Hair thinning and hair loss is something common in the present day and it calls for cause to worry in the case of many. Well, ‘Minoxidil’ is well-known to be a good treatment for hair growth, but many people have apprehensions before using it. Well, that is normal right?
So go ahead and do not skip till the end, to find out all you need to know about minoxidil!
What is Minoxidil?
Minoxidil is a topical treatment which is often used for male pattern baldness and is often sold under the brand name ‘Rogaine’, which contains the active ingredient minoxidil. It is available over the counter, but is recommended to be used only under medical prescription. Even though it is often used in men suffering from male pattern baldness, women with hair thinning issues too use it. Minoxidil helps promote hair growth and strengthen the hair strands. It can also help stimulate hair growth right from the hair follicle.
Now, many people might have heard of minoxidil being an oral medication for blood pressure and yes, you are right as minoxidil was first developed for the treatment of blood pressure in the 1960s and during one of its initial trials, another effect of minoxidil was noticed and that was its ability to help in the regrowth of hair.
How does minoxidil work?
Minoxidil works as a vasodilator (medications that can help the blood vessels increase or dilate in size and increase the blood flow and circulation in the body). Therefore, the increased blood flow in the body can help in stimulating hair growth as it dilates the blood vessels in the scalp.
Minoxidil is also known to help increase the enzyme ATP in the hair follicle that can contribute significantly to extending the growth phase of hair called the anagen phase. Minoxidil helps to shorten the resting (telogen) phase of the hair growth cycle. READ MORE – DIY OVERNIGHT HAIR SPRAY TO STOP HAIR FALL
Benefits of minoxidil for hair:
- Stimulation of hair growth: As mentioned earlier, minoxidil acts as a vasodilator and can help promote better blow flow and circulation to the scalp and can help increase and stimulate hair growth over time.
- Increase in hair density: A lot of people face thinning out of hair as well and lose lot of hair volume. Minoxidil can help increase hair density and promote the thickness of the hair strands. This means that the hair will growth back thicker and more voluminous than it was earlier, before the minoxidil treatment.
- It is beneficial to people with various hair types: Minoxidil is often well-known for working well with most hair types. But it is important to note that it works better on natural hair and can have a possibility of causing irritation in those with already treated hair types.
Possible side effects of minoxidil:
Scalp irritation: It is important to note that minoxidil works at the scalp level and not at the hair level. Therefore, there could be certain amount of irritation in the scalp, especially if minoxidil is used in higher potencies. Therefore, women are usually advised to use minoxidil with 2% potency, while men can use up to 5% potency of minoxidil.
Unwanted hair growth (in women): Since minoxidil is a treatment often used for male pattern baldness, women using minoxidil can experience unwanted hair growth in other parts of their bodies, especially if minoxidil is used in higher potencies.
Unexpected excessive hair shedding during initial usage: Minoxidil works by prematurely pushing the hair into the growth (anagen) phase and therefore, the shedding of hair will occur as the new hair requires space to grow out from the hair follicle and therefore pushes out the old or already existing hair. READ MORE – HOMEMADE NATURAL SHAMPOO RECIPES for hair growth
Caution:
- Consulting a professional medical practitioner is advisable before starting off with any treatments, as the cause of the hair loss has to be determined before any treatment is required to be started with.
- This product is not advisable to be used by children and young adults below the age of 18 years.
- Do not use along with other products that can cause allergic reactions.