Retin-A

I’m not a big fan of meddling with hair loss products that were designed for another disorder. But hey, if it wasn’t for accidents, Minoxidil and Propecia wouldn’t of been discovered. So when I was asked to do a review of Retin-A I proceeded with cautious-optimism.

The first thing we need to recognize: Retin-A is first and foremost an acne medication that’s used for severe skin disorders. In fact it is currently known to be the most effective acne treatment on the market. I guess we could sort of classify “bald” as a skin disorder, but I don’t think that’s what the makers of Retin-A had in mind.

As luck would have it, a few bald guys in white lab coats got together and decided to test the effectiveness of Retin-A as a hair treatment. To their surprise they discovered that Retin-A was effective at growing new hair in some patients. Sound familiar? That’s because this is the same way they discovered popular treatments like Rogaine and Propecia.

Retin-A Ingredients

• Chemicals: Tretinoin BP 0.025%, 0.05% or 0.1% cream and 1g excipients c.s.p.
• Excipients: Decyl oleate, isopropyl myristrate, glyceryl monostearate, acetyl lanolin alcohol, ceteareth-30, cetyl alcohol, proline, monostearate of polyethylene glycol 400, urea, collagen, methylparaben, propylparaben, lactic acid, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, vitamin E, aroma, and purified water.
• Description: Tretinoin, also known as vitamin A acid, is the single active ingredient used in Retirides. Retiride 0.05% is used for the treatment of acne. It doesn’t do much for your scalp unless its riddled with blackheads and pimples. <- If that’s the case you have bigger problems then going bald!

How Retin-A helps with hair loss

Retin-A works by ensuring that your sebaceous glands are functioning properly. Sebaceous glands are what control the sebum on your dome; and sebum just so happens to contain DHT. If you remember from past lessons DHT is that nasty hormone which causes your precious follicles to weaken. So the bald guys with the white lab coats decided to find a way to control the sebaceous gland, keeping sebum and DHT levels reduced, thus minimizing hair loss. And so was born the miracle drug Retin-A….Not really!

First off, Retin-A is a prescription drug, which means you have to see a Doctor. They’re going to try and break you down to see if there is some underlying mental problem because you want to grow your hair back. The positive thing about consulting a doctor before buying Retin-A is learning that it usually only works with Rogaine. Doctors agree that you need around two years of treatment with the combination of Rogaine and Retin-A to grow some hair. However, there are studies that suggest Retin-A can grow hair by itself.

Directions for Retin-A

Retin-A comes in a cream and/or liquid version. You can even find some Minoxidils that contain Retin-A pre-mixed.

You need to start off slowly with Retin-A. It’s classified as a “Skin-Peel” and will do some damage if you try and use too much at once. I’ve heard of people having some pretty serious reactions to it because they get the “more is better” attitude.

Conclusion

Hung Jury! Part of me wants to believe that this product really works. But the realistic part of me knows better. I find it disheartening that I have to use a minoxidil/Retin-A combination for 2 years to see results. Especially when I know that there are convenient, inexpensive, and proven products at my disposal.

Tags: Prescribed Hair Loss Treatments, Retin-A Hair Loss Review

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