“Minoxidil For Hair Loss”

Minoxidil is a topical solution which is applied to the scalp. It is a commonly used medication for men and women suffering with androgenic alopecia (male/ female pattern hair loss).  Minoxidil is a product which you may also know as Regaine or Rogaine which comes in a greasy foam preparation.  Minoxidil does also come in other forms such as a light spray or in an oil preparation.

At Dense after considering all the practicalities, we developed a light spray to ensure the formulation is as effective as our competitors but it should enable you to style your hair with minimal greasiness and can still be used in conjunction with your favourite Dense styling products. Worried about scalp irritation? We have an alcohol-free preparation of minoxidil which should allow you to use minoxidil without causing scalp inflammation.

Minoxidil works by 2 mechanisms:

1. Widening the blood vessels in your scalp that supply your follicles which provides follicles with an improved supply of oxygen and nutrients allowing follicles to develop healthier thicker strands of hair
2. Influencing hair cycles, each hair cycle has 3 phases- growth, resting and transition. Hairs will typically grow in the growth phase then transition to the resting phase where they will sit until they are replaced by a new hair in growth phase. In patients who suffer with androgenic alopecia, hairs tend to have shortened growth phases, so hair never really have the opportunity to achieve their maximal thickness. Minoxidil helps keep hair in the growth phase for longer and thereby allowing your hair to reach its optimal density!

Minoxidil has been used and researched for several decades. It is safe to use on the scalp and is scientifically proven to work for 8.5/10 men. There are several factors which will determine efficacy:

1. The sooner you start the quicker and more effective the results- try and catch androgenic alopecia early and stop it in its tracks.
2. Be consistent- Minoxidil has a half-life of 6 hours use it twice a day and every day for best results. If you miss a day you do not need to make up for the lost application but limit missed days
3. Avoid gaps in use of Minoxidil- try and use the medication daily, think of it like you would toothpaste and brushing your teeth. If you stop using the medication you will find yourself losing your hair gains in the matter of months!

The advantage of having such a short half-life is that the medication is cleared from your system really quick, this is why the number of reported side effects with minoxidil is really low and generally safe to use in the long term. Should you experience side effects which are typically itching of the scalp, headaches, unwanted hair growth on the body or face, stopping the medication should see these side effects disappear.

In a lot of patients, early hair loss is seen when using minoxidil, this is not an unwanted side effect and this is common and is usually due to existing hair being shed for new healthier thicker hair. Try not to let the early hair shedding put you off, continue with using the medication things will improve it just requires some patience and perseverance.

Golden nugget: Minoxidil has been around for several decades with hundreds of scientific studies showing it being effective in treating androgenic alopecia. Is it the single answer to hair loss and alopecia? unfortunately not. Hair Loss has several causes one of the main ones being DHT- minoxidil will not inhibit DHT therefore taking minoxidil alone may not give you a full head of hair. At Dense our chemists have worked hard to develop a minoxidil solution which is fortified with DHT blocking compounds such as finasteride making it a lot