What does minoxidil do exactly to the follicles?

[cyberprimate]

I know Minoxidil is a vasodilator and was originally used as an oral drug to treat severe blood pressure, but what does it do to the hair follicles biologically? What's its mode of action? is it a dilation of the blood vessels of the scalp that happens, and/or something else?

 

[cyberprimate]

That's very interesting. Thank you.

Does this added oxygen (and/or ions) to the follicles, slow down the pace of increasing follicular sensitivity to androgens through the years, or their cumulative effects, or not?

If it does, then there's no reason (apart from side effects) to not use minoxidil, no?

 

[cyberprimate]

I've just read on a French site that many vasodilators were tried on the scalp with no additional hair growth. Hence their conclusion that Minoxidil's beneficial action on air wouldn't be vasodilation, but its similarity with nitric acid that boosts keratine synthesis, and opens potassium channels at the follicle cells.

 

[Bryan]

Does this added oxygen (and/or ions) to the follicles, slow down the pace of increasing follicular sensitivity to androgens through the years, or their cumulative effects, or not?

Probably not, since (as I've been pointing out for years) topical minoxidil appears not to do anything to interfere with the fundamental balding process. All it does, apparently, is provide an extra "offset of growth", as balding continues on its merry way.

 

[Bryan]

I've just read on a French site that many vasodilators were tried on the scalp with no additional hair growth. Hence their conclusion that Minoxidil's beneficial action on air wouldn't be vasodilation, but its similarity with nitric acid that boosts keratine synthesis, and opens potassium channels at the follicle cells.

Exactly! I've pointed out several times over the years that many other vasodilators don't have the same hairgrowth effect as ones in the same chemical family as minoxidil and diazoxide; that effect appears to be a direct function of their similarity to nitric oxide. Dr. Proctor has said repeatedly on alt.baldspot that nitric oxide is a chemical "signal" to hair follicles to grow!

 

[Hate2LoseIt]

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

I've just read on a French site that many vasodilators were tried on the scalp with no additional hair growth. Hence their conclusion that Minoxidil's beneficial action on air wouldn't be vasodilation, but its similarity with nitric acid that boosts keratine synthesis, and opens potassium channels at the follicle cells.

Exactly! I've pointed out several times over the years that many other vasodilators don't have the same hairgrowth effect as ones in the same chemical family as minoxidil and diazoxide; that effect appears to be a direct function of their similarity to nitric oxide. Dr. Proctor has said repeatedly on alt.baldspot that nitric oxide is a chemical "signal" to hair follicles to grow!

This is good news, and seems to put a nail in the coffin on the "you're not getting blood flow to the hair" crap that people still spew. Scalp exercises, increasing scalp blood flow, all that stuff is total bunk, it seems.

 

[Bryan]

This is good news, and seems to put a nail in the coffin on the "you're not getting blood flow to the hair" crap that people still spew. Scalp exercises, increasing scalp blood flow, all that stuff is total bunk, it seems.

I agree.

 

[CCS]

should we put low doses of arginine in our topicals? Dr Proctor said that arginine increases nitric oxide production.

 

[balanceguardian]

Bump....


Is there any way of increasing nitric oxide production in the body?

 

[Todd]

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=61374

A study done not so long ago, shows how minoxidil promotes DPC survival.