Receding hairline treatment

Rogaine is sometimes also known as Regaine or Minoxidil. This patented drug is widely known as a special medicine that is able to stop hair loss or even promote hair growing again on bald skin. This drug is supposed to help with many hair problems including androgenic alopecia and other kinds of baldness. Potential changes in hairline may disappear relatively quickly (even in few months).

Shampoo X

The past

Some interesting facts about Rogaine history shows that this drug could have multiple use. At first it was supposed to become high blood pressure treatment medicine and it was used as oral drug under trade name Loniten. On producers note written on package we could find description of side effects which was increased growth or even darkening of body hair. After that fact become noticed another corporation produced a drug with 2% solution of minoxidil as a solution for women and 5% concentration for men. As baldness treatment specific this substance was sold under brand name Rogaine in US and Canada, but a little bit different name was used in Europe and South East Asia, where it become widely known as Regaine. The old patent expired in 1996 and new formula was set to be sold in 2007 as a drug for male baldness. The drug can be purchased in UK, but only on private prescription.

How it works

There are some studies available about the efficiency of this drug on healthy males in age between 18 and 50 years old with a problem of male pattern baldness called androgenic alopecia. And there results showed that application of 5% concentration drug during 32 week campaign increases hair count by up to thirty nine hairs per square centimeter. The group that got a placebo got also increase of hair counts but at level of 5 hairs per square centimeter.

The specific mechanism that allows Rogaine to work has not been yet fully understood. Minoxidil causes the process of hyperpolarization of cell membranes – it is a potassium channel opener. The most impressive results are visible when there is not so large area of lost hair. And it is used for central balding.

Many people would like to have long and strong hair

Side effects

As all drugs this one is not devoid of side effects. The most common (and problematic) thing to feel is discomfort of itching. The medicine contains alcohol – and that may give dandruff effect because of drying the skin of the scalp. In oral version of minoxidil there could appear swelling of the face, rapid heartbeat, necrosis of subendocardial areas, cardiac lesions or lightheadedness. Every substance could also cause some allergic reactions. One particular side effect could be also… hair loss. This effect is a part of very special process called “shedding”. And there is no guarantee that lost hair will be replaced with new ones. It is important to notice that this chemical substance is lethal to cats, so it is important to prevent this animals from all contact with Rogaine.

Alopecia areata