Topical VPA increased the total hair counts of our patients; therefore, it is a potential treatment option for Androgenetic Alopecia.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24533507
Valproic Acid Activates the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Addition to the Erk and Akt Pathways
The expression of β-catenin in mouse skin was significantly increased by application of VPA, but only slightly increased by MNX (
Figure 2A). MNX is known to promote hair re-growth via the Erk and Akt pathways, which are involved in the regulation of proliferation in dermal papilla cells of the hair follicle
[27]. Interestingly, the activities of both Erk and Akt were similarly enhanced by treatment with either VPA or MNX (
Figure 2A). The expression level of the proliferation marker PCNA was increased by application of VPA or MNX compared to control skin (
Figure 2A). Thus, VPA up-regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in addition to the Erk and Akt pathways, but via a different mechanism.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323655/
I would say VPA on its own is also worth trying, since they basically claim it does the same as minoxidil, plus activation of the Wnt pathway.