Minoxidil is a common medication for those who are experiencing hair loss or thinning hair. Minoxidil is a drug that is widely used for treating baldness and hair loss. It is available in pill form called oral minoxidil, and topical minoxidil in various forms such as lotion, liquid, and foam. Minoxidil topical is available under the different brand names, with 2% and 5% concentrations. Many people may still have questions on the properties and benefits of Minoxidil. Let's get to know it!
Did you know that Minoxidil was not originally developed and used for the purpose of treating hair loss and thinning hair? In reality, initially oral minoxidil was used to control and reduce blood pressure because it helped widen blood vessels and relax the constricted blood vessels. After 4-6 months of medication, it was found that minoxidil had a side effect that was it helped regrow the hair. Based on the results of additional observation of the patients and volunteers, it was found that 70 percent of the people taking minoxidil had newly grown hair practically. It is assumed that this is due to the properties of minoxidil to dilate (widen) blood vessels that helps improve blood flow and increase the delivery of nutrients to hair follicles. This is when minoxidil was first introduced and it has been used as a medication for treatment of hair loss and thinning since then.
To understand the mechanism of Minoxidil’s action on the scalp and hair follicle, we have get to know the life cycle of hair first. Usually, the average person has about 100,000 - 150,000 hairs on his/her head. There are 4 stages of your natural hair growth cycle as follows:
The stages of hair growth begin with the anagen phase. It’s the longest phase, lasting about 3 to 7 years. The longer this stage, the longer and denser our hair becomes. Conversely, the shorter anagen phase will cause the short, thin, and weak hair that leads to hair loss, thinning, and baldness eventually.
- Catagen: Transition phase
The catagen phase starts when the anagen phase ends. This is a period of regression, when hair follicle cell division terminates. During this chapter, hair follicles shrink and the hair growth gradually slows and finally stops. This period is short, lasting only 2-3 weeks on average.
The telogen phase is the resting phase of the hair follicle. During this period, the resting hair remains in the follicle until it is pushed out by the growth of a new anagen hair. This phase lasts for around 3 months. On average, a person loses between 50 and 100 hairs a day.
After the final stage of the hair growth cycle, when individual hair strands are released from their follicles and fall out. Now the whole process can begin again! Unavoidably the hair growth cycle is likely influenced and shortened by increasing age. This is another cause of weak hair.
PHOTO REFERENCE - The Four Stages of the Hair Growth Cycle
When seeing the picture of each phase of the hair growth cycle, now let's get to know the mechanism of action of minoxidil on hair growth. In the Anagen Phase (growing phase) in which the hair gradually grows, when the minoxidil is applied to the scalp, it helps widen the blood vessels. The boosted blood flow is able to deliver more nutrients to the scalp to feed the follicles, resulting in strong and healthy hair follicles.
In addition, Minoxidil also helps stimulate the transition of hair follicles from the telogen phase to the anagen phase. Therefore, you may experience the unwanted hair loss after using minoxidil. Hair loss may continue for 2 weeks after you start using it. That is deemed to be a good sign showing its effectiveness in accelerating the shedding of old hair that has stopped growing or is thinning, to be prepared for new hair to take its place.
Minoxidil will help restore the damaged, shrunken, and weak hair follicles. More importantly, this medicine also helps widen hair pores so the new hair is likely to be thicker and denser as well.
It can be said that Monoxidil will result in a shorter Telogen Phase (Resting phase) while prolonging the Anagen Phase (Growing phase). The action of this medicine is therefore to reset and restore the hair growth cycle. Based on the action of monoxidil, it may takes about 3 to 4 months or more to get the satisfactory results, depending on the condition of the scalp and hair of each person. To achieve the expected goal, the patience and consistency of medication are required throughout the treatment process.
Although the treatment with minoxidil can slow down hair loss and thinning and regenerate new stronger hair, it just has its own pros and cons just like other medications do. Minoxidil must be used and administered under close medical supervision in order to be aware of the potential side effects such as irritation, or hair growing in other places other than the scalp, etc.
However, some patients suffering from hair loss and thinning may not get the satisfactory result after using minoxidil. This may due to the most common cause that is lack of continuous use. Other than that, it may caused by the treatment started too late. If the hair loss is not addressed in a timely manner, the hair will become thinner and the hiar pores on the scalp will be shrunken obstructing the growth of new hair. Another significant factor is different people have different response to drugs, depending on the health of the scalp and hair of each individual. Minoxidil may not fully work on weak scalp and hair. Keep in mind that the result we gain from minoxidil is impermanent. Many people have found that Minoxidil help treat hair loss and thinning in the area of the midscalp better than the front hairline.
If you desire the permanent treatment results, the hair transplantation performed by a reliable clinic and specialized surgeon play the key role. Currently, the ongoing development of new techniques is widely recognized. For example, Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) Technique; a surgical incision-free hair transplant, which the small instrument is used to take the hair grafts from the back of the head and then implant on a thinning, falling-out, or balding area. This technique requires meticulous expertise, proper designing of hair direction on the basis of facial proportion.
For the diagnosis and treatment process, the surgeon may first analyze the root cause of hair loss and thinning of each patient. About 90% is hereditary hair loss. Only 10 percent of patient is caused by other causes, such as scalp diseases, hormone disorders, and stress. The right treatment with an accurate diagnosis from a specialized doctor is the right solution.
However, after undergoing a complete hair transplantation procedure, the patients may also be given an advice to use some medications or treatments additionally to prevent hair loss in other areas. Both hair transplantation procedure itself and other necessary medications play a key role in the treatment. This depends on your doctor's advice to choose the right one only, or to use them both together, for the best long-term results.
