Minoxidil is one of two FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of hair loss, and the only one approved for women.

No-one knows, is the short answer. It's interesting because other circulation stimulants don't have the same effect .. just Minoxidil.

That's an important question because answering this correctly will have a big effect on the outcome. That's partly why it's good to see an experienced trichologist who has made the decision many times before, seen the results, and developed good experience.

Belgravia Centre trichologists provide a mild 4% lotion, a stronger 5% lotion, and an extra-strength 12.5% cream.

Because The Belgravia Centre has its own pharmacy, it can offer additional 'booster' compounds mixed in with the Minoxidil to make it even more effective, like Medroxyprogesterone (MPG).

Androgenic Alopecia is the technical term for male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness, meaning hair loss that's related to the male sex hormone, in this case testosterone, which is actually produced by men and women.

Azelaic Acid (AA) does the same sort of thing. We find this is more effective in our 12.5% Minoxidil cream and again, it's only available on prescription.

We've treated tens of thousands of people with many forms of hair loss and we estimate less than two percent of people experienced side effects from Minoxidil. We've seen mild cases of facial hair growth, headaches, rashes and palpitations, all of which diminished in time or after stopping use of Minoxidil, and none required medical treatment.

However this underlines the reason why we recommend undergoing a professionally designed, customised treatment plan under the supervision of a professional trichologist, so that progress can be monitored, ongoing questions and concerns addressed, and the treatment adjusted accordingly.

Propecia is the FDA-approved drug that helps to prevent testosterone causing baldness in men. Use it as another weapon in the armoury and combine it with all the other things that work. Propecia is not approved for women, though.

The most effective hair loss treatment available today involves a combination of drugs and treatments, Minoxidil included, within a custom designed programme with regular monitoring by a professional trichologist to ensure the course of treatment is safe and achieves the best possible result.