• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Can Ketoconazole Increase Hair Growth?

September 28, 2010 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

Women can use ketoconazole to treat hair loss, but its main purpose is to treat fungal infections. If you have a fungal infection of the skin or nails and nothing else works, doctors sometimes prescribe ketoconazole, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Typically, people take ketoconazole as a tablet by mouth for fungal infections. If you use it to try to increase hair growth, you use it as a topical treatment.

Fights Androgens

Women who have thinning hair may have androgenic alopecia, which is due to male hormones, called androgens. Ketoconazole has anti-androgenic effects, according to the American Hair Loss Association. It also can reduce the production of testosterone by the adrenal gland, which is one of the ways in which ketoconazole works to treat hair loss.

Inhibits DHT

Ketoconazole may also inhibit the production of dihydrotestosterone. DHT is the enemy of hair follicles and tries to kill them, explains the American Hair Loss Association. Testosterone converts to DHT, which shrink hair follicles, meaning the kiss of death for healthy hair.

Anti-Fungal Properties

Because ketoconazole is an anti-fungal drug, it may work on treating hair loss by clearing up a fungal infection on the scalp. Ketoconazole reduces inflammation, which could be the reason it works to treat hair loss.

Types

Nizoral shampoo contains ketoconazole and comes in a 1 percent and a 2 percent version. You can buy a 1 percent version of the shampoo over-the-counter, but the 2 percent version is more effective, according to the American Hair Loss Association. You need a prescription to get Nizoral shampoo with 2 percent ketoconazole.

Side Effects

Using ketoconazole as a topical treatment in shampoo form produces no significant side effects, according to the American Hair Loss Association. Taken as an oral tablet, ketoconazole can cause liver damage, especially if you drink large amounts of alcohol, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Usage

The amount of ketoconazole you would need to take orally to increase hair growth is unsafe, according to the Androgenetic Alopecia website. It is unnecessary to take ketoconazole orally to treat hair loss because you only need to target the hair follicles. Therefore, a local application in the form of a shampoo is the best way to use ketoconazole for hair loss treatment.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Fashion/Beauty

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Great news! Nursing moms are getting a new tax break from … [Read More...] about Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

abdominal pain on the left side in pregnancy

Abdominal Pain on the Left Side in Pregnancy

Best Way to Cook Boneless Shoulder Steak

The Best Way to Cook Boneless Shoulder Steak

pregnancy & tooth pain

Pregnancy & Tooth Pain

Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

How to Clean the Smell From the Inside of a Leather Jacket

substitution for oil in baking brownies

Substitution for Oil in Baking Brownies

When to Take a Toddler to the Emergency Room With a Fever

When to Take a Toddler to the Emergency Room With a Fever

Use Frozen Bananas for Baking

How to Use Frozen Bananas for Baking

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.