Dermatologists do not prescribe Aminexil to treat hair loss due to lack of robust clinical trials and therefore, it is not in their list of treatments to treat hair loss.
Aminexil is a a synthetic compound that has some structural similarity with the Minoxidil molecule. It is added to cosmetics products that claim treatment for hair loss.
Aminexil falls in the category of ‘cosmeceuticals’ which are cosmetic products that make a medicinal claim. Its medicinal claim is to treat and prevent hair loss. The FDA does not approve the category of ‘cosmeceuticals and hence, Aminexil is not approved by the FDA or MHRA to treat or prevent hair loss.
Robust clinical studies of Aminexil are few and far between. In an observational study published in Dermatology therapy in 2021 stated that 89% of subjects in the study were happy with the ‘hair quality’ after using it. There was a conflict of interest as a few of the researchers who were involved in the study were employed by L’ Oreal in France who own the patent of using Aminexil in their hair care products.
A previous study published in the Annuls of Dermatology in 2016 investigated the effect of Minoxidil 2% vs Aminexil in animal models. Treatment with 2% minoxidil significantly induced hair regrowth as assessed by trichoscopy, hair weight examination, and morphometric evaluation. Hair weight examination and size assessment demonstrated the lowest hair growth effect with Aminexil among the tested products to treat hair loss.