There are a lot of scams out there, and it can be hard for the average person to determine what is really helpful and what is just a way to take their money. Rogaine often falls into this category, because people don't know whether it works, or how it works. Hair tonics are not miracle cures, but they do have their uses.
The active ingredient in Rogaine is a drug called minoxidil. It was initially sold as a high blood pressure medication, to be taken orally. When it was noticed that it had a tendency to darken and increase the hairs of people taking it, someone decided to see if it worked on baldness. Finasteride (brand name Propecia) was a drug used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or non-cancerous growth of the prostate, when something similar was observed.
Neither medication is effective on everyone. Minoxidil has around a 2/3 success rate, and finasteride works for about 80 percent of men. Minoxidil often creates further hair loss initially, which is usually regrown. Initial regrowth is downy and fine, and might later darken and thicken, or might not. Improvement does not occur overnight even when the drugs do work-- finasteride takes around three to six months before visible improvement occurs.
Minoxidil effects the body in several different ways, but it is not known which one leads to increased hair growth in some people. It is a vasodilator, which might mean that increased blood flow to the hair follicles is responsible for growth. Finasteride works by inhibiting the production of DHT. Dihydroxytestosterone (DHT) is the hormone responsible for balding in men with the genes for susceptibility.
Because minoxidil must be maintained in an alcohol base, it can cause drying of the scalp and dandruff. Other side effects include itching, especially of the eyes, irritation or rashes on the treated skin, and undesired hair growth in other areas. Severe allergic reactions have been reported occasionally. The side effects of finasteride can be more serious, possibly because it is an oral medication. Possible side effects include impotence which is occasionally permanent, testicular pain, and other sexual dysfunctions.
Anyone who has pets needs to be careful with their minoxidil tonic. The substance is extremely toxic to cats and rats, and potentially dangerous for other animals. Finasteride is dangerous to women of child-bearing age, because it can cause fetal defects. Women should not handle the pills, or especially any broken pills, at any time.
While these baldness treatment do to some extent, work, the problem is that they are not one-time cures. The renewed growth of hair caused by either minoxidil or finasteride remains only as long as you continue applying or taking the drug. Any new hair that grows in while using the treatment will fall out within months of discontinuing it. This is both potentially obnoxious, and expensive.
While there are many other tonics and supplements that claim effects on balding, these are the only two drugs that have been shown to be effective in scientific studies. The vast amount of scams out there suggests that while another treatment could be effective, the chances are that it isn't.
The active ingredient in Rogaine is a drug called minoxidil. It was initially sold as a high blood pressure medication, to be taken orally. When it was noticed that it had a tendency to darken and increase the hairs of people taking it, someone decided to see if it worked on baldness. Finasteride (brand name Propecia) was a drug used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or non-cancerous growth of the prostate, when something similar was observed.
Neither medication is effective on everyone. Minoxidil has around a 2/3 success rate, and finasteride works for about 80 percent of men. Minoxidil often creates further hair loss initially, which is usually regrown. Initial regrowth is downy and fine, and might later darken and thicken, or might not. Improvement does not occur overnight even when the drugs do work-- finasteride takes around three to six months before visible improvement occurs.
Minoxidil effects the body in several different ways, but it is not known which one leads to increased hair growth in some people. It is a vasodilator, which might mean that increased blood flow to the hair follicles is responsible for growth. Finasteride works by inhibiting the production of DHT. Dihydroxytestosterone (DHT) is the hormone responsible for balding in men with the genes for susceptibility.
Because minoxidil must be maintained in an alcohol base, it can cause drying of the scalp and dandruff. Other side effects include itching, especially of the eyes, irritation or rashes on the treated skin, and undesired hair growth in other areas. Severe allergic reactions have been reported occasionally. The side effects of finasteride can be more serious, possibly because it is an oral medication. Possible side effects include impotence which is occasionally permanent, testicular pain, and other sexual dysfunctions.
Anyone who has pets needs to be careful with their minoxidil tonic. The substance is extremely toxic to cats and rats, and potentially dangerous for other animals. Finasteride is dangerous to women of child-bearing age, because it can cause fetal defects. Women should not handle the pills, or especially any broken pills, at any time.
While these baldness treatment do to some extent, work, the problem is that they are not one-time cures. The renewed growth of hair caused by either minoxidil or finasteride remains only as long as you continue applying or taking the drug. Any new hair that grows in while using the treatment will fall out within months of discontinuing it. This is both potentially obnoxious, and expensive.
While there are many other tonics and supplements that claim effects on balding, these are the only two drugs that have been shown to be effective in scientific studies. The vast amount of scams out there suggests that while another treatment could be effective, the chances are that it isn't.
About the Author:
Today, males can prevent hair loss in most cases if they are willing to take the appropriate measures and steps. You can learn more information about hair loss treatment for men by searching online.
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