Minoxidil – Should I Use Rogaine or Rogaine For Women?

If you are starting to lose your hair, then you need to start taking a Minoxidil product to arrest the process before it gets worse.  Minoxidil is a medication that opens up the blood vessels and promotes the growth of new hair by enhancing the flow of blood to the follicles. It is available in both oral and topical forms, with the topical products being more popular since they are applied directly to the scalp, increasing absorption of the drug and enhancing its effectiveness. There are a wide variety of products that contain this drug as an active ingredient, the most popular of which remains Rogaine.

What is Rogaine and Rogaine for Women minoxidil?

Rogaine is an over-the-counter medication that is designed to address baldness and hair thinning in both men and women, and is one of only two products approved by the FDA to promote hair growth, the other being Finasteride. By using Rogaine regularly, you can not only slow down the process of baldness but also possibly stimulate defunct hair follicles if used early enough. It is available in two strengths: the regular variant contains a 2% solution and the extra-strong has a 5% solution. While men can use either strength, there is a 2% Rogaine for women solution.  Women should only use the weaker strength Rogaine for women since the 5% solution may cause unwanted side effects such as promoting the growth of facial hair. These should be used continuously, since the benefits of using the product can be quickly lost if you discontinue use.

Minoxidil and Rogaine Side Effects

It should be noted that Minoxidil has minor side effects, such as flaking and burning of the scalp as well as itching and drying. Users should also be careful to use the product as instructed and avoid using too much of it. Not only will using too much of the product not be effective, it may also result in vasodilation or the widening of the blood vessels, which can cause dizziness and chest pain. In addition, women who are pregnant or currently breastfeeding should not use Rogaine for women or related products, since they may not be entirely safe.

When Should I Start Using Minoxidil?

For a Minoxidil product to be most effective, it has to be used as early as possible when you are starting to lose your hair, since Rogaine and other products cannot revive dead follicles and can only stimulate hair growth in ones that are still active. The early signs of hair loss include thick clumps of hair on your brush or comb, a receding hairline in the shape of a horseshoe or an M, and thinning hair on your brow or the crown of your head. Your hair may also start appearing limper than normal.
While the most significant causes of baldness and hair loss are age and genetics, there are a number of other factors which also play an important role and which you can influence to help promote hair growth. Poor diet, for example, can deprive your hair of the nutrients it needs to grow, while excessive emotional stress can also accelerate hair loss and baldness. While taking Minoxidil remains the main cure for baldness, addressing these factors can greatly enhance the medication’s effectiveness as well as improving your overall fitness.

Kirkland Minoxidil

Kirkland Minoxidil

I see these questions pop up all the time on forums, “Does Kirkland Minoxidil Work?” or “Is Kirkland Minoxidil the same as Rogaine?’  For this reason I decided to do a Kirkland Minoxidil Review.

Rogaine is the most popular hair loss product brand out on the market today.  They basically spend a lot of money on marketing the name Rogaine with all their commercials and advertisements.  If your a newbie and buying your first hair loss product you will most likely buy Rogaine as its what you’ve seen on TV.  You don’t see any of the generic brands of minoxidil such as Kirkland Minoxidil on TV marketing their products.  They basically ride the coat tails of Rogaine, let Rogaine spend all the marketing money  and get a piece of the pie when the hair loss sufferer gets sick of or don’t want to pay the higher prices of Rogaine.

Kirkland Minoxidil Ingredients

To answer the question, Kirkland Minoxidil contains the same active ingredient as Rogaine.  This active ingredient called Minoxidil is the first FDA approved topical solution to treat hair loss.  Men’s Rogaine formulas are now at extra strength Minoxidil 5% which is the same strength contained in Kirkland Minoxidil. The inactive ingredients  are also the same.  The difference in the products, other than the marketing might be in the quality of the ingredients used. However, I am not saying and I don’t quite know if Rogaine does use better quality ingredients, I am merely stating that might be a difference between the two.

Kirkland Minoxidil Review

But as far as whether or not Kirkland Minoxidil is an effective product, does it stop hair loss, and help regrow hair.  I would have to say, yes.  I have read many customer reviews and comments stating that Kirkland Minoxidil is working as well as Rogaine when it came to stopping hair loss and regrowing hair.  The best part of it was that they were spending less than have the price for Kirkland Minoxidil.  Now remember though that not every product works for every person out there.  But if Rogaine Extra Strength 5% Minoxidil Topical Solution was working for you then the chances are very good that Kirkland Signature Extra Strength 5% Minoxidil will also work for you.

I also want to make clear that I am not knocking Rogaine, as I do think it is a very good and effective product.  Its the most famous hair loss treatment brand out there and many male hair loss sufferers don’t mind spending the higher prices for it because they don’t want to take any chances with losing their hair.  But if you are on a budget like many people are today or don’t mind using generic products, then give Kirkland Minoxidil a try.  Also, there are many male hair loss sufferers that have to or want to use Rogaine Foam for certain reasons which I will get into in the near future.

Buy Kirkland Minoxidil

To buy Kirkland Minoxidil, visit http://www.Solutions4hairloss.com which  provides low pricing on effective hair loss products.

So I just covered the Big 3 Hair Loss Regimen and the three different hair loss products in it.  Minoxidil is probably the most popular hair loss product in the regimen and is the product most hair loss sufferers start off with.  Minoxidil is the first FDA approved topical product for hair loss.

Minoxidil was first used actually as an oral drug to treat high blood pressure.  It was discovered that it aided in hair loss so Upjohn Corporation created the Minoxidil 2% topical solution named Rogaine in the US and Regaine in Europe.  Rogaine was manufactured by Upjohn Pharmaceutical and approved by the US FDA in 1988.  The patent expired in 1996 and that’s when generic minoxidil starting popping up.

Known minoxidil benefits are its ability to slow or stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth.  The treatment is for androgenetic alopecia which is pattern baldness and is available over the counter.   Exactly how and why minoxidil promotes hair growth is still not understood.

There are many different brands of minoxidil on the market.  If they are all using the same active ingredient minoxidil strength as the sole  active ingredients, then the products are all pretty much the same.  There are also various strengths of minoxidil solutions ranging from 2% all the way to minoxidil 15%.  There are solutions with even added active ingredients on top of just minoxidil, however, we will discuss those in future posts.

Most men start of by using the minoxidil 5% strength solution.  It is to be applied two times per day, once in the morning and once in the evening directly to the scalp.  Minoxidil is said to only assist hair loss on the vertex only, however, many users claim minoxidil has helped on the hairline as well.  Minoxidil should be applied before any hair styling solutions and minoxidil can be washed out after the solution is completely dried on the scalp.

Results sometimes take up to 2 to 4 months, so it is recommended to take the products for at least 4 months to determine if it is working for you.  Also, the product is meant for continued use as once the usage is stopped you will begin to lose your hair again.

The vast majority of minoxidil users do not experience side effects, however the most common one is an itchy scalp.  Other possible yet very rare side effects are rapid heart rate, drop in blood pressure and water retention.  As a result of this they may experience chest pain, dizziness, and headaches.  If such side effects occur, they should stop usage and see a doctor.

The cost of minoxidil products vary.  There are some products in the market that are expensive as they are either the number one brand and pay for the advertising, thus charge higher prices for branding their name.  Yet there are others advertising that they are the new miracle hair loss product and charge high prices yet they contain the same minoxidil  solution as other products charging way lower prices.  You basically have to look at the ingredients of the product you are purchasing and see if they are actually different products or the same product just being marketed and priced differently.

I hoped this enlightened you a little bit about minoxidil.  If you are experiencing hair loss, this is a product many have had success with.

To purchase brand name or generic minoxidil products, visit http://www.solutions4hairloss.com.