Minoxidil is a troublesome drug when it is used to control hypertension. Can the same be said of the topical solution that bald people are using?
Fortunately not. The two percent topical solution approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be safe. Even the 2,300 participants of the 1983 Upjohn trial showed no serious side effects after using minoxidil for a year.
"One major finding was that relatively little of the drug was penetrating the scalp and entering the bloodstream. In safety data submitted to the FDA, Upjohn reported that concentrations of minoxidil in the blood of the subjects ranged from one to 10 percent of those blood levels commonly seen in patients taking the drug orally," said the editors of Consumers Union’s “The New Medicine Show.”
"The most common side effect was itching of the scalp, which occurred in three percent of the participants. In some cases, itching may indicate an allergic reaction to the drug. Upjohn recommends that users who experience itching stop applying minoxidil for a few days and start again when the itching subsides. If it recurs, then a physician should be consulted to check the possibility of an allergic reaction," they added.
What the Upjohn trial failed to answer is what happens if minoxidil is used indefinitely by old men bothered by baldness. As yet, no one knows the effects of minoxidil on the elderly. Until that information is out, caution is advised in that particular age group.
"Topical minoxidil has not been tested in men with cardiovascular problems, and many physicians suspect it might be hazardous for that group. Since cardiovascular problems increase with age, some experts caution that any risk of side effects from minoxidil is likely to be higher in men 50 and over than in a younger group," said the editors of “The New Medicine Show.”
Knowing this, how good are your chances of growing hair with minoxidil? That will depend on several factors: how long you have been bald, the cause of your condition, the specific area where baldness occurs, your age and general health.
“It is very important that you use this medicine only as directed. Do not use more of it and do not use it more often than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of it being absorbed through the skin. For the same reason, do not apply minoxidil to other parts of your body. Absorption into the body may affect the heart and blood vessels and cause unwanted effects,” warned the Mayo Clinic.
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