What is Minoxidil and how does it work?
Minoxidil is a vasodilor, and was originally used for treating hypertension. It came in a pill form called Loniten prior to the discovery of its effects on hair. It was discovered that those users of Minoxidil that were using it for hypertension saw a marked increase in body hair growth and scalp hair growth.
Upjohn soon developed a 2% Minoxidil topical solution, called Rogaine, and went through the expensive process of FDA approval of it for the treatment of hair loss. Clinical trials showed that it increased the number of terminal hairs in the experimental group versus the placebo group.
It is not known exactly how Minoxidil works to strengthen hair follicles. It is postulated that the vasodilating effect causes increased blood flow to the follicles which in turn improves the quality of the hair, but most likely additional pathways exist.
It is not recommended to take the pill form of Minoxidil to treat hair loss because of the high risk of severe side-effects. Only topical Minoxidil should be used. Nowadays generic forms exist. See my Kirkland Minoxidil Review. Also, there are other quality products, such as various forms of Xandrox from Dr. Richard Lee and Lipoxidil, that contain minoxidil in varying amounts.
The only FDA approved versions of Minoxidil are 2% and 5% concentrations.
Return to the Hair Loss FAQ
|
