Name Ingredients:
Nanoxidil is a trademarked chemical created by Divine Skin, Inc, marketed as an alternative to minoxidil. This chemical appeared to be first mentioned in 2011 when the investors of Divine Skin Laboratories said the compound was an innovative solution in the fight against hair loss. Unlike minoxidil, which is available in a 2% or 5% topical solution, nanoxidil is available only in a 5% solution.
Key insights:
- There do not appear to be any in vitro or animal studies determining the efficacy or mechanism of action of nanoxidil, however DS Laboratories mention on their website that it is a potassium channel opener.
- The only evidence in humans for nanoxidil is as part of a whole product – called Spectral.DNC-N – contains other ingredients, such as caffeine, retinol, and adenosine, which may also play a role in hair follicle growth.
- There are two studies associated with the Spectral.DNC-N serum with 5% nanoxidil. The first study lasted 6 months on patients with early-stage female pattern hair loss and showed that the serum reduced hair shedding and improved hair mass index. Additionally, patients reported improved survey scores and improved photographic assessment scores. Furthermore, the study mentions that the treatments were well tolerated. However, this study is limited because there was no control group and a small sample size (28 women). The second study was released as a white paper and showed that after 6 months of twice-daily application, hair density and total hair counts were increased by ~20%.
- Our experience tracking members: Nanoxidil by itself is not enough to improve hair loss outcomes.
Additional links: