Minoxidil 10% with Azelaic Acid better than Rogaine 5% for Hair Loss?

Are you aware of any minoxidil 10% and 12.5% + azelaic acid creams available? Do you know how successful the cream can be when compared with Rogaine 5% Liquid, Rogaine Foam and 2% Women’s Rogaine? And whether I am more likely to experience side effects using the cream? While I experienced a fast heart rate on the foam, this didn’t happen with the 5% lotion which may suggests that different forms of minoxidil despite the strengths can affect a person in regards to side effects in different ways?

In our society, the general perception is that more of a good thing is usually better. And though this line of thinking may be true for some things, I’m a bit reluctant to apply this logic to medication.

Medication usually undergoes clinical testing to determine optimal dosage for both safety and efficacy. Minoxidil 5% and 2% have been clinically tested and FDA approved for male and female hair loss.  And while one may conclude that higher concentrations of minoxidil are more effective, I have not seen any clinical proof of this.  Moreover, with higher dosages of medication comes the greater potential for side effects.

Azelaic Acid has the potential to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase enzyme production in the skin and thus, limit DHT production.  In theory, applying azelaic acid to the scalp may be effective in treating baldness.  However, to my knowledge, no such studies exist to prove this.  Similarly, optimal dosage is also conjecture.

It’s possible that an azelaic acid / minoxidil could be more potent than minoxidil alone. However, I’m not convinced that greater concentrations of minoxidil provide any additional benefit over the 5% solution.

If you are going to try higher concentration minoxidil products for hair loss, I’d suggest consulting with a physician and then easing into it slowly to see how your scalp/body responds. If you determine you’re not suffering from any side effects, you can then decide whether or not you want to commit to it.

Bill
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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