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.