{"id":17007,"date":"2022-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/news-oral-minoxidil-hair-loss\/"},"modified":"2022-08-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T00:00:00","slug":"news-oral-minoxidil-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/news-oral-minoxidil-hair-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral Minoxidil for Hair Loss: What to Know About Off-Label Use of the Drug"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
\nMinoxidil\u2014a drug normally used topically to treat hair loss\u2014is beginning to gain traction as an oral medicine for the same reason. Some dermatologists even say that the drug in its oral form regrows hair better (and for less money) than how it's commonly used.\n<\/p>\n \nThe news comes from a recent article from The New York Times<\/i>, highlighting the use of low-dose oral minoxidil pills\u2014a relatively unknown hair loss treatment by both patients and doctors.\n<\/p>\n \nPrescribing medication in this way is what’s known as off-label use. Though minoxidil is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hair loss in topical form (it’s the active ingredient in Rogaine), it has not been approved for oral use for hair loss. The drug is, however, FDA-approved as an oral treatment for high blood pressure, in higher doses.\n<\/p>\n \n“I tell people most things we do [as dermatologists] are off-label because there is nothing on-label,” Robert Swerlick, MD, professor and chair of the dermatology department at Emory University School of Medicine, told The Times<\/i>, citing off-label treatments commonly used for other skin disorders.\n<\/p>\n \nHere's what to know about using minoxidil orally for hair loss\u2014and how to bring it up to your dermatologist.\n<\/p>\n The 11 Best Shampoos for Hair Growth, According to Experts and Reviews<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThere are really only two treatments that are FDA-approved for androgenetic alopecia\u2014commonly known as female- or male-pattern hair loss: minoxidil and finasteride.\n<\/p>\n \nThis treatment is found in products like Rogaine and many other hair loss replacement foams, creams, and shampoos.\n<\/p>\n \nMinoxidil is a vasodilator, or a medication that opens blood vessels. It’s for this reason, in oral form, that it was first introduced to treat high blood pressure. But the drug had an unexpected side effect: It increased hair growth\u2014which led to its topical formulation and FDA approval.\n<\/p>\n \nIt’s not entirely known how topical minoxidil works, but according to Cindy Wassef, MD, a dermatologist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, it’s thought to increase blood flow to hair follicles, making them stronger and allowing them to grow.\n<\/p>\n \nResearch has shown that minoxidil\u2014mainly in concentrations of 5%\u2014was most effective in both men and women in not only regrowing hair loss, but also improving psychological perceptions of hair loss.\n<\/p>\n \nThis medication, which is sold under the brand name Propecia, is FDA approved to treat hair loss specifically in men with androgenetic alopecia.\n<\/p>\n \nPropecia is taken as one, 1-milligram tablet, once a day. Results typically show up after three months of treatment.\n<\/p>\n \nThe medication, though effective, does come with side effects like decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder. Propecia should also not be handled or come into contact with people who are, or who may become pregnant, due to risks associated with fetal development.\n<\/p>\n \nThough not technically FDA-approved for hair loss, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections\u2014in which a patient’s own blood is taken, platelets are filtered out, then injected back into the body\u2014may also be helpful for androgenetic alopecia, according to Gary Goldenberg, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Goldenberg Dermatology.\n<\/p>\n \nHair transplants, though costly, are also used to restore hair. A hair transplant involves removing small pieces of scalp still able to grow hair, and transplanting them onto balding or thinning areas of the scalp.\n<\/p>\n Long COVID Symptoms May Include Hair Loss and Sexual Dysfunction, Study Shows<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nUsing low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss comes from the side effects of the high-dose version of the drug, used to treat high blood pressure.\n<\/p>\n \nIn clinical trials for Loniten (oral minoxidil for blood pressure), about 80% of patients experienced hypertrichosis, or “elongation, thickening, and enhanced pigmentation of body hair.” The hair growth typically developed three to six weeks after beginning treatment.\n<\/p>\n \nThe hair growth, however, was not permanent: within one to six months after stopping treatment, the hair growth stopped and patients' appearances were restored to what they looked like before treatment.\n<\/p>\n \nIn using low-dose minoxidil pills specifically for hair loss, that discovery was made by Rodney Sinclair, MD, a professor of dermatology at the University of Melbourne, who published a pilot study on the topic in 2017.\n<\/p>\n \nAccording to Dr. Sinclair, who spoke with The Times<\/i>, one of his female patients experienced a rash on her scalp after using Rogaine. He ended up giving her very low doses of minoxidil orally\u2014eventually determining that one-fortieth of a pill was the correct dosage\u2014to encourage hair growth, but not affect blood pressure. That same patient, Dr. Sinclair said, continues to take the medication today.\n<\/p>\n \nAnd it's not just Dr. Sinclair who is prescribing oral minoxidil for hair loss.\n<\/p>\n \n“It is just starting to see a surge in popularity,” Crystal Aguh, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, told The Times<\/i>. “More and more at conferences, we are sharing our success stories.”\n<\/p>\n \n“Very low dose oral minoxidil is emerging as a popular treatment for hair thinning,” Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, told Health<\/i>. But, he added, “I personally prescribe other topical and oral therapies first.”\n<\/p>\n \nIt also may not be the only thing to try if you're trying to combat hair loss. "I always use this medication in conjunction with other treatments," Dr. Goldenberg says.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nBecause oral minoxidil helps with hair growth, it may lead to hair growth everywhere. "Oral minoxidil at low doses can cause hair growth in other places than just your head\u2014think face and other areas of the body," Dr. Wassef said. "It can also cause some leg swelling."\n<\/p>\n \nWhile the medication can be used to combat high blood pressure, it generally doesn't alter blood pressure in lower doses like the ones used for hair growth, according to Dr. Wassef.\n<\/p>\n \nHowever, "if a patient has any heart problems or is on multiple other blood pressure medications," said Dr. Wassef, "I always speak with their primary care to be sure this is an appropriate treatment for them."\n<\/p>\n \nOral minoxidil is also not a permanent fix\u2014it stops working for hair loss when you stop taking it. "The effects of oral minoxidil last only as long as you are on the medication," Dr. Zeichner said. "Stopping treatment means that you will likely lose any hair you have grown from the treatment."\n<\/p>\n \nOral minoxidil is also not recommended for people with an allergy to the medication and people with a rare type of neuroendocrine tumor known as a pheochromocytoma, Dr. Wassef said.\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nIf you're interested in trying oral minoxidil, talk to your dermatologist. They should be able to help counsel you on the medication and may recommend other treatments that can also help.\n<\/p>\n \nBut, be warned that it won't work for everyone. "Once your hair loss has been chronic\u2014meaning, shiny, smooth areas of absolutely no hair\u2014oral minoxidil and other oral and topical treatments are less likely to work."\n<\/p>\n \nDr. Goldenberg agrees. "The effect is less noticeable for those who have lost all or most of their hair," he said.\n<\/p>\n \nIdeally, "you would want to see your dermatologist when you first notice the hair loss," said Dr. Wassef, "and when the hair loss is just starting to be noticeable to others."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo: Getty Images Minoxidil\u2014a drug normally used topically to treat hair loss\u2014is beginning to gain traction as an oral medicine for the same reason. Some dermatologists even say that the drug in its oral form regrows hair better (and for less money) than how it's commonly used. The news comes from a recent article from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,533],"tags":[116,534],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17007"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Current FDA-Approved Treatments for Hair Loss <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Minoxidil (topical) <\/span> <\/h3>\n
Finasteride (oral) <\/span> <\/h3>\n
Other Treatments <\/span> <\/h3>\n
Oral Minoxidil Use for Hair Loss <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Potential Risks Associated With Oral Minoxidil <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Asking Your Healthcare Provider About Oral Minoxidil <\/span> <\/h2>\n