What Is The Medical Opinion Of REGAINE®?


REGAINE® is one of the few treatments that are available to help with hereditary patterned baldness. It is not medically prescribed and is available to be bought without prescription. As REGAINE® is not a treatment that is prescribed by doctors there is no conclusive medical opinion. However, REGAINE® has been pharmaceutically tested and approved as a safe and effective treatment for hereditary hair loss that can change people's lives.

In the past doctors would have usually recommended a wig as a solution to baldness. While this may hide the problem of baldness, it does not actually treat it. Today new treatments have been developed that can actually help to treat the hereditary baldness and restore hair to its normal state. REGAINE® is one such treatment and it is accessible to everyone, both men and women, at any stage of baldness. Minoxidil which is what makes up REGAINE® is widely believed to be an effective treatment of baldness. Studies have proven that 5% minoxidil can be very successful in treating hair loss as the majority of patients have found that it promotes new hair growth, decreases further hair loss and can often produce these results over a relatively short period of time.

Has any research been conducted into the effectiveness of REGAINE®?

2 studies that were conducted into REGAINE® were reported at an annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Washington DC, USA

  1. Dermatologists conducted a one year observational study of 984 men who had male hereditary hair loss. The study investigated the effectiveness of 5% minoxidil solution in reducing hair loss and encouraging new hair growth. During this study 1ml of 5% minoxidil solution was applied by the participants to their scalps where it had been affected by baldness twice a day. Every 3 months during the study the patients collected any hair they had lost through washing and sent it in to be counted. At the end of one year it was found that:
    • Hair loss areas on the scalp had become smaller in 62% of the patients
    • 5% solution was found to be very effective in 15.9% and effective in 47.8% of patients for stimulating hair growth
    • At the start of the study the number of hairs lost through washing was an average of 69.7. By the end of the study the average number of hairs lost was 33.8 which demonstrates the effectiveness of 5% minoxidil in stopping the process of hair loss
    • Only 3.9% of patients reported side effects and none of the side effects were classified by the researchers as serious
  2. A 1/3 year study was conducted which investigated 743 men with male hereditary hair loss. The purposes of the study were to:
    1. Evaluate how fast men using 1ml of 5% minoxidil solution twice a day began to notice reduced hair loss and or new hair growth
    2. The effectiveness of 5% minoxidil solution in increasing the amount of hair in areas where hair had been lost
    3. The side effects of using a minoxidil based treatment

    At the end of the 4 month study it was found that:

    • Areas of the scalp where hair loss had been experienced were smaller in 67.3% of the men
    • The solution was rated very effective at stimulating new hair growth in 7.5% and effective in 55% of the men
    • Hair thickness increased in 74.2% of the participants
    • The first signs of improvement were reported by 669 of the participants. 13.9% reported results in the first month, 52.3% in the second month and 33.8% during the third month
    • Only 13 participants reported any dermatological side effects which were not serious

    These studies were conducted independently of REGAINE® manufacturers and clearly demonstrate the likely success of using 5% minoxidil solution which is what comprises REGAINE®. They demonstrate the real effect that REGAINE® can have on male hereditary hair loss and that this can actually happen in a short space of time. The participants in these studies applied the solution twice a day so it is important to maintain the same regular routine to achieve the best results.

    The results of these two independent studies demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of using a minoxidil based treatment such as REGAINE®. Many people can really benefit from either 2% or 5% minoxidil concentration in REGAINE®. The results will vary from person to person purely due to individual characteristics and responses to the treatment.

    What about studies into female hair loss?

    A study into the effectiveness of 2% and 5% minoxidil for the treatment of female hereditary hair loss was reported in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

    381 women participated in a 48 week study that were aged 18-49 and had naturally dark hair. All of the women had female hereditary hair loss that was defined as patchy thinning from the front to the back of the scalp. 153 women used 5% minoxidil solution, 154 2% minoxidil solution and 74 the placebo, which they applied twice a day every 12 hours, using a 1ml dose.

    The 5% and 2% minoxidil solutions were evaluated on these criteria:

    1. Change in hair count compared to the count made at the beginning of the study
    2. Participant's own evaluation of their hair growth
    3. Researcher assessment of hair growth and scalp coverage

    At the end of the study there were 260 participants who had completed the full 48 weeks.

    Results:

    • The average change in hair count was significantly superior with 2% and 5% minoxidil solution than the placebo
    • 5% minoxidil was rated higher than 2% for hair growth and quality of life
    • 5% minoxidil group rated higher results than both the 2% minoxidil and placebo groups in terms of amount hair growth and improvements to quality of life
    • Researchers rated scalp coverage in the 2% and 5% minoxidil groups as significantly superior to the placebo group

      • It was concluded that 5% minoxidil solution was most effective at promoting hair growth in women with female hereditary hair loss.

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