Your assignment is to prepare and submit a paper on rogaine. As a hair loss therapeutic agent, Rogaine has shown a record of successful hair loss management as well as certain limitations and short-comings in terms of its remedial role. Rogaine is available as an alcohol-based liquid that has shown better results in younger men with a history of hair loss for less than five years. Known by the generic name of Rogaine, Minoxidil is available as an over-the-counter drug in the form of a topical solution. It is applied directly to the scalp and is used by both genders. Rogaine has been used for this purpose since the 1980s when it first got approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Initially it was highly acknowledged by the media but with the passage of time, various limitations and setbacks were highlighted. Minoxidil is available as both 2% and 5% solutions, but the latter has shown better results than its counter-part in stopping hair loss and stimulating the growth of new hair The most common types of alopecia are alopecia aerate and androgenic alopecia. Minoxidil is indicated mostly in males and females with androgenic alopecia which is also known as male-pattern baldness and female pattern baldness, respectively. Rogaine provides a very effectual non-surgical treatment for hair loss in both the genders (Hayes 2007. Michael 2012. Gupta et al 2012). Minoxidil acts by dilating the blood vessels of the scalp. This leads to opening of potassium channels and hence rejuvenates the hair follicles, stimulating new hair growth. It has been observed that women show a better response to Rogaine therapy as compared to men with hair loss. A success rate of 30% is observed in the males who have been using 2% Rogaine while the females have a comparatively improved response rate. The success rate improves in both men and women who use 5% Rogaine. As mentioned earlier, Rogaine is more effective in younger men and women or with those people who have small areas of hair loss. Chronic hair loss or large areas of baldness show poor response to Rogaine therapy. Hence, it is recommended in people who show early signs of hair loss and thus further loss of hair is halted to prevent hair transplantation surgery. Furthermore, Minoxidil (Rogaine) is comparatively more effectual in stopping hair loss in the central areas of the scalp rather than the frontal regions (Hayes 2007. Michael 2012). In spite of its satisfactory response rates, Minoxidil has certain limitations which affect its therapeutic outcomes. One specific short-coming is the long term usage of the topical solution. If Minoxidil shows an effective outcome in stopping hair loss, it has to be continued for lifetime. This is because if the treatment is stopped, the hair recovery attained will be lost in the next three to six months. Another drawback is the restricted area of affectivity of the solution. It is only effectual on the central areas and not on the frontal regions of the scalp. The side effects of Minoxidil (Rogaine) are few and very minor. These include minor complaints of scalp irritation and itching, but these are not of severe intensity. Minoxidil has to be used with care, as it can lead to development of facial hair if it is repeatedly spilled on face by accident. Apart from this potential complication, Rogaine does not cause any major complications or adverse effects in the users (Hayes 2007).