Tag: minoxidil

February QoM

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I heard that if I have Male Pattern Hair Loss and if I start using Rogaine (Minoxidil), I will have to use it forever? Is that true, and why?

 

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Yes this is true. The main reason for this is that there is no cure for Pattern Hair Loss. The underlying cause is a genetic disorder, and as such would require gene therapy, which does not exist. The medical therapies that exist, including Minoxidil, only reverse the effects of the genes and not the gene itself. Therefore, if you do not continue using the Minoxidil, you will lose the benefits of keeping the regrown hair.

September’s QOM- What is Aminexil?

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Hi Doc,

Could you give me some information on Aminexil Force R capsules? What is aminexil?

 

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Hiya!

Aminexil Force R is a relatively new topical hair loss product produced under the L’Oreal group. Aminexil,, 2,4-Diamino pyrimidine-3-oxide, is a derivative of Minoxidil.

Minoxidil

minoxidil

 

Amenixil

kopexil

 

It has been marketed as having the same positive effects as  Minoxidil, i.e. hair growth, without the side effects. It is also claimed to help prevent fibrosis or scarring around the hair follicles which can be seen in late stage Androgenetic Alopecia. There has only been a few studies done on the efficacy of this molecule. Therefore, it has not been rigorously examined when compared to Minoxidil.

Is it worth trying? Only if you have already exhausted available topical and oral options.

 

 

 

May’s QOM- Which hair growth serum should I use?

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Doc, which hair growth serum should I use?

 

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I’ve been asked this question so many times in so many different ways. Everyone wants the next great hair potion. Most persons are bombarded by a myriad of hair growth serums on the market. However, what should the discerning customer use to gauge what product she should purchase?

All are not created equally and all do not address ALL types of hair loss. Most non-medicated hair growth serums contain carrier oils such as coconut, olive or jojoba oil. Additional reported active ingredients include essential oils such as rosemary, nettle, and cinnamon oils.  The essential oils help stimulate the scalp through various undetermined mechanisms resulting in hair growth. Other ingredients that have been included in non-medicated hair growth serums are:  Saw Palmetto, (to help those with Androgenetic Alopecia), Caffeine, Capsicum, and Castor oil. The latter has received so much attention in recent years that virtually everyone has a bottle of it. Please see my blog post on it: http://askthehairdoc.com/athd-investigates-castor-oil/.

So how does one choose the right product? First of all, remember that the only topical product proven to grow hair for Androgenetic Alopecia is Minoxidil. All others, except caffeine, have not been extensively proven to grow hair. Other hair loss disorders such as Traction Alopecia and Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia may not necessarily respond to topical products and may need oral medication to halt hair loss.  Unfortunately, I cannot specifically say which is the best product to use. Even Minoxidil (Rogaine), has been shown to not work in everybody.  So my advice is to try one product at a time, and if after 4 months there is no improvement, then move on. If after two products, there is no improvement, consider getting a consultation. Don’t try to purchase every product out there, because the efficacy of some of the products have not been extensively studied and so most consumers have to rely on anecdotal reviews. Hopefully, as hair research increases, more effective products will be available on the market.

 

Scalp Massage and hair growth

There are a myriad of solutions, techniques, and machines that are advertised as the next best thing to regrow hair. Scalp massage is one of the methods promoted on the internet. The link between scalp massage and hair growth has been described in several articles on the internet. Is it really useful? Is it all “hocus pocus”?

Scalp Massage Benefits

Massage in general has been shown to increase blood and lymphatic flow to the skin. Therefore,  scalp massage should also  increase blood flow to the scalp. The increased blood flow results in increased availability of essential nutrients within the blood, thus bathing the dermal papillae of the hair follicle with nourishing molecules. The increased blood flow is also reported to be the method by which  Minoxidil and caffeine help to increase hair growth.

Massaging the scalp has also  been found to lift any skin cells clogging the hair follicles, thus allowing increased and deeper penetration of skin products through the hair follicle. This is important for persons who use hair growth products.  Using products with small sized ingredients that can penetrate the hair follicle will be of even more benefit.

Scalp massage and Hair Growth

Unfortunately, not many studies have been done to examine the direct effects of scalp massage on hair growth. There was one done in Scotland in 1998, examining daily scalp massage with the use of topical essential oils. The group with the essential oils got more hair growth than those without. However, the study group involved patients with Alopecia areata, a rare auto-immune hair disorder that is significantly different from the commonplace Female and Male Pattern Hair Loss. Indeed, the study was more geared towards examining the effects of the essential oils and not the scalp massage. So the question remains, how beneficial is scalp massage for hair growth?

However, if you’re stumped for options, you may consider doing daily massage. Five minutes should suffice. Whatever you do, don’t use your fingernails. Only use the pads of your fingers or fingertips.