I would love to talk to the woman who took one good look at a tube of yeast infection cream and got the light bulb idea to test it out as a hair growth agent.
Seriously…using Monistat for hair growth as a cream is becoming more and more popular, with both women AND men.
I should note that there is no room for me to pass judgment – I’ve tried everything from placenta to whale sperm to help grow my hair.
After having talked with quite a few people who’ve tried it, I’ve concluded that, while this is a very unconventional usage of this product, a LOT of people have had success with it.
Miconazole Nitrate, better known as Monistat, is an antifungal agent that is used to treat yeast infections, oral thrush in babies, athlete’s foot, ringworms, jock itch, and angular chelitis. This medication is used to treat vaginal yeast infections, as well as reduce vaginal burning, itching, and discharge that may occur with this condition. It works by stopping the growth of yeast (fungus) that causes the infection.
CHECK THIS: Monistat Grows Edges?! An Unconventional Hair Loss Remedy
There are several doctors out there who have done the research and the results are in! One in particular, Dr. Mohsin Mir, a medical dermatologist at Baylor College of Medicine, theorized that Miconazole Nitrate might actually reduce the number of “hair loss” receptors in the scalp, which would consequently increase hair growth.
Dr. Mir says that the treatment is relatively safe unless you have a history of sensitive skin. Think of it as stopping the agents that stop your hair from growing. He said that this specific treatment is relatively safe for both genders unless you have very sensitive skin.
A 2014 study on male rats found that ketoconazole, a drug in the same family, was found to effectively promote hair growth.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews published a 2015 analysis of studies that researched the use of topical antifungal medication to treat the scalp condition seborrheic dermatitis (SD).
After analyzing 51 studies, the review concluded that ketoconazole and another similar ingredient, ciclopirox, is more effective than a placebo for the treatment of SD.
The study also noted that these ingredients have fewer side effects than steroid treatments. But researchers didn’t find conclusive evidence that similar antifungal medications would have the same result.
Other experts agree that Monistat may be effective in clearing up fungal infections at the scalp, improving overall scalp health and facilitating hair growth, but only if the hair loss is related to scalp health.
The other reason Monistat was touted as a hair loss treatment has to do with the fact that miconazole nitrate has a similar molecular structure to ketoconazole, a medication that has been shown to treat hormonal hair loss. A 2020 study published in Dermatologic Therapy found the ingredient to be a promising treatment option for male and female pattern hair loss. This may be another reason why people notice a difference when using it for hair growth.
When using Monistat for hair growth, you can use it straight from the tube. On the other hand, you can
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