Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Minoxidil But Were Afraid to Ask

Minoxidil is the generic name of an anti-hypertensive vasodilator--minoxidil dilates blood vessels. The oral medication was originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of high blood pressure in 1979. Purely by accident, physicians noticed that patients taking the drug for high blood pressure were growing lots of new hair. The rest is history.

In 1988, the FDA finally approved the drug under the trade name, Rogaine^®, for topical use for hair loss, although doctors had been prescribing it off-label for that use for years previous to the approval. Now minoxidil is sold under many names worldwide.

No, it doesn’t. It’s approved by the FDA for use in men and women for androgenic alopecia or genetic-based hair loss, also known as male pattern hair loss. It doesn’t help everyone, but it helps a statistically significant number of people. That means that it helps enough people that it makes sense to make it available and for patients to try it.

Doctors often prescribe it off-label for other types of hair loss because sometimes it works for other types of alopecia.

If it doesn’t work, the usual reason is lack of patient compliance. The main reasons are the patient doesn’t use it for long enough or the patient doesn’t follow the instructions for use. A person has to use it for several months before he or she will start to see new hair growth. People trying it need to be patient. Also, many patients don’t follow the instructions. It needs to be used twice a day, morning and night, EVERY DAY. You cannot judge if it’s working or not unless you are using it properly every day for at least four months. Once the minoxidil is working, you have to continue using it for it to continue working. If you stop using it, you will lose all the benefits that you have gained. Minoxidil is a treatment, not a cure.

How minoxidil works is not entirely clear. We know that it’s a vasodilator—a medication that dilates blood vessels—so the theory is that dilated blood vessels can carry more nutrients to the hair follicle, stimulating dormant hair follicles to return to the growth or anagen phase.

The Capillus minoxidil product is effective for treatment of male pattern baldness for two reasons.The Capillus 5% Minoxidil for Men is a spray. This means that the medicine is easier to apply exactly where it’s supposed to go in a targeted fashion, and there’s no waste. Secondly, since it is a liquid, it is absorbed more easily than a foam. The targeted application of a liquid means that the medicine will be better absorbed where it’s needed and will be more effective.

If you are wondering if minoxidil will work for you or you need more information about any of our products, we encourage you to call us at (844) 280-4680.