The Facts About Rogaine

If you’re experiencing hair loss, chances are you’ve heard of Rogaine. Rogaine contains Minoxidil which is used to treat hair loss in men and women with androgenetic alopecia or hair loss caused by a genetic predisposition.

Is Rogaine for You?

For those with genetic hair loss Rogaine works best at the vertex of the scalp, not necessarily at the front hairline. Rogaine has been most successful in people under the age of 40 and in the beginning stages of hair loss. It is necessary to have hair follicles for the product to work. For those that are already bald, it is unlikely there are hair follicles present. There is no way to get hair follicles back once they are gone.

Images International can assess the presence of hair follicles during the hair and scalp analysis part of our free consultation. Rogaine is not for use if your hair is thinning due to autoimmune conditions, hormone imbalance, nutritional deficiency or chemotherapy treatment.

How Does it Work?

Minoxidil works as a vasodilator which partially enlarges the hair follicle. Due to the widening of the blood vessels, more blood, and therefore oxygen and nutrients, are feeding the hair follicle. This promotes hair growth and prolongs the growth cycle. Rogaine must be used indefinitely in order to maintain its results. Think of Rogaine as tricking your hair follicles into better health. When you stop using Rogaine your scalp reverts to what it was genetically programmed to look like. This can be traumatic for some people who stop using the product and notice excessive hair shedding.

Does Rogaine Regrow Hair?

In clinical studies about forty percent of men noticed some hair growth on the crown of their head. Over sixty percent of men noticed less hair thinning over the course of one year.

In women the results are less impressive, only nineteen percent of women reported noticeable hair regrowth over an eight-month time period, forty percent had minimal results.

Is it Safe?

While Rogaine is applied topically, there are still side effects that have been recorded. Most commonly irritation on the scalp, changes in the way the hair grows in texture and in color and hair growth in unwanted areas such as your forehead.

Minoxidil was originally formulated as a treatment for high blood pressure. Researchers noticed as a side effect it grew hair all over the body. They created a topical formulation that would target the scalp to help men and women experiencing hair loss. Even though it is applied topically, it is still absorbed into the blood stream.
Rarer and more serious side effects are dizziness, headaches, unexplained weight gain, chest pain and swelling of hands and feet.

To this day there is still no cure for hair loss. While some treatments can slow down the process or boost hair follicles for the term of treatment there is still not permanent way to regrow hair. Even so, Images International has solutions for every stage of hair loss. We holistically renew your scalp to nourish and protect your hair follicle. For advanced stages of hair loss where treatments will be unsuccessful, we have hair enhancements that allow you to achieve the style you long for. Call us at (248) 540-0900 for a free consultation to learn more.