Minoxidil for Male Hair Loss: Is It Effective and Safe?

When it comes to a hair loss treatment for men, there’s nothing quite like minoxidil. Minoxidil is the first and only FDA-approved hair regrowth foam. It contains 5 percent minoxidil and in clinical testing, minoxidil regrew hair in 85 percent of men after four months when used twice daily. And because it’s a foam, there is no hassle and no mess. It goes on easy and dries quickly, so your daily routine is never interrupted.

What Causes Hair Loss in Men?

Although there are several causes of hair loss, male pattern baldness (also referred to as androgenetic alopecia or hereditary hair loss) accounts for about 95 percent of hair loss in men. It is usually triggered by a combination of hormonal activity and heredity, which together cause the hair follicles in your scalp to shrink. Over time, the progressive shrinking of certain scalp follicles leads to a shortening of the hair’s growing cycle. Hair becomes thinner and shorter, until there is no growth at all. The active ingredient in minoxidil reinvigorates shrunken hair follicles, which increases their size and helps regrow thicker hair over time.

A Pioneer in Hair Regrowth

Like many great discoveries, the power of minoxidil to regrow hair came about by chance. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that minoxidil, being studied for other indications, actually showed signs of regrowing hair.

Minoxidil applied this discovery to produce the first topical hair loss treatment approved by the FDA to regrow hair. Since then, minoxidil has empowered millions of people to take control of their hair loss with a series of breakthroughs.

Results and Innovation

Minoxidil is the first topical treatment approved by the FDA to regrow hair in both men and women. With more than 20 years of results and over 20,000 people in clinical trials, minoxidil is the number one dermatologist-recommended solution for hair regrowth. Minoxidil helps reverse the progression of hereditary hair loss.

Drawbacks

Although proven to be very effective in stopping hair loss in men, it has also been reported that the application of minoxidil causes negative systemic effects such as swelling of the face, severe itchiness of the scalp, and trigger for rashes and allergies.