Hi guys!
I'm really interested to know which is the best minoxidil enhancer, especially for non-responders to topical minoxidil alone.
Both minoxidil and microneedling are proved to increase VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor).
However, tretinoin is still debatable. You can go to Google Scholar (open articles with Sci-Hub) and find multiple studies that say that retinoids do increase VEGF and others that say the complete opposite...
Considering that tretinoin works great to treat rosacea, I'm more inclined to believe that the use of tretinoin reduces VEGF and angiogenesis.
We definitely want VEGF and angiogenesis for hair regrowth. With good blood flow on the scalp, less testosterone will be converted to DHT.
https://journals.lww.com/plasrecons..._Male_Pattern_Baldness_with_Botulinum.79.aspx
Old study that shows great results (strong regrowth) from minoxidil combined with tretinoin:
https://sci-hub.se/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019096228680024X
More recent study that shows great results (strong regrowth) from minoxidil combined with microneedling:
https://europepmc.org/article/med/23960389
There are much more recent studies that show good results with minoxidil combined with microneedling than with tretinoin.
As a non-responder to topical minoxidil alone, recently I started microneedling every week and using tretinoin 3 days a week.
I'm worried that tretinoin could be undermining the microneedling sessions, by reducing VEGF and angiogenesis...
What do you guys think works best?
1) Minoxidil + microneedling
2) Minoxidil + tretinoin
3) Minoxidil + microneedling + tretinoin
Thanks!
I'm really interested to know which is the best minoxidil enhancer, especially for non-responders to topical minoxidil alone.
Both minoxidil and microneedling are proved to increase VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor).
However, tretinoin is still debatable. You can go to Google Scholar (open articles with Sci-Hub) and find multiple studies that say that retinoids do increase VEGF and others that say the complete opposite...
Considering that tretinoin works great to treat rosacea, I'm more inclined to believe that the use of tretinoin reduces VEGF and angiogenesis.
We definitely want VEGF and angiogenesis for hair regrowth. With good blood flow on the scalp, less testosterone will be converted to DHT.
Areas of the scalp with sparse hair growth have been shown to be relatively hypoxic, have slow capillary refill, and to have high levels of dihydrotestosterone.
The enzymatic conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone is oxygen dependent. In low-oxygen environments, the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone is favored; whereas in high-oxygen environments, more testosterone is converted to estradiol.
https://journals.lww.com/plasrecons..._Male_Pattern_Baldness_with_Botulinum.79.aspx
Old study that shows great results (strong regrowth) from minoxidil combined with tretinoin:
https://sci-hub.se/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019096228680024X
More recent study that shows great results (strong regrowth) from minoxidil combined with microneedling:
https://europepmc.org/article/med/23960389
There are much more recent studies that show good results with minoxidil combined with microneedling than with tretinoin.
As a non-responder to topical minoxidil alone, recently I started microneedling every week and using tretinoin 3 days a week.
I'm worried that tretinoin could be undermining the microneedling sessions, by reducing VEGF and angiogenesis...
What do you guys think works best?
1) Minoxidil + microneedling
2) Minoxidil + tretinoin
3) Minoxidil + microneedling + tretinoin
Thanks!