Hair growth is determined by hair follicles.
Anything that affects hair follicles also affects hair growth.
On the other hand hair follicles can be boosted to increase growth of hair.
We are going to look at one follicle booster that has become popular today.
Minoxidil is a follicle booster.
Minoxidil is a drug that was initially made available to the public in the oral form for the treatment of hypertension.
Patients who took this drug often experienced side effects which included undesired hair growth or increased hair growth in certain parts of the body.
The effect of minoxidil on hair growth was then researched on.
It was soon found that since the drug was originally designed to dilate blood vessels, it also managed to dilate the blood vessels that supplied follicles.
This increased that amount of oxygen and blood reaching these hair follicles thus promoting an increased metabolic rate of the hair follicles which results in increased hair production.
It was soon discovered that the drug can be applied topically and still manage to achieve the same effect on blood vessels.
Research was then carried out on bald mice that carried a gene manipulated for baldness to see if topical applications of the drug could boost hair growth.
It was found that the drug managed to stimulate production of hairs after repeated applications.
Soon the drug was made available for the treatment of male pattern baldness a kind of baldness that affects the vertex and frontal areas of the scalp.
When the drug is applied onto the vertex and frontal parts of the scalp, it dilates the blood vessels in this region allowing for increased blood flow.
This increase in blood flow also increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients that get to hair follicles.
Soon other studies showed that the drug not only increased blood flow to the hair follicles, but also that it helped open up some potassium channels on hair follicles.
Potassium channels are responsible for controlling the rate at which oxygen and nutrients enter hair follicles.
Since the drug only acts as a vasodilator and does not have anything to do with male or female sex hormones the drug can be used to boost hair growth in both men and women.
The only difference is that minoxidil for men is much more concentrated than that for women though women that show some male pattern baldness can be recommended to take the much concentrated forms of the drug.
Minoxidil has been effective in boosting hair growth in both men and women.
Little side effects have been reported for minoxidil.
Known side effects of minoxidil include oily skin, increased sweat and reduced sex drive in men.
These side effects are often mild and quickly pass when patients continue to use the drug.
One reason why the drug also causes fewer side effects is because it is applied topically and a very small concentration of the drug is absorbed into the scalp.
Thus, mostly promoting hair growth and nothing much.