Minoxidil is the very first medication to be approved to help treat male pattern and female pattern hair loss. This medication happens to be the active ingredient inside of the well-known Rogaine products, among other formulations.
Since we know that Minoxidil can bring significant benefits in the realm of hair growth, that ends up leading many to wonder if other active ingredients can be added to it and really amplify the results.
One of these other active ingredients showing up in certain hair loss formulations along with Minoxidil is Tretinoin. While Tretinoin (brand name Retin-a) is more commonly known as a treatment for acne and various skin concerns, there may be some evidence that your hair could benefit too.
Below, we will outline the potential benefits of using a minoxidil formulation that also contains Tretinoin, as well as diving into what the studies on the subject say. Finally, we will give you our final thoughts on the Minoxidil + Tretinoin combo, and let you know where you can get your hands on these combination prescription hair loss formulas.
The idea of combining a well-known topical skin care medication like Tretinoin with Minoxidil, is that it may help with the absorption and penetration of Minoxidil into the scalp to do its thing.
Tretinoin is known to penetrate into the top layers of the skin when performing its skincare duties, so this ingredient is included sometimes with Minoxidil to hypothetically help aid in that delivery. After all, if something like Minoxidil is struggling to get into contact with the hair follicles at all, it is understandable that the ultimate results may not be as good as expected.
While there is not nearly as much research looking into Tretinoin as a hair loss treatment ingredient, as there is for Tretinoin as a skin care ingredient, there are a few studies out there about the subject.
One randomized, double-controlled study had 31 men apply either just topical minoxidil twice daily, or a topical minoxidil + tretinoin solution once nightly (along with a placebo solution for the day application). The goal of the study was to see if there was a way to amplify the minoxidil formula to allow men to apply only once daily, instead of twice daily (which is commonly suggested for the maximum benefit). The study concluded that the total hair count was increased in both groups, and that there was no significant difference between the groups. This suggests that Tretinoin may intensify Minoxidil enough to make just once daily application as good as a twice daily application with Minoxidil alone.
Another study reported that 43% of male pattern hair loss participants that were initially predicted to not be responders to Minoxidil treatment did turn out to respond well to treatment after adding in a Tretinoin application for just 5 days.
One more study reported that Minoxidil with Tretinoin lead to a significant increase in hair follicle diameter as well as a significant increase in hair growth. Although it is worth noting that this particular study found that minoxidil alone had slightly better results. The researchers went on to say that this outcome warranted further study.
Finally, a year-long study with 56 male and female participants with androgenetic alopecia looked at the application of Minoxidil + Tretinoin vs just the application of Tretinoin. The results found that Tretinoin alone stimulated regrowth in 58% of the participants, while 66% of the Minoxidil + Tretinoin group experienced some level of hair regrowth.
The combination of Minoxidil plus Tretinoin for androgenetic alopecia treatment (male pattern and female pattern hair loss) is not extremely well studied just yet. But, the studies that we do have suggest that there is some level of hair growth amplification from the combination of Tretinoin with Minoxidil, as opposed to just Minoxidil on its own.
The idea behind why this may be a good pairing, is that Tretinoin may help increase the tissue concentration of Minoxidil in the hair follicles after topical application.
If you have not responded to Minoxidil like you had hoped, it may be worth talking to a doctor about trying out a combination formula, like our topical Finasteride or topical Dutasteride formulations that include Minoxidil and Tretinoin.
If you want to give the Minoxidil + Tretinoin combo a try, you can do just that with Strut Health.
Our topical formulations are made in a compounding pharmacy and can be adjusted to suit your needs and preferences, while including multiple active ingredients like Minoxidil + Tretinoin (and more).
To get started, simply select the base formula you are considering, and complete a free online questionnaire and image-based telemedicine consultation in under 15 minutes. Our doctors will review your information, make sure the prescription is a good fit for you, and build a formula based on your goals and preferences. Then, your medication will be put together at a compounding pharmacy and shipped to your front door.
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