Dermatologist reveals her favorite tricks to promote healthy hair growth

A board-certified dermatologist has revealed her three favorite hair growth hacks, and one of them involves a shampoo that can be found at most drugstores.

The tips were shared by Texas-based dermatologist Dr. Jean Charles in a New video published last month on TikTok.

According Cleveland ClinicHereditary baldness is the most common type of hair loss, affecting up to 80 million people in the United States.

Hair loss also has many different causes, with some of the most common being stress, hormonal changes or even vitamin deficiencies, she said.

But fear not, because Dr. Charles has some tips to help promote hair growth.

The first involves using a microneedle roller along with topical Minoxodil, a popular over-the-counter hair regrowth medication.

These microneedle rollers are often marketed for facial treatments, something Dr. Charles doesn’t recommend, but he says they’re good for someone struggling with a thinning hairline.

“You go over your hairline a couple of times where you have fine hair and then apply Minoxodil for better penetration,” he explained.

Alternatively, you could even use your prescription tretinoin cream, which is often applied to the skin to reduce the appearance of acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots.

‘You can use your prescription retinoid on your hairline before applying Minoxodil, however, this combination may cause more irritation as both Minoxodil and tretinoin tend to be irritating on their own,’ the dermatologist admitted.

And finally, if you suffer from what is called “pattern hair loss,” which is hair loss from the scalp, you can use Minoxodil combined with a shampoo containing ketoconazole.

These are usually anti-dandruff shampoos, such as Nizoral or Head and Shoulders.

“Ketoconazole actually has some antiandrogenetic effects, so it helps with androgenetic types of hair loss, like the photos shown before,” she said.

“The way to use it is to apply it to your scalp, leave it on for three to five minutes, and then rinse it out,” Dr. Charles continued.

Then simply follow up with your regular shampoo and conditioner.

It’s something you’ll have to do about two or three times a week, the dermatologist recommended.

This is not the first time that a dermatologist has intervened in the issue of hair loss.

Mississippi-based Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky has previously given advice on exactly how much hair you can lose before it indicates a problem.

In the clip, Dr. Zubritsky presented a numbered chart showing a hair loss scale and what it looks like in real terms.

“Did you know that it’s actually normal to lose between 100 and 200 hairs every day?” she explained.