Minoxidil shows promise for reversing gray hair in new study
NCT ID NCT06813963
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This completed Phase 4 trial tested whether applying minoxidil (5%) to the scalp twice daily for 12 months could restore color to gray hair in adults aged 18 to 65 with non-medical graying. Researchers compared 141 participants using minoxidil versus a placebo, measuring changes in a gray hair severity scale. The goal was to see if this common hair-loss drug could also repigment hair, offering a potential alternative to dyes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- minoxidil (5% topical solution)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple over-the-counter treatment to reverse gray hair without dye.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed Phase 4 trial. Results may not be generalizable, and minoxidil is not approved for repigmentation—side effects like scalp irritation are possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
141 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Feb 2025
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * The patients included in the study were those with a visible gray hair grading score of 2 or higher at screening and baseline visits, with depigmented hair shafts observable under dermoscopy. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion criteria included various pathological types of gray hair (including, but not limited to, alopecia areata, albinism, radiation-induced gray hair, and vitiligo); any scalp skin diseases (including, but not limited to, androgenetic alopecia, folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea capitis, and scalp sebaceous cysts); and any history of medication use or other treatments applied to the scalp within the past year (including, but not limited to, minoxidil, hair transplantation surgery, boric acid lotion, ketoconazole shampoo, and corticosteroid ointments). Patients with severe systemic diseases, immune diseases, endocrine disorders, or neurological diseases were also excluded.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
-
The First People's Hospital of Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing, Guangdong, 526060, China
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