Hair Loss Drugs Designed for What They Treat?

Dear Dr. Rassman,

It seems funny how all the effective hair loss meds (propecia, minoxidil, dutasteride) were discovered for hair loss by accident and were meant to treat something else. Is the next step in hair loss treatments a drug designed for hair loss from its inception? Just curious what you think the future holds here.

Thank you again

In medicine and in science, many things were discovered by accident. Of note, Viagra was originally intended to treat high blood pressure, not impotence. Botox, a poison made by bacteria, was not intended for cosmetic purposes, and I am sure their marketing team worked overtime to keep the word “poison” out of its literature.

The future of drugs for hair restoration is unclear, but one drug I am somewhat excited about is a glaucoma medicine that seems to grow eyelashes, bimatoprost. That relation was found accidentally as well. It is still unclear if it grows scalp hair, though.