Rogaine

Hair loss can be caused by a variety of factors from illness to a poor diet, but more commonly, it's just something that runs in your family. The good news is that you've got some effective new weapons in the battle against baldness.

The past decade has seen the development of hair growth treatments, available by prescription and over the counter, that can slow hair loss and, in some cases, regrow hair. The bad news is that they don't work for everybody.

Rogaine

Most over-the-counter hair growth treatments are topical lotions that you apply to your scalp twice daily. You'll be wasting your money unless you buy brands, like Rogaine, that contain minoxidil, which is the only nonprescription medicine FDA-approved for the treatment of hereditary hair loss.

Women should only buy 2-percent minoxidil products formulated specifically for women. Men can choose between regular-strength 2-percent minoxidil products and extra-strength 5-percent minoxidil products. Extra-strength products, when they work, may grow hair twice as quickly as regular-strength products.

Unfortunately, Rogaine isn't always effective at regrowing hair. In medical studies, 40–75 percent of men who used Rogaine for 12 months reported new hair growth. Among women who used it for eight months, 46–60 percent grew new hair.

There's no way of predicting who'll benefit from the product and who won't, but consider the following before plunking down your money:

• Rogaine is only for hereditary hair loss, the gradual thinning that runs in families.
• The more hair you've lost, the less likely the product will work.
• It may work better on the top and back of the scalp than on the front and sides.
• It may take up to four months before you know whether the product is effective.
• The amount of hair growth varies by person; don't expect to regrow all your hair.
• To maintain new hair growth, you must keep using minoxidil every day. If you stop, your hair will return to its pre-treatment growth pattern.

How to use Rogaine

Topical solutions should be applied directly to the scalp twice daily as directed. Most brands come with applicators—a dropper, a sprayer, or both.

To use the dropper

Squeeze the rubber bulb and put the dropper into the bottle. Release the bulb, letting the dropper fill to the 1-ml line. If the level of medicine is above the 1-ml line, squeeze the extra amount back into the bottle. Next, place the tip of the dropper near the part of the scalp you want to treat, and gently squeeze the bulb to release the solution gradually. To prevent the solution from running off the scalp, apply a small amount at a time.

To use the sprayer

Put the spray applicator into the bottle, and twist it on firmly. Next, holding the bottle upright, pump the spray attachment six times to get one full dose (1 ml). Be careful not to inhale the mist. If the mist sits on the hair, but doesn't reach the scalp, the treatment will be ineffective. The sprayer may work better for large areas of hair loss.