A low-dose oral treatment worked even better than a topical treatment for hair loss.
Many products that claim to make hair grow are not effective, according to dermatologists.
People are desperate for a hair growth remedy, so they continue to try new, expensive remedies.
Minoxidil is a hair-loss treatment drug that can be taken in low doses as a pill.
Low-dose minoxidil pills are an unapproved treatment for hair loss that is offered by a growing number of dermatologists.
Dermatologists often try drugs off-label because they are trained to understand how medicines work.
Dr. Robert Swerlick is a professor and chair of the dermatology department at Emory University School of Medicine who agrees.
The speaker said that most treatments are off-label because there is no on-label treatment for them.
Minoxidil is a drug that was discovered to promote hair growth when taken orally for high blood pressure, and it is now most commonly used as a topical lotion to grow hair on balding heads.
Some people have found that the lotion or foam is not particularly effective and stop using it because they dislike leaving the sticky substance in their hair.
Some people find that Minoxidil does not work for them because the necessary enzymes may not be present in sufficient quantities.