Medical Treatments for Hair Loss Improve Over the Years
My patients are always surprised to find out that the active ingredient in Rogaine, minoxidil, was developed as a pill to reduce high blood pressure. One of its side effects was observed to be hair growth in some patients. A topical formulation was then created to treat male and female pattern hair loss, and it has become one of the most widely used and effective medical hair loss treatments out there. And it can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription.
It’s exciting to watch the evolution of a medical treatment that keeps improving over the years. I have been recommending Rogaine as an effective medication for my patients since 1988. In the beginning, this treatment was only available in a solution form, which some patients found a little messy and greasy. Today it’s available in a foam version, and unlike other medical hair loss treatments, it can be used by men and women. This is one of the reasons I routinely recommend that my female patients use this formulation even though Rogaine Foam is approved for use in only men. Women appreciate its consistency and ease of use, not to mention the results!
Rogaine Foam can stop hair loss and regrow hair on the front, the middle, and on the back (crown) of the head – not just on the crown! I tell patients to apply Rogaine to the entire top of the scalp twice a day, every day, in order for it to be maximally effective.
Patience is very important when using this medication. It takes at least four months to notice less hair falling out and at least eight to twelve months to observe hair regrowth. This is a long-term hair loss treatment that should not be stopped except during pregnancy and nursing.
-Doc