Medicinal Products

Hair Loss Treatment

Rogaine

The active ingredient in Rogaine is minoxidil, a drug developed by Upjohn. It's one of two drugs approved by the FDA for hair loss, and is currently available as an over-the-counter drug for men and women. The original purpose of minoxidil was as a vasodilator to treat high blood pressure. Although the exact actions of the drug are not known, one theory is that it increases the time period that hair stays in the active growing phase of the hair follicle, the anagen phase. Hair follicles enlarge and those at rest begin to grow.

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Propecia and Proscar

The active ingredient in Propecia and Proscar is called Finasteride. The product is marketed in the form of a tablet produced by Merck and Company, and was approved by the FDA in 1997 as a treatment for male pattern baldness. The 1 mg tablet of Finasteride is sold as Propecia, while the 5 mg tablet is sold as Proscar. The action of Finasteride is to inhibit the action of an enzyme called type II 5-alpha reductase. It's this enzyme that converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, called DHT. High concentrations of DHT in a man's scalp can damage hair follicles leading to hair loss, especially for those who are genetically sensitive.

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