Rogaine was the first medicinal drug in history approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating genetically determined hair loss. By now it has been approved and is available as a cure for baldness in many other countries of the world. Its sole active ingredient is minoxidil, a vasodilator that was initially used in the form of the oral drug Loniten to treat high blood pressure. Minoxidil is a hair-growth stimulant but its exact mechanism of action is not very well known. Since Loniten has long come off patent, generic minoxidil is widely available in pharmacies at a very reasonable price and in most countries it does not require a doctor’s prescription.
Both Rogaine and generic minoxidil are sold in concentrations of 2% for women and 5% for men but many experimental, generic products use concentrations of up to 20%. Minoxidil is often blamed for causing various negative side effects. Since it has become the most frequently-used medicine for treating baldness, its side effects are well documented and they happen to be often exaggerated. In less than one percent of patients they include an irregular or fast heart beat, very low blood pressure, blurred vision, swelling face and ankles, numbness in the hands, etc. These symptoms are directly related to minoxidil being a vasodilator. In addition, minoxidil can cause unwanted hair growth on the face and other parts of the body. This is due to its ability to stimulate new hair growth. But some side effects that minoxidil is often blamed for are not caused by minoxidil itself. They include inflammation, itchiness and redness of the scalp, dandruff and allergic reactions. These side effects can be attributed to the vehicles used in the solution, such as isopropyl alcohol (propanol) and propylene glycol. Many hair loss sufferers have stopped their minoxidil treatment because of scalp problems, although minoxidil seldom causes such reactions.
Furthermore, many generic, minoxidil-based lotions contain supplementary ingredients that are supposed to enhance their overall efficacy, such as azelaic acid, retinoic acid, herbal extracts, etc. These ingredients, especially the herbal extracts, are known to be allergenic to many patients. It is advisable to try various minoxidil-based products, for instance, those that do not contain propylene glycol, in order to test their tolerability for your scalp. A more expensive product, such as the original formulation - Rogaine solution - is not necessarily a better option than a less expensive generic mixture. However,
Rogaine foam, though quite expensive, is generally well tolerated. Anti-dandruff shampoos, e.g. Nizoral, can, in the majority of patients, be employed successfully to treat scalp inflammations, itchiness and dandruff caused by the use of minoxidil-based topicals.
Article Source: http://www.fitnesshealtharticles.com.
About the Author:
Dody is the editor of GreyHairLoss.com, a website dedicated to educating the public on treating premature hair loss and grey hair. Visit his website to find more information about available hair loss treatments and surgical hair restoration procedures such as hair transplantation. You are also encouraged to use this platform to share your experiences with hair treatments you have used.
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