If I have damaged hair follicles, can regaine regrow hair?

Question

Will rogaine damage healthy hair follicles and does rogaine require permanent use for hair growth?

Craig Barbieri, MD · Answer

Minoxidil is the ONLY FDA-approved topical product that can help maintain & regrow hair. It is designed to reactivate your hair’s natural growth cycle by reinvigorating hair follicles that are miniaturizing due to male or female pattern hair loss. We typically recommend a foam product, like Rogaine, as it is easy-to-use and available without a prescription. For optimal results, Hair By Robotics physicians recommend 5% Minoxidil be used. Minoxidil should be used twice a day, every day. Simply dispense a ½ capful of foam onto fingers, part your hair and apply to the area where your hair is thinning, and massage into the scalp to help revitalize follicles that are dormant and stimulate hair regrowth. Be sure to wash your hands after each use. Minoxidil can be applied to dry or towel-dried hair and you can follow with the styling product(s) of your choice. It can also be applied to colored or chemically-treated hair as early as day two after treatment. It’s important to be patient when using Minoxidil. Due to the natural growth cycle of hair, it can take up to 4-6 months to begin to see results. Often the result is simply stopping hair loss, and you may not see any difference. As with any hair loss treatments, continued use is needed to maintain results. It is recommended that you maintain your prescribed regime to stop the progression of hair loss and/or receive any regrowth. If you stop treatment, your hair will gradually revert back to where it would have been had you never started. Contrary to belief, discontinuing use will not make you lose more hair. However, your hair loss may have progressed over your treatment time so it may appear worse than before you started treatment.

Bernardino Arocha, MD, FISHRS · Answer

Pepperjack54,Rogaine 5% can slow or stop hair loss in 35% of patients with Pattern hair loss who use the 5% twice per day. It only re-grows hair in about 10% of the same.. Yes, it is necessary to continue the use of the Rogaine if it works, or the benefit will be lost. It may not be effective if the cause is not genetic/ hormonal mediated.Sincerely,Bernardino A. Arocha, MD

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

It really depends on the cause of the damage. For hair damage from traction alopecia, burns, chemical burns (i.e hair dyes and bleaches), there certainly can be a role for minoxidil (Romaine) to help promote hairs back in the growing cycle.But you'll need to see a dermatologist. In some cases, the damage is to severe and Rogaine won't help at all. IN general, your question is a complex one and the information provided is not sufficient to offer much in the way of advice. Minoxidil is FDA approved for genetic hair loss so you'll be using it off label if you decide to use it. In such situations, I strongly recommend seeing a physician first. This may or may not be the right approach and other treatments might actually be preferred.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

I think you are talking about miniaturization of the hairs that goes along with genetic hair loss, Rogaine does not impact these hairs, but finasteride may reverse it in younger men,

If I have damaged hair follicles, can regaine regrow hair?

Answers (4)

Answer: Damaged hair follicles

Answer: Damaged hair follicles

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If I have damaged hair follicles, can regaine regrow hair?

Answers (4)

Answer: Damaged hair follicles

Answer: Damaged hair follicles

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Everything you need to know about Rogaine

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.