Regaine hair loss treatment
Regaine stimulates hair growth in balding areas. It works by keeping hair follicles in the growth phase for longer, so hairs grow bigger and the rate of further thinning slows down.
The lotion is applied to the scalp and spread lightly. It doesn't need to be massaged in. With the 2% lotion, no effect is seen for the first 3 or 4 months. The 5% lotion (Regaine Extra Strength) is slightly more effective.
To decide whether Regaine is likely to help, you need to examine your scalp closely, preferably with a magnifying glass.
Regaine may work for men
- Who have been bald for less than 5 years
- Whose bald area is less than 10 cm across and/or your main problem is general thinning
- Whose hair loss is mainly at the top of the head
- Whose bald area has lots of tiny, fine hairs.
Regaine is not likely to help men
- who are completely bald
- Whose main problem is receding hair (frontal loss)
- Whose bald scalp has very few tiny, fine hairs.
Bear in mind that Regaine
- Is not successful for everyone – only about 35% of men have noticeable regrowth of hair, and this is often fine and downy – and the manufacturers advise users to give up if there has been no regrowth after using it for 1 year
- Has to be applied twice a day, 7 days a week and does not produce a permanent cure. If the treatment is stopped, the follicles go back to how they would have been without Regaine. About 10–12 weeks after starting Regaine you may notice some extra hair loss. Take no notice; these are simply the old short downy hairs at the end of their life
- It is important to read the manufacturer's leaflet, as Regaine is probably not suitable for some people. For example, it should probably not be used by people taking drugs for blood pressure, or who have angina. The solution contains alcohol, and can cause irritation in some people.
- Regaine can be bought from pharmacies without a prescription; in fact, it is not available on the National Health Service prescription in the UK
