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.

Minoxidil – Minoxidil 15% The Strongest Solution

The typical minoxidil solution strengths are 2% for women and 5% for men.  When you walk into stores that is what you will find.  Women should not use minoxidil strengths higher than 2%, but what if you are a male and the 5% solutions are no longer working for you.  Or what if you just want to grow more hair and grow it faster?

Where To Buy Minoxidil 10 and Minoxidil 15%

There are stronger minoxidil solutions available on the market.  You can buy 10% minoxidil solutions and as high as minoxidil 15% solutions.  They are harder to formulate and therefore harder to find, but they are available.  You can get a pharmacy to formulate the solution for you or you can find online stores selling the higher strength minoxidil solutions.  The latter would be the cheapest route.

Minoxidil 10 and Minoxidil 15% Benefits

Using the higher minoxidil 10% and 15% solutions may have its benefits.  When minoxidil first came out on the market, the solution was 2%.  In 1997, minoxidil 5% solutions were made because the stronger solution would be more potent and effective at growing more hair as well as growing hair faster.  Many say the same can be true for the high strength minoxidil 10% and minoxidil 15% solutions.   It is thought that since they have a stronger solution, minoxidil 10% and 15% benefits would be to be able to grow more hair and at a faster rate.

There are many people against taking anything stronger than minoxidil 5% due to possible side effects, however, there are many users of the higher strength solutions claiming they are having more success fighting hair loss with no side effects.

It is recommended that a new user of minoxidil not start off by using minoxidil 15%.  New users should start off with the 5% solutions and really stay at that strength.  However, if the 5% solutions are no longer working for you or you want to grow more hair and possibly quicker then you might want to consider moving up to a higher minoxidil solution.  Moving up in increments such as to the 10% minoxidil is recommended before going straight to the 15% solution.  Then using that for at least 6 months “with no side effects” before considering another move up to 15% minoxidil.  Also, many users use minoxidil 5% or 10% in the morning because it dries on the scalp fast (for example while getting ready for work) and then the stronger solution at night.  The most common side effect of the higher strength minoxidil solutions is dryness of the scalp and itchiness, however, the other side effects are basically the same side effects as the 5% solutions.

Many 10% and 15% monoxidil solutions also contain azelaic acid.  Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in whole grains that studies have shown to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase in human skin. 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into dihydro-testostrone (DHT), accumulation of which in scalp is believed to be responsible for the male pattern hair loss. Inhibition of this enzyme by azelaic acid can reduce the concentration of DHT in scalp and therefore stimulate hair regrowth.  Azelaic acid can be found in many prescription acne medication. Azelaic acid is added to minoxidil solutions because it has different mechanism of action in preventing hair loss. The combination of them results in a more efficient and effective method to decrease the levels of DHT and speed up the process of hair regrowth significantly.  Possible side effects of azelaic acid include: a) increased sensitivity or irritation on the scalp; 2) burning, stinging, or tingling of the skin; 3) erythema, dryness, rash, peeling happens in less than 1% of patients. The side effects usually subside after discontinuing use of azelaic acid.

The easiest way to buy 10% minoxidil and buy minoxidil 15% solutions are online.   Online retailer http://www.solutions4hairloss.com sells hair loss products including minoxidil 5%, 10%, and 15% solutions.  They also carry the #1 brand in minoxidil, Rogaine hair loss products at a very discounted price.

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.

The average scalp is covered with 100,000 hair follicles.  Hair on the scalp grows about 1 centimeter per month or around 6 inches per year.  Roughly 90% of the hair on your head is in the growth stage and the other 10%  on your scalp is in its transitional or in the resting phase.  Then the resting hair falls out and new hair grows in its place.

It’s normal to lose hair every day as part of the hair cycle.  Most individuals lose between 25 to 100 hairs each day.  However, when individuals consistently loses roughly 150 hairs each day it is called excessive hair loss.

Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors from the environment to genetics.  Some causes are recent major surgery, illness, stress, hormonal problems, recently having a child, reactions to medication, infections, having a major disease, and even how you wear your hair.

However, the most common form of hair loss is also called androgenetic alopecia, which is male or female pattern baldness.  Androgenetic alopecia accounts for more than 95% of hair loss in men.  When a male reaches the age of 35, roughly 66% of men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss and by the age of 50, approximately 85% of men have significantly thinning hair.  Approximately 25% of men who suffer from male pattern baldness begin the hair loss process by the time they reach 21 years old.  Pattern baldness is usually thought of as a male disease, women actually make up 40% of American hair loss sufferers.  No matter what sex the hair loss sufferer is, it can be absolutely devastating experience for their self-image and emotional well being.  It affects interpersonal relationships as well as the professional lives of the sufferer.

What male pattern baldness sufferers actually genetically inherited the sensitivity to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  DHT binds to hair follicle receptors, causing the follicles that are sensitive to DHT to sprout thinner and thinner hairs until nothing re-grows, and the follicles eventually wither away.

There are hair loss products for androgenetic alopecia sufferers that can help stop the hair loss process and also regrow hair.  Minoxidil was the first FDA approved medication for the treatment of pattern baldness.  Rogaine is the most popular and the #1 dermatologist recommended product for hair loss.  Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine.  Women’s minoxidil products should be no stronger than 2% minoxidil strength while the mens minoxidil formulas go all the way up to 15% but  minoxidil extra strength 5% is the norm.  There are also generic brands of minoxidil which have the same active ingredient of minoxidil that have the same exact affect at more affordable prices for those that don’t mind not using name brands.  The 2nd FDA approved hair loss product is Propecia which is a mens only prescription medication that is taken orally every day.  There are other products as well that we will discuss in future posts, however, these are the two most common hair loss products used.  Click here to purchase quality hair loss products at discounted prices.

If you are experiencing excessive hair loss at the same time as one of the following symptoms then you may have a serious medical condition and should see a doctor:  confusion, constipation, diarrhea, poor appetite, trouble breathing, skin problems, pain, fever, vomiting, or weight loss.

Being a hair loss resource, we have shopped at many stores, both walk in and online for hair loss products.  Solutions4hairloss.com is an online retailer that sells hair loss products.  They sell brand name products at very discounted prices.  On top of discounted prices, they provide excellent service, fast and discreet shipping.

One of their featured products listed is Mens Rogaine Extra Strength Minoxidil Topical Solution and Mens Rogaine Foam.  The 3 month supply Rogaine products retail at stores between $49.99 to $55.99 but Solutions4hairloss.com sells it for $42.  This retail price has been constant, unlike other stores which only have discounted prices for short periods of time where you have to wait for sales or end up buying it at different stores each time.   They are a one stop shop for hair loss products that you can rely on for discounted prices rather than having to waste your time shopping and comparing  prices.

Solutions4hairloss.com are also Rogaine Wholesalers.  If you are a reseller of Rogaine products and need to find a solid supplier they do sell Rogaine products at wholesale prices to resellers.  Many stores cannot afford to purchase directly from the manufacturer due to minimum purchase requirements so they are an option if you are seeking a Rogaine wholesaler.

Check out their site if you are in need of purchasing hair loss treatments, hair regrowth products, hair vitamins, etc.  Their site address is http://www.solutions4hairloss.com

Welcome to Hairlossresource.net, a hair loss forum and hair loss resource.   We are a site dedicated to providing knowledge for people experiencing androgenetic alopecia or in simple terms, pattern baldness.  We will write post regarding hair loss and the different hair loss products such as Rogaine, minoxidil, Propecia, Nizoral and hair loss products available on the market.  We will consistently add posts periodically about different hair loss products and issues.

We are also a  hair loss forum and hair loss products forum where people can learn about hair loss, share their hair loss experiences, get advice, ask questions, get support, learn about and share comments regarding hair loss products.  Click on the links in the left or the right columns to enter the hair loss forum.

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