Xandrox – Has a Higher Dosage of Minoxidil Proven To Be More Effective?

I have a couple questions about minoxidil.  I know the common potencies are 2% and 5%.  Why not go higher?  I found a website called minoxidil.com that offers something called Xandrox with 15% minoxidil.  Is this legitimate or just a scam?  Has anything over 5% proven to make no more of a difference?  The website is run by a Doctor Richard Lee, have you ever heard of him? – John
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Dear John,

Thank you for taking the time to write.  I have not heard of Dr. Richard Lee, but it is easy to check a physician’s credentials if you know in what state they are licensed.  As for the minoxidil, all the science shows us is the efficacy for the 2% and the 5% formulations.  Going higher usually increases the risk of side effects, and it might not be more effective.  Remember that minoxidil was originally a medication for blood pressure that was taken orally (at much higher doses, incidentally).  Pfizer decided to investigate it as a hair loss drug when patients began reporting the strange side effect of unwanted hair growth!  So these drugs are not without effects on other body systems.

One of the reasons Dr. Lee is able to make his own formulation with a higher potency of minoxidil (and to give it a name) is that minoxidil is now generic.  Once the patent expired and it became available over the counter, physicians and compounding pharmacists could then use it as an ingredient in their own proprietary formulations.  ScalpMed and Avacor are good examples of this in practice, and they work because their ingredients (i.e. minoxidil!) are proven to work!  You can even report the FDA approval for it on your labeling.  It is often the case, however, that the active ingredient can be obtained more cheaply in the generic form at your local pharmacy.

Your question is not a new one, however, and you are not the only person who is asking it.  If SOME is good, is not MORE simply better?  I can tell you that over the years I have had patients try every new formulation out there and report back to me, and never once have I had a home run.  If something was better, we would all be using it, doctors and patients alike, all over the world.  There is not some great conspiracy among hair doctors to keep the REAL hair remedies for ourselves.  Which is why my final advice to you would be that it is probably okay to go ahead and try it.  If it works, great!  I want to be the first person you tell about it!

Good luck, John!  Let us know how it goes.

Warm Regards,
Dr. Sara Wasserbauer
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
Member, American Hair Loss Association

Sara Wasserbauer, MD Dr. Sara Wasserbauer is Board Certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and is currently located in the Bay Area, outside of San Francisco, in Walnut Creek, California. She completed her undergraduate studies with a B.A. in Classical Archeology and minors in Chemistry, Biology and Psychology at the prestigious Dartmouth College. She then went on to earn her medical degree from the renowned Medical College of Ohio where she was designated Class Leader. After finishing her training in Internal Medicine, Dr. Wasserbauer discovered she had a natural aptitude and eye for aesthetic surgery. Growing up in a family that experienced severe hair loss in both the men AND women, she found herself drawn to hair restoration and the dramatic change it could have on one’s appearance With the technological advancements in hair restoration surgery over the past 10 years she saw the potential of natural follicular unit hair restoration surgery to transform a person’s outward appearance and inner self esteem. She states, “Hair loss can have debilitating effects on an individual’s self image, impacting all facets of their lives from social to professional.” Dr. Wasserbauer felt that with her surgical skills, training and natural empathy she could make a true difference in her patient’s lives. Dr. Wasserbauer is a member of the International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons and recommended by the American Hair Loss Association. Visit Dr. Wasserbauer's Website: www.californiahairsurgeon.com

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