Does Rogaine Work for Hair Regrowth in Men?

Discussing the benefits of Rogaine for men, and does Rogaine work. Rogaine, along with Propecia, is FDA approved for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. Minoxidil was originally developed for treatment of high blood pressure and is now a mainstream male pattern hair loss treatment, available as Rogaine.

Firstly to answer the question “does Rogaine work?” Using Rogaine in some clinical trials, up to 59% of men experienced increased hair-count after 4 months. If you stop using Rogaine minoxidil, regression to pre-treatment baldness will happen within 3 to 6 weeks.

Rogaine for men should be used in conjunction with DHT inhibiting hair loss treatments like Propecia, if you are trying to regrow a significant amount of hair.

Rogaine is a topical lotion, available in a 2% and 5% solution, sprayed or massaged into the thinning areas of the scalp twice daily.

How does Rogaine work for men as a treatment for hair loss is not fully understood, but there are a few theories:

• Rogaine for man may have a stimulating effect on skin cells in the scalp allowing hair follicles to grow back to a size that may produce a healthy hair.
• Rogaine is a vasodilator so it might dilate the blood vessels in the scalp increasing circulation to the hair follicles. However, other drugs which do the same thing don’t halt hair loss or grow new hair.
• Rogaine for men could have a beneficial effect on the hair cycle, keeping the follicles longer in the growing stage and perhaps shorter in the resting stage.

This would give the hair a chance to grow longer and thicker.

How Does Rogaine Work?

Unlike Propecia, Rogaine does not inhibit the hair loss causing hormone, DHT. Rogaine is probably best described as a hair follicle stimulator, its method of action being a ‘potassium channel opener’.

Drugs which open potassium channels have been clinically proven to stimulate hair growth.

Rogaine Side Effects

The most common Rogaine side effects are limited to itching, inflammation and redness where applied.

These Rogaine side effects can be alleviated by also using skin soothing hair loss treatments like emu oil, Folligen lotion or Tricomin.