You could call that an accidental discovery – because it actually is. A super cheap active ingredient which is already present in a well-known hair-loss product may stop and even reverse balding.
A well-known pill, but different use: instead of fighting hypertension, minoxidil treats balding. Plus, this medication works in ridiculously low doses. Image credit: Pxhere, CC0 Public Domain
This compound works even in low doses, some doctors say. The only catch here is that people are using this medication incorrectly. The article in the New York Times explains that this curative effect is ensured by minoxidil. This chemical is used in a certain over-the-counter hair loss treatments which are freely available on the market (under a very wide range of trademarks). And, it apparently works nearly 'miracles' at treating hair loss – but not when applied in a form of a lotion onto the scalp. Instead, this ingredient should be taken orally.
Minoxidil's primary purpose was to control hypertension, in patients who are experiencing a severe form of this condition and who do not respond to alternative medications. Minoxidil also has a serious side effect called reflex tachycardia and therefore should be prescribed jointly with a beta blocker to minimize the potential danger.
The list of the drug's side effects is actually quite long. But one of these unwanted results is described as “unwanted hair growth everywhere on the body”. Although, for quite a long time, this issue was not associated with possible alternative use.
Currently, minoxidil is a generic drug. In its foam or lotion form, this treatment does not work quite well, and in fact, even feels not very pleasant when applied onto the skin. And, as it often goes, the discovery that minoxidil could effectively fight baldness, was made mostly by accident.
The discovery was made by Australian dermatologist Rodney Sinclair, who aimed to treat a rash in a female patient. The specialist found that when minoxidil is taken in much lower doses than what is used to treat the blood pressure, it successfully increased the hair regrowth, plus it did not exhibit any side effects typical to the topical form of the drug or a hypertension-oriented dose of the same medication.
To work as a hair loss treatment, the doses of minoxidil must be reduced down to one-fortieth compared to what is used to treat hypertension. What's even more surprising, it is even not the first re-purposed drug to achieve that kind of effect.
According to the NYT article, this discovery was kept a secret for quite a long time. And even now, this extremely beneficial effect is still designated as off-label and will likely remain that way for a longer time. Specialists speculate that Big Pharma would be interested in conducting formal trials due to one simple fact – because this medication would be literally dirt cheap. The cost of oral minoxidil is just pennies a day.
Dermatologists, however, are not too unhappy because of the reluctance of the pharmaceutical companies. Some of them are already talking about possibilities to circumvent the off-label designation of minoxidil.
Potential users of minoxidil, who are looking for efficient ways to treat hair loss, should be aware of certain facts. This treatment does not work for completely “smooth” baldness. And, there is already some evidence that it doesn't work for some patients, too. But in order to find why the dermatological industry will need to do some additional evidence gathering.