Retin-A for Hair Loss
Many people tend to experience excessive hair loss. A number of things can serve as a cause of it. Hair loss may be a response of the body after an illness or a major surgery. Hormonal problems may be at the bottom of hair loss due to the over- or underactiveness of thyroid gland. If it comes out so that male and female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance, it may also lead to hair loss. Hair loss may occur on account of pregnancy and the period after pregnancy. During pregnancy high levels of certain hormones can cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to the pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again. Hair loss may be a side effect of certain medications like blood thinners, medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, Vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants. Catastrophic hair loss can be an outward sign that a person is sick or undergoes a severe disease like lupus, diabetes or cancer.
Structurally a single hair consists of a hair shaft (the part that shows), a root below the skin and a follicle from which the hair root grows. Healthy hair growth very much depends on sebaceous glands situated on the scalp. Sebum produced by sebaceous glands contains a special hormone, DHT, which causes hair follicles to weaken and leads to hair loss.
Retin-A is viewed upon as an effective drug which works by preventing hair loss. It makes sure that sebaceous glands are operating correctly keeping them under control. Retin-A ensures control of sebaceous glands by keeping sebum and DHT hormone levels reduced. Retin-A ensures the proper functioning of various parts of skin cells. Retin-A is referred to as a great exfoliator for the skin because it alters the follicular epithelium which is the outer layer of the skin. Retin-A prevents it from keratinizing, in other words, from forming a hard compact layer. Retin-A has also proved to be an effective drug for vascular proliferation which as well plays a great role for hair growth production.
For the treatment of hair loss doctors often advise patients to turn to Retin-A and Minoxidil combination. Minoxidil is the first drug to use when hair loss occurs. While combining the two medications, Retin-A works successfully to enhance the penetration and absorption of Minoxidil, thus, increasing beneficial effects of the latter. The combination of the drug results in the intensive hair regrowth in all regions of the scalp.