Hair loss is a tricky problem to have, but you are certainly not alone in having it. Just by glancing around any room where there are men over age 20, you will surely see signs of male pattern hair loss. While some men are totally confident and comfortable rocking their balding heads, there are plenty of men that would rather keep their hair on their head. One of the most effective and well-known treatments for male pattern baldness is minoxidil. And chances are, if you have chatted with another guy about how he is combatting hair loss, he is probably using this topical solution. Here’s the ultimate guide for men combating hair loss and how to use minoxidil 5%.
What Is Minoxidil?
Minoxidil is one of the oldest topical solutions for hair loss on the market. However, its origins did not start in treating hair loss. Surprisingly, this product was discovered when it was used as an oral medication for treating high blood pressure. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, meaning that this medication helps to relax or dilate the blood vessels. By doing this, it helps to decrease blood pressure, which is resistance that the heart has to pump against.
Men taking this medication for hypertension had a relatveily pleasant and certainly surprising side effect: their hair started to grow back in places where they were experiencing balding.
Because not all men who have hair loss have blood pressure issues, there was an immediate drive to formulate minoxidil into a topical solution that could be applied only the scalp and that would only act on hair follicles but not the rest of the body. Thus, in the 1950s, Minoxidil entered the market and eventually became an over-the-counter treatment option for hair loss.
Today, you will find minoxidil in a variety of hair growth products, but it is important to find a product that only contains minoxidil 5% and only a few inactive ingredients like propylene glycol and purified water.
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How Do You Use It?
Minoxidil usually comes in a watery solution that you can spray directly onto the scalp. You will want to use it according to the instructions provided with the product. Most solutions require that you use it twice daily and apply a specific amount of sprays onto the area you are treating.
Most people using minoxidil will experience an increase in hair loss in the early stages of use. This effect is expected and should stop within a few weeks of use, as your new hair follicles begin to emerge.
What’s the Secret to Maximizing Your Results With Minoxidil?
If you want minoxidil to work, you need to do two things: exercise patience and have perseverance. Hair regrowth is not noticeable with anything overnight. Even if there was a miracle treatment, that is just not how our hair follicles work. It takes time for a new hair shaft to emerge from a follicle, and to do that, the hair needs the right environment and support. Not to mention, each hair follicle in on its own clock, so you have to allow hair to shift from the resting phase (telogen) to the growing phase once again (anagen). This is where the need for patience comes in.
When it comes to perseverance, you will want to make sure to use minoxidil every day as recommended. THe most effective products require twice daily applications to the affected areas, so it certainly requires consistency and dedication.
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Side Effects of Minoxidil
Everything we use has the potential to offer a side effect. Fortunately, the side effects of minoxidil are minimal in most people and are usually limited to the scalp. The most common minoxidil side effects include:
- Redness at application site
- Irritation
- Itching
- Burning
- Contact dermatitis
- Eczema
In rare cases, some people may experience a worsening of their hair loss or may even have an allergic response to the medication. Again, these are usually very rare cases, but it is important to note potential risks when trying any new medication.
Where to Buy Minoxidil
You can buy minoxidil from several different brands. However, you will want to use a formulation that is dermatologist-tested and approved. The Spectral.UHP Extra Strenght Hair Regrowth Treatment with Minoxidil 5% from DS Laboratories is formulated by a dermatologist using only FDA-approved minoxidil 5% and three inactive ingredients:
- Purified water
- Propylene glycol
- Alcohol
The Spectral.UHP is highly effective at treating vertex hair loss, which is one of the most challenging areas to encourage hair regrowth. With twice daily use, you can see hair regrowth on the vertex and crown of your head within 2-3 months (remember, this is the length of time it takes for new hair to start growing). In addition, the Spectral.UHP is not known for causing any side effects, so people who have used it have not had any adverse outcomes with the product.
Take the first proactive steps of regrowing your hair on your crown by ordering the Spectral.UHP today.