Did you know that The Organic Compounding Pharmacy has developed a specialized hair loss solution formula tailored for doctors and patients? Contact one of our pharmacists today to inquire about our custom formulation containing melatonin and discover how it can benefit you!
Hair loss is a common concern that affects both men and women worldwide. While genetic predisposition and aging play significant roles in hair loss, there are natural remedies that may help slow down this process and promote healthier hair growth. Hair growth follows a cycle of growth (anagen), transition (catagen), and resting (telogen) phases. Factors such as genetics, hormonal changes, nutrient deficiencies, stress, and environmental factors can disrupt this cycle, leading to excessive shedding and thinning of hair.
Finasteride is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitors used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia as well as hair loss for men by blocking the body's production of a male hormone in the scalp. Minoxidil is a highly effectively in promoting hair growth in individuals with androgenic alopecia, irrespective of gender. Finasteride inhibits hormonal changes that contribute to hair loss, while Minoxidil enhances blood flow to the hair follicles, supporting the production of healthy hair. Both medications have been widely used for their effectiveness in treating Androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Combining topical minoxidil and finasteride can be seen as an advantageous treatment approach to sustain hair density following initial improvement achieved with oral finasteride. The side effects of Finasteride may include the following: skin rash, decreased libido, dizziness, facial swelling, shortness of breath, ejaculation disorder, erectile dysfunction, facial hair growth, headaches, hair shedding, irregular heartbeat, acne, breast pain, rapid weight gain, scalp irritation, swelling of the lips and face, and testicular pain. The side effects of Minoxidil are facial hair growth, hair shedding, heart arrhythmia, dizziness, acne, water retention, facial swelling, unusual weight gain, burning of the scalp, headaches, chest pain, low blood pressure, reddened skin, flushing, hair texture changes, shortness of breath, skin rash, depressed mood, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, irritation, and nausea.
The alternate to Finasteride and Minoxidil is topical Melatonin. Melatonin is widely known for its use in regulating sleep-wake cycles but in addition to this melatoninergic anti-oxidative system have now been found in the skin. It has been demonstrated that human hair follicles can produce melatonin and contain receptors for melatonin, and researchers have observed its impact on hair growth cycles. Melatonin has shown promise in hair loss treatment due to its antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress (OS), which results from an imbalance between oxidation and the body's antioxidant defense systems, is thought to be linked to alopecia areata (AA) and could potentially disrupt the immune privilege of hair follicles. In a double-blind, placebo controlled study "topical treatment with 1 ml of a 0.1% melatonin-alcohol solution in women with AGA and diffuse alopecia resulted in a significant increase in detectable anagen hairs in the occipital and frontal areas after six months compared with placebo" (Fisher et al., 2012). The study also mentions that the topical melatonin has increased the participants anagen phase. The positive information with topical melatonin is that it has minimal side effects.
Reference:
Ma YQ, Sun Z, Li YM, Xu H. Oxidative stress and alopecia areata. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jun 15;10:1181572. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1181572. PMID: 37396920; PMCID: PMC10311488.
Fischer TW, Trüeb RM, Hänggi G, Innocenti M, Elsner P. Topical melatonin for treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Int J Trichology. 2012 Oct;4(4):236-45. doi: 10.4103/0974-7753.111199. PMID: 23766606; PMCID: PMC3681103.
Chandrashekar BS, Nandhini T, Vasanth V, Sriram R, Navale S. Topical minoxidil fortified with finasteride: An account of maintenance of hair density after replacing oral finasteride. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2015 Jan-Feb;6(1):17-20. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.148925. PMID: 25657911; PMCID: PMC4314881.