris. She reinforced there is limited information about tretinoin having a direct effect on stimulating hair growth.
If you’re wondering what minoxidil is, the ingredient can treat high blood pressure in its oral form, but when used topically it can treat certain types of baldness. “Topically applying a 5% solution of minoxidil to the scalp is widely used to help with hair growth,” says Dr. Chambers-Harris. You’ll find it in most over-the-counter hair-loss treatments like Rogaine, which targets male pattern baldness.
Together, the two ingredients—tretinoin and topical minoxidil—target hair loss on a follicular level. Basically, when applied topically, they can increase blood flow around the hair follicles and stimulate the hair growth phase for the formulation of new hair.
Are There Any Side Effects?
“In general, the side effects are skin irritation, bone pain, chest pain, and nausea,” says Dr. Chambers-Harris, but most people only experience skin irritation, which is temporary. But remember: It’s important to discuss the use of tretinoin for hair growth in conjunction with minoxidil with your trichologist or dermatologist. If you choose to go that route, there will be an adjustment period that could result in dryness or peeling—similar to how your skin would react if you were treating acne with tretinoin. And as with any product containing retin-a, you’ll want to be extra careful in the sun. It’s wise to stock up on SPF that can easily be applied to your scalp to keep your skin protected.
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