Minoxidil Facts

Minoxidil is a proven solution to male pattern baldness, the condition responsible for most hair loss in men. This genetic issue is believed to affect as many as a third of all males. It is also the active ingredient in products capable of transforming the lives of women suffering from similar problems. Around 85 per cent of men find that their hair is significantly thinning by the time they reach 50 and many women are distressed to discover that their hair is falling out and is failing to re-grow as it once did.

Works for four out of five people

Minoxidil is the answer. Many scientists believe that it reinvigorates hair follicles that have shrunken, prompting them to grow. This allows hair to re-grow and become thicker over a period of time. Minoxidil is the only treatment available over the counter that is scientifically proven to not only prevent hair loss, but to prompt re-growth. Studies have shown that as many as four out of five male users have experienced a stop in hair loss.

It has been proven to work most effectively in men who have recently experienced thinning and hair loss around the upper part of their scalp, although some studies have also shown that it can also be advantageous for those experiencing one of the first signs of male pattern baldness, a receding hair line.

There is little doubt that Minoxidil helps to reduce hair loss and can prompt re-growth, although there are two distinct theories as to why this is actually the case.

The scientific explanation

One scientific explanation suggests that it is Minoxidil's ability to cause dilation in the blood vessels that surround hair follicles that gives it its power. This is said to increase the supply of nutrients to the follicle, prompting more hair growth.

The other widely-held view is that Minoxidil applied topically boosts DNA synthesis within the cells of the hair follicles by prompting the body to produce sulfonyl transfers, a catalyst that leads to the creation of Minoxidil Sulphite. This activates channels of potassium in the cells, leading to the re-growth of hair.

For the majority of users, the reasons why Minoxidil works are of no real concern; the only thing they want to know is 'is it effective?' and the answer is 'yes' in many, many cases.

This is a major breakthrough in the treatment of male pattern baldness, which is the cause of all but around ten per cent cases of significant hair loss in men. Minoxidil is an antihypertensive vasodilator but was originally formulated towards the end of the 1950s as a medication to treat ulcers. It did not fulfil its initial aim but was later found to be an effective vasodilator and in 1963 it was given the name of Minoxidil. It was approved to treat people with high blood pressure back in 1979.

It was in 1988, however, that it became an officially approved treatment for baldness and, later, was approved for over-the-counter sales, making it easier than ever for both men and women to seek a solution to what can be an extremely distressing problem, affecting not only a person's appearance but their self-confidence as well.