Minoxidil is a vasodilator and originally was exclusively used as an oral drug (Loniten®) to treat high blood pressure. It was, however, discovered to have the interesting side effect of hair growth and reversing baldness, and in the 1980s, Upjohn Corporation produced a topical solution that contained 2% minoxidil to be used to treat baldness and hair loss, under the brand name Rogaine in the United States, and Regaine outside the United States. Treatments usually include a 5% concentration solutions that are designed for men, while the 2% concentration solutions are designed for women. It is unknown how the drug stimulates hair growth. In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison or other substance is brought into contact with the body 1. ... In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, nasopharynx, or the eye. ... Vasodilation is where blood vessels in the body become wider following the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the vessel wall. ... Arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The Upjohn Company was a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm founded in 1886 by Dr. William E. Upjohn in Kalamazoo, Michigan. ... Rogaine (also branded as Regaine outside the US) is the brand name for Minoxidil, when used as a topical drug to treat male pattern baldness. ... Rogaine (also branded as Regaine outside the US) is the brand name for Minoxidil, when used as a topical drug to treat male pattern baldness. ...

Minoxidil is a "potassium channel agonist." It contains the chemical structure of Nitric oxide (NO), a blood vessel dilator, and may be a nitric oxide agonist. This may explain Minoxidil's ability to stimulate hair growth and treat hair loss. Since Minoxidil is a nitric oxide related compound it was suspected to act via activation of Guanylate cyclase, an enzyme involved in vasodilation, however there are no reports of cGMP or PKG activation to date. ^[1] In cell biology, potassium channels are the most common type of ion channel. ... R-phrases , , , , S-phrases , , , Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Agonists An agonist is a substance that binds to a receptor and triggers a response in the cell. ... Guanylate cyclase (EC 4. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ...

Side effects

As a drug to combat hair loss, the most common side effect is itchy scalp. In some cases Minoxidil may initially cause an increase in hair loss. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

There have been cases of allergic reactions to minoxidil or the non-active ingredient propylene glycol which is found in some forms of the topical version, such as Rogaine. Large amounts of minoxidil can cause hypotension, and it has been found that using petroleum jelly or tretinoin on the scalp with minoxidil can cause too much of the drug absorption by the scalp, as can using the drug on sunburned scalps. In physiology and medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. ... Petroleum jelly or petrolatum is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. ... Tretinoin is the acid form of vitamin A and so also known as all-trans retinoic acid or ATRA. It is a drug commonly used to treat acne vulgaris and keratosis pilaris. ...

If a person uses minoxidil to stop hair loss for a length of time and then stops taking the drug, hair loss will occur again.

Other side effects include:

• acne on the area where it is being used as a topical solution
• headaches and/or lightheadedness
• very low blood pressure
• irregular or fast heart beat
• blurred vision
• chest pain

All the side effects in the above list except for acne may be an indicator that too much of the drug is being used.

It has also been found that the drug can be passed from a mother to a child via breast milk. It has been suggested that the section Benefits for the infant from the article Breastfeeding be merged into this article or section. ...

Pop culture references

Minoxidil was spoofed in the episode of The Simpsons entitled "Simpson and Delilah," in which Homer Simpson uses the 'Dimoxinil' hair growth drug, regains his hair, and consequently becomes a high-flying executive. Simpsons redirects here. ... Simpson and Delilah is the second episode of The Simpsons second season, which aired on October 18, 1990. ... Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ...

There is also a reference to Minoxidil in The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. During a flashback scene, Nordberg walks in with a ridiculously large afro. When the scene cuts back to present day, the character Captain Ed Hocken asks him, "Weren't you one of the first test cases for Minoxidil?".

In the pilot episode of Entourage, Johnny "Drama" Chase ask how his hair looks. Eric "E" Murphy tells him it looks thick, to which he replies, "That rogaine is liquid gold, baby." Entourage is an HBO original series created by Doug Ellin that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase—a young A-list movie star—and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California. ...

In the novel American Psycho, Evelyn Williams asks Patrick Bateman if he is taking Minoxidil while he is waving his penis in her face as she tries to watch the Home Shopping Network. American Psycho is a 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis. ...

See also

• Baldness treatments

More than half of men are affected by male pattern baldness by age 50, and baldness treatments are estimated to be a US $1 billion per year industry. ...

References

• Minoxidil entry at healthatoz.com
• MEDLINEplus Drug Information: Minoxidil (Topical)

1. ^ Alopecia & Free Radical "Redox" Signaling--Nitric Oxide and Superoxide. Retrieved on 2006-08-09.