Hair Growth Modulation by Adrenergic Drugs

In the 1999 study, researchers found that adrenergic drugs, specifically guanethidine and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), induced premature hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. Over 80% of guanethidine-treated mice and about 65% of 6-OHDA-treated mice exhibited premature skin darkening and hair growth by day 20 post-treatment, while less than one-third of control animals showed these changes. Histological analysis confirmed mature anagen VI hair follicles in treated areas. The study did not observe similar effects with the B2-adrenoreceptor agonist isoproterenol. These results suggest that sympathetic nerves significantly influence hair growth and that manipulating these nerves could be a potential therapeutic approach for hair growth disorders.