Minoxidil 5, what is it and how to use it to stop hair loss?

The human being has an average of 100,000 hair on his scalp. Everyday, you lose between 50 and 100 of it, depending on multiple factors. However, in our country thousands of people exceed that figure significantly, causing them the very dreaded baldness.

42.6% of Spanish men suffer from alopecia. Of these, 98% of the cases are due to androgenic or hereditary alopecia, a disease that mainly affects men and that causes, every year, 15,000 Spaniards to pack their bags to go to Turkey to undergo an intervention of hair transplant.

It is a remarkable figure that points out very clearly the importance of our image, both at a personal level, notoriously influencing the levels of self-esteem and self-confidence, as at a professional level, because  hair is considered as a sign of health and beauty.

It is possible that, if you are reading these lines, you have been losing more hair than usual for a while and that you are thinking about what you can do to counter hair loss as soon as possible. It is also possible that, in addition to being informed on the Internet, you have already gone to some medical center to find a solution to overcome your hair loss problem.

In that center you have probably had a thorough study of your specific case and they have proposed you all kinds of treatments or interventions to definitely resolve the problem of alopecia and in which you have surely heard of a solution to use on the skin of the scalp, that stimulates hair growth in people with androgenic alopecia, called minoxidil.

Currently, speaking of minoxidil means talking about the most effective topical treatment to stop hair loss. Hence, millions of people suffering from androgenetic alopecia relied on it to try to resolve once and for all the advancement of their hair problem.

What is minoxidil?

Medically, minoxidil is defined as an antihypertensive vasodilator drug that is used for the treatment of androgenic alopecia of moderate intensity, as well as to relieve those subjects who have been diagnosed with a severe case of hypertension, due to its vasodilator effect.

It is precisely because of its vasodilator effect, which helps improve blood flow of the scalp and the follicle roots, which causes an excellent reaction in hair, encouraging its growth and strengthening the weakest hair follicles of the scalp.

The first applications of minoxidil as a drug date back to 1979, the year in which it was proven that it was a vasodilator compound, so it began to be administered to those patients who had kidney problems and did not respond satisfactorily to the use of other drugs.

It was shortly after starting to be administered to patients with hypertension or kidney problems when it was found that men experienced an increase in body and facial hair, and in some women during its use a severe problem of hypertrichosis appeared.

It was then that it was discovered that this side effect could open the way of study and research to find an accurate treatment to combat baldness. It was a result that until then had not yet been achieved. However, we would have to wait the 1980s when, after confirming its effectiveness against alopecia,  it began to be marketed in pharmacies in the United States in the form of a topical solution with 2% minoxidil, propylene glycol, ethanol, and water. It was a lotion that came under the trade name of Rogaine, indicated to stop hair loss.

Is it so effective?

The effectiveness of minoxidil against hair loss is, today and after more than thirty years being tested in all types of patients around the world, undeniable. However, it is important to remember that it is the only drug approved by the FDA – together with Finasteride – to combat alopecia.

As pointed out by different clinical studies, minoxidil in concentrations of 5% in the case of men and 2% in the case of women, notably stimulates the opening of potassium channels, preventing calcium – an enemy of follicles that paralyzes their development –  reaches the cells directly.

Although not all subjects respond in the same way to the application of minoxidil, the truth is that most of people observe, after prolonged use over time, a significant improvement both in stopping  the fall of the hair follicles of the scalp and a strengthening of the damaged follicles of those who have used it.

How to apply minoxidil

The application of minoxidil in order to stop hair loss should always be topical, in the form of a hydroalcoholic solution, and distributed through the affected central area that we want to treat, and then spread it through the rest of the scalp.

It is important to underline that the lotion should be applied on the scalp always with dry hair. Once applied on the initial area, we will gradually rub on the rest of the scalp through a gentle massage that we will perform with the fingertips.

In the same way that acts on the scalp, minoxidil helps to reduce facial hair and stimulates the growth of beard in those bald spots or areas where it does not grow or does so with difficulty and insufficiently. That is the reason why many people resort to minoxidil to get a thick and shiny beard.

Once the application is finished, by an action that will take you just one or two minutes, it is important to wash your hands well and prevent the lotion from coming into contact with some sensitive areas such as eyes, nose or mouth.

Although you can dry your hair, it is recommended not to do so and, if it is unavoidable, use the dryer in cold air mode so as not to excessively alter the application of the lotion on the scalp.

How minoxidil acts

Once we start the treatment, it is necessary to specify that we must continue it daily for at least four months, at which time the first results will begin to be observed.  The results  will be especially visible if applied in two daily doses of 1 milliliter with an interval of at least eight hours between them.

After four months we will be able to see how hair loss has been diminishing and how some of the thin and unhealthy follicles have been progressively increasing their size showing much stronger, healthier and brighter than before starting with the treatment. However, we cannot stop applying minoxidil on the scalp if we want to completely stop alopecia.

It will be between 12 and 18 months when, if we have been constant in the application of the lotion, we will see how we have managed to strengthen a lot those weaker hair that seemed ready to be the next to fall. Although, it will be from the year and a half when we can verify that we have completely stopped hair loss, this does not mean, as we said before, that we have resolved the problem of alopecia.

Indeed, if we stop applying minoxidil on our scalp, regardless of when we do, the problem will appear again. Therefore, the application of monoxidil on our scalp will have to become an established practice into our daily routine, because that is the only way to keep alopecia under control.

So, everyday, in the same way that we brush our teeth and hair, we will have to apply the minoxidil lotion by gently massaging the scalp with the fingertips for about a minute to make sure we will not suffer from hair loss again like the one that led us to start with this scientifically proven treatment.

What shampoos contain minoxidil

Although, it is usual to buy a minoxidil lotion to apply the solution as indicated in the previous paragraph, it should be noted that more and more laboratories are incorporating a line of shampoos with minoxidil into their product collection. Some examples of this are:

-Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo C1 250 ml – Anti-Hair Loss shampoo

-LACER PILEXIL Hair Loss Shampoo 900 ml

-BIO 2 Shampoo

-Shampoo Anti-Hair Loss, MS.DEAR Natural Shampoo for Hair Loss （200 ml）

-Pilexil 500 ml.

– Revitalizing Hair Loss Shampoo for damaged hair. Biological, Anti-DHT

-Hair Loss Shampoo, Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo, Anti- Hair Loss

-Alpecin Caffeine Hair Shampoo 250 ml

-FORBALD – Hair loss shampoo with vitamins. 250 ml

-Vichy Dercos Énergisant Shampooing Complément Anti-Hair Loss 400 Ml

-Shampoo Anti-Hair Loss, Watermans Best Caffeine

-Alpecin Coffeine Shampoo C1 with dispenser 1250 ml

-Panthrix – Hair Growth Activator 100ml

-Nuggela & Sulé Premium Shampoo with onion extract – 250 ml.

-Shampoo P.A. Placenta Anti-Hair Loss Biovit 1 Liter.

– Stimulating Shampoo for Men «Red chili, caffeine and hops» Antidandruff and Hair Loss Effect 260 ml

-ISDIN Lambdapil Shampoo. Hair Loss Shampoo

-LOTIGÉN – Natural Hair Loss Shampoo with Ginkgo Biloba and Vitamins.
-Alpecin Double Effect Shampoo 200 ml

-Revlon Professional Pro You – Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo, 350 ml

-Spectral DNC-N 5% Nanoxidil

-Glossco Hair Loss Shampoo – 1000 ml

-Jean Claude Olivier – Hair Loss Shampoo with Vitamins for Hair and Vegetable Placenta – 250 Ml

-Sensilis Densage Redensifying and Repairing Shampoo – 200 ml

-Head & Shoulders Men Fall Prevention Anti-Dandruff Shampoo – 600 ml

-Coffein-Shampoo CTX 250ml

-Revium – Intensive Hair Loss Shampoo for Women with 1-methylnicotinamide, 200 ml

-Yunsey Vigorance Balance Hair Loss Shampoo – 250 ml

-Main Thing – Protective and Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo with Stem Cells and Vitamins

-VidalForce, Hair Fibers 27,5gr

-Triple Eight Caffeine Shampoo for all hair types 250 ml

-Yacel For Men Fortifying Shampoo 200ml

-Alpecin 21121 Caffeine Shampoo 250ml

-Alpecin – Active Shampoo a1 250 ml

– Hair Shampoo Root Stimulating 250 ml (Pack of 4)

-BIOTURM Caffeine Shampoo with Guarana and Green Coffee Extract

-ISDIN Lambdapil Hair Loss Shampoo Treatment 400 ml

-Fleurymer Hair Loss Shampoo B-35 200 ml

-L’Oreal Expert Silver Magnesium, Shampoo, 500 ml

-Eclat Hair Growth Shampoo

– Revitalizing & Fortifying Hair Loss Shampoo 330 ml

It is important to emphasize that, although we resort to a shampoo with minoxidil, it should not replace the lotion, but complement it to achieve better results and in less time. In any case, it is best to follow the instructions of a dermatologist or a medical specialist in treatments for baldness, to ensure in what amounts to apply it and what are the best options – among all those discussed so far – for our specific case.

Where to buy minoxidil

Since it is a drug that can be bought without a prescription, it is possible to buy minoxidil in its different forms at any pharmacy or parapharmacy in your home area. In addition to these specialized commercial spaces, it is also possible to buy it online through one of the clinics that offer treatments to prevent hair fall, as well as in most online stores, shops or pharmacies.

Beyond the fact that minoxidil is an over-the-counter medication, both in lotion and in shampoo, it is recommended  this compound is prescribed by your dermatologist or hair loss specialist after conducting a thorough study on your specific case and confirms that drug is the most suitable in your fight against alopecia. Indeed, nobody knows better than them what product and in what quantity can help you to stop your hair loss in the fastest and most effective way.

For any questions about minoxidil (compounds, allergies, side effects, lotions, shampoos, application …) or any other matter related to hair loss, hair regeneration treatments or hair transplant interventions that exist and that can best be suitable to your specific case, please do not hesitate and contact our customer service team!

In this respect, you only have to use one of the channels that we indicate on this website and, within  minutes, you will receive a personalized response so that you can start as soon as possible to take measures to combat alopecia, strengthen your hair and show off again a healthy and shiny hair like the one you had a few years ago.