TLDR Valproic acid helped hair growth in alopecia patient; more research needed.
This article describes a case of a 60-year-old man with androgenetic alopecia who was treated with valproic acid (VPA), a mood stabilizer commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorders. While alopecia is a known adverse effect of VPA, this case report describes a peculiar case where VPA induced hair growth in the patient. The mechanism by which VPA prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth is not clear, but it is suspected that VPA can potentially have an effect on hair cycle and be applied to treat androgenetic alopecia with an unclear mechanism. This single case report calls for further investigation regarding the potential utility of VPA in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.
85 citations,
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Topical valproate can effectively promote hair growth.
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