Hair Loss Advice
"Your Hair - YOUR Choice"
Minoxidil (Rogaine) for Hair Restoration and Hair Growth
Minoxidil, sold as Rogaine and Regaine, helps stop hair loss and regrows lost hair. It’s sold over the counter for male pattern baldness and must be used regularly to achieve results and maintain success.
Minoxidil has been around for 30 years and is available for both men and women. The female application contains a lower concentration (two percent) versus male (five percent) products. Recently a foam-based formulation of five percent Minoxidil was proven as effective as the liquid-based product for male pattern baldness. Minoxidil was discovered accidently during testing of a high blood pressure drug, and it surprisingly produced hair growth and baldness reversal.
Minoxidil is available as a foam or liquid applied with a dropper. Hair strands contact can affect hair styling because of the alcohol in it. If the hair is rinsed after 40 minutes hair products will work but decrease effectiveness of the Rogaine. When left on the scalp for several hours Minoxidil achieves its best results. Some hair products can be used as soon as the Minoxidil has dried. Minoxidil is available from many companies but Rogaine is the best known. The generic brands contain the same active ingredient, Minoxidil. When used as directed, Minoxidil works in half of the people with hair loss.
Provillus, which contains both Minoxidil and natural ingredients is very popular and many people swear by. Both specially formulated Provillus for Men and Provillus for Women are available.
Some people find applying it twice a day to their scalp to be too much of a nuisance, while other find it to be no problem at all, somewhat like brushing their teeth. Then again, some people don't brush their teeth either. You need to use it for about 3 months to determine whether it works for you or not.
A most common side effect is itchy scalp. Alcohol in the topical treatment dries the scalp and causes dandruff. Minoxidil sometimes creates increased hair loss at the beginning of treatment. The shedded hair strands usually regrow in several weeks more vigorously. Allergic reactions to the inactive ingredient propylene glycol may occur from some types of Rogaine. Using too much Minoxidil can cause high blood pressure. Using petroleum jelly on your scalp together with minoxidil creates too much drug absorption. Using it on sunburned scalps also produces over-absorption. Hair loss will occur again if you stop using Rogaine. It can also cause acne where you apply it. Headaches and lightheadness have been reported as have very low blood pressure, irregular or fast heart beat, blurred vision or other vision problems, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet or face, decreased sexual desire, partial or total impotence and chest pain. The side-effects, except acne, are an indicator of excessive Minoxidil use, and are rare. The drug is secreted from a mother to a child via breast milk. Minoxidil is also highly toxic to cats. It can kill them if applied to their skin, so don’t put it on your cats!
Minoxidil works in frontal scalp areas and the central area of the head. One study showed Minoxidil is effective in 50 percent of the users. The official Rogaine site claims 85%. How Minoxidil works is unknown. As it’s a vasodilator, causing hair regrowth unlike other vasodilators, other unknown mechanisms are at work. Minoxidil is a potassium channel agonist with the chemical structure of nitric oxide (NO), a blood vessel dilator. These vasodilatory impacts show Minoxidil stimulating hair growth to treat hair loss. As a nitric oxide-related substance, it activates guanylate cyclase, an enzyme stimulating vasodilation.
Minoxidil does not work as well if a large area of hair loss is treated. It works best in younger men under 40, but my father started using it in his late 80s with success.
