Hi.

I am a new member and hope that you can help me out.

Last summer I introduced a generic 0.025 % tretinoin cream in my regimen. Two months later, hair on my scalp, eyebrows and even body hair started to shed, and the hair texture changed. My hair turned coarse and dry and lost its shine and lustre. It felt like I had been "poisoned".

I did some research and became pretty confident that I was suffering from Telogen Effluvium (TE), i.e. hair shedding with an acute onset characterized by club shaped hair tips. TE is characterized by an excessive and early entry of hairs into the telogen phase. TE can be caused by several "triggers".

I scrutinized my whole life style and became pretty sure that my hair loss was caused by tretinoin. Hair loss is not listed as a side effect on the package, but I found one study and enough anecdotal evidence on various Internet forums to conclude. Also, the hair loss occurred exactly eight weeks after I started using tretinoin, which is the standard "incubation period" for Telogen Effluvium. I know that tretinoin can be used in conjunction with minoxidil to speed hair growth, but obviously, it can also do the opposite.

Well, I stopped using the cream September last year, and within a few weeks, the texture of my hair improved and I lost less hair. Unfortunately, TE can be very persistent, and I am still losing hair on my scalp and 3+ eyebrow hairs every day (my eyebrows are thick, but still...) - one year after.

I don't expect anyone to come up with a solution on my hair loss problem, but I am also disappointed that I cannot use a topical vitamin A product. The last year I have not dared to try an OTC retinol cream, and not even a cream containing retinyl palmitate because I am frightened to aggravate the hair loss.

My question is:

Prescription strength tretinoin is absorbed through the bloodstream. Is retinol and retinyl palmitate absorbed by the blood stream, as well??

I hope someone knows the answer to this question.