How do hair loss drugs work? Do they work?
I always thought it was a scam and never looked back.
Minoxidil stimulates bloodflow around the follicles and pushes them into the growth phase. It’s usually applied topically.
Finasteride reduces the amount of DHT inside the body, as the hormone can attack hair follicles causing scarring. It’s taken orally. Some have complained of serious, permanent side effects after using this medication.
I didn’t even know hair loss was related in any way to blood flow… Why is that?
Also, will note to avoid Finasteride. Is it publically available with these kinds of side effects?
finasteride’s side effects are related to its main effect, which is reducing DHT, which is an androgen. so libido reduction, gynecomastia (sometimes permanent, usually isn’t), shit like that. its not actually super common to have problems with it, that usually happens if you’re already having endocrine problems or taking other medications that affect your hormone levels, and for most people who do the problems do go away eventually, though they can linger for a while cuz hormones. transfeminine people with hair loss can take it with basically no side effects (me), we don’t want androgens anyway.
minoxidil works for some people, but it only works as long as you take it. basically as you lose hair the capillaries that feed blood to your hair follicles shrivel up, and if you topically apply minoxidil to the area of scalp you want more hair on it it dilates those shriveled up blood vessels, artificially increasing blood flow to that region of the scalp and putting the follicles into the growth phase. its technically a hypertension medication, but people figured out that if you put it on your skin it just… makes more hair grow. kinda weird. it doesn’t make the hair “grow back” though, at least not permanently. the blood vessels just shrivel up again when you stop using it. it can also cause swelling and other localized blood vessel junk, but every medicine has side effects. if you get it on other parts of your body it will make hair grow there too, and if you use too much then you have a hypertension medication in your bloodstream, which can be not good for your heart. that is also rare.
Topical hair loss drugs such as minoxidil(Rogaine) do work for most. It works by accelating the life cycle of your hair where applied.
I remembet reading it works to one extent or another on about 40% of the population who has used it
I have used it, and still do, and while I didn’t gain any hair back, it did slow down my hair loss.
I don’t understand. Why would anyone want to take drugs that will make you lose your hair… 🤔
We’ll be right back after these messages.
a bit misleading wording that states there was no available jak3 inhibitors on the market: there was since the last year - baricitinib
