How Was Rogaine Invented?

The hair regrowth medication Rogaine was invented by accident in 1988. Researchers observed that minoxidil, an ingredient being used in clinical trials for treating hypertension, made about 60 to 80% of the patients grow more hair.

The creators of minoxidil, US pharmaceutical company Upjohn, were concerned that claims of having a cure for baldness wouldn’t be taken seriously and did not want to risk damaging their reputations as respected researchers, therefore they attempted to downplay the hair growth side effect. Interest grew in the medication’s hair regrowth properties and in 1988, Upjohn released Rogaine, a topical version of minoxidil specifically marketed for hair regrowth.

More about hair loss:

• People are born with an average of 100,000 hair follicles, and lose about 50 to 100 individual hairs per day.
• 95% of cases of male pattern baldness are due to a hormonal condition that causes hair follicles to shrink and gradually slow hair growth until it completely stops.
• The hair loss industry, including topical medications and cosmetic surgery procedures, makes an annual profit of around $3.5 billion US Dollars (USD) on average.