Hair Loss Information
Compare to Men’s Rogaine® Extra Strength active ingredient
Minoxidil 5% Extra Strength Hair Regrowth Treatment, is a treatment used to help regrow hair on the top of the scalp. It is not intended for frontal baldness or receding hairline. This unscented product reactivates hair follicles to stimulate regrowth and is clinically proven to help regrow hair.
- Extra Strength Hair Regrowth Treatment
- Used to help regrow hair on the top of the scalp
- Not intended for frontal baldness or receding hairline
- Clinically proven to help regrow hair
Rogaine vs Kirkland Extra Strength 5% Minoxidil
Choosing a minoxidil product to combat hair loss isn’t always the easiest choice. There’s almost a dozen different brands out there, although the choice usually comes down to either Rogaine or Kirkland. At first glance the products are very similar: both use the same active ingredient, minoxidil, to counteract hair loss. Both also offer the same percentage of minoxidil for men at 5%. The headline similarities mask some differences between the products, and these differences lead some men to swear by one or the other of the two products.
Kirkland is widely viewed as the ‘generic’ version of Rogaine Extra Strength.
As with all generic medicine the cost is lower than the branded version, but the science behind the product is the same. Until recently Rogaine did have one advantage over Kirkland though: it offered a foam product that was preferred by some men, something that Kirkland was unable to do as generic foam minoxidil hadn’t been approved. Some men claimed that foam worked better for them, while others simply preferred it due to the speed with which it dried and the lack of residue from its use.
Rogaine no longer has the advantage as Kirkland now has a foam minoxidil product on the market that works identically to the Rogaine foam, but just as with the ‘Extra Strength’ products, the Kirkland Foam is considerably cheaper than the branded Rogaine foam.
What is minoxidil 5%?
Minoxidil is the leading hair loss product available and the first drug to be approved for this purpose. Over several decades of use it has proved itself effective on millions of men and women at reversing hair loss which resulted from pattern baldness. Generic versions of the drug have been available since the 1990s and treatment is surprisingly affordable,
Minoxidil 5% is a colorless medication containing 5% minoxidil for use only on the scalp to help regrow hair. Minoxidil promotes hair growth and darkening in both men and women who have lost, or are losing hair, due to pattern baldness. Unlike rival products such as Finasteride/Propecia it doesn’t affect the levels of DHT.
Minoxidil works as an ongoing treatment for hair loss rather than a one time treatment. You are not simply able to regrow your hair then stop applying minoxidil. The medicine appears to work by blocking or counteracting the bodily process that causes pattern baldness. If that block is taken away then hair loss will restart.
Who may use minoxidil 5%?
Minoxidil 5% may be appropriate for you if you are a at least 18 years old and experiencing gradually thinning hair or gradual hair loss on the top of the scalp. It is not intended for frontal baldness or a receding hairline. The common inherited thinning or hair loss process begins slowly and may become noticeable only after years of gradual loss.
Many of those experiencing hair loss have other family members with gradual thinning hair or hair loss. If you have no family history of gradual thinning hair or of gradual hair loss, or your hair loss is patchy, see your doctor.
Pregnant or nursing women should not use this product. People who have been known in the past to have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients in the solution or to Minoxidil itself should also avoid this product and try something different.
Understanding Hair Loss for Men
By the age of 35, two-thirds of men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss, and by the age of 50 approximately 85% of men have significantly thinning hair.
Male pattern baldness is responsible for the vast majority of male hair loss. More than 95% of male hair loss is due to male-pattern baldness, a genetic trait. The gene can come from either parent. In male pattern baldness, the main symptom is a receding hairline and hair loss at the crown of the head. Toward the end of the stages of male pattern baldness, the only hair remaining is in a horseshoe pattern around the base of the scalp.
Should Women Use It?
There are several factors that can influence how effective Minoxidil is on a person, from genetics to the length of time that the hair loss has been taking place and the location of the hair loss on your scalp. Although men are more likely to experience hair loss as they age, particularly if they’re genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, women can also experience hair thinning. Luckily, Minoxidil is just as effective on women as it is on men, and is the only topical medication that is currently approved in the USA for female-pattern hair loss.
Although Minoxidil can be used by women, it isn’t suitable for those who are pregnant of currently breastfeeding, or who have been known to have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients in the product.
How soon can I expect results from using minoxidil 5%?
Since normal hair usually grows only 1/2 to 1 inch per month, hair regrowth with minoxidil 5% also takes time.
Results may be seen as early as 2 months with twice daily use. For some, it may take at least 4 months for results to be seen. If you do not see any results after 4 months, stop using minoxidil 5%.
When you first begin to use minoxidil 5%, your hair loss may increase temporarily for up to 2 weeks. This is likely a sign that you are getting rid of old hairs in order to regrow more new hairs. This temporary increase in hair loss is expected and is a part of the process for how minoxidil 5% regrows hair. Remember, this increased hair loss is temporary. However, if it continues after two weeks, see your doctor.
How long do I need to use minoxidil 5%?
If you experience hair regrowth, continued use of minoxidil 5% is necessary or the hair loss will begin again.
What happens if I completely stop using minoxidil 5%? Will I keep the new hair?
Continuous use of minoxidil 5% is needed to maintain hair regrowth. If you stop using minoxidil 5%, you will lose your newly regrown hair in 3 to 4 months.