Topical melatonin for treatment of androgenetic alopecia

[Dimitri001]

This was published in 2012, I'm surprised we've not heard more on this, since the results they report seem pretty remarkable - a 41% increase in TAHC in 58% of the subjects at 6 months. And furthermore, melatonin is available as a cheap supplement. Any thoughts on the study? Does anyone know of further research into melatonin?

Topical melatonin for treatment of androgenetic alopecia - PubMed

Since safety and tolerability in all of the studies was good, the topical application of a cosmetic melatonin solution can be considered as a treatment option in androgenetic alopecia.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Materials and methods: One pharmacodynamic study on topical application of melatonin and four clinical pre-post studies were performed in patients with androgenetic alopecia or general hair loss and evaluated by standardised questionnaires, TrichoScan, 60-second hair count test and hair pull test.


Results: FIVE CLINICAL STUDIES SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF A TOPICAL MELATONIN SOLUTION IN THE TREATMENT OF Androgenetic Alopecia IN MEN AND WOMEN WHILE SHOWING GOOD TOLERABILITY: (1) Pharmacodynamics under once-daily topical application in the evening showed no significant influence on endogenous serum melatonin levels. (2) An observational study involving 30 men and women showed a significant reduction in the degree of severity of alopecia after 30 and 90 days (P < 0.001) based on questionnaires completed by investigators and patients. (3) Using a digital software-supported epiluminescence technique (TrichoScan) in 35 men with Androgenetic Alopecia, after 3 and 6 months in 54.8% to 58.1% of the patients a significant increase of hair density of 29% and 41%, respectively was measured (M0: 123/cm(2); M3: 159/cm(2); M6: 173/cm(2) (P < 0,001). (4) In 60 men and women with hair loss, a significant reduction in hair loss was observed in women, while hair loss in men remained constant (P < 0.001). (5) In a large, 3-month, multi-center study with more than 1800 volunteers at 200 centers, the percentage of patients with a 2- to 3-fold positive hair-pull test decreased from 61.6% to 7.8%, while the percentage of patients with a negative hair-pull test increased from 12.2.% to 61.5% (P < 0.001). In addition, a decrease in seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp was observed.

 

[Get my hair back]

I'm surprised you're hearing about this for the first time because it's been discussed here many times.
Many people (including myself) have added melatonin to their regimen orally and topically, but it hasn't worked.

 

[Dimitri001]

I'm surprised you're hearing about this for the first time because it's been discussed here many times.
Many people (including myself) have added melatonin to their regimen orally and topically, but it hasn't worked.

Is there any research on it other than this study?

 

[ninarosshairtherapy]

Research on topical melatonin for treating androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia), also known as male or female pattern baldness, shows promising results, but it's still in its early stages.

Potential Benefits:

• Studies suggest topical melatonin application might be effective in stimulating hair growth, increasing hair density, and improving scalp health in individuals with Androgenetic Alopecia.
• The optimal dosage appears to be around 0.0033% or 0.1% solution applied once daily for 3-6 months.
• Topical melatonin is generally considered well-tolerated with minimal side effects reported in studies.