Minoxidil

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a vasodilator and originally was exclusively used as an oral drug (Loniten®) to treat high blood pressure. It was discovered, however, to have the side effect of hair growth and reversing baldness, and in the 1980s, Upjohn Corporation received FDA approval to market a topical solution that contained 2% minoxidil to be used to treat baldness and hair loss as Rogaine. Minoxidil is applied topically to the scalp, and has been shown to promote hair growth in about 25% of men and women[citation needed], though it may take several months to work. New hair is usually thinner and lighter, like baby hair, and grows mostly on the top of the head, not at the hairline. Its effects may fade with time. Skin irritation is the most commonly reported side effect. Dizziness and increased heart rate are listed side-effects on the UK patient information leaflet.
Objective evidence shows that minoxidil is effective in frontal areas of the scalp, and not just in the vertex area in male-pattern hair loss. At the conclusion of a 48 week study, improvements were seen in the frontal scalp regions of 51 percent of men using 5 percent minoxidil, 42 percent using 2 percent minoxidil, and 13 percent of placebo users. Among these men, moderate to great increases in hair growth were seen in the frontal scalp regions of 19 percent of men using 5 percent minoxidil, 10 percent using 2 percent minoxidil, and 3 percent of placebo users. [1]
The method of action for Minoxidil is not known. It is clearly not just the vasodialating effects which cause hair regrowth, as no other vasodilator has been shown to be effective in treating hair loss.