Developments in Brief : Vitamin A May Act as Booster to Drug That Triggers Hair Growth

A derivative of Vitamin A may also be a potent booster to minoxidil for restoring hair loss, a dermatologist said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology last week.

Dr. Nia Terezakis told her colleagues in New Orleans that two-thirds of 56 patients whose scalps were treated with a solution of tretinoin and minoxidil grew hair on bald areas.

Minoxidil is a potent high blood pressure drug that has been shown to promote hair regrowth. Tretinoin, the Vitamin A derivative, has been used for 15 years as an acne treatment.

Terezakis said she was able to achieve hair regrowth using a minoxidil concentration that was one-fourth to one-tenth as much as used in other studies that showed minoxidil alone was an effective treatment for baldness.

The solution was applied twice a day in the yearlong study. “Good responders have hair regrowth of the same length and texture as the original hair,” she said.

Minoxidil has not been sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a hair growth agent, but it has been approved for treating baldness in Canada under the trademark name Regaine.