The first FDA-approved
medication for the treatment of hair loss was the topical Minoxidil
solution. This also goes by the brand name of Rogaine (or Regaine
in the UK), which is a topical solution applied directly onto the
scalp. It was originally only available via a doctor’s prescription
but is now available as an over the counter remedy as both Rogaine
and generic Minoxidil solution. It is available in concentrations
of 5% for men and 2% for women, and recently, Rogaine developed
a new Minoxidil formulation in a 5% topical foam, which is a less
greasy and easier to apply solution.
Prior to Minoxidil being available topically, it was an oral blood
pressure medication. It was through the use of this medication that
doctors noticed that many people taking oral Minoxidil not only
had a decrease in blood pressure but began to grow body hair also.
It was reasoned that by applying Minoxidil directly to the bald
scalp may cause hair to grow in this area without producing the
side effects of the oral medication. From this, researchers developed
a topical formulation and studies showed a modest hair growth on
the scalp of patients.
How Minoxidil works in hair growth is still an unknown. The drug
is a vasodilator, which means that blood vessels dilate, or expand,
and this may increase the flow of blood to the hair follicle. How
this in turn relates to hair loss is still somewhat of a mystery.
On top of this, Minoxidil also increases the duration of the hair
follicle growth cycle and improves the quality of the hair by increasing
the diameter and length of fine hair.
Minoxidil has been shown to work for women with pattern hair loss
too. However, only the 2% concentration of the drug has been approved
for their use. There have been studies carried out where the use
of a 5% solution has been used. These studies showed that the 5%
solution demonstrated superiority over the 2% solution, but that
both concentrations worked well for women with pattern hair loss.
The most common type of side effect of using Minoxidil is local
irritation. However, the foam version is much less irritating than
the original version. One other type of side effect in women is
that of the growth of facial hair. Although this may decrease when
the medication is stopped, at times the hair may need to be removed
after treatment ends, with either electrolysis or lasers. To try
and reduce the chances of this happening, it is best to be very
careful when applying the solution, and to try to avoid the medication
dripping down onto the temples and forehead. Unless of course this
is the look you are after!! There is a greater chance of this happening
if the 5% solution is used.
Women may also be more sensitive to the potential systematic side
effect of Minoxidil in decreasing blood pressure - hypotension.
It is rare that women will get lightheaded, which is a symptom of
low blood pressure, from topically applying Minoxidil. Women may
also have an increased risk of developing an allergic skin reaction
on the scalp.
It is vital to remember that Minoxidil can cause birth defects,
so it is very important that women who are pregnant, planning to
become pregnant, or nursing should never use this medication.
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