The medical term for "male-pattern baldness" is androgenetic alopecia which mean hair loss that you get when you have male hormones and hereditary tendency to lose hair. Androgenetic alopecia develops as a gradual reduction of scalp follicle size, and reduced time in the anagen active growth phase, leading to more hair follicles in the telogen resting stage of the hair cycle (2). Male pattern baldness is often diagnosed with the help of a classification system using diagrammatic representation of progressively more extensive hair loss (1). There are seven recognized categories of male androgenetic alopecia which are used extensively in monitoring treatment trial. Norwood's basic scale described from Type 1 which it is minimal or no recession of the hair line to Type VII where the most severe form of hair loss presents as extensive loss (1). There is no cure for hereditary hair loss, but there are three types of medical treatment that may be helpful for some people with either alone or in combination: Minoxidil, Finasteride, and surgery (2).
Minoxidil is the generic name drug approved by the FDA for stimulating new hair growth and preventing further hair loss in case of hereditary balding. Minoxidil for hair loss is used as a topical application. The drug is dissolved in the mixture of water, alcohol and glycol which is applied to bald region of the scalp. Minoxidil is a stable and inactive drug. When it is applied to the scalp and penetrates into the skin it must be converted to an active, but unstable, product called Minoxidil sulfite (3). Our body produces a catalyst called sulfonyl transferease that convert the stable inactive Minoxidil into the unstable active Minoxidil sulfate (3). Minoxidil sulfite activates potassium channels in cells and this leads to hair growth (3). .
For many years, Minoxidil was only available as a 2% concentration and exclusively from UpJohn as they held the patent right.
