Rogaine Reviews – Does It Help with Hair Loss?

Have you noticed your hair thinning or some baldness on your head? Yes? This a condition referred to as androgenic alopecia or, in simpler terms, hereditary hair loss. This condition can affect a large majority of women and men.

It is a condition that is painless, harmless, and has no cure. We all know that despite this condition not affecting your health, it can be distressing and affect one’s self-esteem by the changes it causes to your physical appearance.

The organic and non-organic treatments available cannot reverse this natural process that happens as one gets older; any hair loss that happens before the onset of any treatment will not grow back on its own as the cause of its loss is genetic.

To slow down hair loss and promote growth, you can use Rogaine, which is applied topically on the affected area. This article will review this medication in-depth to understand how it tackles hereditary hair loss.

We will touch on questions such as, “What is Rogaine?”, “What is in Rogaine?” and many other queries you might have about the treatment. Let’s dive in.

Overview of Rogaine

Rogaine is the brand name used to refer to Minoxidil, an active ingredient formulated into the medication. Originally Minoxidil was meant for the treatment of high blood pressure. It was later discovered to have the ability to promote hair growth, leading medical practitioners to recommend it to individuals dealing with hair loss.

Minoxidil has been around since the 1960s and later got approval from the FDA to be used in hair regrowth and strengthening. It is also used to supplement the effectiveness of other products like Finasteride. Hair products formulated with Minoxidil were initially Rogaine for men products in 1988, and then the company introduced female products into the market in 1992.

We briefly touched on Women’s Rogaine hair treatment in this review, where we curated some of the best hair regrowth products.

The formula is available in 2% and 5% strengths and only treats hereditary pattern baldness. It might not work for other types of hair baldness. It is a topical treatment in liquid or foam and has scented and unscented variations.

How Does It Rate?

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How Does It Work?

Rogaine has anti-inflammatory and vasodilating properties that contribute to the treatment of balding. Minoxidil interacts with potassium found in the hair follicles and then stimulates the arteries, leading to increased blood flow in the vessels.

It is also said to increase the ATP enzyme leading to the extension of the phase of hair growth. This phase is referred to as the anagen phase, where Minoxidil targets the hair follicles, extending and encouraging the hair to this particular phase, eventually leading to more hair growth.

Another phase in hair growth that we should touch on is the telogen phase. This phase is characterised by hair loss, which you will experience once you start using the topical treatment.

The extra hair shedding experienced during the treatment’s onset eventually stops with the consistent application of Rogaine. The treatment should ideally be applied for two to three months regularly to see results.

It is, however, essential to note that some people get to see the results and effects of using treatment much sooner, while in others, it takes longer. Some results might take four months for hair regrowth and improvement.

Rogaine Products for Men and Women

Rogaine can be used by both women and men who experience hereditary baldness; it is effective and helps hair regrow and strengthens it. The products don’t need a prescription and can easily be acquired over the counter.

Locerin is another hair regrowth women’s product that you can try to help with hair loss and other issues, as indicated in this Locerin review.

All Rogaine treatments are safe and can be used on hair that has been colour-treated or permed. However, if one is pregnant or breastfeeding, we recommend you hold off on using the product. Individuals under the age of 18 should also not use Rogaine.

Other individuals who should not use Rogaine are those who have hair loss brought on by other reasons, such as:

• Childbirth
• Inflammation and infection of the scalp
• Sudden or unexplained loss of patches of hair
• Lacking in history of hair loss in the family

Rogaine is ideally meant for individuals with hereditary hair loss; it is effective and more beneficial to those who start using the treatment immediately after noticing thinning and hair loss.

The table below shows a comparison of Rogaine products:

Other than Rogaine, another line of products that we reviewed and can recommend for use by men and women is Happy Head Hair products.

Rogaine Side Effects

Rogaine has some side effects like any other type of treatment, but it is generally considered safe. Most of the side effects are mild and not severe. Some of the side effects you might experience are:

• Your scalp might become irritated due to scaling, flaking and dryness of the scalp
• The texture and colour of hair might change
• Excessive hair might grow in other areas that get into contact with the treatment.

Though extremely rare, some of the more severe side effects will require you to reach out to your doctor if you experience them. They are:

• Instant weight gain
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Pain in the chest area
• Swelling of hands and feet

Something that might seem like a side effect is increased hair loss once you start using Rogaine; this should not alarm you as it is to be expected in the first few weeks after getting started on the treatment. The shedding happens due to old hair being pushed out of the follicles to create room for new strong strands.

How to Use Rogaine Treatment?

Rogaine should be applied carefully on clean damp hair or hair that has been dried by using only a towel so as it retains some of the dampness.
During the application process, be careful so as not to get any treatment into your eyes; the application is supposed to be done two times a day.

If any gets into your eyes, rinse with plenty of water and contact your doctor for additional advice. Ensure the scalp is fully exposed by dividing sections of the hair to get as much treatment onto the affected area.

Massage the Rogaine into the scalp using your fingertips to help it penetrate the areas where there is balding, then leave it to air dry before doing anything else. Using the formula more than the recommended times does not hasten the process or give better results.

We discovered that the results and benefits achieved after you undergo treatment with Rogaine are not permanent, and the condition goes back to its original state if you stop using the formula.

FAQS about Rogaine

Q: Will I regain all my hair once I start using Rogaine?

A: After using the treatment, your hair will regrow to a certain degree, but it will most likely not return to its original state before the thinning and balding. Rogaine does not work on all types of baldness, and you only see results after consistently using the formula.

Q: How long does it take to start seeing results from Rogaine?

A: You will start seeing results and improvements from 2 to 4 months after starting the treatment. After 8 – 12 months, you will see a more defined improvement.

Q: What happens if I stop using Rogaine?

A: If you stop using Rogaine, you will notice your hair thinning again and returning to how it was before you started using the formula.

Q: Can women use Rogaine?

A: Yes. There are Rogaine for women hair regrowth products specifically formulated for women.

Q: Is Rogaine considered safe?

A: Yes, it is. Rogaine is approved by FDA to be used for hereditary balding and hair thinning. However, it is not recommended for people under 18, pregnant and breastfeeding individuals.

Reviews from Rogaine Users

The reviews we briefly touch on are from Amazon; the reviews are varied, with some users happy with the product and others dissatisfied with the outcome. Rogaine has an average rating of 4 stars out of 5.

Below we shall look at some of the reviews to help understand what other users thought of the product’s effectiveness.

A top review from a user known as James states how he had already given up the fight and had even gone ahead to embrace his bald look as he felt it was the course of his life. He was skeptical at first but bought three cans of the treatment. After a few days, he started noticing changes, and his only regret was that he should have started using the product sooner. The rating he gave Rogaine was 4 stars out of 5.

A negative review was given by a user named SundayPsu, who rated the product 2 stars out of 5, claiming the product did not work for him. He said there was no change even after using Rogaine for six months. The only change he noticed was the initial thinning of hair.

Another user known as Rosetta had this to say about Rogaine, “My significant hair loss made me so distraught even after buying a hair trooper I felt self-conscious as it looked so artificial. I opted to use a cap daily and excused myself from attending functions. My doctor recommended Rogaine, and after one month of using it, I am ecstatic with the results.” She gave the treatment a rating of 5 stars out of 5.

Proyectos Creativos gave another critical review and said, “I have experienced hair loss and was excited to try out Rogaine foam to help with regrowth. There was no improvement whatsoever, even after using the product for six months. I am disappointed and feel it was a complete waste of money.” The rating given by this user was 2 stars out of 5.

Final Thoughts

Rogaine is explicitly formulated to help regrow hair that is thinning and lost through balding. If you are experiencing other forms of hair loss like alopecia, you can also talk to your doctor about using this formula, as it has been proven to work to promote regrowth in such cases.

Even though being available over the counter, one of the downsides of Rogaine is that it is expensive compared to other brands. We highly recommend you contact your doctor for a more personalised hair loss treatment regimen before purchasing the product.