Nizoral - what does it do?

[Maxpwr]

Okay, so what exactly does Nizoral do? What are the active ingredients and how do they relate to treatment of hair loss?

I don't actually know much about nizoral at all. Since starting on my regimen I have been using the shampoo and conditioner that has been prescribed to me. The ingredients are as follows:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
CDE-80
Polysorbate 80
Cetyl Acetate
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Citric Acid
d-Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
Saw Palmetto Extract
Disodium EDTA
Methyl
Propyl Hydroxybenzoate
Phenoxy-ethanol
...and of course, fragrance!

Can anyone comment on this? Should I maybe incorporate Nizoral into my regimen as well or will my current shampoo suffice?

 

[nydheart]

Im not 100% sure but I think that it is supposed to decrease DHT in the scalp? Anyone back me up on this?

 

[Nathaniel]

Nizoral contains ketoconazole and its supposed to be a mild anti androgen. But the main benefit of nizoral shampoo is to condition the scalp to improve the chances of success with a treatment.

 

[easynow]

I was wondering this too. I spoke to a pharmacist when I bought my Nizoral via email and he said he had never head of it being used for male pattern baldness?? I'm still using it but only 3x a week.

 

[ginner]

Nizoral (ketoconazole) is definitely an anti-androgen. We know that for certain. We also know that ketoconazole can cause hair growth. What we don't really know is the extent to which the anti-androgenic properties of ketoconazole are responsible for the hair growth. The decrease in scalp irritation is likely of benefit as well.

Or here is another explanation for how Nizoral works:
(Medical hypotheses, 2004, 62(1):112-5, Ketocazole as an adjunct to finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men, B. S. Hugo Perez)

Ketoconazole has also been shown to be an effective treatment for Androgenetic Alopecia. Long-term use of shampoos containing 2% ketoconazole increased the density, size and proportion of anagen follicles in men between the ages of 21–33*.

It can reasonably be concluded that the clinical efficacy of ketoconazole shampoo in the treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia is primarily a function of DHT pathway disruption rather than an anti-inflammatory effect. In rat studies ketoconazole caused 5α-R inhibition^. Furthermore, in humans ketoconazole has also been shown to inhibit the binding of 5α-R to sex hormone globulins**. These clinical studies suggest that ketoconazole like finasteride may inhibit the production of DHT. Unlike finasteride ketoconazole has been shown to bind to human androgen receptor^^.

Thus, the effect of ketoconazole on the DHT pathway may be two-fold: inhibition of DHT and/or inhibition of DHT binding to androgen receptor. Either or both of these properties would result in reduced incidence of DHT binding to androgen receptor and inhibiting the pathway that leads to the miniaturizing of hair follicles.


*C. Pierard-Frachimont, P. De Doncker, G. Cauwenbergh and G.E. Pierard, Ketoconazole shampoo: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia. Dermatology 196 4 (1998), pp. 474–477.
^Masubuchi Y, Akaike M, Kumai T, Takanka M, Wantanabe M, Hirai M. Disturbanse or relatively important actions of antihypertensives, antifungal agent and opiate antagonist to the testicular steridogenesis in rats. J Toxicol Sci;17:41–50
**M. Ayub and M.J. Levell, The effect of ketoconazole related imidazole drugs and antiandrogens on [3H]R 1881 binding to the prostatic androgen receptor and [3H]5α-dihydrotestosterone and [3H]cortisol binding to plasma proteins. J. Steroid Biochem. 33 2 (1989), pp. 251–255
^^C. Eil, Ketoconazole binds to the human androgen receptor. Horm. Metab. Res. 24 8 (1992), pp. 367–370.

 

[powersam]

i heard from a very reputable source that it does indeed turn man into lady.