MINOXIDIL
The drug minoxidil is the only medication that has been scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of male-pattern baldness. It is the only such drug available on the market that has approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and the Committee for the Safety of Medicines in the United Kingdom.
It was discovered by accident in the 1960s by scientists at the Upjohn drug company Researchers were analysing rats’ urine looking for an antihypertensive drug ( one that would lower high blood pressure). This they discovered and, with a slight modification, tested it in clinical trials. It was found to be one of the most powerful antihypertensives of the time, but it had one major disadvantage - when taken by mouth, as prescribed, patients grew hair all over their bodies! Could the scientists have stumbled on to the miracle Cure for baldness? At first, it seemed as if they had -When minoxidil was dissolved and applied to the scalps of balding men, the hair of some of them regrew.
However, in the clinical trials that followed the discovery, the limitations of the drug became apparent. The trials involved men who were relatively young - between the ages of 20 and 49 - and not Completely bald applying a solution of the drug to their soaps twice a day, the majority reported a slowing of the rate of hair loss, and after four months of treatment, 5-8 per cent had a moderate-to-marked hair growth on the crown of the head, and 15-20 per cent had some growth of very fine (although, unfortunately, virtually invisible) vellum hair. At 12 months, 39 per cent of the subjects had moderate-to-marked hair growth, but so did 11 per cent of those using the placebo (the same solution without the minoxidil)! The results of a further trial also appear to show that the maximum hair growth is achieved after one year of using the drug, after 30 months, there was less hair growing than at the 12 month level. All the trials noted that if the treatment stopped, the hair regressed to the pretreatment baldness within 3-6 weeks. So the twice-daily applications have to be adhered to absolute
The conclusion is that minoxidil (sold on the UK market as Rogaine) will not significantly help the majority of balding men. However, it will help a very small and specific population of minimally balding men, but probably only for a limited period of time.
Nobody knows exactly how the drug works, but it certainly increases the blood supply to the hair follicles.
Some dermatologists have found that a 3 per Cent solution, rather than the 2 per Cent one marketed by Upjohn, is more effective. Others have found that mixing minoxidil with other substances such as retinoic acid gives a better growth of hair. Both Regaine and minoxidil compounds have to be prescribed; they are not available over the counter. lt is rare to be prescribed these substances on the National Health, a private prescription costs £30 per month, and as the treatment must continue to avoid hair loss, this means a yearly outlay of at least £360.
Like any other drug, minoxidil has contraindications and side-effects. It should not be used by anyone Whose skin on the scalp is broken or who suffers from sodium and water retention, tachycardia or angina pectoris. When taken, it may Cause itching of the scalp (the most Common side-effect), redness, scaling and burning, as well as Water retention, Chest pain, blood pressure and/or pulse Changes, palpitations, shortness of breath, non-specific allergic reactions, headache and dizziness.
This cure is said to Work in certain cases, unlike the high frequency treatment with electrodes you can’t actually see the increase in the blood supply, i.e. the skin turning red.
Most clinics specialising in hair loss will tell you the same thing.
There is no Cure for baldness. They sell you something for hundreds of. pounds. You have Clinics specialising in hair transplants. Hair is taken from the back or sides of the head in the form of a skin graft and planted on the balding region. You are told to make your transplant as natural as possible the transplant is done at one stage at a time. The total cost running into thousands of pounds. For this new hair that has been transplanted still has to get a good supply of blood if it is to survive.
Today’s Cures in the future will be laughed at, the same as the potion of burnt snakes.
l read an article in the TODAY newspaper about the latest Wonder drug on the market. It has been hailed as the Wonder Cure to baldness, the answer to every ageing man’s dreams. But since the drug was first tested 8 years ago, its use has been associated with allegations of sharp practice. Massive profits and dubious advice.
Today newspaper, Monday March Ztst 1988. A journalist who has been bald since he was seventeen years old, ten years later reports. After taking advice from expert biologist | had to accept there is no cure. However men all over the country for whom advanced genetic baldness means there is no hope of a cure for forking out hundreds of pounds for the miracle hair restorer.
A treatment one expert described as totally useless (he was probably selling transplants). It is available only on private prescription, enabling clinics to Corner the market Worth millions ot pounds. Tests have shown it can Work in the right patient, but investigators have shown it is being discriminately recommended by so called hair consultants. A certain clinic in Cumberland Place, London W1 described herself as a hair consultant, the consultation lasted thirty minutes, in which the scalp was examined for thirty seconds asked if he was in good general health, recommended a lotion (£410 for six months). Also, once a Week sessions of electro therapy, infrared scalp treatment ’to stimulate the blood Circulation’ and washing with special Cleansing agents (£264) recommended home use of seven special shampoos pre-shampoo Cleansers and Conditioners (£36.50) initial supply, grand total £710.50 for six months. But even if this treatment did Work you would be paying £1,421 a year for the rest of your life.
I would also like to say that the simple Cure in this book used twice daily will Work as good as any lotion.
Hair implantation is another cure sold to the public. It is a minor cosmetic surgical technique that requires the participation of a doctor. The procedure consists of sewing nylon stitches into the scalp. These stitches like anchors hold a toupee or several wefts of synthetic hair in place.
There is no need for frequent rebreeding because you don’t have any hair of your own to anchor it to, you can be totally bald and still receive an implant.
Unfortunately however, the stitches are foreign irritants that you are inserting into a very sensitive part of your skin. And infections can result. if and when they do the stitches must be removed and new ones sewn into other areas of the scalp. After a while your head can end up Covered with a patchwork of scars.
The implants greatest disadvantage? Because of its anchoring a close fitting piece, you can forget about proper shampooing and massage.
Hair transplantation is unique, this is a technique of hair replacement that uproots hairs growing on the side and rear fringe areas of your scalp where the blood supply is abundant and replanting them in balding areas. It is the most Common form of cosmetic surgery for men today and requires a physician to carry it out. It is expensive and bloody, transplanted hair can grow successfully if the procedure is carried out properly and if the scalp areas receiving the transplant has enough BLOOD to nourish the new hairs.
Hair transplantation is usually done by one of three methods. In the flap technique, rectangular pieces of scalp are cutout on three sides and swung over to the bald areas to Create a new hair line.
In the strip procedure a narrower patch is removed from the back of the head and replanted. But most hair transplants are accomplished in the form of ‘plugs’ small cylinders of hair bearing scalp moved from the sides and rear of your scalp to the crown and frontal areas.
